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Freedom in America: Rest in Peace
by Stephen Lendman
Political philosopher Montesquieu (1989 - 1755) once said:
"There is no greater tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of law and in the name of justice."
International, constitutional and US statute laws no longer matter. Obama declared them null and void. He does so by disregarding them.
He consigned them to the dustbin of history. They've been heading there for years. Post-9/11, state terror accelerated.
Bush administration rogues enacted numerous police state laws. Previous articles discussed them. Constitutionality was ignored. Obama added his own. Doing so exceeded the worst of his predecessor's policies.
Unconstitutional US Data-Mining
by Stephen Lendman
On June 5, London's Guardian reported part of it. "NSA collecting phone records of millions of Verizon customers daily," it headlined.
On June 6, a follow-up article headlined "NSA taps in to systems of Google, Facebook, Apple and others, secret files reveal."
The Washington Post followed with its own report. It said the NSA and FBI "are tapping directly into the central servers of nine US Internet companies, extracting audio, video, photographs, e-mails, documents and connection logs that enable analysts to trace a person’s movements and contacts over time."
Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, Paltalk, AOL, Skype, YouTube, Apple, and other online companies willingly cooperate with lawless government spying.
New York Times Editors Defend the Indefensible
by Stephen Lendman
It's standard Times practice. It's longstanding. On June 6, Times editors praised Obama's selection of Susan Rice and Samantha Power.
They're deplorable choices. They'll move from current capacities to new national security positions. More on that below.
Times editors endorsed what demands condemnation. What they say matters. Times articles, commentaries and editorials have impact. What's reported attracts global attention.
Longstanding Times policy is consistent. It operates as a quasi-official ministry of managed news misinformation. It masquerades as the real thing.
Doing so violates fundamental journalistic ethics. The Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics Preamble states:
There's a Reason They are Called “Courts....”
by Janet C. Phelan
Walking into any “court” of late one might have a distinct impression that one has walked into a monarch's domain. In our post- 911 America, it is becoming increasingly clear that the rule of law only applies at the discretion of the monarch. And that would be the judge sitting in that particular court.
Unlike removing a President, it is nearly impossible to remove a judge. Lifetime appointments in many cases coupled with laws prohibiting suing a judge (even for “malicious and corrupt practices”) have given the judiciary a nearly godly form of immunity.
A recent attempt in one of these courts....well, you can't really call them courts of law at this juncture, so let's call them courts of judicial privilege....to recuse the sitting probate judge in San Bernardino County could be seen as an example of the futility of exerting the rule of law today.
On March 26, 2013, Keith Phillips, the son of conservatee Russell Mack Phillips, attempted to recuse Judge Raymond Haight III on grounds that Haight had refused to rule on a petition for an evidentiary hearing filed by Keith Phillips on December 12, 2012. According to the Judicial Canons (that would be under the rule of law, not the rule of judicial privilege), a judge has a duty to rule. Over a hundred days had passed by and Judge Haight was simply ignoring the petition filed by Phillips.
Washington and the Breakdown of the Colombia-Venezuela -FARC Peace Process
James Petras
Introduction
Washington has devised a dual strategy toward Latin America. This involves a new set of ambitious imperial initiatives designed to undermine the principal anti-imperialist governments (Venezuela), social movements and armed insurgency (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), while dismantling Latin America-centered integration and regional alliances, such as ALBA, Petro-Caribe, UNASUR and MERCOSUR. At the same time the US seeks to establish an alternative US-centered ‘integration scheme’ through the Latin America and Asia-the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which encourages closer ties among neo-liberal states, like Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile with their energy and mining sector-dependent development strategies.
Samantha Power for UN Envoy
by Stephen Lendman
Obama's cabinet, national security team, and other close advisors reflect a virtual rogues gallery of scoundrels. Susan Rice as National Security Advisor and Samantha Power as UN envoy are on board in new capacities.
Rice shifts from UN ambassador to the White House. A previous article quoted the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity saying "she belongs in the big house, not in the White House."
Given her notion of humanitarian intervention, Power belongs there with her. On June 5, a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/06/05/remarks-president-personnel-announcement" target="_blank">Obama announced both appointments.
He was right calling Power "a relentless advocate for American interests and values." He was wrong saying doing so reflects "building partnerships on behalf of democracy and human rights."
Anti-Syrian Blame Game Escalates
by Stephen Lendman
Since early 2011, ongoing blame game strategy holds Syria responsible for Western-enlisted death squad crimes.
In August 2011, the Human Rights Council (HRC) appointed a so-called Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria (COI). Paulo Pinheiro heads it.
His mandate is pro-Western propaganda. Credibility isn't his long suit. His reports bear testimony to his bias. He wrongfully blames Assad for insurgent crimes. He's done so throughout his tenure.
Washington calls the shots. Pinheiro and other COI members salute and obey. So do HRC officials. Truth is verboten. False reports up the stakes for full-blown US-led NATO intervention.
On June 4, 1,000 US marines arrived in Jordan. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel approved them along with deployment of F-16s, Patriot missiles and other weapons.
Susan Rice for National Security Advisor
by Stephen Lendman
Previous articles discussed her. Calling her controversial stops short of accurately characterizing her. Moral depravity explains best. Vishay Prashad calls her the "queen of interventionist hawks."
South African journalist Getahune Bekele said she's a "consummate ally of grubby despots."
Ray McGovern says she believes "hawkishness" is "safer" for career advancement than "thoughtful diplomacy." Reuters called her "sharp-tongued."
Others condemn her bloody hands. Banality of evil describes her. Death and destruction don't bother her. She was quoted once saying, "The only thing we have to do is look the other way."
NYCLU Analysis Exposes Stark Racial Disparities in Marijuana Arrests in Counties Across New York State
From Jennifer Carnig
There are gaping racial disparities in low-level marijuana arrests in counties across New York State, according to a New York Civil Liberties Union analysis released today of federal crime reporting data from 2010.
The greatest racial disparities occur in Kings County (Brooklyn) and New York County (Manhattan), where black New Yorkers are more than 9 times more likely than whites to be arrested for possessing marijuana. But the problem is not limited to New York City. Enormous racial disparities exist in counties throughout the state, including several of the state’s most populous counties, such as Onondaga (7.75 times more likely), Niagara (7.56 times more likely), Monroe (6.5 times more likely) and Erie (5.66 times more likely).
“In all corners of New York State, police are targeting people of color for marijuana possession arrests,” NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman said. “Arresting and jailing thousands of people for possessing small amounts of marijuana does not make safer streets. It only needlessly disrupts people’s lives and fosters distrust between the police and the communities they are sworn to serve.”
These 34 ‘commandments’ must be obeyed, says the London Declaration on Anti-Semitism
Stuart Littlewood
But how many would you ‘blue-pencil’?
Australian federal and state MPs have been indulging in an orgy of anti-anti-semitism by signing en masse the London Declaration on Combating Anti-Semitism. Over 100 have put their mark on it.
Haaretz reports http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/australian-mps-pick-up-torch-in-fight-against-global-anti-semitism.premium-1.525198 that even more of the nation’s 226 federal parliamentarians in Canberra are expected to sign up, and all 105 federal Liberal MPs and senators have done so.
About 300 other lawmakers from some 60 countries have also signed, according to a spokesperson from the Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism. 50 of these are Canadians, 18 are British, 6 are Israeli and 2 are American (what, only two?).
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