Very recently, this thread on Clinton Derangement Syndrome erupted into flame over Bill Clinton’s famous Sister Souljah Moment when I mentioned it as a possible cause of dissatisfaction with him felt by some people (me included) during his presidency. You know, things were different then, and we never imagined things could get this bad. Ah, the memories.  Read more 

[UPDATE: I’ve included a post from Registan with a totally different take] I confess to great ignorance, when it comes to this conflict and the region in general. But Sean-Paul’s latest makes great sense to me.

“Where’s NATO?”

I remember the conversation so clearly, as if it happened yesterday. I was meeting with Alex Rondeli, a tall, smart, well-connected Georgian involved in the formation of the country’s foreign policy. Everyone interested in the foreign policy of the region, I was told, who traveled to Tbilisi, had to meet with him. So I did. Obviously I don’t have my notes of the interview with me, as they are in storage back home in America, but I remember when the conversation turned towards NATO and America helping Georgia. Alex was clear that he thought, from a rational, realpoplitik perspective, that Georgia’s best hope was in joining the West and all its institutions. But he was also realistic enough to realize that Georgia had to find a way of living with its giant northern neighbor.

And I asked him, point blank, “what makes you think the US will keep its promise to Georgia in the event of war with Russia? Can you really trust the US?” And then I made it clear, before he answered, that I thought it was folly to trust the US, that Georgia’s best course was to find a modus vivendi with Russia and develop its economy on its own terms because the Russians aren’t going away.

They haven’t. Now they are attempting to split the country. And Georgians are wondering, where is NATO? NATO isn’t coming. Deal with it.  Read more 

Educational Reformers Celebrate “The Bell Curve”

It is interesting to note, therefore, that the so-called “educational reformers” who have the most direct influence over schools and school systems which serve minority children, really seem to like the American Enterprise Institute:

Michelle Rhee, Chancellor of DC Public Schools, a system which serves mostly minority children, has been a frequent speaker at AEI.  Read more 

Another day, another guy coincidentally dies after being Tased repeatedly.

Via digby:

A Statesville man died after being shocked multiple times by Tasers at the Iredell County jail over the weekend, sources say.

Anthony Davidson, 29, was unresponsive when he was taken to Iredell Memorial Hospital Saturday afternoon. He was put on life support and died late Sunday night, police said.

His death is the second Taser-related death this year in the Charlotte area. In March, 17-year-old Darryl Wayne Turner, died after Charlotte-Mecklenburg police used a Taser on him at a Food Lion store in Charlotte.

[…]

The incident began about 3 p.m. Saturday at a Statesville grocery store. Employees at the Food Lion on N.C. 115 told police they tried unsuccessfully to stop Davidson from leaving the store with a full cart of groceries after his debit card was declined. He left the parking lot without the groceries, police said.

When officers caught up with Davidson a short time later, he was carrying an Applebee’s gift card from the store that hadn’t been paid for, Anderson said.

Officers took Davidson to the Iredell County Jail where he appeared before a magistrate on a larceny charge. Davidson was behaving abnormally from the time officers first encountered him, Anderson said.

While being booked, Davidson became “physically aggressive and was communicating loudly,” Anderson said. That’s when officers used one or more Tasers to get him “back under control,” police said.

A nurse who screened Davidson afterward told officers he needed further medical screening because he appeared to be “under the influence of some type of impairing substance.”

Paramedics took Davidson to the hospital Saturday. His condition continued to decline and he was unresponsive when he arrived, Anderson said. He was admitted to intensive care and was taken off life support about 10:30 p.m. Sunday.

[…]

Davidson’s family said they weren’t aware of him using or having a problem with drugs or alcohol… They said police told them Davidson fell while being subdued and may have hit his head.

An autopsy is scheduled later this week, Moore said.

Last month, the officer involved in the Charlotte Taser incident was cleared of criminal charges [So much for the Milgram Dodge, eh?] but was suspended for five days [wow!] for violating the department’s policy when he continuously shocked Darryl Turner for 37 seconds, a factor that contributed to his death.

They tased him to “get him back under control”. Everything I’ve been told by Taser defenders leads me to believe - and I have no reason to doubt them - that they think Tasers are necessary to prevent the use of lethal force.

There is no discernible reason why lethal force should have been used to “control” an unarmed suspect who is “physically aggressive” (can we see the video?) and “communicating loudly”. I’m pretty sure everyone can agree on that. So why the hell did they Tase him? I am sympathetic to the argument that a Taser is less harmful than a billy club to the head, but the guy was in handcuffs, for christ’s sake.

As Atticus Finch said to Jem, “Never point a gun at a man unless you intend to shoot him, and never shoot a man unless you intend to kill him,” or something to that effect. A Taser may be less likely to kill than a gun but certain people will die from it and that fact seems to be ignored an awful lot in these discussions. Shooting someone with a Taser should be a direct, 1:1 substitute for shooting them with a bullet, without exception.

The naked guy standing in the shower with a towel did not require a bullet. Baron Pikes didn’t require a bullet. The guy who wouldn’t sign his speeding ticket didn’t require a bullet. The Polish guy in the Vancouver airport didn’t require a bullet. The kid with a broken back did not require a bullet. This guy did not require a bullet. I’m not convinced anyone who has died after being Tased has required a bullet. I’m sure that it makes the cops’ jobs easier and safer for themselves if they Tase more people instead of wrestling them to the ground; I don’t care. I’d like my job to be easier and safer, but I don’t get to make the rules. The police do not have a right to a completely submissive citizenry and they should be prevented from trying to create one.

And if you don’t think that’s an accurate description of this cavalier attitude:

Taser-related deaths across North Carolina prompted a coalition to study Taser use. The N.C. Taser Safety Project surveyed the state’s 100 sheriff’s offices and found that 70 issued Tasers to some or all of its deputies, but many agencies lack clear policies about when and how they should be used.

…then what is? Replace “Tasers” with “guns” and it sounds like a story from Baghdad, doesn’t it?

[Bonjour, mon general! —lambert]

An imminent threat

So, yesterday morning, a 16-year-old boy in Ozark, Missouri fell off a 30-foot I-65 overpass for unknown reasons. When the police arrived on the scene, they promptly administered first aid Tased him 19 times because he wouldn’t “comply” with their orders to stand up. (Thank god for Tasers, otherwise they’d have had to put him down like a broken racehorse, eh?)

Mace ended up in intensive care at a hospital. His parents believe the actions of Ozark police officers contributed to his injuries and slowed doctors’ abilities to speed his recovery.

The official explanation:

“He refused to comply with the officers and so the officers had to deploy their Tasers in order to subdue him. He is making incoherent statements; he’s also making statements such as, ‘Shoot cops, kill cops,’ things like that. So there was cause for concern to the officers,” said Ozark Police Capt. Thomas Rousset.

Yeah, I’m sure that’s exactly what he said after falling off a fucking bridge. They must have felt very threatened indeed by a possibly-paraplegic child. No word on whether he announced to the world that he was high on crack and PCP yet.

I don’t even know what to say anymore. It really is a gaslight scenario. I wish I could at least attribute this to racism or something, but it appears these cops are bona fide sociopaths. _{Subliminal Stanley Milgram: No, they’re not! Subliminal me: Harumph…}

I can’t say I’ll be surprised with they start Tasing motorcycle crash victims. We Are All Violently High On Crack And PCP Now.  Read more 

This is the actual bag that will be given to attendees at this year’s DNC.

Somebody call for the Bucket Brigade?

UPDATE And Kudos to TalkLeft for the Fourth Amendment tote. — Lambert

Via Booman, read the whole thing.

Back in the great state of Louisiana, Baron “Scooter” Pikes was spotted by the police while walking peacefully down the street. Given his outstanding warrant for possession, one Officer Nugent gave chase, and Pikes was cornered. Due to his failure to submit, Nugent tased him. Nine times. In 14 minutes. While Pikes surrendered and begged him to stop.

Pikes died shortly thereafter. He was a healthy man of 33 years. Nugent claimed that, in an apparent Bob Woodward-style near-death confession, he told them (in between the screams of pain and death rattles) that he was high on crack and PCP (never heard that one before!) and had asthma. The coroner found no evidence for any of these claims and ruled the death a homicide, but hey, what are you gonna believe, hearsay from a hardly-impartial participant or hard science from a 33-year veteran?

In an apparent goodwill gesture to shock Pikes back to life, Nugent admitted that he tased Pikes twice while he was unconscious and in custody.

I really wish I could link to the part of the Milgram experiment wherein the actor “dies” and the unwitting partipant shocks him again, and again, and again. Gee, I don’t know why. A person administering an electrical shock that they are told is, well, maybe-sorta-safe, but they definitely won’t be held responsible if things go awry… nah, never mind, there’s no similarity there whatsoever. I don’t know what I was thinking.  Read more 

Censored by Google Alerts - Crossed Crocodiles on AFRICOM  Read more 

Yesterday’s McClatchy’s article Did Iranian agents dupe Pentagon officials? brought back some memories:

The first meetings with Ghorbanifar, which were disclosed in August 2003 by the Long Island, N.Y., newspaper Newsday, took place in Rome in December 2001. They were attended by two Pentagon Iran experts, Harold Rhode and Larry Franklin; by an Italian military intelligence official, and by Ledeen.  Read more 

Or maybe not. Glennzilla:

Yellin’s admission is but the latest in a growing mountain of evidence demonstrating that corporate executives forced their news reporters to propagandize in favor of the Bush administration and the war, and censored stories that were critical of the Government.

Scotty “Sucka MC” McClellan’s new book is bringing some uncomfortable facts out of the woodwork.

Citizens can only make decisions based on the information they receive. Manipulation and control of news information means manipulation and control of citizens.  Read more 

Barack Obama knew better than to rely on the existing infrastructure, created by the blogosphere, to fight back against the Bush administration and the media. We are too stridently partisan to be messengers of a new kind of politics. He had to step around the gatekeepers of the blogosphere, much to their chagrin. Barack Obama’s greatest accomplishment is the organization that he created. He used our tools and his own message. And he won. He could not have won any other way. And that makes him both our greatest representative, and someone who doesn’t really need us at all. All of you should go join up on his website and meet your neighbors that are supporting him, and get organized. For presidential stuff, there is no reason to use the blogosphere at all. Use Obama’s own tools.

Dear God. I’ve held back on the Obama cult accusations for a while now; many of my friends and family support him. But Booman… wtf? I don’t even know where to begin with this. It is the Borg. No, wait, it’s the Heaven’s Gate cultists leaving behind their earthly bodies to merge with the higher consciousness.

Actually, I’ve got it! It’s like in the Matrix, where the humans created the machines and then after they fought it out the machines kept the humans alive as tiny generators, feeding them the liquified remains of their brethren.

Not because they had to. Not because we even deserved it, as strident and partisan as we were. But because they’re merciful!

So, come on, everyone. Leave your individual thoughts behind. Take the blue pill and relax. Ignorance is bliss!

Perhaps. If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area there are a couple of upcoming opportunities to explore the subject: a BARBARian drinkfest Saturday, April 12 in Bezerkeley and a first time Bay Area SadlyNo fest in Our Fair City tentatively scheduled for Friday, April 18. After all, movements are made up of strangers who get to know each other.

I’m sure this may come as a shock to you, but military is hiring bloggers to work as moles, “verbally attack[ing] specific person[s] or promot[ing] a specific message.”

Wait, sorry, wrong link.

Here’s the article.  Read more 

What the fuck? What the hell kind of chicken shit outfit are they running in Dallas? This is one Kennedy analogy we really don’t need. If you don’t know how to properly secure a venue, call me. Jack Douglas of the Star Telegram:

Security details at Barack Obama’s rally Wednesday stopped screening people for weapons at the front gates more than an hour before the Democratic presidential candidate took the stage at Reunion Arena. The order to put down the metal detectors and stop checking purses and laptop bags came as a surprise to several Dallas police officers who said they believed it was a lapse in security.
Link

Come on protect the man!!

Was just perusing CNN.com, and this particular set of candidate mugshots jumped out at me. How about you?

Notice anything curious?  Read more 

Map via link to this article via comment by intranets.

What the data shows is that the candidates’ Web sites are not linking to influential political blogs and the blogs are not linking back to the candidates’ Web sites.

“When the candidates campaign in real life, they go to rallies and schools where people are,” says Anthony Hamelle, vp of RTGI. “But on the Internet, they wait for people to come to them and that doesn’t work. Online, you have to go where people are and you have to meet people.”

And:  Read more 

“Phat” is a great word, you can use it in so many fun ways, even little kids can say it (that’s actually really cute when it happens). Many fine things are Phat: blunts, cars, clothes, people’s backsides. But what comes to your mind when I say heavy?

Company spokesman Alex Dudley said the trial was aimed at improving the network performance goddess don’t you just want to barf? when have they ever ’improved’ service? by making it more costly for heavy users of large downloads. Dudley said that a small group of super-heavy users of downloads, around 5 percent of the customer base, can account for up to 50 percent of network capacity.
Dudley said he did not know what the pricing tiers would be nor the download limits. He said the heavy users were likely using the network to download large amounts of video, most likely in high definition.

I was just looking at some photos of two people that we talk about here all the time. And I thought, “no, those are too good.” But perhaps I was wrong, and they really did suggest what I thought they were suggesting. Time will tell. Either way, “hi res” and “heavy” downloading serve more purposes than just getting instant copies of “The Green Door.”

“Heavy” is one of those evil corporate terms and we should squash it now.  Read more 

I love lists. I make them, I read them, I collect them…the ACLU made a list for 2007 your should read:

2007: The Year We Didn’t Get Our Freedoms Back

Top 10 ways our government failed us:

1. Not putting an end to warrantless NSA spying. Congress instead has continued to let the NSA spy without warrants and is considering letting the telephone companies off the hook for spying on Americans illegally. The Senate debated FISA last month before the holiday recess, and in a gift to the American people, legislation that would have forgiven telecom companies for spying on their customers and given the NSA more freedom to spy on Americans was not voted on. Congress is expected to take up the legislation when members return later in January.

2. Not repealing the Military Commissions Act or restoring habeas corpus. Despite a valiant effort and near success, an amendment to restore habeas corpus received 56 votes when it needed 60 votes. The support in the Senate indicates that legislation to fix the Military Commissions Act could pass. The Supreme Court will also issue a decision in 2008 regarding habeas corpus.

3. Not closing the Guantanamo Bay Prison. January 11 marks the sixth anniversary of the arrival of prisoners to Guantanamo Bay, where prisoners have been held without habeas corpus rights for six years. The ACLU is organizing people across America to wear orange that day in recognition of the shame the prison has caused for all of us.

The number of inmates shrank this year to 355, having started at over 700; officials expect the prison to close one way or another in 2008. But Guantanamo’s closing will not necessarily mean the end of holding prisoners without due process, especially if the Military Commissions Act is still in place.

4. Not giving due process to immigrants and denying life-saving health care in immigration detention facilities. Although the comprehensive immigration reform bill ultimately failed, even that legislation would not have given immigrants badly needed basic due process rights. Congress failed to pass legislation this year securing those basic human rights for immigrants.

5. Allowing the CIA to destroy interrogation tapes.  Read more 

Filipino Monkey

my baby was crying the other night
she lay still just like a stone
she said ’honey, I will get you’
but the voice was not her own

I looked underneath the bed
I looked around the door
I looked every damn place I could
until I couldn’t look no more

but when it was time for loving
she made just like a junkie
she said she had a new lover
the filipino monkey

filipino monkey
took my baby away
filipino monkey
laughing in the bay
come and get me, monkey
come right out and play
but there was only laughter
the filipino monkey way

I joined up in the Navy
to see the seven seas
headed over to Hormuz
got a new pair of jet skis  Read more 

Now, I would not go so far as to say ’Hillary stole NH.’ I don’t have any evidence for that at all. But gosh! AT isn’t exactly a foil-lover’s CT rag, now is it? cautiously eyes lambert Perhaps this guy is about to get nothing but egg on his face, it’s still an interesting read.

The New Hampshire Secretary of State’s office has announced that they’ll be doing a statewide recount of the primary’s results, citing the Internet controversy (see below) over the results.  Read more 

So I got this email from a friend:

DailyKos founder Markos Moulitsas asked us to forward this message to everyone
we know in Michigan. If you’d like to comment on this plan, visit:
Dear Michigan Friend,

We’re not going to beat around the Bush. If you want to help make mischief for
the Republican Party - and bolster the Democrats’ chances for taking the White
House this November - read on!

Are you a Democrat or independent registered to vote in Michigan? If you are,
vote for Mitt Romney in the Republican primary on Tuesday, January 15th!

Do you know any Democrats or independents in Michigan? If yo u do, encourage them
to vote for Mitt Romney in the Republican primary on Tuesday, January 15th!

…

To which I sent this reply:  Read more