Van Morrison - Sometimes we cry - live with Chris Farlowe

"more" Wikileaks

As I have always maintained, I am full square for leakers and publishers to bring to light of day, government lawbreaking and general malfeasance regardless of the source. And in any case would likely become an urban guerrilla if the government were to take punitive or other coercive methods against our news providers to prevent them from publishing the Assange Files.

But I have no time for anyone leaking classified info for the sole general purpose that they don’t like the US and want to harm it in any way they can. And I believe that the government can request any time they want, that Amazon, a private company to consider the situation and decide to not publish these ill gotten files. It happens all the time, even for serious and substantial leaks, the government requesting news folks to not publish this or that material, and new papers make their own judgments in the cause of public service, versus malicious intent, and sometimes do not publish classified materials.

The point is, there is a line where stealing and publishing such material serves the public good, or it does not and causes, or could case malicious harm.

wikileak

The thing about the nexus of what actually ends up happening in governance, and the details of the processes that led to the creation of that reality in governing, for me is only as important as is my agreement with that policy. Republicans have an entirely different set of values and preferences.

I want to see how a lie is formed when shit happens that doesn’t make sense, like with the entire Iraq misadventure. A wingnut may want to know if Obama had a seance to contact the collectivist spirit of Karl Marx for instruction on how to pass “gubmint run healthcare”.

The point is that secrets are only malevolent as what they lead to, and their essence mitigated by things we can see with out own eyes that is relative to ideology and personal values.

I think the state department leaks of cables, and government workings, not matched up with a suspicion of a specific bad policy is at best a flailing “attack” on my country and authority in general. Leak to me the decision making and interactions that lead to torture becoming the official American policy with detailed infrastructure to carry it out. Give me names and address of those making illicit plans that made mockery out of the law. I am not interested in the scattershot fire of foreign anarchists and America haters, especially in the arena of the single agency we have that can promote peace in the world. The US State Department.

I do hope Assange and company gives us the inside skinny on the banksters, it will be a downpayment toward forgiving the bullshit released so far.

Dolphins Funning With Funhouse Mirror

Liberal Heroes?

Why can’t progressives have their own George Bush or Ronald Reagan?

Progressives often stand in awe of the ability of Republicans to communicate their message in simple stories. Usually that begrudging admiration is focused on the ability of conservatives to so effectively make progressives the villain. To the extent that progressives have even attempted to use narrative, their efforts have often zeroed in on how to return the favor by demonizing Republicans

Liberals and progressives cannot have such heroes, because they are fickle and think independently. That has it’s drawbacks for sure, but if we weren’t like that, we would be republicans, and Obama would get credit for what he has accomplished. With Libs/progs, not even the perfect gets a pass, if it did in fact exist. We want things, always. It is a matter of personal nature, that doesn’t end until it’s time for the long drink of embalming fluid.

I think this is a good thing, all things considered. Without it, social evolution is not possible. But it is not painless.

AMY DA LAURA

The Messenger

I am watching a movie on SHOtime about two soldiers informing families that their children and spouses have died in war. The movie is intense and brutal. It makes me think how insulated the majority of Americans are related to the realities of war. Ex-President Bush is on TV and in the press hocking his book. No mention of the fact that he sent Americans to war without cause. Because, again, the realities of that decision do not matter. Guess what, men and women have died. Men and women have suffered life-long injuries that you and I cannot imagine, but injuries that have consequences for them and their families. But the fact that decisions have consequences, and the decision to invade Iraq without just cause, has had profound consequences for many American families is lost in the narrative that surrounds Bush and his supposed come back. Is Obama tough enough? Was Bush so incredibly patriotic that sending soldiers to war without cause is proof of his patriotism? It is so bizarre and twisted, and emblematic of today's discourse.