Immgration and the Census

I just finished a post to my "history blog" about illegal immigrants and whether or not they should cooperate with the up-coming national census. How can people be in this country illegally and be counted toward the total population of the state and county in which they illegal live? How can one government agent count a person who another government agent is suppose to arrest? Talk about the need for an overhaul of our immigration policy. What really burns my butt is the fact that during the last election cycle those who complained the most about the illegal alien population were the same ones who regularly benefit from that population. The company owners who hired illegals, or looked the other way when an agent did so, then paid then as little as possible with no benefits or legal rights and threatened them with the INS if they complained. The country club types who needed someone to water the greens and cut the fairways and didn't want to pay a decent wage for the work. The wealthy who also needed their lawns mowed and bushes trimmed for as little as they could get away with. The giant agricultural mega-farms who needed cheap labor. These are the ones who have always wanted cheap labor, be it slaves, children or illegals, and who in most cases are registered republicans.

Labels

An op ed article in The Record on June 17, 2009 was entitled "Don't lump conservatives with the radical right" and written by a "fellow at the Miller Center of Public Affairs" at UVA. The writer notes the controversy over Lush Limbaugh's "more incendiary statements" and says conservative republicans should not be branded with his extreme right-wing political stands. She probably is correct but where was she when conservatives branded liberal democrats-like myself-with the "socialist" label. I have even had family members do it. For how long have we been treated to the GOP referring to Obama as a "terrorist" or "communist"? This has always been a mark of a conservative in this country; call those who disagree with you any name you can think of, question his manhood, call him an atheist, or if you can't think of anything else just plain call him an asshole. Just remember, you conservatives, if someone thinks differently they "just don't know what they are talking about", so don't argue the facts, just label him a "commie" or whatever, it's easier then trying to think of something intelligent to say.

Bush War Crimes Issue

Why didn't Bush II pardon the members of his administration for their parts in the torturing of prisoners and the practice of "extraordinary rendition" along with other crimes against the constitution? In effect he has left them open to investigation by the Obama administration. President Ford pardoned the Watergate criminals. President Reagan pardoned the Iran/Contra criminals, so why didn't Bush II pardon his criminals? I believe Bush II intended to leave the issue open in order to create havoc in the democratic party over the issue. Obviously, some want an investigation and some do not. Bush knew that the investigation of some of his people would piss off the republican party to the point that any hope of bi-partisan cooperation would be impossible. He also knew that if the Obama admin fails to take any action against the violations of US and international law a wedge would be driven between the left wing of the democratic party and the Obama administration. This issue would also create a major debate within the country and divert the attention of the present administration from addressing the other important issues. Whoever said that George W. Bush was an idiot?

Conservatives and the Law

First it was "Watergate", then it was "Iran/Contra" and now it is "CIA Torture memos". Conservatives were responsible for all three; they can't be trusted to protect the Constitution. Within my life time conservatives have trashed the Constitution at least three times. Ford pardoned the Nixon criminals. Bush I pardoned the Reagan criminals and now Obama is giving the CIA criminals a free pass. In order for this pattern of abuse of the Constitution to end, someone must be prosecuted. Conservatives have to be taught that they can't violate the law time after time and get away with it. Hell, Dick Cheney goes on the Sunday talk shows and brags about his violations of the Constitution. Still nothing happens. And Bill Clinton has an affair and lies about it and he is impeached. Something is wrong here.

Taxes and Torture

Two days ago conservatives held nation-wide rallies to bitch about taxes (and President Obama). Yesterday the CIA memos on torture under the Bush admin were released pending a ACLU lawsuit. Where was the outrage over the CIA use of torture against "suspected" criminals; actions that were done in our name and tarnish the reputation and endanger the lives of our armed service members? Torture is not only "crimes against humanity" but are understood by many to be ineffectual. Rallies over taxes; silence over torture. Something is wrong with this picture. On the other hand, maybe those protesting taxes are indirectly saying they don't want to spend money to fund "secret prisons" and costly waterboards. Maybe they think the cost for the water is too high. I guess there is hope.

Defense Spending

The Wall Street Journal, as reported in the Virginian Pilot on 4/14/09, states that a naval fleet of 300 ships is "perilously small". Is there no limit to how much we can spend on defense projects when there are so many people in this country without jobs, homes or enough to eat? What about our education and health needs or infrastructure improvements? There has to be some point at which we say enough already. The defense budget was reported recently at somewhere over $ 500 billion a year. While the Navy wants more ships the Air Force says it is time to change to a new fighter plane. The F-22 is described in a Virginian Pilot op ed article as the "most capable fighter in our military inventory" but they still want a new plane; the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. People are holding "tea party rallies" tomorrow to protest government spending on domestic items but you can bet these rallies will not protest the amount we spend to build new weapons or prop up some brutal dictatorship or build new military bases in Iraq or Guam or some other out of the way place. Lets spend some of that money to repair the damage done to this country instead. The country would be made stronger if problems in this country were addressed with some of this massive funding.

The CIA

Will this agency ever be brought under control? It is noted in the Virginian Pilot on 4/10/09 that the CIA will "completely close secret prisons abroad". Leon Panetta-the director-says that CIA officials "should not be investigated, let alone punished"; the reason being that the Justice Department under Bush "declared their actions legal". Why then did we punish the non-commissioned officers at Abu Ghraib prison for their actions? A number are in jail now, to my knowledge. "Waterboarding" is torture. It was torture when done to John McCain in Vietnam, it is torture today when done to detainees at these secret "black sites" of the CIA. Not all of those we have held are guilty of anything; some most certainly are, but how is one to know if no trial was ever held to determine guilt. Dick Cheney endorsed this "enhanced interrogation procedure" and it is recognized as torture by the US Constitution and international law. Why is he not being tried for his crimes against humanity?