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Kill Shot Bounties by the New Orleans Saints – A parable of our time

Mar 3

Posted by Michael Collins in Big Money, Criminal Justice | No Comments

By Michael Collins

A National Football League (NFL) investigation just found that the New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, and defensive players developed a scheme of cash rewards for game ending hits on key opposing players. A defensive hit that led to a targeted player being carted off the field was worth $1500. A game ending injury for an opponent, called a kill shot was also worth $1500. The cash rewards were increased substantially for playoff games. (Sports Illustrated video)

The targets were the likes of hall of fame quarterbacks Bret Favre and Kurt Warner. Williams was closely involved with the reward system using money from Saints defensive players. The Washington Post reported that tough-talking Williams ran a similar bounty system when he coached under Joe Gibbs at the Washington Redskins (Gibbs denies knowing about this). There was no mention of the Washington team in the NFL announcement. Read the rest of this entry »

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Size Matters

Feb 29

Posted by Michael Collins in Big Money, Election 2012 | No Comments

By Michael Collins

The presidential election in 2012 is probably a done deal, barring some calamity that the Obama administration fails to spin in its direction.

The exit polling for the two major primaries so far, Florida and Michigan, show that the Republican vote is concentrated primarily in the suburbs. 62% of Michigan Republican voters and 59% of Florida Republican voters are from the suburbs. That’s 13 and 10 points  respectively over the 49% share of the electorate in the 2008 presidential election. Of equal or greater importance, 13% and 25% of the Republican votes came from urban areas (large and medium sized cities). That’s below the 30% share of voters from urban areas in 2008.

In 2008, Obama won 53% to 46%. His 2012 share of urban voters is not likely to diminish. One could argue that any of the current field of Republican candidates would struggle to hit McCain’s 35% urban share. The suburban spit — 50% to 48% Obama — may shift somewhat depending on how well “Halftime in America” sells, i.e. the pseudo recovery. Even if there’s a 5 point shift in suburbia in favor of Republicans, Obama’s urban advantage will carry the day. The rural vote may deliver the same or slightly increased advantage for Republicans. Any changes in this smallest segment of the electorate will be offset by maintenance of the much larger urban advantage. Read the rest of this entry »

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Senator Santorum’s Satanic Voices

Feb 26

Posted by Michael Collins in Big Money, Intelligence, War (endless) | No Comments

By Michael Collins
Satire

(Washington, DC) Senator Rick Santorum knows something many of us do not. Satan is waging war on the United States. This is no scruffy terrorist group carrying explosives in their underwear or shoes. It is Satan himself, also known as the Devil, Mephistopheles, the Beast, etc. (Image one, two)

How does the senator know so much about this attack?

Santorum hears voices.

Four years ago, he admitted just that:

“Satan is attacking the great institutions of America, using those voices of pride, vanity, and sensuality as the root to attack all of the strong plants that has (sic) deeply rooted in the American tradition,” Senator Rick Santorum from The Daily Beast

That’s a very strong statement. Some wonder if the senator is barking-at-the-moon mad. Santorum is undeterred. Campaigning in Arizona, he asserted his right to speak out about “good and evil.” He referenced former President Ronald Reagan as one political leader who shared this view. Santorum also shares Reagan’s strongly held conviction that trees cause pollution. Read the rest of this entry »

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The Guardian Challenge – War Propoganda or Real Reporting

Feb 25

Posted by Michael Collins in Big Money, Corruption, Justice, People's Revolution, War (endless) | No Comments

Take a look at the image of the Guardian front page today.  There are five stories listed.  From the “Friends of Syria” meeting, the Saudi’s suggest arming the Syrian “rebels” (they already have, according to Brian Downing).  Then we get the sub headlines telling us that Assad is targeting children (surely incubators are soon to follow), two journalists are in trouble, and Syria is committing war crimes (what about U.S, UK, and French leader war crimes in Libya?).  This is truly “Fair and Balanced” in the Murdoch/Fox sense of the phrase.

While the Guardian stenographers are busy carrying the water for Cameron and NATO, some of their first rate reporters should follow this story.

The Guardian Challenge

This video is from an anti Libyan rebel site.  It purportedly shows “-Criminal “rebels” of Misurata locked up and humiliate the residents of Tawerga to the Zoo cage, which was at the end of August – beginning of September.”  Tawerga, you may recall, is the town of 30,000 black Libyans that was ethnically cleansed by the victorious rebel forces from Misurata.

Here’s the challenge to the Guardian.  Is this video showing prisoners forced to eat the former flag of Libya for real?  Are these prisoners from Tawerga?  Are they being abused by rebels from Misurata?  We’ve seen many anonymous pro rebel videos from Syria and Libya.  Take a look at this one, Guardian, and tell us all about it.  And while you’re t it, answer this:  where are the people of Tawerga?

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Women Strike Back! Georgia Leads the Way

Feb 24

Posted by Michael Collins in Big Money, Health, Justice | No Comments

By Michael Collins

Georgia Democratic Representative Yasmin Neal has an answer to recidivist Republicans in Georgia, Virginia, and across the country seeking to limit a woman’s right to manage her reproductive health. She introduced a bill in the Georgia legislature to bar vasectomies for men. Unlike the recent vaginal invasion bill proposed by Virginia Republicans, this measure doesn’t invade the bodies of men, it protects them, along with motile spermatozoa. (Image)

Georgia House Bill 1116 states:

“It is patently unfair that men avoid the rewards of unwanted fatherhood by presuming that their judgment over such matters is more valid than the judgment of the General Assembly. … It is the purpose of the General Assembly to assert an invasive state interest in the reproductive habits of men in this state and substitute the will of the government over the will of adult men.” Read the rest of this entry »

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Did you know that the U.S. has a special “command” for Africa?

Feb 24

Posted by Michael Collins in Big Money, War (endless) | No Comments

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Virginia is for Misogynists

Feb 22

Posted by Michael Collins in Corruption, Criminal Justice, Health | No Comments

By Michael Collins

The Virginia legislature is about to enact a law that requires a transvaginal ultrasound procedure for all women who have abortions (except in the case of a medical emergency). Apparently, the legislators are unaware that the law violates existing sexual assault code or that Virginians oppose the law  by a wide margin.

Here’s the procedure.

“You will lie down on a table with your knees bent and feet in holders called stirrups. The health care provider will place a probe, called a transducer, into the vagina. The probe is covered with a condom and a gel. … The health care provider will move the probe within the area to see the pelvic organs.” Medline Plus

This isn’t an option. It’s a requirement for an abortion in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The law is clear:

“a qualified medical professional … shall perform fetal ultrasound imaging and auscultation of fetal heart tone services on the patient undergoing the abortion for the purpose of determining gestational age.” House Bill No. 462, Virginia Assembly (Also here)

The medical professional is then required to “offer the woman an opportunity to view and receive a printed copy of the ultrasound image and hear auscultation of fetal heart tone.” Read the rest of this entry »

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Iranian Navy “boldly goes” where they have not before

Feb 21

Posted by Michael Collins in Big Money | No Comments

This is interesting. Iran’s 18th Fleet has just crossed the Suez Canal.

ASIA TIMES:  IRAN ON THE MOVE Warships sail to Syria

By M K Bhadrakumar (former ambassador, Indian foreign service)

A flotilla of Iranian warships crossed the Suez Canal and docked at the Syrian port of Tartus on Saturday. Iran’s Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said the mission displays Iran’s “might” despite 30 years of relentless sanctions.

February 2011 was the first time Egypt allowed Iranian naval vessels through the Suez canal, right after Mubarak was deposed. Israel was very upset by this most recent passage. The Iranian 18th fleet will dock in Syria and conduct training and exercises with the Syrians and Russians.

Simply put, Iran’s message to Turkey and its Arab allies (which are arming and supporting the Syrian opposition) will be: “Brothers, if you keep doing this, so can we.” There is much food for thought here for these countries – especially the oil monarchies – as they gather in Tunis this coming Sunday for the first meeting of the “Friends of Syria”.

The NATO – Gulf Cooperation Council formula is defunct as a result of this action. Watching/enabling resistance, demanding that the dictator go/making war on the dictator with surrogates requires NO opposition. Oops!

At any rate, the display of “might” in the Mediterranean, which is historically a “Western lake”, is bound to carry resonance within Iran itself. Such displays appeal to the Iranian people’s sense of national honor and in turn helps consolidate public opinion, which is particularly important for the regime as the country approaches a crucial parliamentary election in March in which the calculus of power is expected to decisively shift and the alchemy of the Majlis to transform radically.

Who knows where this will go.  It will prop up the Revolutionary Guard in Iran.  It may also have the paradoxical effect of causing calmer rhetoric and plans of military action.

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IN HONOR OF THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE WISCONSIN UPRISING – February 11, 2011 WISCONSIN: THE NEW FLORIDA AND OHIO?

Feb 19

Posted by Michael Collins in Big Money, Constitution, Corruption, Criminal Justice, Financial Crisis, Justice, People's Revolution, Populism | No Comments

By Sheila Parks, Ed.D.

In the 2000 presidential election, Florida needed Katherine Harris (then Florida Secretary of State), Jeb Bush, the Supreme Court justices – and the connections between them – to put George W. Bush in the White House. See John Nichols, Jews For Buchanan (Image: Jobs with Justice)

The optical scan machines in Volusia County, product of Diebold Corporation, were also key in this election. Alastair Thompson wrote a detailed analysis of the election fraud that occurred in Volusia Country on optical scans. His account relies heavily on the original work of Bev Harris in Chapter 13, Security Breaches, in her book BLACK BOX VOTING: Ballot-tampering in the 21st century. Read the entire book online.

The Emmy-nominated documentary Hacking Democracy shows Finnish computer expert Harri Hursti hacking the same kind of machines as those used in Volusia County. Harris, who arranged the hacks, stars in the film. So does Kathleen Wynne, one of the first people in the country to call for publicly observed secure hand-counted paper ballots (HCPB) elections.

The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) issued a warning in December 2011 about ES&S DS200 IntElect optical scan electronic voting machines errors during voting. These machines were used in Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and New York. Read more details here and here.
Read the rest of this entry »

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The not-so-glorious revolution in Libya

Feb 19

Posted by Michael Collins in Big Money, War (endless) | No Comments

Guardian: Amnesty finds widespread use of torture by Libyan militias  Thursday 16 February
Hundreds of armed militias operating independently of central authorities, according to report by human rights group

A damning report by Amnesty International says that a year after the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi, Libya’s militias are “largely out of control”, with the use of torture ubiquitous and the country’s new rulers unable – or unwilling – to prevent abuses.  (Image can3ro55o)

Edmonton Journal: One Year Later, Libya’s Future Still Very Much Up in the Air  Febuary 18
The rebels, who would not have come to power if it weren’t for NATO’s bombing, and who once complained about the brutality of Gadhafi’s regime, are now themselves brutalizing others.

The Sydney Morning Herald: Prisoners tortured by Libyan militia Ian Black, London, January 28, 2012

THREE months after the killing of Muammar Gaddafi, concerns are mounting about the mistreatment and torture of prisoners held by Libyan militiamen.

The militia are operating beyond the control of the country’s transitional government and officially recognised security bodies.

West Point: Al-Qa’Ida’s Foreign Fighters in Iraq, The Sinjar Records
The apparent surge in Libyan recruits traveling to Iraq may be linked the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group’s (LIFG) increasingly cooperative relationship with al‐Qa’ida, which culminated in the LIFG officially joining al‐Qa’ida on November 3, 2007. 11

The LGIF/al Qaeda fighters went back to Libya, were reformed in some crazy program by Gaddafi’s son Saif, and released.  A couple of months later they helped lead the military effort against Gaddafi.  Is it any surprise that torture prevails?  The use of Humiliation and Death as a Tool of National Policy becomes a war crime.  While our leaders put on a clown show over here, the wind they sowed in Libya has become a whirlwind of pain and suffering.  Wonder if any of those pious preachers at the churches they attend will mention this?  Not on your life.

 

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Look who is donating to climate change deniers!

Feb 17

Posted by Michael Collins in Big Money, Climate Change, Corruption, Enviroment | No Comments

By Michael Collins

The nation’s largest software company, the two largest cable companies, and four leading pharmaceutical companies are among companies donating $10,000 or more to a climate change denier association. DESMOGBLOG.COM received the fundraising plan and other documents from the Heartland Institute, a climate denier foundation. The institute’s documents were published on DESMOGBLOG’s web site with analysis since Tuesday.

Climate change deniers are simply unacceptable for civilized company or any other, for that matter. Their shameless pseudoscience puts us all at risk. The reality of climate change is with is daily and poses a threat to the entire population of the planet in one form or another. According to leading scientists, the rate of manmade climate change is accelerating well beyond the changes targeted by the ill-fated Kyoto protocols.

Yet the deniers keep on popping up and the corporate media, to its eternal shame, keeps up with the idiotic notion that “there are always two sides to a story.”

One would think that major corporations, particularly those with some high tech or scientific involvement, wouldn’t go near climate change deniers. But alas, the fine folks at the Desmogblog.com received certain internal documents from a major funding source for climate change denial, The Heartland Foundation. Several documents were received and the institute is claiming some of the documents are not authentic. This one – The “Heartland Institute” 2012 Fundraising Plan - has been confirmed.

Some of the corporations donating claimed that their money was for other projects, not climate change denial efforts. That’s sort of like saying that they donated to al Qaeda but not for that terrorist business.

The ruling class has gone over the cliff and they’re trying to take us with them.

END

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NGOs Explain Away Egyptian Indictments

Feb 14

Posted by Michael Collins in Big Money, Corruption, War (endless) | No Comments

The Arab Spring opened on the road in Tunisia before hitting the big time in Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt. The workers of the unofficial Egyptian union movement had fought the neoconservative run government of Hosni Mubarak for years. This was their moment. Unfortunately, there were others present who wanted to make it their moment. Some of them, sixteen representatives of U.S. supported non-government organizations (NGOs), have been indicted by the Egyptian government for meddling in the internal political affairs of that country (Feb 5, 2012)

SourceWatch

During the 2011 Egyptian protest movement, United States government had its stealth agents in place. It also had its proxies in worldwide democracy movement, the non-government organizations (NGOs) operating with funding from the neoconservative leaning National Endowment for Democracy (NED). The International Republican Institute started up in Egypt in 2005. Its counterpart, the National Democratic Institute has been there since 1995. For two decades, the Chamber of Commerce Center for International Private Enterprise and the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center carried out their work in Egypt under one name or another. Read the rest of this entry »

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