Che's 80th Birthday

Here is an update from a blog entry from last month.

To celebrate Che's 80th Birthday I've included an excerpt of his speech to the U.N. in 1964. The audio is in Spanish with no English dub.

D.C. Lockdown

From today's Washington Post:

When D.C. police begin stopping cars at a "checkpoint" this weekend in the Trinidad neighborhood, they will record all license plate numbers, verify residents' addresses and ask others for phone numbers of those they are visiting, according to a directive issued by Chief Cathy L. Lanier.

Lanier, who has been working on the "neighborhood safety zone" program for two months, said the checkpoints can expand to any neighborhood in response to violent crime. Police said it is a tool they plan to use to increase visibility, make arrests and gather intelligence.

This initiative by the D.C. police department is similar to tactics used by nations constantly criticized by the U.S. as police states. Controlling the flow of traffic in and out of a neighborhood and gathering information on individuals traveling in an out of Trinidad is an infringement of rights. Johnny Barnes, the executive director of D.C.'s American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), is quoted in the article as saying "[D.C. law enforcement] seem so willing to cast aside cherished constitutional rights for quick fixes and lazy law enforcement."

A small checkpoint here can easily expand to several there. This is troublesome news for the city because it is trying to quarantine and hold hostage an entire neighborhood in response to the crime wave that has hit the city. Instead of tackling the real issue, illegal guns and automatic weapons, the police department is going to divert the problem to another neighborhood. Trinidad is not the only neighborhood vulnerable to crime. Criminals and gang members will continue their activities in other parts of the city. D.C. citizens should call their city council and file formal complaints. If we do not speak up now, tomorrow other checkpoints will be put into place. Before we know it, D.C. will become a police state.

Stay tuned for more updates...

Friday Morning Headlines

US Holds $50 Billion of Iraq’s Financial Reserves Hostage

The Independent of London reports the United States is holding hostage some $50 billion of Iraq’s money in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to pressure the Iraqi government into signing an agreement to prolong the US occupation indefinitely. Patrick Cockburn reports the Federal Reserve continues to hold Iraq’s financial reserves as a legacy of the international sanctions against Saddam Hussein. US negotiators are threatening to remove tens of billions of dollars of Iraq’s money to settle outstanding court judgments dating back to the 1980s unless Iraq accepts the highly controversial military deal. The deal would allow the US to permanently keep more than fifty military bases in Iraq. American forces would also be able to continue to carry out arrests of Iraqi citizens and conduct military campaigns without consultation with the Iraqi government. American soldiers and contractors will enjoy legal immunity.

D.C. Police Set Up Neighborhood Checkpoints

The Washington Examiner reports police in Washington, D.C. plan to begin sealing off entire neighborhoods, setting up checkpoints and kicking out strangers, under a new program to combat violence. Under a directive issued by Police Chief Cathy Lanier, officers will stop cars at the checkpoints, record all license plate numbers and ask drivers why they are visiting the neighborhood. The directive allows officers to turn away anyone who does not have a legitimate reason for entering the neighborhood. Motorists who resist answering questions from police officers will be arrested for failure to obey an officer. D.C. Councilman Harry Thomas said he is worried Washington, D.C. is “moving towards a police state."

Senate Report: Bush Deliberately Distorted Pre-War Intelligence

In other Iraq news, a newly released Senate report has concluded President George Bush and his top policymakers deliberately distorted Saddam Hussein’s links to al-Qaeda and ignored doubts among intelligence agencies about Iraq’s arms programs as they made a case for war. Sen. John Rockefeller, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee said the report shows the administration “led the nation to war on false premises.”

Source: Democracy Now!

Should We Be Worried?

It was difficult to watch Senator Obama's speech to AIPAC on Wednesday. Repeatedly throughout this campaign season he has promised to bring about change to the way Washington is run. He has promised that lobbyist will not set and dictate the agenda of his administration. If his speech was any indication of the change that he has been promising, we can rest assure that not much of anything will change. I've provided his entire speech below.

**Special Report: Live From Montana

The long road to the Democratic nominee will likely be settled as early as Wednesday morning. Neither candidate will reach the magic number of delegates by the end of voting tonight to secure the party's nomination. CNN is reporting that a score of super delegates will begin endorsing Senator Obama as soon polls close tonight.

The debate of an Obama/Clinton dream ticket is beginning to pick up steam. Pundits and advisors from both campaigns have publicly entertained the idea but no firm commitment from either camp has been given. Looking at the numbers and exit polls from the primaries held from the beginning of March to now, all the numbers point towards the practically of a joint ticket. As the NY Times reported this past weekend, Senator Clinton has won more states (7 out of 13) and more votes (6.7 million compared to 6.1 million) than Senator Obama. By the end of the day, Clinton will have around 17 million votes. She has built a movement of her own and it is a fact that cannot be ignored.

Obama has galvanized and attracted first time voters, but to go against John McCain and the Republican force, he cannot just rely on his own voting bloc. He is going to need the Latino, blue collar, women, and senior votes. These groups have consistently voted for Clinton in this primary season and with her credentials she is the best candidate to secure these votes for an Obama presidency.

Unity has been a word the Democratic party has been tossing around the last few weeks in an attempt to appease worries of a divided party. The best form of unity is to bring together two opposing forces with over 34 million votes between them. Both candidates repeatedly say that this election is bigger than themselves and it is an important moment in U.S. history. If either candidate is genuine in their comments then all talks about Obama's camp's dislike of the Clintons is not productive. Unity means bringing together opposing forces and working together for a common goal. That goal should be working to restore the U.S.'s image domestically and internationally. If anything has been learned from this primary season, it is that the U.S. is ready for change, and what a refreshing change an Obama/Clinton ticket will be.

Live From Montana

Tomorrow I will report live from Montana on the last Democratic primary....

Stay tuned.