Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Iran and Protests



Daniel Tencer from Raw Story on Monday at June 15, 2009 wrote about how reporters are being arrested and news sites are being shut down in Iran. The International press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders now is calling on the international community to reject the results of Friday's Presidential election in Iran. The reason is “because censorship and a crackdown on journalists are preventing a democratic electoral process.” “Arrests of journalists and media censorship measures are growing as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s ‘victory’ continues to be disputed,” the organization said in a statement. The group have cited a litany of apparent censorship measures being taken since protests and riots gribbed Tehran (and other parts of the country). The election's results have been suprising and caused some doubt among the citizenry of Iran. The Iranian authorities say that the election ended in a landslide victory for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Some disagree with the results strongly. Reporters with Borders say that 10 or so pro-opposition websites were censored, and 2 Farsi language TV stations were partially jammed yesterday. Mobile phone network was disrupted. The supporters of Ahmadinejad continued to pressure the Iranian news media not to carry reports about election fraud. 4 of the main pro-reform newspapers have been closed or prevented from criticizing the official election results. Reporters Without Borders said that they confirm that the journalists Reza Alijani (who was the winner of the 2001 Reporters Without Borders-Fondation de France press freedom prize), Hoda Sabaer, Ahamad Zeydabadi and Taghi Rahmani have been arrested. There is no word of about 10 other journalists who have either been arrested or gone into hiding. The group listed other news organizations whose websites or broadcasts have been shut down. This include the Farsi-language services of the BBC and the Voice of America. The Arabic-language news network Al-Arabiya says its Teheran office has been forced to shut down. Reuters news service reports that more than 100 reformists have been detained by Iranian authorities, including Mohammad Reza Khatami, who is the brother of the former president Khatami. Mohammad Ali Abtahi, a former vice-president, told the news service the reformist politicians were “taken from their homes” on Saturday evening. The defeated Presidential candidate named Mir Hossein Mousavi was reported to have appealed the results of Friday's election to the Guardian Council (which is Iran's legislative body). Mousavi wants the results to be cancaled. Mousavi isn't perfect, but he could make a much better leader in Iran than Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. I don't agree with the existence of violent riots in Iran, but real reforms should exist in Iran. Iran should allow peaceful protests there without evil suppression of free speech indeed.




The new Prime Minister of Israel is Benjamin Netanyahu. He recently gave an important foreign policy speech where he endorsed a Palestinian state. He did this, because there was internaitonal pressure sent unto Netanyahu to support concessions among the Israeli side. The Palestinian leadership rejected his added conditions, because they felt that Netanyahu didn't compromise enough. The Palestinian leadership are divided on how to achieve a Palestinian state since the state will probably founded by the Western power for the advancement of Western interesta. Palestinian Authority's leader of Mahmoud Abbas is more supportive of the Western's plan for "peace" than Hamas is. The EU, the Vatican, and America wants the Peace Plan to go forward as well. Netanyahu said the Palestinian state would have to be unarmed and they must recognize Israel as the Jewish state - (which is a condition amounting to Palestinian refugees giving up the goal of returning to Israel). With those conditions, he said, he could accept 'a demilitarized Palestinian state alongside the Jewish state.' Many Palestinians don't want to be demilitarized, because of self defense issues. Defense Minister Ehud Barack said that in 2 years, progress toward a Palestinian state could transpire. This timeline is more faster than President Obama, because he wants the Middle East initiative to have fruit in 4 years. History will tell if a Palestinian state will exist. Some of the global elite want a controlled Palestinian state in order for the West to create their new world order more effectively. The Middle East has a complicated history. There have been Jewish and Arabic peoples living there for thousands of years. There has been the Balfour Declaration, migrations, and wars that defined the region in enumerable ways. A fair and balanced approach toward solutions in the Middle East is embraced by me. The Israelis and Palestinian ought to be given the freedom to establish independent solutions involving their Middle Eastern complications.




Kleinheider from the Nashville Post on June 15, 2009 descirbed about how a Governor is opposing the Tennesse Firearms Act. Governor Phil Bredsen refuse to put his signature to the House Bill of 1796. Bredesen, in a letter to Speaker Kent Williams, states that the bill which says that federal laws do not apply to firearms, accessories, or ammunition that is manufactured in Tennessee, will likely be found to be unconstitutional. That's false since the bill is about federalism. Federalism is the concept that the federal government don't over state their authority among the authority of the states. In other words, the federal government's authority is seperate from the authority of state plus local government. All levels of government shouldn't act tyrannical though, because we all deserve to have our civil liberties to be protected. The bill isn't unconstitutional at all. If a gun is made in Tennesse legally, it's none of the federal government business. Citizens from Tennesse have a right to make up its own laws on firearms. Bredesen falsely assume that this bill relates to a fringe constitutional theory. The bill doesn't contravene with the Constituion or the modern interpretation of it. Bredesen won't necessarily veto it. It's ironic that he won't sign the bill when the bill isn't extremist at all. The Second Amendment should be protected. Gun rights is a key way to stop tyranny and to promote individual liberty as well. For centuries, people defended themselves in order to stabilize society. Fascists and extremists have wanted all guns banned from the citizenry. These people include Hitler, Castro, Mao, Mussolini, Franco, and other dictators. Htiler banned Jewish people and others from owning guns in Nazi Germany. That was evil of course. There are those in America who want to be slick and violate the Second Amendment as well.



Lies about Christians are ever common. Now, a person is going too far and demonizing pro-life people and Christians at the same time. This person's name is Frank Schaeffer. He is a New York Times best selling author. While he was writing on the Huffington Post, he compared conservative Christians to domestic terrorists. This is similar rhetoric that the Nazis did against Jewish people and others (i.e. the Nazis would slander Jewish people collectively) during the 1930's. Schaeffer said that conservatives turn people into jerks and unstable people into killers. That's a lie since murderers are accountable for their own action, not everyone in a specific political ideology or creed at all. Many conservative show foreright and articulate arguments that get people to discuss about political matters in a peaceful way. Tiller's murderer was a person with mental illness. Even James von Brunn hated Christianity and believed in Darwinian though. von Brunn is a hater of the Bible. Geunine Christians have condemned both murders as evil and repugnant. Vegeance is reserved for God alone not us human beings. Also, he calls the media "right wing" which is a lie. Most of the mainsteam media (found in ABC, MSNBC, CNN, CBS, etc. which are mostly left wing) demonizes pro-lifers constantly and some even blame conservatives for Tiller's murder. He claims that because you disagree with a lifestyle, or if your are pro life, etc. you hate America. This is another lie. Tons of people from across the political spectrum love America completely. We just hate evil from the war on terror, abortion, civil liberty problems, etc. He said the conservative Americans spawn hate, which is a lie since this hate comes from many quarters. Frank Schaeffer is a person who wants legalized abortion like a pro-abortion extremist (while wanting to get rid of Roe and supporting Barack Obama which is an oxymoron) that he is. Schaeffer then urges the FBI to investigate evangelical groups and their leaders and to infiltrate certain pro-life groups like Operation Rescue. This is certainly against the freedom of speech (and the Fourth Amendment) if the FBI does these actions. Historically, thugs from the Pentagon, the FBI and the CIA monitored peaceful anti-war groups, etc. for decades. See, this is what extremists like Schaeffer really want (he stopped short of wanting Evangelical Christians and conservatives to be shipped off to concentration camps. He's a hypocrite by claiming to disagree with hate, yet he's showing real hate toward conservative Christians that disagree with him). The extremists want to presecute Christians to be intimidated and afraid to speak our minds. Sorry, I will speak my mind strongly and without fear. Bible prophecy outlines persecution of the saints. Revelation 6:9-12 speaks of Christians martyred during the Tribulation Period, after the Tribulation has begun. The federal government has documents now claiming that certain people (who believe in end time prophecies, are 2nd Amendment, are pro-life, are against the new world order, etc. via the Mediggo Report) are extremists and terrorists. I don't agree with that slander at all. Christians are not domestic terrorists, but some people in the government are real domestic terrorists though. Regardless of Schaefller's lies, the pro-life movement peacefully protest in thousands of cities and locations in America. Every day throughout the country, hundreds of pro-life activists pray, picket and demonstrate in front of abortion mills. Frank Schaeffer insults the memory of the thousands of pro-lifers who are here and passed on fighting for the truth. He should apologize (to his parents' memories as well) to those who have without concern for self given of their time, talent and treasure to support pregnancy centers, maternity homes, and pro-life groups that have educated young people about the respect one should have for life for all people.




Ezra Levant from Save the Male on June 14, 2009 accuses the Canadian Jewish Congress as organizing the Canadian Nazi Party. This is strange, but it isn't unusual. The reason is that a FBI declassified memo proved that the SPLC played a role in Elohim City (which is the place where the OKC Bombing plot was hatched). There was an informat working for the SPLC at Elohim City. No one knows exactly what this person was doing there. Dees confirmed the presence of an informant at Elohim City at a recent press conference, the Daily Gazette paper reported. “If I told you what we were doing there, I would have to kill you,” Dees replied when asked to explain. Dees and the SPLC are known for equating even peaceful conservatives to racists and Neo-Nazis, which is wrong. This news comes after the murderer James von Brunn (who shot up the national Holocaust museum in Washington D.C.) is still in critical condition. Levant wrote his accusations about the Canadian Jewish Congress helped to organize the fledgling Canadian Nazi Party in a letter to the Ottowa Citizen. This Nazi colloboration came about in 1965 and 1966. In a letter to the editor in the Citizen last week, the CJC’s current co-president, Rabbi Reuven Bulka, called Levant's book’s description of the CJC’s role “fiction.” He said all the CJC did for the Nazis was buy them a bottle of rum. The CJC bought drinks for Nazis in the 1960's, which is strange. The CJC even hired an ex-cop named John Garrity to go and work for the Canadian Nazi Party. Why would someone do that when the neo-Nazis are very evil for their views. Garrity did this in order to make publicity, have fights, and to agitate society. They put him in charge of membership. Garrity called himself the “Heinrich Himmler” of the party, and a “Nazi leader for the Jewish Congress.” Garrity found out party members' names and donora. When Garrity quit, he wrote a tell all about this part of his life in Maclean's magazine. Garrity's actions (like witnessing violence at Beattie when he committed no violence) inspired censorship laws in Canada. Parliament enacted section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, which censors offensive speech. When the Canadian Nazi Party was gone, there was Grant Bristow. Grant was apart of the racist Heritage Front bieng funded by taxpayers. Richard Warman (who is pro-CJC) even posted comments on Stormfront, a neo-Nazi website, including a message calling Jews “scum.” Warman has stated that he was attempting to gather information on real Nazis. Yet, the tribunal called his actions “disappointing and disturbing,” and ruled that he risked encouraging more hateful messages himself. Incredibly, the CJC still stands by Warman even after the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal condemned him for his anti-Semitic propaganda. You’d think that would be something the Jewish Congress might care about. Rabbi Bulka should be ashamed of his conduct. So, stirring up racism and anti-Semitism by Garrity (plus others) is just as wrong plus evil as racism itself. The best thing to do about bigots like the Nazis is to respond to them, teaching against them, debate them, and never support them like the CJC did. We can't do nothing against these people.



Colleen Raezler from June 15, 2009 wrote about media bias from ABC. Collen is a research assistant from Culture and Media Institute. ABC gave free adverstising for pro-abortion advocates in its "World News Sunday." The report has an abortionist saying the lie that late-term abortion is really a miscarriage of a stillborn fetus. Anchor Dan Harris framed Steve Osunsami's segment as a look at why doctors do risky abortions. They try to protray the doctors as risking their lives just after the murder of abortionist George Tiller. Tiller's accused killed said that similar attacks are planned nationwide. Harris teased the segment "Tonight, we talk to late-term abortion providers who fear they are targets. Why do they do it?" He stated in his introduction, "Why would a doctor take that risk? And why would a woman make that choice?" Osunsami's report quickly revealed itself as a propaganda piece. He lamented, "Tiller was one of the few doctors in the U.S. who specialized in late-term abortions, abortions performed as late as the third trimester. With Tiller's death, there are now fewer than a dozen U.S. doctors who offer the procedure." The abortion providers in the segment explained why they do partial birth abortions. Yet, both avoided the word of aboriton. Toni Hawkins is the executive director of Atanta's SurgiCenter. Toni stated that they will continue to kill the unborn. LeRoy Carhart is a Nebraska abortionist and the plantiff in Gonzales v. Carhart, the 2007 U.S. Supreme Court case that upheld the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban. He falsely said that partial birth abortion or late term abortion is a fine procedure similar to a miscarriage of a stillborn fetus. The media from ABC or the abortionsits will not explain what abortion is. Osunsami hyped up fears of violence by saying that these abortionists meet behind closed doors with security. As if to make late-term abortions more palatable, Osunsami also reported that Carhart "wants America to know that late-term abortions are rare. A small percentage of all abortion procedures." Kara Black defended the abortionist George Tiller as helping women. Yet, partial birth abortion kills the unborn and harbors many risk factors among women. Osunsami did include a short sound-bite from Tom McClusky, vice-president for government affairs at Family Research Council. "Any abortion we see in the pro-life movement as being wrong, but in the case of late-term abortions, these are children that have arms, have legs, feel pain," he stated. ABC omits the procedure of partial birth aboriton. Partial birth abortion deals with sucking the brains out of an unborn baby and getting it out with scissors. The baby is retrieved and disposed of. Other abortion procedure use dangerous chemicals as well. Many doctors have proven that partial birth abortion is totally unnecessary for women to have. The media in many cases could care less about the fate of these babies being slaughtered for casual reasons.





John Byrne from The Raw Story on June 15, 2009 discussed about how the CIA rehired then fired contractors who are involved in torture. Weeks after President Barack Obama took office, the CIA renewed a contract with a firm that helped to orchestrate the torture of American-held detainees during the Bush administration. The New Yorker reported on this story on Sunday. Two months later, according to the magazine, the agency fired them. The contractors’ firings came in April, around the time the Senate Armed Services Committee fingered the role of James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen in developing “countermeasures to defeat” detainees’ resistance in interrogations. It raises questions of whether the terminations only came after the contractors’ role was exposed. “Mitchell and Jessen, who run the firm, had worked on a Pentagon program that taught U.S. service members how to survive harsh enemy interrogation methods,” veteran Washington Post intelligence reporter Walter Pincus wrote on Monday. “They relied on elements of that training in proposing an interrogation program for the CIA. It included methods such as sleep deprivation and other actions based on “theories of ‘learned helplessness,’” according to the New Yorker. “In April, [Obama CIA Director Leon] Panetta (above right) fired all the C.I.A.’s contract interrogators, including the former military psychologists who appear to have designed the most brutal interrogation techniques: James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen. The two men, who ran a consulting company, Mitchell, Jessen & Associates, had recommended that interrogators apply to detainees theories of “learned helplessness” that were based on experiments with abused dogs. The firm’s principals reportedly billed the agency a thousand dollars a day for their services. “We saved some money in the deal, too!” Panetta said. (Remarkably, a month after Obama took office the C.I.A. had signed a fresh contract with the firm.)” “Most of the individuals who managed the secret interrogation program have since left the agency,” she adds, “though CIA Deputy Director Stephen R. Kappes, whom Panetta told senators in February would be his “full partner,” held at least a nominal role in oversight of the program.” Panetta told Mayer that he didn't support torture methods or the legal justifications for why they did it. He claimed that he once supported a truth commission to investigate the Bush administration's abuses. He reversed his position after President Obama indicated that he wouldn't support such a move (for the reason of focusing on the past to much). Yet, there needs to be accountability here. Anyone responsible for the White House torture policies should be punished even if they are from the previous Bush administration. So, torture occured in the Bush administration. This torture occured in Abu Ghraib, rendition programs, and Gitmo (with testimonies from General Rick Baccus, etc.). The Barack Obama adminstration isn't all it can do in order to make sure it happens again. It is even keeping some of Bush's detainee policies entacted.






By Timothy

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