THE LIKES OF BLACKWATER, THE OTHER US MILITARY BRANCH

The privatization of our US military is not a good thing. Jeremy Scahill wrote: Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army and debuted on the New York Times best seller list at number nine. Blackwater with a no bid contract was hired by the US government to work in Iraq. We could withdraw our troops from Iraq and our tax money of millions and billions of dollars could continue to pay outfits like Blackwater to fight in our name in Iraq. This is big business. And George is nothing if not a supporter of big business.

Blackwater represents us.

In the Google window type: Blackwater kills in Iraq
and have a plethora of links.
Here is one:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/iraq/2003893130_iraq20.html

The time is past due to take up the metaphorical sword. We are losing our government. It is time to not fear appearing radical or civilly disobedient. It is our espoused values that we risk losing if we sit back and let our elected politicians run our country into the ground. Freedoms are continually in need of our nurturing and our control. Freedom endures only when it is on our watch. Not when we entrust it to someone the likes of Dick Cheney or George W Bush. Freedom is not on the march in the Divided States of America.

A leader of free people would stand up or stand down when it comes to the plight of the people in the path of hurricane Katrina. A leader of free people would see the potential of a troubled land when ropes made into nooses are hung in a tree to send a message to black US citizens in a school yard. A leader of free people would not take his charges into a war without a plan and equipment that will protect them. A leader of free people would not take the military into an invasion that was based on lie after lie. A leader of free people would not pretend lies were truth and expect a nation of free thinkers to believe him. George W Bush is not a leader of free people. George Bush is an oppressor. George Bush thinks “We the People” are to be manipulated for his personal reasons. George Bush surely doesn’t get it. Which segment of Americans is he the President of? He is afraid of speaking in a group that has not been vetted. I would not be allowed in his audience. And yet I am his audience.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf4-xuq-Ypo

Bill Moyers
“…The strong took what they could and the weak, what was left…”
Please, take the time to listen to this speech.

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We have the army, navy, marines, air force and national guard. And then there is our private military. Your tax dollars buy this private, corporate-owned military. And yet, they are not held accountable.

BLACKWATER - from our other military branch

http://www.blackwaterbook.com/news/2007/01/about_blackwate.html
About Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7244128
Congress Hears from Killed Contractors' Families
The mothers and widows of the workers have filed lawsuits against Blackwater, the company that hired them.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqM4tKPDlR8

The Nation's Jeremy Scahill describes the rise of Blackwater USA, the world's most powerful mercenary army.

Writing about Blackwater:
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20051010/scahill

http://getunderground.com/underground/features/article.cfm?Article_ID=2188

http://www.truthdig.com/interview/item/20070330_jeremy_scahill_on_soldiers_of_fortune/

BETRAYED BY BUSH AND CONGRESS

Senator Sam Brownback (R) gave a history lesson today in the Senate, complete with several maps about Iraq. It was a good lesson for a congressman. Senator Joe Biden (D) followed him with an emotional delivery why he agreed with Brownback although both Brownback and Biden said it was not in their Presidentail candidacy’s best interest to be working together to come up with a political solution for the mess we got ourselves into by invading Iraq. But that is what they were presenting, a political solution to Iraq. Personally, I thought Biden really did a good job extending his Presidentail campaigning on C-span with this plan. I couldn’t vote for Brownback as President, but these two made me feel better about being a USA citizen. They made sense. They didn’t sound brainless. And I have heard nothing close to this sanity from Mr. Bush, the President of the Divided States of America.

A link to an article on Biden and Brownback’s bill:
http://biden.senate.gov/newsroom/details.cfm?id=283817&&

Today, there was a tie, 47 to 47, to start bringing our troops home. Our Rhode Island US Senator Jack Reed and Carl Levin worked together on this.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/21/AR2007092100134.html

Bush ignores us. Congress ignores us. And yet type in http://www.senate.gov/ And you will find a page that celebrates the US Constitution that is titled “We the People, Celebrating the Constitution” and begins with this:

Written in 1787, ratified in 1788, and in operation since 1789, the United States Constitution remains a vital and living document. Having been strengthened by amendments, the Constitution serves as both guide and protector of U.S. citizens and their elected officials. To encourage all Americans to learn more about the Constitution, Congress in 2005 established Constitution Day, to be celebrated each year on or near September 17th, the date in 1787 when delegates to the Convention signed the Constitution.

I feel like I am living a time warp. Our President says “freedom is on the march” and that he wants to bring democracy to others around the world. However everything about him and his focus - has done nothing but chip away at our democracy and our liberties. Freedom – use it or lose it. We need to get angry at the undermining of our
once Constitutional rights and let it motivate us into active engagement. While we are not paying attention – we are losing our Constitution. The Patriot Act is our new Constitution. Our US government has thrown out the Geneva Convention.

“The Third Geneva Convention was convened in 1929 and resulted in specific protections for prisoners of war. The Fourth Geneva Convention was signed in 1949. This convention reaffirmed the requirements of the first three conventions and provided protections for civilians during wartime.” *

Requirements of the Geneva Conventions as they relate to the treatment of Prisoners of War (POWs): *http://usmilitary.about.com/od/deploymentsconflicts/l/blgenevaconv.htm

The Constitution made “We the People” partners of this country's government. An equal partner. But this administration doesn’t care what we think. And congress is betraying us, too.

I feel like screaming.

Bush is a disaster. I am embarrassed that he is President. I detest him. He has taken this country into debt. We have financed this Iraq invasion by borrowing from a country that historically has a record of oppressing its people and imprisoning and torturing those that are dissidents. China. And yet Bush said yesterday that he receives an A for not raising our taxes. But he has taken us so far in debt that we are weakened as a nation.

But no one talks about that. My brother made t-shirts when George HW Bush was campaigning for President and the shirt said a GHW Bush quotation “Read my lips, No New Taxes”. George W Bush is just like his father in this. NO NEW TAXES, but Billions of new dollars of debt. That’s what we’ve got.

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Bush may boost spending request for Iraq war

Reuters
Friday, September 21, 2007; 12:10 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration may increase the amount of money it is seeking for the Iraq war for the 2008 fiscal year that begins October 1, the White House said on Friday.

The White House outlined a request for around $147 billion for fiscal 2008 for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the administration is reviewing those figures and is considering giving Congress an updated request.

"I would expect it to be higher, I can't tell you what the number will be," White House spokesman Tony Fratto said.

The Washington Post has reported the administration may increase its request by up to $50 billion, which would bring the total request to nearly $200 billion.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/21/AR2007092100643.html

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War Costing $720 Million Each Day, Group Says

By Kari Lydersen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, September 22, 2007; Page A11”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/21/AR2007092102074.html