Things just keep getting stranger and stranger in our woefully misguided country.
"I'm a little concerned that things have gotten a little out of whack."
Eric Holder
Me too Eric. Me too.
From our prezidentin' department:
From the public servants cashing in department:
Records show big bonuses for VA execs despite mismanagement at Atlanta VA Medical Center
WASHINGTON — Despite the scandal engulfing the Atlanta VA Medical Center, Channel 2 Action News has uncovered the VA's top executives have been pocketing large salary bonuses.
Those salaries are being paid with tax money and the tax money of veterans.
Channel 2's Scott MacFarlane obtained records that show top brass throughout the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have scored big bonus checks in recent months, including in Atlanta.
That revolving door just keeps on spinning:
Judd Gregg goes a lobbyin'
Former Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) has been named CEO of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), a powerhouse trade group for Wall Street.
Gregg, a prominent fiscal hawk, served three terms in the Senate and has deep experience in government, having also served four terms in the House and two terms as New Hampshire governor.
Since leaving Capitol Hill, he’s kept a high profile as co-chairman of Campaign to Fix the Debt, which has led the push for a “grand bargain” to reduce federal deficits.
Judd Gregg snags top Wall Street job
In the mean time, the DC casino just keeps on rolling along.
For Obama’s ex-aides, it’s time to cash in on experience.
Noted war pig and former head of the CIA who resigned in disgrace because he didn't know about TOR or PGP (or keeping it in your pants) cashes in big.
From the police state gone mad department:
Judge Orders Google to Give Customer Data to FBI
And not just Google, Verizon too:
Massive Domestic Spying Revealed
In fact, it's all of them:
NSA Whistleblowers: Spying Operation Has Been In Place For Years, Involves All Major U.S. Phone Companies
And it's not just phones, but the Internet too (of course):
Documents: U.S. mining data from 9 leading Internet firms; companies deny knowledge
U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret program
BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING, LISTENING, READING....
NSA PRISM Program: Is Big Data Turning Government Into 'Big Brother?'
Jesselyn Radack weighs in:
If the past week's disclosures have shown anything, it is that when the Executive branch is given secret power to violate citizens' individual rights and liberties and gets caught abusing that secret power, the abuse revealed is only the tip of the iceberg.
Tip of The Iceberg: NSA Surveillance Goes Far Deeper Than Revealed
Remember the government's secret interpretation of the Patriot Act? The interpretation that we can't even be allowed to see?
You think you understand how the Patriot Act allows the government to spy on its citizens. Sen. Ron Wyden says it’s worse than you know.
There’s a Secret Patriot Act, Senator Says
When it comes to the po-lice, watch out for those dehumanizing stares (and never mind the dehumanizing choke holds).
Miami police choke and tackle black teen for “dehumanizing stare”
The 14-year-old was allegedly carrying a puppy when officers wrestled him to the ground
Stare at a cop, get choked out. In fact, do not annoy a cop in any way or there will be trouble.
New York State Senate Wants To Make It A Felony To 'Annoy' A Police Officer
In the mean time, the CIA is on a world-wide killing spree. But no worries, they have a license to kill.
CIA: IF WE KILL YOU, YOU DESERVED IT
EXCLUSIVE: CIA didn't always know who it was killing in drone strikes, classified documents show
And while you're dodging drones, speaking in code on your phone, finding proxies for safe surfing, pgp-ing your emails and avoiding eye contact with the nice policeman, be careful what you like on facebook or send out into the twitterverse. Beware the social media police, coming soon to a neighborhood near you.
Last year a woman was arrested in Mumbai for complaining (mildly) about a bandh, or general strike, on Face Book. They also arrested her friend for 'liking' it.
More recently, Turkish police kicked in doors and arrested 24 people for tweets offensive to the state:
According to media reports the lawyers representing those are in custody have stated that the police case files quote Tweets about where to meet, where the police were, what the police were doing, and the names of volunteer doctors and lawyers as evidence.
Protests in Turkey - 24 Arrested for Social Media Crimes
Tweet at your own risk. It's getting hard to be a human out here.
(h/t to crystal eyes for the 'toon)
“Is there anything working in this country anymore?”
That was the question Vetwife asked in her latest diary on Agent Orange and our shameful treatment of suffering veterans. I don't think so, was my answer. Not unless you work on Wall Street, then, boy howdy, everything's coming up roses. As for the little people? Screw them, right?
Anxiety is ramping up for most of us little folk in a million different ways, but the rich boys can breathe easy. The Status Quo has been declared safe. Any and all threats to the SQ have been deftly batted aside, beaten down, obfuscated, jailed, crushed, killed or flushed. Those invested in the SQ can relax. Nothing's changing any time soon (barring a revolution or something).
Wealthy criminals can relax, the government's printing more 'get out of jail free' passes. “Don't worry boys, there's more where those came from,” said a government spokes-spook.
They'll now lock you up if you unlock your phone. Sneeze and the government says gesundheit.
Teh drones are flyin' boys and girls. Be careful out there.
In our on-going rape of the world department:
The DOW is at record highs, the rain-forests at record lows. Coincidence?
How Coal Mining Is Taking A Heavy Toll On The Najavo Nation
We are going to stop our on-going rape of the world reporting right here. Believe me, we could go on forever but it's just too damned depressing.
And now, an OPOL Report Editorial by our editorial staff:
Living in a plastic land
I can remember back in the 60s as a young teenager reading the underground newspapers of the day and being slightly amused at some of the hyperbolic railing against the police state. I didn't doubt that there was some police state stuff going on - I mean Chicago, '68, 'nuff said. As a young hippie I was generally pro-revolution and in every way sympathetic to those who protested and demonstrated against the machine, but some of the writing seemed fantastical in one way or another. There was a part of me that wanted to believe that things were only bad around the edges. Surely there was reason to hope that the system could be reformed, obvious wrongs could be righted, justice restored. Surely America could live up to her promises to humanity.
I'm not saying every wild-eyed writer from back in the day was correct or accurate in their views, but it's clear to me now that we've all vastly underestimated the enormity of the problem.
The presidency of George W. Bush brought into sharp focus just how fucked up this nation is. Greed, theft, torture, lying the country into war – it was eight long years of everything that could go wrong going wrong. Still, I was tempted to believe that Bushco was an aberration, a misguided, mistaken and confused lurch into national insanity caused, at least in part, by our being attacked on 9/11. And to some extent this is true (though the SCOTUS theft of the 2000 election preceded that neocon wetdream). But the problem runs much deeper than that. It wasn't just a crazy asshole in the White House, or a Supreme Court crazy enough to put George W in charge. It was a country chock full of crazy assholes - greedy, short-sighted troglodytes with no sense of history and no allegiance to civilization or the human race to which they putatively belong. You pay a price to destroy education, wallow in greed and oppress people.
We could have used the airwaves and the mass media to educate, uplift and enlighten. We could have supported, improved and enhanced every aspect of public education, rather than hustling cheap bullshit that no one needs and manipulating people into doing the will of the supremely unscrupulous. With the same level of effort of those who worked against the greater good, we could have built an ever-improving society rather than the toxic stew we have been given by the greedy and short-sighted bullies we have allowed to dominate us. We could have done it all so differently. But noooooooooooooooooooooo.
And now, a reminder from our New World Order department:
Don Siegelman – still in prison for posing a democratic threat to the NWO.
John Kiriakou – still in prison for exposing the NWO torture policy.
Bradley Manning – jailed and tortured for three years, now being tried in secrecy for exposing the gross misconduct and major crimes of the NWO.
Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Powell, Yoo, et al - all free.
A diary worth noting, Secret Court Order / Secret Court by rizzo
Bob Swern's excellent comment from rizzo's diary, above (well worth a click and a read):
The truth is this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Don't listen to the propaganda, the Pollyannas or the apologists. There are millions of people running around blind with their heads up their asses. The truth is ugly and getting uglier by the day.
"All my worst fears have turned out to be justified."
Senator Bernie Sanders
And now, an obituary for America, starring Hunter S. Thompson and Ralph Steadman:
In closing, some choice words from Ecuador:
"Don't come lecturing us about liberty. You need a reality check. Don't act like a spoiled rude child. Here you will only find dignity and sovereignty. Here we haven't invaded anyone. Here we don't torture like in Guantanamo. Here we don't have drones killing alleged terrorist without any due trial, killing also the women and children of those supposed terrorists. So don't come lecturing us about life, law, dignity, or liberty. You don't have the moral right to do so."
Rafael Correa, President of Ecuador