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Texas: America's State-Sponsored Execution Capital
by Stephen Lendman
In 1972, the Supreme Court's Furman v. Georgia ruling banned capital punishment, saying:
"(T)he imposition and carrying out of the death penalty constitutes cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments."
Doing so is "harsh, freakish, and arbitrary." It's constitutionally "unacceptable."
Forty state death penalty statutes were voided. Over 600 death row inmates nationwide were spared.
In Gregg v. Georgia (1976), the High Court reversed its earlier ruling. It called capital punishment not inherently cruel. It's "an extreme sanction, suitable to the most extreme of crimes." It said so irresponsibly. More on that below.
Obama is as embarrassing as Bush
President Barack Obama's unrelenting warrior spirit and paranoia over leaks of any kind raise this question: Has he become as embarrassing as George W. Bush?
One of the media myths about Ronald Reagan was that he made us feel better about our country. That's such trash. I don't need anybody to make me feel good about my country and fellow citizens. Like tens of millions of others, I can do that on my own based on what I see every day. The vast majority of people of this country are terrific. Unfortunately, thanks to the influence of big money and sketchy elections, the leaders suck.
While my attitude toward the country is uninfluenced by political leaders, I admit that every now and then I feel embarrassed to have the latest charade as president of the United States. I thought that George W. Bush would hold the embarrassment title forever; have his jersey hoisted into the rafters of the big political field house as the all time embarrassment. He could barely speak. He strung sentences together that were often unrelated. He had his own dyslexicon that showed his Freudian slips on a regular basis. (Image)
Senate Passes Racist Immigration Bill
by Stephen Lendman
On June 27, S. 744: Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (BSEOIMA) passed. House members address it next.
On June 28, The New York Times headlined "Senate, 68 to 32, Passes Overhaul for Immigration," saying:
Senators approved "the most significant overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws in a generation with broad support generated by a sense among leading Republicans that the party needed to join with Democrats to remove a wedge between Republicans and Hispanic voters."
Iran's Peaceful Nuclear Program
by Stephen Lendman
Iran complies fully with NPT provisions. Nothing suggests otherwise. It's program is legal and non-military. Washington, other Western nations and Israel know it. They maliciously claim otherwise.
Iranian President-Elect Hassan Rohani promises transparency and outreach. He prioritizes peace and reconciliation. According to the Tehran Times, Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Araqchi said:
"The Islamic Republic of Iran’s principles and values of foreign policy are unchangeable, and what changes in practice is methods and styles, and as Mr. Rohani said, (the protection of) Iranian nation’s rights is the criterion, and any government in any situation is committed to defending them."
‘Blackula’ Obama, Whistleblowers, & Betrayal by the Media
By Larry Pinkney
“If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”
–Malcolm X [el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz]
“I think people are dazzled by Obama’s rhetoric, and that people ought to begin to understand that Obama is going to be a mediocre president – which means, in our time, a dangerous president…”
–Howard Zinn
Laws without justice represent nothing more than a legally codified dictatorship.
The national and global power elite’s corporate-stream media engages in the incessant and insipid strategy of ‘killing the messenger’ while deliberately distracting, diverting from and ignoring the message itself. As such, the corporate-stream media keeps a vast amount of everyday ordinary Black, White, Brown, Red, and Yellow people in a comatose state of confusion and manipulation. This of course serves the insidious objectives of the corporate owned Barack Obama and his Democrat and Republican party cohorts.
Obama in Africa
by Stephen Lendman
Voice of America reflects raw imperial power. It broadcasts US propaganda globally.
On June 26, it said Obama "arrived in Senegal, the first stop of a three-nation African trip, focused on supporting democratic progress, and increasing US trade and investment."
It's his second African trip. He visited earlier as a freshman Illinois senator. He told Kenyans, "I want you all to know that as your ally, your friend and your brother, I will be there in every way I can." He lied. He's a serial liar. Democracy is verboten. Washington tolerates none at home or abroad. America comes to exploit. At issue is controlling Africa's rich resources.
Snowden: Shooting the Messenger
by Stephen Lendman
A previous article said challenging US lawlessness more than ever matters. Big Brother spying reflects it. Unprecedented global surveillance is official US policy.
Everyone can be monitored all the time, everywhere, for any reason or none at all. National security threats are fabricated. America's only enemies are ones it creates.
The ACLU said "(i)t's time to get angry. (It's) "Time to Rein in the Surveillance State." Stop lawless US spying. Mega-data-mining's unconstitutional.
"This unprecedented surveillance strikes at the core of our right to free speech, association, and privacy."
"On June 10, 2013, the ACLU filed a motion with the FISA Court seeking the release of its secret opinions that enable the mass acquisition of phone records."
Anything goes is policy. Hegemons make their own rules. They operate extrajudicially. Snowden revealed what everyone needs to know. He did so heroically. He's vilified for doing the right thing.
Lynne Stewart Denied Compassionate Release
by Stephen Lendman
Numerous previous articles discussed her. She's one of America's best. She's a role model for others.
She's wrongfully imprisoned. She got 10 years for acting responsibly. She served others honorably, ethically, and heroically.
She did so for 30 years. Doing the right thing matters. It's its own reward. She defended clients prosecutors wanted wrongfully imprisoned. They have no chance for justice without advocates like her.
Obama wants her silenced. He wants justice denied. He reflects the worst of America's dark side. No pun intended. He wants Lynne dead.
Ecowarriors destroy 6,000 GM beets in Oregon
By Rady Ananda
Food Freedom News
To protect against genetic contamination, a group of ecodefenders destroyed 6,000 genetically modified beets in Jackson County, Oregon earlier this month. The FBI is involved and has deemed the act "economic sabotage," despite that Syngenta is creating products that economically destroy organic crops through genetic contamination and pesticide aerial drift.
When cross contamination occurs, then our corrupt judicial system blames the victim farmer who is ordered to pay Monsanto for the company's failure to control its frankenseeds that contaminated her organic crops.
And they report that shit with a straight face.
Also in Oregon, because our corrupt government won't join the EU in banning neonicotinoids, someone at Target ordered several flowering linden trees (Tilia americana) in the parking lot to be doused with the poison and surprise, surprise, tens of thousands of bees died when over 150 nearby hives also succumbed.
Challenging US Lawlessness
by Stephen Lendman
It's vital today more than ever. America's a rogue terror state. It's ruthlessly out-of-control. It spurns rule of law principles. It mocks democratic rights. It honors its worst. It persecutes its best.
It acts unconscionably. It threatens freedom. It menaces world peace. It endangers humanity. It's guilty of worldwide espionage on a massive, unprecedented scale.
Edward Snowden revealed it. Everyone needs to know. He did it heroically. He accepted great risks. He acted responsibly. He did so because it matters. He's a role model for others. Hopefully he'll embolden others to come forward.
Political Washington vilified him. He's excoriated for doing the right thing. Media scoundrels piled on. They're unprincipled. They're vicious. They're unrelenting. They front for power. They support America's worst crimes. They mock legitimate journalism doing so.
Snowden has millions of world supporters. Important nations respect him. His legitimate rights matter. Russia, China, Ecuador, Venezuela, and other countries stand tall.
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