Friday, September 09, 2005
Around the world
How the government can avoid granting the Constitutional protections of the detainees:
A prison spokesman said 87 [Guantanamo] inmates were still taking part in the [hunger] strike that began on 8 August. Lawyers for the prisoners put the figure at 210.
The quality of democracy strained
Independent monitors [in Egypt] say there were many problems on voting day, including voter intimidation by supporters of the ruling party, vote buying, abuse of government resources by the ruling party, and cases of outright fraud.
(via Cursor)
A brief history of CIA tampering with elections
This new foundation, NED, was put under the control of the State Department, and it would channel its funds, approved annually by Congress, through four other associated foundations set up for this purpose: the International Republican Institute (IRI) of the Republican Party; the National Democratic Institute (NDI) of the Democratic Party; the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) of U.S. Chamber of Commerce; and the American Center for International Labor Solidarity (ACILS) of the AFL-CIO. ...The U.S. Agency for International Development (AID), and the CIA as well, also fully participate in this program “to promote democracy.”
Delivery of covert funds to destabilize the elected government of Venezuela through corporate entities and NGOs
Californians, note the use of the recall as a tool to seize power. DAI is the interesting wrinkle. It looks like a corporation, talks like a liberal Democrat, and works for the CIA.
Among the many beneficiaries of this intervention was the Coordinadora Democrática with representatives from business, labor and political parties...Another beneficiary is the organization Súmate that emerged in 2003 at the end of the failed oil strike to begin the campaign for the recall referendum. ....Finally, the consulting firm DAI [is] financing the anti-Chavez propaganda campaign called Venezuela: Initiative to Build Confidence (VICC).
The UN as the agent of repression in Haiti
Quote of the day from Steve Lopez of the LATimes, via CJR: On my drive into New Orleans, I heard an insurance rep say on the radio that he was sorry to have to deliver bad news to so many Katrina victims who thought they were covered, but found out otherwise. Asked for an example of what's not covered, he said: "Wind-driven rain."I say we round up all the looters and insurance executives and tie them to utility poles before the next hurricane hits.
As long as the looters include Halliburton and the like, it's ok with me.
More blogs about politics.
