We don't even have democracy here. The majority of the people oppose both Bush and the occupations. The "opposition" party, the Democrats say impeachment is off the table and passed legislation in the Senate (70-26) to continue funding it through 2009. By my count the last two elections were a fraud. The loyal "opposition" rolled over, refused to even investigate.

If we don't even have democracy here why the hell are our troops and Iraqis fighting and dying so they can be denied democracy too. If we listened to their wishes the first thing we'd have to do is pack up and get the f*#% out.

Getting ahead of the obvious question "Why would the government kill Americans by drive by?"

As a cover, to seem as local thugs, AND to increase the police budget. More money = easier corruption.

Lest I need remind anyone the Boston cops were for 5 years throwing parties where the invitees were uniform police officers, prostitutes and drug dealers. Over the same 5 years 75 cops pissed drugs into cups, 61 pissed crack cocaine. 0 were fired. Crack is only in a persons system for less than 3 days even while use is heavy. That these cops couldn't pass piss tests at a higher rate tells us the crack use on the Boston police force was endemic and substantially abusive.

These were crack addicts, not experimenters nor casual users...

More evidence of agency involvement in US murders is the West Virginia Tech shootings. 33 kills, the highest mass shooting kill rate to date. The supposed crazed gunners roommates said when they saw him just before his killing spree, he "did not look like himself." As would be the case if he had been murdered and cleanly disposed of, his identity then stolen for the killing spree by someone who had been promised regenerative medicine to heal the wounds they would suffer in their self termination. With of course the staff at the morgue placed ahead of time. There's even other ways to pull it off, like have the actual college kid held near where the shooting spree was to end and literally point blank splatter his brain there.

Satr9prodxns -- "oh… and please leave the blackwater madmen you've created in iraq to fend for themselves, please.

the last thing this country needs are a bunch of government sponsored killers running around bound by no laws."

There's evidence some of these trained murderous madmen are already back. In 2006 the Boston murder rate spiked while homicides solved dropped to 1 out 4! The national average is 1/2. The killings were very suspicious. Unarmed people were being shot by the 3 and 4s in drive by's. Try, without any practice, hitting 4 moving targets from a moving vehicle, while being so careful to not let casings fly out the window and with no surviving witnesses. This last aspect speaks to the murderous operators operating with high tech surveillance. Obviously these were professional killings. When the newspapers published the solve rate of murders, all of a sudden everyone with a gun was shooting whoever pissed them off. The murder rate then dropped while shootings climbed. The shootings by obviously then nonprofessionals were being easily solved and few were resulting in deaths as happens when an anatomy studied killer punches holes in a person with a gun...

Shiites (and all Iraqis) seem to be a bit smarter than most Americans -- in that they know that a 'corporatist Empire' intent on looting is only interested in setting up complacent colonies, not the absurd 'democracy projects' that Bush claims.

Well, perhaps Iraqis are not really any smarter than Americans, it's just that they are facing the point of the corporatist Empire's spear in their eye, whereas Americans are supporting the shaft of the imperial spear --- and thinking they are patriotically holding a flag staff; while they are actually getting the shaft up their arses also.

Mike, you are right, i will try not to!!!!!!!!!! too much :)

YEAH,,,,,HEY IF THERES ANY SPOOKS ON BUSHCOs payroll on this blog, WE KNOW YOUR HERE. quit spying you chicken shit cowards. your killing your Country.

Ellydozer,

Thanks for the invite but can't make it. FIrst off can't afford the flight prices from Florida and secondly if I am going to walk the talk about global warming flying is not the way to do it.

I need to ask once again. What is it that we can do in our own regions that inflict some damage to empire? Something that we can do repeatedly in all areas that target the same place and actions that result in a whole new way of thinking?

I think banks are a really good target but I have not yet been able to come up with what would be the best action. It needs to be some sort of blockade or something that interferes with convenient commerce. Especially ones that do private banking. Something that makes them not want to go to the bank.

Any thoughts feel free to email me. civilsociety@bellsouth.net

Its nice that the Iraqis are allowed to protest in their country.

Here, we are only allowed to do so provided we get permission from the government first, do it in an approved "protest zone" and do not do it on the steps of the Supreme Court building.

It must be nice to live in such a democracy.

HEY! DON'T TASE ME, BRO!

Moqtada al-Sadr and his followers are Iranian backed and not the true Iraqi resistance.

old goat,

This is a svp (please) matter, and it's to ask to try to remember to
not post long URLs here. When people do this, the whole page becomes
unreadable, because the text throughout the page is then stretched
super-wide, about two Web browser window widths this time, f.e. This
forces readers to have to use the damn horizontal scrollbar in addition
to the vertical one, and that's a damn nuisance.

We can still load the print page for the article, but the reader comments
are only available in the non-print page and therefore remain unreadable.

It's simple. When we post and see that our post is forcing the text to
abnormally stretch from horizon to horizon, then we can simply edit the
post right away and to break the URL of the link up over a couple of lines.
We then have to perform a trival copy+paste, but it's trivial and keeps the
page's text width nicely readable.

Cindy, always good to hear from you. Let me say that you are one of the reasons that i can hold my faith at night in this country, "for what it used to mean"

i wish i could cast my vote in that county, the resolts would be astounding...PELOSI OUT!! CINDY SHEEHAN GETS A SEAT IN THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE AMERICAN PEOPLE APPLOUD TO DRUMS IN THE STREETS, AND CHILDREN DREAM A PEACEFULL DREAM,

BEFORE BEING AWOKE TO BOMBS,

ITS FUNDED BY YOUR TAX DOLLARS,

HAVE A NICE WAR

(civil behaviour, you are so right on, live the dream, don't ever, ever, give up.)

Civil, remember that the *fuckheads* children BREATH THE SAME AIR WE DO, depleated uriarium amunition or otherwise..

US GOV IS CORRUPT TO THE MAX, F U C K INCOME TAXES, IN FACT F U CK ANY T A X ES "THEY" try to enforce that, in my house, get a nice piece of "hello"

And by the way, I have read here or elsewhere that there is a demonstration in Baghdad after Friday prayers every Friday.

For people who pay only a little tax because they make little money, there is a way to pay no tax and so not pay taxes to support the war. Give more of your money to charity, get receipts, and then take it as a deduction on your tax form.

This is both off topic and perhaps indicative of the scope of consideration contributing to the reality we are living with.

There is a phenomenon of 'standee' creations of "flat daddy" and "flat mommy" for military kids at home.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/08/30/guard_families_cope_in_two_dimensions/?p1=email_

Hi Cindy,

Its' been 2 years since your inquiry about our cottage rental in West Palm and I had saved the correspondence we had because I knew you would not fold your tent completely and stop the fight. I have watched you post at Common Dreams and found the one in this most recent headline "Iraqi's protest against US Military deal" reason to reconnect.

So where are we after 2 years? Well, if we are being truthful we are still in the hole and digging. I've spent countless hours holding signs at street corners, attending rallies and lectures, calling and faxing congress members. I have talked to countless individuals who are finally coming around to what is occurring AND YET, the empire reigns. No impeachment. In fact, even with all the revelations Congress has voted to renew the Patriot Act, make tax cuts permanent, approve of the Military Commissions Act and on and on. The list is long.

We are now at the threshold of imminent destruction. The Iraq occupation has come to symbolize the middle finger from the empire to the American citizenry. The need for energy to placate the masses was determined in secret back during Cheneys task force meetings and Iraq figured largely in that strategy. Now that critical mass has been reached it will require twice as much energy to reverse the trend.

Watching the reaction of people when independent groups risk arrest or less is disturbing. They sit silent. No one joins them and allies themselves when an opportunity presents itself. It is breathtaking to watch the numbed emotions of audiences sit by quietly while the same faces engage in dissent.

I agree that the notion of removing money from the banks is a good way to damage empire. But those of us with no money to speak of aren't going to be much help.

This is about the $5000 suits. They are the ones with the money. They have the network that we don't. We are fragmented. They have clubs. We have no organization. They have guns. We have words. I need someone to tell me how we do enough at this point that reduces their ability to dismantle what's left.

Problem is everyone is afraid of something. Afraid of losing their job. Afraid of jeopardizing their family's reputation. Afraid of violating god's law. Not to mention those who are simply too uneducated to understand the complexity of the situation. That group has grown enormously over the years.

So here we are. As strongly as I believe we must have a system of thought (earth community) at the ready to supplant the fall of empire I also recognize that it seems the natural progression of total demise is underway and is what it is going to take to cleanse the earth of this pestilence. People simply are unable to coalesce around a central point to bring the empire to its knees. Instead it is working in reverse. My concern that we are meeting our maker in more than the fall of empire is a different subject.

Not to say we shouldn't try but whatever we do it needs to be focused, precise and more powerful than what we have tried up until now. Something that has not been tried up until now. Something dramatic that directly affects the rich. It is one of the reasons I advocate rationing. It is something most people refuse to take seriously which is more reason to do it. Imagine the effect it would make.

It is late and I need some sleep but I hope to see the brainstorming of our current dilemma come to some kind of determination by posters like those on Common Dreams. I don't think it will be accomplished within so I am counting on some tactic from without that brings us all to account for our unwise decisions in the past to try and save ourselves and our future. In the interim I'll be watching and contributing what I can.

I was posted this link everyday and then got away from it for awhile.

I think that in view of the recent revelations that have been brought forth in Scott McClellan's book, it would be most fitting that you read this, if you have not before:

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/1028-01.htm

I was posted this link everyday and then got away from it for awhile.

I think that in view of the recent revelations that have been brought forth in Scott McClellan's book, it would be most fitting that you read this, if you have not before:

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/1028-01.htm

Protect us, protect you....
Good God man............

HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jamadison4 May 30th, 2008 6:57 pm

"bring our troops home"?

Why? They went voluntarily.

.
This not Democracy!!!!!!!!!!!

This is Fascist Empire Building!!!!!!!!!!!

The United Nations should condemn this U.S. Colonialism !!!!

Bring our Troops home, starting ...NOW

.

Something got screwed up in the "editing" process. The camping out at the Arizona ranch was meant to be January, NOT September!

Something got screwed up in the "editing" process. The camping out at the Arizona ranch was meant to be January, NOT September!

I would first like to extend my heartfelt and most sincere apologies to Cindy Sheehan.

I am sorry for the fact that it was unaware that you were an active contributor here at Common Dreams and I had not noticed your name beforehand.
It came to my attention yesterday for the first time probably because your website showed up in blue and I paused in my downward scrolling to read it.

Someone (whose name I don't recall)posted a message that reproduced part of what I had said and pointed out that you were a regular contriutor.

As to what I said, I make no apology for; the reference to having to camp out at the ranch at Arizona in lieu of Crawford come September.

While I personally would not vote for John McCain for dogcatcher, I firmly believe that if there were enough people out there in 2004 to re-elect Bush after the whole Iraq/911/WMD thing had been proven a sham, there are enough of them out there to elect Audie Murhpy in November (I know he's not really Audie Murphy, he just wishes he was).

As to the matter immediately at hand, Iraqis protesting; How many times need they be reminded. This is al-Dubya's country. He only allows al-Maliki and al-Sadr to play in it. It's like the rich kid in the neighborhood who has the only sandbox and slide.

I'd stay longer but I've gotta get rested and prepared for the big bamboozling of the DNC tomorrow.

Have a great weekend, y'all

I am nearing 80 and cannot contribute much, but I am willing to do what I can to support a huge boycott of anything the Government depends upon and any other contribution that I am asked to do. McCain promises us more of the same old stuff, but he is even more dangerous than Bush because of his temper and self-assurance no matter how ridiculous he is and ignorant to boot.

But mere talk won't do it. I will be looking closely at what you young Lions can come up with and do what I can to help. Down with the lying, cheating, conscienceless, disturbed (mentally), avaricious destroyers of the USA! Up with the NEW American Government established through the will of the people. All people must cooperate and do what we can. BUT WE NEED LEADERS WHO WILL ACT, not merely rave in Common Dreams.

Not unrelated is the world-wide shame of sweatshops. Find out who, besides, Sears, JCPenney, WalMart, LLBean (etc.) are running sweatshops around the world, with terrible conditions, including the buying, bullying and beating of children and having some of them work 17 hours a day and then having to sleep beside their machines. I suggest you log onto Co-op America.

Hey Civil Behavior! Nice to hear from you.

I can always be reached at: Cindy@CindyforCongress.org...I read and answer my own email.

I think we need to move to Phase 2, but don't protest banks...take our money out of banks. Deal with cash and money orders. Cash your paychecks (don't deposit them).

The 4th of July is on a Friday this year, on the 3rd, let's all withdraw our money and declare independence from the evil military industrial complex financed by credit and the banking industry...

Cindy

Ok so let's get REALLY serious.

PHASE 1

We are 1%. maybe a few more percentage points but nonetheless a small minority of VOCAL opponents of the empire.

I've posted this before but I will again.

Two thousand years ago, a Roman Senator suggested that all slaves wear white armbands to better identify them.
"No," said a wiser Senator.
"If they see how many of them there are, they may revolt."

It is very clear we have come to a crossroads. We have a choice to make.

We can choose Empire

OR

We can choose Earth Community.

So, let's start the revolution. The Bandana Revolution.
A bandana is a simple easy symbol that can represent solidarity for Earth community and be used as a visible signal that you reject Empire.

Take a bandana and

Tie it on your car, your briefcase or your bag.
Wear it on your head, your neck or your arm.
Hang it in your house window, tie it to your mailbox.

Make it visible daily.

Remember while we are busy waging armchair guerrilla warfare Empire is succeeding in destroying us because we can't even see who "us" is. I say stand out where you are and let me see you. A visible symbol that lets me know in a gas line, a supermarket or at work we stand in solidarity.

Earth Community needs us.
Now.

PHASE 2

Begin the economic revolution.

Target. First we choose a target. Maybe we've overlooked the most obvious citadel of empire. Banks. We've protested all around the money pole except the banks.

Action. We need to choose an action. Is it possible that we should pass out literature at the banks informing people of the precariousness of their situation? You know, things like the costs of the war and why gas is high or the cost of foods? Actual facts? Or do we show up in rags and beg for change because of high prices? Or do we show up dressed up and beg for change with a sign that says " Casualty of Bush imperialism.. War broke my bank".

Or what else can we encourage others to do that would make a mass impact? Malls, churches, water depts., congressional offices, tv stations?

PHASE 3

Demands.

We need a list of demands.
1) No more funding of this occupation. Call it what it is. Bring those kids out of there.

2) Dismantle the military

3) No more clean coal. There is no such thing as Clean coal. Tax it and cap it. Trading it is insane.

Let's agree to disagree on what it needs to be but maybe our message is too broad and mixed. Should we get one great slogan and stick with it? "Reject empire. Choose earth?" Who's going to disagree with that one except scoundrels?

I have taken time over and over again on this blog (gave up on HuffPo and Think Progress) seems this one seems the most thoughtful of all at least up till now. I hope they will allow the revolution to start here amongst people who really mean well for our planet.

So if we can find a way to chat, or exchange emails so everyone can read ideas and come to a consensus I'm waiting as my tech skills are limited in establishing the cyber needs for this movement.

I can be reached at civilsociety@bellsouth.net Anyone interested in contacting me please do. I'm over remaining anonymous. If people are fearful of posting ideas on the net maybe they won't be as fearful writing them in an email. I'm tired, I'm gettting older faster and I want to start something like we did in the 60's. It's WAY past time

BTW, Cindy, I am the same gal that several years ago you were going to rent my vacation cottage to come see Willie N here in West Palm. Randi R took care of your accomodations though. Maybe someday we'll run into each other. Maybe outside the bank??

Boy...
8lbs
Born on May 16th (13 days late).
Jonah Patrick Sheehan-Henry

I will not let this country sink farther into empire...I want Jonah and his peers to live in a world that is sustainable, healthy, prosperous and safe.

Shutting down commerce for more than a few hours and refusing to buy anything that is not a necessity (buy used); removing our money from banks and refusing to pay taxes, or consumer credit card bills is the only way to rein in this evil empire that is built on credit, death, and violence.

It's a precarious and decadent house of cards, and do we go down with it, or do we control our own futures?

Cindy

For once Cindy, I agree.

I was there for the ILWU as you were - even as you were becoming a grandmother(boy or girl?.)

It is ego-satisfying though to feel 'I knew it', when the MSM lackeys begin to out their bosses - no matter how late.

Civil disturbance is the only language this country will ever understand.

We may have waited too long - NPSD51 and all.

Expect to see a resumption of Al Qaida bomb attacks against civilians and peaceful protesters. Or maybe it's not Al Qaida.

Doom n Gloom said:
"If the next election does not get us out of there then it's civil disobedience to the max. No more !!!"

There should be civil disobedience to the max right now...we have a situation where, like since1492 said, that is empire and all of the candidates who are running to be our (emperor) president are servants of that empire. Do you think elections will help? Many people had faith in the 2006 elections and since then, the situation in the Middle East has worsened along with the evidence of an empire in decay here in America.

I am not comfortable with the status quo TODAY! Thousands more people will die while we are waiting for sham elections to do anything.

Get out from behind your computer and go do something today! Going to the polls in November and casting your vote for one of the empire's tools is not nearly enough.

Cindy

satr9prodxns May 30th, 2008 11:44 am

ha, i got a laugh out of this. thanks.

When will these ungrateful iraqis get it that we're helping them out? We're offering them walmarts and mcdonalds and it's just going to cost their oil. sheeeesh.

A French news service and an Iranian paper. Any bets if any of this will appear in the mainstream US media?

police officers in america are bound by no laws?

you just get off the boat?

If the next election does not get us out of there then it's civil disobedience to the max. No more !!!

since1492 May 30th, 2008 12:45 pm -- "Just because the empire doesn't get authorization doesn't mean they won't do whatever in hell they like."

You're right, of course. But it does deprive them of their U.N. sanction that provides U.S. troop operations in Iraq with some faint color of legitimacy. It expires at the end of this year.

RE:
the last thing this country needs are a bunch of government sponsored killers running around bound by no laws.

-heckuvajob

Isn't that just like the police force here in America? So they should fit right in when they come back.

The SOFA agreement is most often just a formality designed to protect American officers from local jurisdiction. The war can, and will, continue without one. Just because the empire doesn't get authorization doesn't mean they won't do whatever in hell they like.
Hoa binh

See also Sadr demands Referendum on SOFA; Sistani said to Support Referendum

'May 25, 2008 Sunday

AL-SISTANI NOT TO ALLOW US-IRAQ AGREEMENT "AS LONG AS HE IS ALIVE" - AL-ALAM TV

Text of report by state-run Iranian Arabic-language television news channel Al-Alam on 25 May

[Presenter] There have been further reactions to the security agreement, which the US occupation and the Iraqi government intend to sign. A source close to the [Shi'i] religious figure Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Sistani has said that Al-Sistani told Prime Minister Al-Maliki, during their meeting in the holy city of Al-Najaf, that he totally rejects the agreement.

He [Al-Sistani] said he would not allow the signing of the agreement as long as he is alive. However, at the same time, he voiced support to the Iraqi government and to efforts by Iraqi officials and people to establish security and stability in the country.

Mr Husayn Barakah al-Shami, advisor to the Iraqi prime minister for cultural affairs, said that through this agreement, the US wants Iraq to be a launch pad to control the region. He added that Iraqis and their political leaders and religious figures have a lot of reservations about the agreement and its implications.

[Al-Shami] Iraq is very serious about getting out of Chapter 7 [of the UN Charter]. The Americans have their special project and their strategy in the region and in Iraq. They want Iraq to be their launch pad to control the region and to strengthen their influence there. The Iraqi people, political leaders and religious clerics voiced their reservations about this agreement. But they must enter this agreement [after seeking] clarifications on the issues of military bases, arrests, prisons and the use of Iraq's air space.

Source: Al-Alam TV, Tehran, in Arabic 1700 gmt 25 May 08 '

oh... and please leave the blackwater madmen you've created in iraq to fend for themselves, please.

the last thing this country needs are a bunch of government sponsored killers running around bound by no laws.

-heckuvajob

the iraqis are protesting?

sounds like a democracy to me.

can we call it a victory and bring our troops home now?

critical mass. works every time. lets do it. on FLAG DAY, June 14th, 2008. its a saturday. Come to Eugene, Oregon that weekend. i have a large floor if yer from out of town, ellydozer@gmail.com to RSVP. its time.

The problem with taking all our money out of banks is that paper money is actually worthless, so if we created a run on the banks, the government would simply declare the present currency void and replace it with a new "coin of the realm" ... one that is id-chipped. Only money in banks would be exchanged (for a slight handling charge of 10%) and perhaps a one time - up to $500 - of un-banked cash. It would be all the excuse the powers-that-be would need to usher in the Armerico or a credit card-only based exchange... New laws could easily be written to penalize "under-the-table" currency and barter...
We the people have overslept and what has taken power has no regard for the mass of humanity, let alone the earth, or other creatures. Bad policy is all they know how to write... it's what gave them their power!