bumped -- cho

A Nation that sends its Sons and Daughters into Occupations?

A C-17 Airforce Transport plane arrives in Kandahar, Afghanistan to receive the bodies of five U.S. service members killed. Though more than 1,000 US and coalition forces were on hand to participate in the "ramp ceremony," a Los Angeles Times reporter and photographer were asked to leave the area by a military public affairs officer. A Pentagon policy banning coverage of this particular event was cited as the reason. [Photo: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times]

Iraq

There have been 4,426 coalition deaths -- 4,113 Americans, two Australians, 176 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, one Czech, seven Danes, two Dutch, two Estonians, one Fijian, 5 Georgians, one Hungarian, 33 Italians, one Kazakh, one Korean, three Latvian, 22 Poles, three Romanians, five Salvadoran, four Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, two Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the war in Iraq as of July 1, 2008, according to a CNN count. { Graphical breakdown of casualties }. The list below is the names of the soldiers, Marines, airmen, sailors and Coast Guardsmen whose deaths have been reported by their country's governments. The list also includes seven employees of the U.S. Defense Department. At least 30,275 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. View casualties in the war in Afghanistan.

Capt. Philip J. Dykeman 38 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division Brockport, New York One of three Marines killed during combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq, on June 26, 2008

Lt. Col. Max A. Galeai 42 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division Pago Pago, American Samoa One of three Marines killed during combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq, on June 26, 2008

Cpl. Marcus W. Preudhomme 23 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division North Miami Beach, Florida One of three Marines killed during combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq, on June 26, 2008

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My country 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing...

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What happens when the checks and balances of our government are compromised, and justice is undermined?

What happens when the most criminally corrupt group of criminals rule with nearly complete control of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of government for nearly two full Administrations, and the media fails to oppose, to challenge and to expose them?

Criminal malfeasance. Negligence. Dereliction of duty. Failure -- multiple failures: failure to uphold the law, failure to act, failure to uphold the duty and responsibility of office.

Actively undermining the just due process of the law and Constitution. Actively interfering with the proper operation of government.

War crimes.

Eight years of crimes, unaccountable to anyone and protected by the entire Republican party -- and Joe Lieberman.

Originally posted 2008-03-18 17:23:4: bumped and promoted...and thanks to Yetimonk for bringing this here -- cho

The Dalai Lama recently criticized Tibetan violence on both sides and said that if it continued that he would resign as the Tibetan Exile Governments political leader. He is under some pressure from impatient younger Tibetans who want full independence now and are willing to fight for it.

An excellent article by Gabriel Lafitte at NewMatilda.com, advisor to the Tibetan Government in Exile, about the protests and riots, and what it means to the Tibetans themselves. What follows is his article in full (reprinted with permission).

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The Tibetan revolt, like those of two and five decades ago, will be crushed by the overwhelming might of the Chinese military. No match could be more unequal: maroon-clad nuns and monks versus the machinery of oppression of the global rising power. In recent months, fast-response mobile tactical squads whose sole purpose is to quell the masses have been overtly rehearsing on the streets of Tibetan towns for just what they are now doing.

What is the point of revolt if it is almost certainly suicidal?

Earlier today, I posted a piece on ePluribus Media's community site entitled Comparison and Contrast: Privacy and Violation of Human Rights. While I crossposted the opening to the piece on DailyKos and DocuDharma, the only the version published on ePluribus Media contained excerpts toward the end of relevant passages from the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights.

The bell's inscription is a phrase from this verse (bold):

And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. [Leviticus 25:10]