Thursday, January 18, 2007
Pacifica Commentary For January 17, 2007
Constitutional Crisis
Yes, we are in a constitutional crisis. The President has determined that 100 billion dollars be spent on an extremely dangerous "updating" of our nuclear arsenal. And he does this at a time when some of the nation's virulent hawks, Henry Kissinger, George Schultz, William Perry and Sam Nunn issue a statement calling for the U.S. to lead the world in the abolition of nuclear weapons. See Wall Street Journal, January 4, 2007.
Our universities are being turned into houses of prostitution as the Bush Administration pumps billions into academia to design new nukes together with new horrors of biological and chemical weapons in direct violation of both the Biological Weapons and Chemical Weapons conventions and U.S. domestic criminal law.
And then there is the surge of troops in Iraq. In spite of what the poorly educated journalists or elected officials might say, there is a consensus of legal scholars that Congress has absolute power to block funding for any surge of troops in Baghdad.
Oh, yes, Bush invades Somalia with a little help from Ethiopia and then tries to assassinate a few alleged members of Al Qaeda. So he sends an AC-130 and a host of attack helicopters to southern Somalia. The AC-130 is a monstrosity designed to kill every man, woman, child and beast within its orbit.
And all of this is taking place while Israel and the United States bicker over which one will be the first to strike Iran.
Friends, we currently have some options to defend the people of the United States from governmental criminality:
First. Impeachment: There are literally scores of charges that could lead to conviction.
Second. The Twenty-Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States: This Amendment is to be applied when the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. The president's behavior should make his inability self-evident.
Now in both cases the Vice President is in line to take over. Clearly, similar action should be taken immediately as the Vice President becomes President because many of the high crimes and misdemeanors of the current President are directly tied to policies created by the current Vice President. This action would elevate the Speaker of the House of Representatives to the position of President.
And as we petition these actions from the new Congress, the peace movement is more engaged than ever at the street level. We are joined by veterans and current members of the armed forces. And this is where history will be made.
For detailed information on action in your immediate area go to
Yes, we are in a constitutional crisis. The President has determined that 100 billion dollars be spent on an extremely dangerous "updating" of our nuclear arsenal. And he does this at a time when some of the nation's virulent hawks, Henry Kissinger, George Schultz, William Perry and Sam Nunn issue a statement calling for the U.S. to lead the world in the abolition of nuclear weapons. See Wall Street Journal, January 4, 2007.
Our universities are being turned into houses of prostitution as the Bush Administration pumps billions into academia to design new nukes together with new horrors of biological and chemical weapons in direct violation of both the Biological Weapons and Chemical Weapons conventions and U.S. domestic criminal law.
And then there is the surge of troops in Iraq. In spite of what the poorly educated journalists or elected officials might say, there is a consensus of legal scholars that Congress has absolute power to block funding for any surge of troops in Baghdad.
Oh, yes, Bush invades Somalia with a little help from Ethiopia and then tries to assassinate a few alleged members of Al Qaeda. So he sends an AC-130 and a host of attack helicopters to southern Somalia. The AC-130 is a monstrosity designed to kill every man, woman, child and beast within its orbit.
And all of this is taking place while Israel and the United States bicker over which one will be the first to strike Iran.
Friends, we currently have some options to defend the people of the United States from governmental criminality:
First. Impeachment: There are literally scores of charges that could lead to conviction.
Second. The Twenty-Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States: This Amendment is to be applied when the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. The president's behavior should make his inability self-evident.
Now in both cases the Vice President is in line to take over. Clearly, similar action should be taken immediately as the Vice President becomes President because many of the high crimes and misdemeanors of the current President are directly tied to policies created by the current Vice President. This action would elevate the Speaker of the House of Representatives to the position of President.
And as we petition these actions from the new Congress, the peace movement is more engaged than ever at the street level. We are joined by veterans and current members of the armed forces. And this is where history will be made.
For detailed information on action in your immediate area go to
Friday, January 05, 2007
Pacifica Commentary For January 3, 2007
What Congress Is Going To Do
The New York Times has a great headline. It says: CHAOS OVERRAN THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S PLAN FOR THE IRAQ WAR IN 2006.
Now we know whom to blame. Chaos is to blame, that's who. If chaos had not appeared, Bush's plans would have been a great success. Right?
Might we ask what caused the chaos? The press likes to call it sectarian violence. But so-called sectarian violence seems to be just a cover for the fact that people who have accepted the occupation of Iraq are fighting against fellow citizens who do not accept the occupation of Iraq.
And the same might be said of Palestine. Unfortunately some Palestinians are fighting other Palestinians whom they believe are accepting Israeli occupation.
And as the Democrats come to center stage, we must remind them that chaos just might mess up their plans as well. "We will have oversight. We will not cut off funding," says incoming speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. Please Nancy, don't start your new job with doubletalk. If you Democrats don't cut off spending, you are fully supporting an ongoing crime against humanity.
Speaking on behalf of the hopes, desires and anxieties of millions of Americans, we are asking you, we are demanding of you that you not only cut off funding for the Iraq disaster but that you immediately begin impeachment proceedings for the most criminal administration in the history of the United States. Let's stop the charade now.
We put you in power to stop the war and you are telling us that you will continue funding the slaughter of our troops by people who do not want their country occupied. You will continue the daily murder of innocent people in an illegal war? You will continue to make the United States the most hated and feared polity on earth? Congressman Dennis Kucinich put it well when he said that the war in and the occupation of Iraq will end when Congress eliminates funding for the war. This is the necessary program for the new congress. To be sure that cut off in funding takes place. The Occupation Project challenges Representatives and Senators to publicly declare that they will vote against any further funding for the war and occupation of Iraq. Failure to make this pledge will result in the occupation of legislator's offices in an ongoing project of civil disobedience during February and March both in Washington and in their home districts. Let's not have the Democrats also telling us that chaos has messed up their plans. Get out of Iraq now.
The New York Times has a great headline. It says: CHAOS OVERRAN THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S PLAN FOR THE IRAQ WAR IN 2006.
Now we know whom to blame. Chaos is to blame, that's who. If chaos had not appeared, Bush's plans would have been a great success. Right?
Might we ask what caused the chaos? The press likes to call it sectarian violence. But so-called sectarian violence seems to be just a cover for the fact that people who have accepted the occupation of Iraq are fighting against fellow citizens who do not accept the occupation of Iraq.
And the same might be said of Palestine. Unfortunately some Palestinians are fighting other Palestinians whom they believe are accepting Israeli occupation.
And as the Democrats come to center stage, we must remind them that chaos just might mess up their plans as well. "We will have oversight. We will not cut off funding," says incoming speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. Please Nancy, don't start your new job with doubletalk. If you Democrats don't cut off spending, you are fully supporting an ongoing crime against humanity.
Speaking on behalf of the hopes, desires and anxieties of millions of Americans, we are asking you, we are demanding of you that you not only cut off funding for the Iraq disaster but that you immediately begin impeachment proceedings for the most criminal administration in the history of the United States. Let's stop the charade now.
We put you in power to stop the war and you are telling us that you will continue funding the slaughter of our troops by people who do not want their country occupied. You will continue the daily murder of innocent people in an illegal war? You will continue to make the United States the most hated and feared polity on earth? Congressman Dennis Kucinich put it well when he said that the war in and the occupation of Iraq will end when Congress eliminates funding for the war. This is the necessary program for the new congress. To be sure that cut off in funding takes place. The Occupation Project challenges Representatives and Senators to publicly declare that they will vote against any further funding for the war and occupation of Iraq. Failure to make this pledge will result in the occupation of legislator's offices in an ongoing project of civil disobedience during February and March both in Washington and in their home districts. Let's not have the Democrats also telling us that chaos has messed up their plans. Get out of Iraq now.
