Rep. Shelley Berkley: American Terrierist

GIW

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Wednesday March 25, 2009 · 1:49 PM PDT

2009/03/25 · 13:49

In the aftermath of the Gaza war of 2009, revelations about needless killings are multiplying daily. In many instances, these killings, committed by Israeli Defense Forces, seem to be committed against innocent people – non-combatants who’s only reason for suffering is that they are Palestinian and they live in Gaza. While these crimes against humanity are inexcusable in their own right, they are compounded by the unconditional support given in the U.S. to the Israeli government. If this sort of unbridled support were offered to the Palestinian cause, it would be branded as an act of terrorism but it is the Israeli government committing these crimes so it’s no harm no foul in America. Perhaps one of the most brazen examples of this form of home grown "terrorism" was committed recently by Representative Shelley Berkley (D-NV).

GIW

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Wednesday March 11, 2009 · 12:59 PM PDT

2009/03/11 · 12:59

The atrocities and war crimes committed by the Israeli Defense Forces have overshadowed another layer of human rights abuses in Gaza. While more than 1400 Gazans died at the hand of Israeli soldiers, hundreds more Palestinians have been killed at the hands of their own government. As Amnesty International reported in its paper, "Hamas’ Deadly Campaign in the Shadow of the War in Gaza," dozens of Palestinians have been killed or badly beaten and tortured by Hamas in the days surrounding the Israeli assault on Gaza. Hamas’ disregard for the rule of law and human rights demonstrate its inability to function as a legitimate governing body and its failure to serve the Palestinian people.

As noted in the AI report, Hamas targets include former detainees accused of "collaborating" with the Israeli army who escaped from Gaza’s central prison when it was bombed by Israeli forces on 28 December 2008. Other targets included former members of the Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces and other activists of the Fatah party.

GIW

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Sunday March 08, 2009 · 1:18 PM PDT

2009/03/08 · 13:18

Last week, the U.S. Justice Department released nine memos drafted during the Bush Administration. These memos laid out the legal justifications for the Bush Administration's war on terror. I went to the Justice Department website and took a look.

What I found was chilling.

GIW

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Friday March 06, 2009 · 8:17 AM PST

2009/03/06 · 08:17

Yesterday, Eric Kleefeld over at Talking Points Memo refreshed my recollection about one of my "favorite" senators, namely David Vitter (R-LA). Eric notes in his "Vitter Fights Family Planning Money In Omnibus" that Senator Vitter, a champion of family values, was caught up in the DC Madam sex scandal a year and a half ago. He has now submitted an amendment to the omnibus spending bill that would prevent funding for family planning.

GIW

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Thursday March 05, 2009 · 1:58 PM PST

2009/03/05 · 13:58

New reports coming out of Jerusalem today report that the police in Jerusalem have shot dead a man who overturned a police car using a bulldozer. According to a report from Al Jazeera

The man was killed on Thursday after his digger turned over a police car and hit an empty bus, Mickey Rosenfeld, an Israeli police spokesman, said. "It seems to be a terrorist attack from the evidence we have at the moment," he said. "A police officer at the site saw the tractor lifting the police vehicle into the air and opened fire at the driver," Niso Shaham, deputy head of Jerusalem police, said. "Several seconds later a taxi driver joined in."

GIW

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Wednesday March 04, 2009 · 4:15 AM PST

2009/03/04 · 04:15

As the debate rages about compensation paid to executives of America's publicly traded companies, there seems to be a disconnect between the issue of excessive compensation and the bigger picture with regard to the performance of American businesses. While we grouse about the grotesque levels of wages and benefits paid to CEOs, we must not lose sight of the fact that this is also a symptom of a far greater problem that has come home to roost with damning consequences. I am speaking of the failure of boards of directors to do their jobs to protect investors.

GIW

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Tuesday March 03, 2009 · 3:23 AM PST

2009/03/03 · 03:23

An underlying factor in the current economic collapse is the regulatory neglect in Washington. While conservatives use the term "deregulation," it is in fact neglect by elected officials and government officials responsible for watching out for all Americans. The question that I am pondering is, "Why?" We all have our beliefs and suspicions about what caused this mess but let’s take a look at some of the facts here, particularly those related to money and influence in Washington DC. See Preemption, Deregulation, Disclosure, Oh My at Global Investment Watch.

AIG’s Rap Sheet and How it Made "Bail"

AIG is the world’s biggest insurer. It was also a huge Credit Default Swap insurer/underwriter. The terms of CDS require collateral to be posted, depending upon such factors as credit rating and credit spreads. As home prices fell, spreads widened, and companies went down, AIG’s collateral requirements went up significantly.

GIW

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Monday March 02, 2009 · 4:26 PM PST

2009/03/02 · 16:26

In 2003, former President George W. Bush stated to the world that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. This was the basis for the invasion of Iraq. In October off 2008, the U.S. Department of Labor issued an Interpretive Bulletin Relating to Exercise of Shareholder Rights by pension plans regulated under the federal pension rules.

What do these seemingly unrelated events have in common?

Risk.

RSS

Rep. Shelley Berkley: American Terrierist

A Palestinian’s Dilemma: Collaborate and/or Die

The Bush Logic for the War on Terror (Against America)

Senator Vitter's Women

Terrorism and Hypocrisy in Israel

Executive Compensation As a Measure of Board Failure

AIG and Regulatory Neglect

Politics and Risk