Spring Break!
It has been so nice to have time off! Sadly it comes to an end Monday morning, but I guess we wouldn't appreciate free time without work/school.
I've had computer problems and haven't posted yet this week, so I'll kind of list a few stories you might be interested in commenting on:
The Olympic Torch has drawn lots of protesters in cities around the globe. Tibetans and others concerned about human rights abuses by the Chinese government have been out in force. As a result, a lot of focus has been on Tibet's ruler-in-exile, the Dalai Lama. It is an interesting coincidence that he is here in Seattle this week at a huge event dubbed "Seeds of Compassion".
General David Patraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker testified before Congress on the state of the military operations in Iraq and the results of the surge. Bottom line - no quick end to the Iraq war.
The infamous "torture memo" of 2003 was finally released to the public in this past week. The 80-something page report by the White House legal office encouraged and endorsed as appropriate the use of many techniques of rough interrogation that are widely considered torture by human rights groups, international law, and U.S. law. The argument basically said that it was all legit in a time of war under the President's authority as commander-in-chief. That is quite a lot of reading between the lines of Article II, Section II of the Constitution. Sadly, little was done to protest the recommendations by the President's closest advisors.
The political battle for President goes on. The most interesting rumor I heard over the past week is that some are urging John McCain to choose Condoleeza Rice as his running mate. It would make for an interesting race....
Lots more has been happening, but that's all from me for now!
Enjoy the rest of Spring Break! The sun is shining this morning, and if it's not when you read this, it will be back soon. Until then, maybe this video will cheer you up!
Update: Sunday Morning -
Here are some links to stories mentioned above -
PBS Newshour News for Students
Memo Reveals Bush Administration Legal Theory on Interrogation
Coverage in the New York Times:
’03 U.S. Memo Approved Harsh Interrogations
Petraeus Urges Halt in Weighing New Cut in Force
Coverage from the Christian Science Monitor:
Amid human rights protests, a look at China's record - - Freedoms have improved tremendously in the past 25 years, but Chinese people today face plenty of red lines.
Olympic torch rallying China's critics
Petraeus to Congress: reassess Iraq before further troop cuts
Listening and Reading at NPR:
Continued Protests Plague Beijing Olympics
From the Seattle Times:
China Outraged by US-Tibet Resolution
Politics follows Dalai Lama to Seattle
Dalai Lama kicks off Seattle visit with 3 events
Compassion — and action? - Coverage of Day 2 of Dalai Lama's visit
Rossi, Gregoire raising money for governor's race at record clip
AND I really should have included something on the government's raid on the religious compound in El Dorado, Texas. The government raided the temple and arrested many in the polygamist sect that has been accused of sexual abuse of minors. Lots of constitutional issues involved here. Summary article of events here.
ALSO - Should governments help out professional sports franchises by using public money to build new stadiums and arenas? The on-going conflict with the Seattle Supersonics led to evidence this week that the team's owners have not been negotiating in good faith. Governor says we've all "been lied to" on Sonics.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Dear Ladiesman217
This is a response to the article on General
Petraeus, I think it would be a good idea to wait a little bit after pulling out the troops that were brought in during the surge, that way the effect of the troops leaving could be gauged so that the next reasonable action may be taken. If too drastic of changes were made too quickly more problems may arise. so i think in the best interest of everyone they should take it slow because even slow progress is better than none. On the topic of the decisions of Iraq being pushed into the administration of the next president i think that would be a good test for whichever candidate wins because they all talk about what plans they have for dealing with Iraq and the best way top see this is o have them in an environment where those decisions are going to be made.
Love, Jeremy Patoc
Stephen Anderson Current events on the "sonic crisis"
In my opinion, there is no justification for public funds to be used for the benefit of select private industries. While the sonics do produce a large amount of money through ticket sales, it does little to help the community. The government has no business spending millions of public dollars building a stadium, when it is so direly needed to improve things the public actually needs; schools and environmental preservation. The public needs to forget about the location of a "lame duck" basketball team and focus on the gross misappropriation of public funds to support a fruitless industry. Soccers better anyway.
hello mr. coraggio,
i attended the seeds of compassion event yesterday, saturday the 12th, so i'm considering that the portion of current events where we attend stuff and tell you. i hope you will agree with me. i'll tell you about it tomorrow or something!
sincerely,
violette olivier, esq.
On the General Petraeus article,
I believe that although the war was a bad idea, taking our troops out quickly might not be the best idea. This is because if we did, i think that there will be a lot of unfinished problems still remaining. And if there was still unfinished business than the war would not really be over. Keeping our troops there until the problems are solved (but not too long) is the best idea.
-Tyler Manke
Per. 4
Hey Vio - I was hoping someone I knew was going. I look forward to hearing about it from you.
And Stephen, I suppose the real test of your political ideas on this issue would only be known if it were a soccer team that was threatening to leave.
One thing people should remember, is that the government (Federal, State, and Local) do lots of favors for businesses. Sometimes this benefits the greater good, sometimes it amounts to favors for greedy corporate interests.
Much attention needs to be paid - we can only sow so many seeds of compassion through our government if our money is simply being used to make the rich even more wealthy.
The words of our Consititution are pretty clear. Article I, Section 8 gives Congress the power to tax. spend and borrow, but for the purpose promoting the general welfare.
I enjoy sports, but professional teams are for profit businesses; and we have more important needs to be addressed.
heyoooooooooooo coraggio,
I read the NYtimes article on the whole torture riff raff. Basically, you summarized it and so did the article as the government justifying inappropriate torture techniques because we are in a time of war. Personally, i think that it doesn't matter what time we are in, war or not, these things that the government is allowing our troops, representatives of our country, to do these things to prinsoners of war is embarrasing, and totally un-ethical, and not to say violating the second article of the constitution! In the NY times article, they defined torture as " acts that may include death, organ failure or permanent damage resulting in a loss of signifigant body functions that will likely result." So all in all, our government is using careless legal reasoning, and making it all right for the military to basically go on and kill somebody, or just injure them untill they are forced to live with a disability for the rest of their lives.
I get so carried away an angry, but the things that they let people with power do is just adding to the vicsious cycle. I am so ready for obama
Post a Comment