Ian Fishback -- American Hero

The Blog | Cenk Uygur: A Real American Hero | The Huffington Post

Dear Senator McCain:

I am a graduate of West Point currently serving as a Captain in the U.S. Army Infantry. I have served two combat tours with the 82nd Airborne Division, one each in Afghanistan and Iraq. While I served in the Global War on Terror, the actions and statements of my leadership led me to believe that United States policy did not require application of the Geneva Conventions in Afghanistan or Iraq. On 7 May 2004, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld's testimony that the United States followed the Geneva Conventions in Iraq and the "spirit" of the Geneva Conventions in Afghanistan prompted me to begin an approach for clarification. For 17 months, I tried to determine what specific standards governed the treatment of detainees by consulting my chain of command through battalion commander, multiple JAG lawyers, multiple Democrat and Republican Congressmen and their aides, the Ft. Bragg Inspector General's office, multiple government reports, the Secretary of the Army and multiple general officers, a professional interrogator at Guantanamo Bay, the deputy head of the department at West Point responsible for teaching Just War Theory and Law of Land Warfare, and numerous peers who I regard as honorable and intelligent men.

Instead of resolving my concerns, the approach for clarification process leaves me deeply troubled. Despite my efforts, I have been unable to get clear, consistent answers from my leadership about what constitutes lawful and humane treatment of detainees. I am certain that this confusion contributed to a wide range of abuses including death threats, beatings, broken bones, murder, exposure to elements, extreme forced physical exertion, hostage-taking, stripping, sleep deprivation and degrading treatment. I and troops under my command witnessed some of these abuses in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

This is a tragedy. I can remember, as a cadet at West Point, resolving to ensure that my men would never commit a dishonorable act; that I would protect them from that type of burden. It absolutely breaks my heart that I have failed some of them in this regard.

That is in the past and there is nothing we can do about it now. But, we can learn from our mistakes and ensure that this does not happen again. Take a major step in that direction; eliminate the confusion. My approach for clarification provides clear evidence that confusion over standards was a major contributor to the prisoner abuse. We owe our soldiers better than this. Give them a clear standard that is in accordance with the bedrock principles of our nation.

Some do not see the need for this work. Some argue that since our actions are not as horrifying as Al Qaeda's, we should not be concerned. When did Al Qaeda become any type of standard by which we measure the morality of the United States? We are America, and our actions should be held to a higher standard, the ideals expressed in documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Others argue that clear standards will limit the President's ability to wage the War on Terror. Since clear standards only limit interrogation techniques, it is reasonable for me to assume that supporters of this argument desire to use coercion to acquire information from detainees. This is morally inconsistent with the Constitution and justice in war. It is unacceptable.

Both of these arguments stem from the larger question, the most important question that this generation will answer. Do we sacrifice our ideals in order to preserve security? Terrorism inspires fear and suppresses ideals like freedom and individual rights. Overcoming the fear posed by terrorist threats is a tremendous test of our courage. Will we confront danger and adversity in order to preserve our ideals, or will our courage and commitment to individual rights wither at the prospect of sacrifice? My response is simple. If we abandon our ideals in the face of adversity and aggression, then those ideals were never really in our possession. I would rather die fighting than give up even the smallest part of the idea that is "America."

Once again, I strongly urge you to do justice to your men and women in uniform. Give them clear standards of conduct that reflect the ideals they risk their lives for.

With the Utmost Respect,

-- Capt. Ian Fishback

1st Battalion,

504th Parachute Infantry Regiment,

82nd Airborne Division,

Fort Bragg, North Carolina

I (hope to) see dead people.

Cash4Cadavers.com

Who's gonna die next year? Wanna bet on that?

Express Written Consent

Deadspin, Sports News without Access, Favor, or Discretion

(Link goes to a .pdf -- You have been warned.)

See, Bush is objectively /for/ torture.

New Iraq Abuse Allegations Get McCain Moving - Los Angeles Times:

"McCain noted too that he wanted prohibitions against torture underscored in the Army Field Manual, which he said 'is the document that the Army goes by and the military goes by when in the process of interrogation and treatment of prisoners.'

Told that the White House was opposed to such an amendment and that the president might veto the bill if the amendment were included, McCain said he was unsure whether there were enough votes in the Senate to override it.

'I hope,' he said of the Bush administration, 'that they will understand why we're trying to do this and why it's so important to America's image in the world.'"

Wil Wheaton Wins World Series Of Strip Poker

The Toque: The World Leader In Canadian Humour, Parody, And Satire - Wil Wheaton Wins World Series Of Strip Poker

More on Pat Tillman

-THE CUNNING REALIST-: Anatomy Of A Disgrace

Project Censored

Project Censored

The list of the 25 most important stories not given MSM coverage this year.

Mamet on Poker and the Democratic Party

Poker party - Los Angeles Times

One may sit at the poker table all night and never bet and still go home broke, having anted away one's stake.

The Democrats are anteing away their time at the table. They may be bold and risk defeat, or be passive and ensure it.

Bush -- Man of the uh... not people

The Blog | Nicholas von Hoffman: Far From the Madding Crowd | The Huffington Post:

"Old time pictures of President Franklin Roosevelt show him crippled by polio, trapped in the back seat of an open touring car, no protective bubble, waving at the people and smiling away as though he didn't have a care in the world and might be enjoying himself. They don't do that any more.

President George Bush is never seen outdoors in public or, if he is, he is never surrounded by less than a thousand armed guards. So it was quite a surprise to read in the New Orleans Times-Picayune that, Longtime members of the White House press corps said they could not remember the last time they saw the president riding in an open car in an American city, calling the exposed journey nearly unprecedented.” By way of explanation the newspaper quoted a Secret Service agent saying, "Well, we don't normally cruise through American cities that have been virtually emptied of people." So that’s it. The politicians come out of their holes when there are no people around.

A little late

USATODAY.com - NBC's Williams: Journalists' gloves off:

"'By dint of the fact that our country was hit we've offered a preponderance of the benefit of the doubt (to the President) over the past couple of years,"

Bullshit. Fuck getting hit. When shit, like when we're "hit", is bad we need you to do your job the most. Do your fucking job and maintain a healthy skepticism. IT'S YOUR FUCKING OBLIGATION TO THE PUBLIC FOR THE AIRWAVES WE LET YOU USE!

Matilda's Advice and Rants: The Hall of Shame

Matilda's Advice and Rants: The Hall of Shame:

"These eleven congressmen, Republican conservatives all, just voted against the $51 billion package ( H. R. 3673) for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Horrible human beings, all. Rep. Joe Barton - TX, Jeff Flake - AZ, Virginia Foxx - NC, Scott Garrett - NJ, John Hostettler - IN, Steve King - IA, Butch Otter - ID, Ron Paul - TX, James Sensenbrenner - WI, Tom Tancredo - CO, Lynn Westmoreland - GA"

Fuck! Even Bugman voted for this no brainer.

Man-Dog blames the National Weather Service

CapitolBuzz: Santorum Blames National Weather Service For Katrina

In his continuing quest to give pork to PA based Accuweather.

/channeling Pat Robertson:
"O Lord could please kill off Rick Santorum. He's a young man, but cancer could get him, right?"

Damn straight.

Urban Legends Reference Pages: Photo Gallery (Worst Disaster)

Wingnut Slime Machine Attack Time

Powell regrets UN speech on Iraq WMDs. 09/09/2005. ABC News Online:

"In an interview with American ABC TV news to be broadcast on Friday (US time), Mr Powell said 'it's a blot' on his record.

'I'm the one who presented it on behalf of the United States to the world, and (it) will always be a part of my record. It was painful. It's painful now,' he said."

Yes it was.

Virtual|Matter: Was FEMA packed with unqualified cronies to aid the Bush/Cheney ticket in the 2004 swing state of Florida? Take a look%u2026

Bastards

U.S. Newswire : Releases : "FTCR: Internal Memos Show Oil Companies Intentionally..."

Click through to see oil industry memos on needlessly closing gas refineries in the mid-90's to drive up pump prices. Not surprising really, but I'm surprised they got caught.

Brian Williams

Making the Quarter rounds - Nightly News with Brian Williams - MSNBC.com:

"An interesting dynamic is taking shape in this city, not altogether positive: after days of rampant lawlessness (making for what I think most would agree was an impossible job for the New Orleans Police Department during those first few crucial days of rising water, pitch-black nights and looting of stores) the city has now reached a near-saturation level of military and law enforcement. In the areas we visited, the red berets of the 82nd Airborne are visible on just about every block. National Guard soldiers are ubiquitous. At one fire scene, I counted law enforcement personnel (who I presume were on hand to guarantee the safety of the firefighters) from four separate jurisdictions, as far away as Connecticut and Illinois. And tempers are getting hot. While we were attempting to take pictures of the National Guard (a unit from Oklahoma) taking up positions outside a Brooks Brothers on the edge of the Quarter, the sergeant ordered us to the other side of the boulevard. The short version is: there won't be any pictures of this particular group of guard soldiers on our newscast tonight. Rules (or I suspect in this case an order on a whim) like those do not HELP the palpable feeling that this area is somehow separate from the United States."

About right.

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
413 PM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE KATRINA CONTINUES TO APPROACH THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA

DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. AT LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.

THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL. PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME
WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.

HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT. AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY
VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.

POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED.

WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW
CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE KILLED.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR HURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE...ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS.

Unspinning a hurricane, part 1 | Needlenose

Unspinning a hurricane, part 1 | Needlenose

Let's Learn from Cuba

The Blog | Linda Cronin-Gross: Up From NYC: A Broad's Side View: Chaos in New Orleans, But Cuba Got It Right | The Huffington Post

Whoops

via BobHarris.com:

"On June 8, 2004, Walter Maestri, emergency
management chief for Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, told the
Times-Picayune: 'It appears that the money has been moved in the
president's budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq, and
I suppose that's the price we pay. Nobody locally is happy that the
levees can't be finished, and we are doing everything we can to make
the case that this is a security issue for us.' "

Pokerstars.net Hurricane charity tourney

WIL WHEATON dot NET: Where is my mind?: Saint Genevieve

The event on September 12th will be a $5+$0 No-Limit Hold'em freezeout at 9:30pm.

The event on September 14th will be a $20+$0 No-Limit Hold'em freezeout tournament at 9:30pm