Something beside Terry Schiavo

[mburbank]

Here's the other way in which the cyncical circus surrounding Terry Schiavo and her families misery serves politicians.

All the noise drowns out things that are happening in the world and our country. If all the water cooler message board talk is centered around Schiavo (and more fool us if it is) think of all the things that go unnoticed by the general public. I'm not alleging specific conspiracy. I'm saying that a widespread highly emotional fog is a very good thing for Robber Barrons, power mongers and Neocons.



Storage of Nuclear Spent Fuel Criticized
By Shankar Vedantam
The Washington Post

Monday 28 March 2005
Science academy study points to risk of attack.

A classified report by nuclear experts assembled by the National Academy of Sciences has challenged the decision by federal regulators to allow commercial nuclear facilities to store large quantities of radioactive spent fuel in pools of water. The report concluded that the government does not fully understand the risks that a terrorist attack could pose to the pools and ought to expedite the removal of the fuel to dry storage casks that are more resilient to attack. The Bush administration has long defended the safety of the pools, and the nuclear industry has warned that moving large amounts of fuel to dry storage would be unnecessary and very expensive.

The report was requested by Congress following the terrorist attacks of Sept 11, 2001, as homeland security officials sought to understand the potential consequences of a 9/11 scale attack on a nuclear facility.

Because it is classified, the contents of the report were not made public when it was delivered to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) last summer. Even a stripped-down, declassified version has remained under wraps since November because the commission says it contains sensitive information.

However, the commission itself made excerpts of the report public when Chairman Nils Diaz sent a letter to Congress on March 14 rebutting some of the academy's concerns. His letter also suggested that the academy had largely backed the government's views about the safety of existing fuel storage systems.

E. William Colglazier, executive officer for the academy, said the letter was misleading and warned that the public needs to learn about the report's findings.

"There are substantive disagreements between our committee's views and the NRC," he said in an interview. "If someone only reads the NRC report, they would not get a full picture of what we had to say."

Although the commission said it is keeping the report under wraps for security reasons, some officials who have seen the document suggest that the NRC is merely suppressing embarrassing criticism.

[mburbank]

Army Probe Finds Abuse at Jail Near Mosul
The Associated Press

Saturday 26 March 2005

Washington -- Newly released government documents say the abuse of prisoners in Iraq by US forces was more widespread than previously reported.

An officer found that detainees "were being systematically and intentionally mistreated" at a holding facility near Mosul in December 2003. The 311th Military Intelligence Battalion of the Army's 101st Airborne Division ran the lockup.

Records previously released by the Army have detailed abuses at Abu Ghraib and other sites in Iraq as well as at sites in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The documents released Friday were the first to reveal abuses at the jail in Mosul and are among the few to allege torture directly.

"There is evidence that suggests the 311th MI personnel and/or translators engaged in physical torture of the detainees," a memo from the investigator said. The January 2004 report said the prisoners' rights under the Geneva Conventions were violated.

Top military officials first became aware of the Abu Ghraib abuses in January 2004, when pictures such as those showing soldiers piling naked prisoners in a pyramid were turned over to investigators. The resulting scandal after the pictures became public tarnished the military's image in Arab countries and worldwide and sparked investigations of detainee abuses.

The records about the Mosul jail were part of more than 1,200 pages of documents referring to allegations of prisoner abuse. The Army released the records to reporters and to the American Civil Liberties Union, which had filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.

"They show the torture and abuse of detainees was routine and such treatment was considered an acceptable practice by US forces," ACLU lawyer Amrit Singh said.

Guards at the detention facility near Mosul came from at least three infantry units of the 101st Airborne, including an air-defense artillery unit. The investigating officer, whose name was blacked out of the documents, said the troops were poorly trained and encouraged to abuse prisoners.

[mburbank]

New Details on F.B.I. Aid for Saudis after 9/11
By Eric Lichtblau
The New York Times

Sunday 27 March 2005

Washington - The episode has been retold so many times in the last three and a half years that it has become the stuff of political legend: in the frenzied days after Sept. 11, 2001, when some flights were still grounded, dozens of well-connected Saudis, including relatives of Osama bin Laden, managed to leave the United States on specially chartered flights.

Now, newly released government records show previously undisclosed flights from Las Vegas and elsewhere and point to a more active role by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in aiding some of the Saudis in their departure.

The F.B.I. gave personal airport escorts to two prominent Saudi families who fled the United States, and several other Saudis were allowed to leave the country without first being interviewed, the documents show.

[mburbank]

Pentagon Will Not Try 17 GI's Implicated in Prisoners' Deaths
By Douglas Jehl
The New York Times

Saturday 26 March 2005

Washington - Despite recommendations by Army investigators, commanders have decided not to prosecute 17 American soldiers implicated in the deaths of three prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2003 and 2004, according to a new accounting released Friday by the Army.

Investigators had recommended that all 17 soldiers be charged in the cases, according to the accounting by the Army Criminal Investigation Command. The charges included murder, conspiracy and negligent homicide. While none of the 17 will face any prosecution, one received a letter of reprimand and another was discharged after the investigations.

[mburbank]

Iraq Official Discourages Demonstrations

2 hours, 21 minutes ago
Add to My Yahoo! Top Stories - AP

By TRACI CARL, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq 's interior minister warned citizens Monday not to hold protests, saying the gatherings were an invitation for a large-scale terrorist attack. His comments came a day after government bodyguards opened fire on a group of employees demanding higher wages, killing one person.

Interim Interior Minister Falah al-Naqib, likely to be out of job once the new government takes over, said the protest was among "attempts to destabilize the situation" in Iraq. He accused the protesters of trying to enter the office of Science and Technology Minister Rashad Mandan Omar and said the bodyguards where just doing their job by protecting the official.

[mburbank]

Crowded House Drummer Hester Found Dead



SYDNEY, Australia - The drummer from 1980s Australian rock band Crowded House hanged himself in a park in southern Australia, an emergency services spokeswoman said Monday.

[Preechr]

Tom Delay's admission is of course in no way related to any of this.

GO CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT, GO!!!

[kellychaos]

"I'm sorry, Michael. We're going to have to ask you to molest another little white boy. If it wasn't so serious, we wouldn't ask. Your government needs you, Michael."

[Abcdxxxx]

so this is a controlled circus timed to bury one of these stories in particular... ? i know, i know...the fog maaan, the fog.

[KevinTheOmnivore]

The illuminati have been obfuscating the truth about Crowded House for years now. :rolleyes

[ziggytrix]

I'm not alleging specific conspiracy. I'm saying that a widespread highly emotional fog is a very good thing for Robber Barrons, power mongers and Neocons.

[mburbank]

Thank you Ziggy! Funny how people missed that.

[Abcdxxxx]

Well you're saying this "fog" serves the neocons and robber barons.... but you're implying that they are intentionally seizing on this to bury incriminating stories about themselves....right? Sure sounds like a presumptious conspiracy theory to me... even if you're not alledging "specifics".

[El Blanco]

Thank you Ziggy! Funny how people missed that.

I didn't miss it. I just think everything else you just posted contradicts that.

[ziggytrix]

It's the difference between saying "people are paying attention to the wrong things, which is convenient for the powers that be" and saying "the powers that be are covering things up."

Note: In my opinion "the powers that be" does not necessarily equate to "neocons".

[Abcdxxxx]

"It's the difference between saying "people are paying attention to the wrong things, which is convenient for the powers that be" and saying "the powers that be are covering things up.""

Burbank's original post implies both.

[ziggytrix]

fuckin christ, does it really matter? the merits of the other stories certainly wouldn't be diminished even if some shadowy figures were trying to keep them out of the limelight.

fortunately we don't even have to worry about that, since that other shit is really boring and you'd actually have to know a LOT about what's going on to be able to debate most of it, and frankly, the schiavo story is much better for endless self-gratification through argument. hooray!

[Ant10708]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4390753.stm

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and the Hollywood actor Richard Gere have treated reporters to an impromptu ballroom dance performance.

Mr Koizumi took Gere's hand in front of a roomful of journalists and asked "Shall We Dance?"- the title of Gere's latest movie.

Gere obliged, but insisted on taking the lead, as the two twirled around the room for a few seconds.

Afterwards Gere described Mr Koizumi as "charming and spontaneous".

Mr Koizumi returned the compliment, saying Gere, who is in Japan to promote Shall We Dance, was a great movie star and a wonderful person.

The twirl follows Gere's endorsement on Monday of Mr Koizumi's views regarding an arms ban on China.

Gere said he approved of Mr Koizumi's opposition to a plan by the European Union to lift the ban, which was put in place following the Tiananmen Square crackdown.

Someone please try to find a video of this.

Gere insisted on being 'the man'

[ziggytrix]

now THAT'S entertainews! :)

[FS]

I certainly must see that in action.

[mburbank]

Blanco, Abedcydydgbdtg3xx, ever hear the term "Bread and Circuses"?

Was that a conspiracy theory?


If so, then I guess this is too. I didn't pick stories I thought the administration was trying to bury. I took an array of stories that might well have made the front page. Serious conspiracy takes serious competence, something I think this administration is seriously lacking. I think the administration would be happy to bury EVERY story the don't hand pick. Maybe all administrations feel this way, I don't doubt it, but THIS administration is particularly effective or ruthless about message control, depending on which way you look at it.

[kellychaos]

It's the difference between saying "people are paying attention to the wrong things, which is convenient for the powers that be" and saying "the powers that be are covering things up."

Note: In my opinion "the powers that be" does not necessarily equate to "neocons".

If people had any choices in media, who would be putting bread on Ashlee Simpson's table. Answer me that, mister! >:

[El Blanco]

At first "bread and Circuses" was an observation. It then became a poltical strategy and in a few cases, a couple emperors did try some shinanegans.

Also, all this time people were complaining about Shiavo, you could have been drawing attention to stories like what you posted rapid fire style in this thread. Instead, you strung a bunch of words together and implied that the President was benefiting from it. You even decided to tie the terms "neocons" "powermongers" and robber barrons" together.

Whether that was all subconsious or not, you tried to imply that the administration is trying to pull a whole bunch of fast ones and using Shiavo as a smoke screen.

[ziggytrix]

Well Max, you should be ASHAMED. Implying such naughty things about our good President and trying to hide it as a cynical commentary on the current state of American culture!

[sspadowsky]

Re-read it, Blanco:
Here's the other way in which the cyncical circus surrounding Terry Schiavo and her families misery serves politicians.

All the noise drowns out things that are happening in the world and our country. If all the water cooler message board talk is centered around Schiavo (and more fool us if it is) think of all the things that go unnoticed by the general public. >>>>>>>I'm not alleging specific conspiracy.<<<<<<< I'm saying that a widespread highly emotional fog is a very good thing for Robber Barrons, power mongers and Neocons.

It is possible to note a fortuitous coincidence without implying that certain rotten evil bastards engineered it.

[El Blanco]

I hate ******s and spics and chinks. I think we should send them all back to Africa or Mexico or whereever they caqme from and nuke the whole place.

I'm not a racist or anything.

[El Blanco]

OK, the forum filter just made me spit water all over my monitor.

[Chojin]

ok

[sspadowsky]

I like you, Blanco, but you're being obtuse for the sake of being obtuse. I'll leave it there.

And Chojin, bless you for the filter. It brings me much joy.

[Chojin]

i liked it better when it'd censor more things than ****** :<

[El Blanco]

I may have stretched it a little, but my point was that all the stuff Max posted would make someone believe he thinks some big conspiracy is going on. That one little sentence in the middle of it doesn't change it.

[mburbank]

" You even decided to tie the terms "neocons" "powermongers" and robber barrons" together."

I have no problem there. I could also add in "Born again brown shirts" and "war profiteers" without loosing any sleep or implying conspiracy. You lie down with dogs, you wake up with fleas.

"Whether that was all subconsious or not, you tried to imply that the administration is trying to pull a whole bunch of fast ones and using Shiavo as a smoke screen."

That's your reading of it, and I find it quite revealing. All I did was cut n' paste some of my first finds from a list of top stories, which is why I included the guy from Crowded house croaking. If you see in a list of major news stories nothing but things the administration might want to sweep under the rug I would suggest that maybe I have a point.

Again: I suggest nothing so coherent as a conspiracy. Instead I suggest a managament style that features a strong desire that people do not look to closely at ANYTHING IT DOES. I am not the first person to associatte this administration with a culture of secrecy. I think if you asked W at a Press conference what color his tie was he'd find a way not to answer. It's reflexive. And I think the steroid hearings and the Schiavo case are bread and circuses.

[El Blanco]

Here's the other way in which the cyncical circus surrounding Terry Schiavo and her families misery serves politicians.

All the noise drowns out things that are happening in the world and our country. If all the water cooler message board talk is centered around Schiavo (and more fool us if it is) think of all the things that go unnoticed by the general public. I'm not alleging specific conspiracy. I'm saying that a widespread highly emotional fog is a very good thing for Robber Barrons, power mongers and Neocons.

So ,where did you cut and paste that one from?

That's your reading of it, and I find it quite revealing. All I did was cut n' paste some of my first finds from a list of top stories, which is why I included the guy from Crowded house croaking.

Oh get off of it. Thats exactly where you were going with this. You word it just so there is only one direction we can go with it.

Chomsky tries the same bullshit better and I don't buy it from him.

[Ant10708]

A paralysed man in the US has become the first person to benefit from a brain chip that reads his mind.

Matthew Nagle, 25, was left paralysed from the neck down and confined to a wheelchair after a knife attack in 2001.

The pioneering surgery at New England Sinai Hospital, Massachusetts, last summer means he can now control everyday objects by thought alone.

The brain chip reads his mind and sends the thoughts to a computer to decipher.

Mind over matter

He can think his TV on and off, change channels and alter the volume thanks to the technology and software linked to devices in his home.

Scientists have been working for some time to devise a way to enable paralysed people to control devices with the brain.

Studies have shown that monkeys can control a computer with electrodes implanted into their brain.

[mburbank]

" think of all the things that go unnoticed by the general public."

All the things. ALL the things. ALL the THINGS. Not speciffic diabolical plans, not secret, shadowy plots, ALL THE THINGS! Does Terry Schiavo affect your pocket book, your job security, our energy consupmtion, our relationship with other world powers, nuclear proliferation, global warming, weapons sales, the skyrocketing costs of gasoline and college tuition, the appointment of someone who hates the UN to the ambassadorship, the appointment of a non economist who was totally wrong about Iraq in every way to head the world bank, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc? This is not about taking your eye off the ball, this is about forgetting theres even a game going on.

My opinion is that general mass ignorance serves Neoconservatism. And don't just take it from me, take it from them! Cross reference the phrases "Neoconservatism' and 'Noble lie' and see what you come up with.

It isn't a conspiracy, it's a tactic. If the public is all frothed up about issues like steroids in baseball, the ten commandments in courthouse, the word 'God' in the Pledge of allegiance, gay marriage and other such fiddle dee dee, then no one pays much attention to ANYTHING (not speciffic plots) going on in the world.

In a little over two years, the folks currently running this country are going to move into high paying lobbying jobs, leaving the country in massive debt and hip deep in a war with no exit strategy. I also think they're going to leave their own party pretty much in tatters as well, not that the Democrats have anything resembling a spine in a suit ready to do anything, and they're just as happy with mass idiocy as anyone else, they just can't find a way to spin it.

While I'm flattered you'd compare me to Chomsky at all, I'm not a fan and I promise you I' more fun at parties than he is.

[Abcdxxxx]

Okay so how is it that this fog doesn't serve Liberals and Democrats as well?

I always have a problem with the implication the media is protecting or placating the neoconservatives. That is what you're suggesting, and that is a conspiracy theory. I've worked in Broadcasting, and watched stories go to air. The people at the newsdesk who picked the stories which were covered were always these die hard liberals.