The site for ranting and reporting by John Masters
A general category for things related to our society and how we interact with one another.
Army demanded $700 from city man who was wounded. The last time 1st Lt. William ?Eddie? Rebrook IV saw his body armor, he was lying on a stretcher in Iraq, his arm shattered and covered in blood. But last week, Rebrook was forced to pay $700 for that body armor, blown up by a roadside bomb more than a year ago.
Read more“The White House said Thursday that it planned to ask Congress for an additional $70 billion to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, driving the cost of military operations in the two countries to $120 billion this year, the highest since the Sept. 11 attacks.” The new spending will add to the cost of an Iraq war that is currently estimated at $250 billion. Total war spending since 9/11 would rise to $440 billion.
Read moreBush’s defense of his illegal domestic spying program in the State of the Union was almost entirely disputed yesterday by legal specialists across the ideological spectrum. “Bush’s assertion that his program was legal prompted a group of 14 prominent law professors, including both liberals and conservatives, to pen a joint letter objecting to his arguments.” Legal scholars disputed three false claims made by Bush.
Read moreIn 2002, the National Security Agency (NSA) hired Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) “to help it build a state-of-the-art tool for plucking key threats to the nation from a worldwide sea of digital communication,” in a project code-named “Trailblazer.” More than three years later, the project has yet to get off the ground, but has cost taxpayers $1.2 billion.
Read moreHouse Republicans are taking a mulligan on the first ballot for Majority Leader. The first count showed more votes cast than Republicans present at the Conference meeting. They can’t even conduct their own elections without cheating.
Read moreSection 605 of the House version of the Patriot Act renewal legislation. It calls for the creation of a Federal Police Force. Your imperial presidency at work.
Read moreKarl Rove says that this year’s midterm elections will be about security. Were but that true.
Read moreA pre-operative male-to-female transsexual takes an unexpected journey when she learns that she fathered a son, now a teenage runaway hustling on the streets of New York.
Read moreThe confirmation of Samuel Alito to the US Supreme Court is all but completed. The addition of the Big-Brother-government-and-corporate-friendly Alito to replace a relatively moderate O’Connor is going to result in a more authoritarian society in which a few dictate to the majority what the rules will be. The American Republic is in its final days. Bin Laden won…or was it just the Bush Cabal taking over for good?
Read moreWhen our nation was founded, we had men of real character and courage fighting for their nascent America, one in which liberty and freedom trumped the authoritative tendencies of the monarchy. Patrick Henry gave words to those efforts: Give me liberty or give me death!
Read moreI get things similar in email from time to time, but finally decided to post one. There are actually some things that could spark some serious thought here. If we know we can do better at protecting kids, shouldn’t we? But at the same time, are we really over-protective, hence stiffling their growth, imagination and social development? What do you think?
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