NEWS2U Articles & Comments
Critical Reporting

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Battlefield America: U.S. Citizens Face Indefinite Military Detention in Defense Bill Before Senate

by Democracy Now!
November 29, 2011

The Senate is set to vote this week on a Pentagon spending bill that could usher in a radical expansion of indefinite detention under the U.S. government.

A provision in the National Defense Authorization Act would authorize the military to jail anyone it considers a terrorism suspect — anywhere in the world — without charge or trial.

The measure would effectively extend the definition of what is considered the military’s "battlefield" to anywhere in the world, even within the United States. Its authors, Democratic Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan and Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, have been campaigning for its passage in a bipartisan effort.

But the White House has issued a veto threat, with backing from top officials including Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and FBI Director Robert Mueller.

This would be the first time since the McCarthy era that the United States Congress has tried to do this,” says our guest, Daphne Eviatar of Human Rights First, which has gathered signatures from 26 retired military leaders urging the Senate to vote against the measure, as well as against a separate provision that would repeal the executive order banning torture.

“In this case, we’ve seen the administration very eagerly hold people without trial for 10-plus years in military detention, so there’s no reason to believe they would not continue to do that here. So we’re talking about indefinite military detention of U.S. citizens, of lawful U.S. residents, as well as of people abroad.”

Source:
http://www.commondreams.org/video/2011/11/29-0
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Friday, November 25, 2011

William S. Burroughs’ Great Thanksgiving Prayer

By DJ Pangburn
Death & Taxes
November 24, 2011
















Several years ago, whilst in the midst of a William S. Burroughs obsession, I came across audio of Burroughs, in his droning, rhythmic and hilarious voice reading “Thanksgiving Prayer,” in a short film directed by Gus Van Sant.

The audio is set to music that has a vaguely collegiate commencement quality to it.

Below are the text and video.
Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, 1986.

Thanks for the wild turkey and the passenger pigeons, destined to be shit out through wholesome American guts.
Thanks for a continent to despoil and poison.
Thanks for Indians to provide a modicum of challenge and danger.
Thanks for vast herds of bison to kill and skin leaving the carcasses to rot.
Thanks for bounties on wolves and coyotes.
Thanks for the American dream,
To vulgarize and to falsify until the bare lies shine through.
Thanks for the KKK.
For nigger-killin’ lawmen, feelin’ their notches.
For decent church-goin’ women, with their mean, pinched, bitter, evil faces.
Thanks for “Kill a Queer for Christ” stickers.
Thanks for laboratory AIDS.
Thanks for Prohibition and the war against drugs.
Thanks for a country where nobody’s allowed to mind their own business.
Thanks for a nation of finks.
Yes, thanks for all the memories—all right let’s see your arms!
You always were a headache and you always were a bore.
Thanks for the last and greatest betrayal of the last and greatest of human dreams.



Source:
http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/162661/william-s-burroughs-great-thanksgiving-prayer/
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Wednesday, November 23, 2011


Buy Nothing Day! 
Nov 25 / 26