Manuel Noriega, the former drug-running dictator of Panama ousted by a US invasion in 1989, was flown out of America last night en route to Paris where he will face trial on fresh money laundering charges.
Noriega's extradition brings to an end his 21-year spell in a Miami jail, where he held a unique status. He was the first head of a foreign country to be convicted of crimes in the US courts, and he became America's only official prisoner of war. By dint of his special standing he was given unique privileges, including two rooms in his cell, dubbed the "presidential suite", a television, telephone and equipment for exercising.
He was convicted in Miami in 1992 of multiple charges including drug trafficking, and sentenced to 40 years. That was reduced for good behaviour and he completed his sentence in 2007. Since then inmate 38699-079, as he was numbered in prison, has dedicated himself to fighting extradition to France, where he has been accused of laundering up to $3m of drug money through property purchases in Paris.
His lawyers argued that as a prisoner of war he could not be sent to a third country. They cited the Geneva conventions, claiming that under them he had to be returned to his own country, Panama.
Noriega consistently aruged he wanted to be returned to his native country, despite having been convicted in absentia of even greater crimes there and facing a much longer possible sentence.
But in January the US supreme court refused to hear his appeal against extradition, clearing the way for the secretary of state Hillary Clinton to give the go-ahead to last night's Air France flight. Two supreme court judges, the conservatives Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia, gave a minority ruling that said they would have allowed the appeal.
Noriega, 76, began public life in the Panamanian military and rose to become intelligence chief. He was initially seen as a staunch ally of the US with close links to the CIA. But his corrupt and brutal rule, beginning in 1983, combined with his growing involvement in drug smuggling, became an embarrassment for Washington. In late 1989 the elder George Bush ordered 24,000 US troops to invade Panama.
Noriega took refuge in the Vatican embassy in Panama City in a siege that was to become legendary. The US army adopted the novel technique of trying to force him out into the open by blasting the compound with ear-splitting rock music.
Last night the extradition was confirmed by a spokesman for the French justice ministry, Guillaume Didier. French prison guards were understood to be escorting the former dictator on board his Air France flight, which was due to arrive in France this morning. "France was notified of this extradition a fortnight ago," Didier told Agence France Presse.
He is likely to be presented to a French judge today when it will be decided whether or not he remains in custody. He has already been tried once in his absence in France, but it was later decided that he should face a new trial. If found guilty on this occasion, he faces a further jail term of up to 10 years.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/27/2010 00:00 ||
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This is an actual film made of the surrender ceremony of the Japs to McArthur in Tokyo Bay in September 1945. Actual voice of the General (PBUH). Never been shown to the general public before. We always saw the stills, but never the film itself. Historical footage: Japanese surrender signing aboard Battleship Missouri Sunday Sept. 2, 1945.
#3
I don't know that I have seen this news reel, great eagle, but I have certainly seen the footage before. And I will never forget how all the carnage ends with MacArthur's simple but elegant and sufficient statement that "These proceedings are closed."
#4
"I'm always worried about using the word 'victory,' because, you know, it invokes this notion of Emperor Hirohito coming down and signing a surrender to MacArthur."
Posted by: Matt ||
04/27/2010 9:14 Comments ||
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#5
That was a major problem, because neither men could lose face by visiting the other, or it could restart the war. So it was arranged that both MacArthur (PBUH) and the Emperor would go for a walk in the same public park on the same day, both just happening to drag along dozens of subordinates, for a "chance" meeting.
It worked like a charm, and introductions were made among all the subordinates, stacks of documents were exchanged, and detailed plans were laid. And all the while, MacArthur (PBUH) and the Emperor chit chatted about what a lovely day it was.
#6
The only reason that Herohito and those generals were not hung was be because MacAurther and Truman were afraid of Red China and Russia. For you history buffs, read "Fly Boys" by James Bradley. It is a political as well as a war naritive. The data that it reveals is information that was only recently declassified. Imagine a culture where 90% of the culture act like the suicide bombers of today!
Posted by: Oscar Flaiter2910 ||
04/27/2010 17:24 Comments ||
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#7
MAC + others had long foreseen the threat of Stalin + USSR once the war was over. Iff the US-WEST wanted reliable allies agz Stalin, they couldn't destroy or change everything as per POST-SURRENDER JAPAN + GERMANY.
Pragmatically, the best Stalin could hope for agz Nazi Germany was strategic stalemate deep inside the sovereign territory of the USSR, wid prob LT "People's/Guerilla War" campaign being waged agz local Wehrmacht forces in occupation.
Theoretically, iff Japan had not attacked Pearl Harbor the bloody Soviet-German War on the Eastern Front could've lasted for a decade, perhaps DECADES?
STALIN himself had admitted to such, and also said that neither the Soviet Union, Britain, or the Nations of Europe - solely or in joint - could defeat Hitler + Nazi Germany, thus He + CHURCHILL were elated when JAPAN attacked Pearl Harbor in Dec 1941. However, CONSEQUENT US PARTICIPATION IN WW2, MIL ASSISTANCE IN THE SALVATION OF THE USSR + EVENTUAL MIL DEFEAT OF NAZI GERMANY DID NOT STOP STALIN FROM TRYING TO SPREAD COMMIE DOGMA AROUND WAR-RAVAGED EUROPE + ASIA, OR EVEN THE USA.
#8
Mac mad a statement in there about discharging his duties fairly but thoroughly or something like that. I understand the Japanese were quite relieved by that because they were having a hard time imagining receiving that kind of treatment since they were so ruthless to those the had conquered. One Japanese guy even said that he did not think they would have behaved in such a manner had they been the victor instead.
"Three US oil firms operating in Venezuela have been investigated and fined or are under investigation by the US Department of Justice and by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), for paying bribes to obtain or extend contracts with Venezuelan government entities," the Miami newspaper El Nuevo Herald said.
According to the US newspapers, one of the firms is Houston-based Pride International, one of the world's largest offshore drillers, which might be forced to pay more than USD 50 million in fines if the complaint filed in a Texas federal court is successful. The scandal also involves Helmerich & Payne, based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which is also a drilling company.
Another drilling company, Team Industrial Services, based in Alvin, Texas, concluded an internal investigation by the end of 2009 on possible violations to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in its operations in Venezuela, after some violations of this law were reported in its operations on the island of Trinidad.
"Oil contracts were granted a few years ago through the Law on Bidding, but from 2003 onwards, contracts began to be awarded arbitrarily. As a result, the companies that want to win a bidding process have to pay a commission," Juan Fernández, a former top officer of the state-run company Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa) said. Fernández is exiled in Miami.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/27/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
I think bribes are a business expense in that part of the world. More reason to drill here, drill now.
#3
The SEC is truly an amazing organization. Where do they find the time to go after those evil oil companies and still look at so much porn! They must have special training....maybe from the Dept of Interior?
More proof that government corruption is rampant regardless of the letter after the President's name.
#4
The SEC is truly an amazing organization. Where do they find the time to go after those evil oil companies and still look at so much porn! They must have special training....maybe from the Dept of Interior?
More proof that government corruption is rampant regardless of the letter after the President's name.
My link didn't show up, but here's the site:
www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/10/oiil.scandal/index.html
Russia's Kremlin-loyal parliament is considering a bill that would increase the power of the Federal Security Service and restore practices once associated with its Soviet predecessor, the KGB.
Posted by: ed ||
04/27/2010 11:40 ||
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#1
This is such a good idea.......I beleive if I were president I would make the CIA the great power it once was.
#2
There's power out there in Russia that a Russian security service doesn't already have? Who knew?
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/27/2010 15:57 Comments ||
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#3
The legislation would allow Federal Security Service officers to summon individuals for informal talks and issue written warnings about "inadmissible" participation in anti-government activities such as protest rallies. It also appeared aimed at tightening controls on journalists.
inadmissible participation in anti-government protest rallies?
Hope the current administration doesn't follow such reports. They might get some ideas.
Restricting journalists? Thought Pravda was already state-controlled like the journalists in the U.S.
#5
There's power out there in Russia that a Russian security service doesn't already have?
The FSB is actually very hands off as regards individual expression, for instance, on the internet. Unlike China, Russia has free speech for individuals, provided they don't organize and contest Putin and his thieves' control.
Their focus is on what Lenin would have called the "commanding heights" of speech: TV and open-air demonstrations. Bloggers and minor print media are generally ignored.
This is a clever strategy of co-optation. It works, provided that oil's north of $50-60/bbl....
#1
Other than paint, no new developments reported. I've been following this on Chinese blogs. Other than coming out of drydock with shiny new screws, there's no confirmation that it's even received powerplants, never having been photographed under its own power w/o the tugs, though not having done so is no evidence it hasn't received powerplants.
I think it's inevitable this 'casino' will sail with full complement of aircraft, probably in time for the coming Chinese New Year.
I'm still awaiting the publishing of a Google Earth image of a an indigenously-built carrier under construction...
#4
ION SINA, WMF > US NPR MEDIA: CHINA'S LACK OF EFFEC OR POTENT OVERSEAS MILBASES, AIR-SEA REFUELING CAPABILITIES SERIOUSLY HINDERS ITS ABILITY TO DETER OR PROJECT MILITARY POWER.
* SAME > JAPAN NERVOUS: CHINA'S RISING NAVAL POWER IN THE SEA OF JAPAN/NORTH CHINA-ASIA SEAS INCREASES THE DANGER OF SINO-JAPANESE NAVAL CONFRONTATION. REPEAT OF EARLY 20th CENTURY "STRONG JAPAN, WEAK CHINA" ECON, MIL CONFRONTATIONS/TRAGEDIES WHICH LED TO CREATION OF JAPAN'S EMPIRE IN ASIA AND WW2 IN PACIFIC VIA MIL CONQUESTS.
* SAME > JAPAN IS HISTOR INTOLERANT OF CHINESE NAVAL ACTIVITIES IN TH EAST CHINA SEAS FOR OTHER THAN ROUTINE NAVAL TRAINING.
* SAME > JAPANESE FM OFFICIAl: TOKYO CANNOT ALLOW THE US TO WITHDRAW FROM ITS OKINAWA BASES UNLESS JAPAN IS ALLOWED TO MIL-REARM WID NUCLEAR WEAPONS. US OKINAWA BASES DETER OR CONTAIN CHIN POWER IN NORTH-EAST ASIA. US WITHDRAWAL WIDOUT JAPANESE NUCLEAR REARMAMENT WILL MAKE CHIN DOMINATION OF NORTH-EAST ASIA A FOREGONE CONCLUSION.
* SAME > OPERATION "SEA LION": WW2's MOST SUCCESSFUL SCAM BY ADOLF HITLER/NAZI GERMANY TO DISGUISE OR COVER UP THEIR ATTACK AGZ THE SOVIET UNION? Hitler had long-believed that Germany's destiny lay primarily in domin the EURASIAN MAINLAND [Mackinder's "World Island" concept], NOT in being JUST ANOTHER NAVAL-MIL ATLANTIC POWER ala Britain + France, HENCE ONLY WANTED CHURCHILL + BRITAIN TO THINK GERMANY DESIRED TO MIL INVADE BRIT WHEN IN REALITY GERMANY'S TRUE FOCII WAS TO ATTACK, INVADE THE SOVIET UNION???
BRIT was just a SIDE SHOW = STRATEGIC DIVERION agz Stalin???
Jump, you bastards!
The reality facing many American newspaper publishers continues to look stark, as figures released Monday show deep circulation declines, with average weekday sales down almost 9 percent since the same time last year.
In the six-month period ending March 31, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported Sunday sales dropping 6.5 percent and weekday sales 8.7 percent compared with the same six-month period a year ago. The figures are based on reports filed by hundreds of individual papers.
The decline was widespread, as nearly all of the major newspapers and many of the smaller ones lost circulation. Among the 25 largest papers, The San Francisco Chronicle suffered the most, losing 22.7 percent of its weekday sales.
Among the 25 largest circulation newspapers, 10 had declines in weekday circulation of more than 10 percent. The Sunday circulation figures were slightly higher, though far from a bright spot, as five of the 25 largest papers reported double-digit declines.
In the last year, circulation at The New York Times dropped 5.1 percent on Sunday, to 1.4 million copies, and 8.5 percent on weekdays, to 950,000. The Los Angeles Times declined 7.6 percent on Sunday and 14.7 percent during the week. The Chicago Tribune fell 7.5 percent on Sunday and 9.8 percent during the week.
But there are some signs that circulation may have started to level off. At The New York Times, average weekday circulation in the six months ended March 31 was up slightly compared with the six-month period that ended Sept. 30, 2009. At The Arizona Republic, circulation in those two periods was up to 350,000, from 316,000.
Compared with a year ago, The Wall Street Journal was up 0.5 percent, the only newspaper among the 25 largest to experience a weekday increase. The Journal's numbers were helped by the 414,000 paid subscribers to its electronic editions, including its Web site and other systems like the Kindle, which are included in the figures. Most newspapers do not charge for their Web sites and their online readership is not included in the circulation bureau's calculation, although their paid subscriptions to other electronic editions, as on the Kindle, are included.
The Journal's slight gain helped the paper widen its lead over USA Today for the largest circulation over all, 2.1 million to 1.8 million. USA Today, which had a 13.6 percent weekday decline, has struggled in part because of the downturn in the hotel industry, since at hotels it is frequently distributed free to guests. It had held the top spot for many years before losing it to The Journal last fall.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/27/2010 00:00 ||
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#2
The news papers are not the only news media suffering. Magazines & tv are not doing any better. And it is not just because of their left tilt. Another big issue is that most younger Americans just don't care about news - unless it has to do with American Idol, or maybe the NBA playoffs.
#5
But there are some signs that circulation may have started to level off.
Yes, but there are only so many local and college library periodical rooms. Not counting the creative accounting in sending copies to addresses who's subscription expired over three years ago.
#6
reaping the fruits of modern public education. the generation that cannot read does not purchase newspapers. the generations of children raised to only think of themselves (self esteem training) does not care about outside events.
Posted by: abu do you love ||
04/27/2010 9:25 Comments ||
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#7
Abu gets it, but the newsies don't. If they were smart, they'd remake themselves as digital media delivered to smartphones and iPod / iPad / ebook platforms, and wrap themselves in social networking hoohaw to attract the kiddies. They aren't that smart, though...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
04/27/2010 9:35 Comments ||
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#9
The Wall Street Journal and The Arizona Republic are both conservative (as much as the news biz gets anymore) and up. Could be a clue. Something journalists could write about.
Posted by: ed ||
04/27/2010 10:45 Comments ||
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#10
Second Abu and Murcek, except the problem with getting the ifad generation is that those owners consider themselves hipper and smarter (and likely are) than the olde gizzards who do the papers. Who in their cool minds are going to download USA Today onto their devices which can gather news from all internet? I have noticed that social grouping (mind you only correct as I know it) the group relies on one, two, maybe three members to be current with the news and dissiminate it at social gatherings. So the market isn't all youngsters - just those few who overqualify to read newspapers and magazines, many of which are out of date within 24 hours nevermind weekly. So they (olde media) turn into op-eds in guise of news..and not many people prefer paying money for however many years worth of low grade lecturing about uninteresting subjects.
TV is not much better, most a mile wide and an inch deep. The people I know who get their news in a comedy style know on at least a subconscience level it is still op-ed, but unlike the op-ed from the news-style entertainers they prefer to receive news in a comedy-style format.
#12
One of the few remaining traditional papers is also doing well. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is privately owned by a rich guy who wants it to keep its traditional style, and it is paying off. They gained 13,000 new subscribers this year and jumped about 10 places up the top 100 list.
They also have some conservatives on staff, including columnist Paul Greenberg, who is a blast. He lit into Bill Clinton when he was pres, and even though he was nationally syndicated, about the only republication he got was through townhall.com.
(with Obama regime editorial control, but then, who could tell?)
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/27/2010 19:03 Comments ||
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#15
Newspaper circulation declines are levelling off in the same sense the numbers of coopers and wheelwrights has levelled off, namely as demand approaches zero.
The road map for peace in the Middle East has been jammed for years, with Jewish settlers given the "green light" to build settlements on occupied Palestinian land.
Now it seems the inequalities between Israelis and Palestinians are being reflected also on the roads in East Jerusalem.
As Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland experiences, the traffic lights seem to favour some more than others. Do check the video of this story. YJCMTSU. Paleos tugging on the world's tiniest violin. Although she filmed it, the reporter seems unaware that the small, one-lane, under construction Paleo road crossing a four-lane Israeli highway might have something to do with the traffic light timings. Tiny into big, big wins. Happens in my town all the time. Such a stupid report. But the stones should be flying soon anyway.
#1
Building in Jerusalem? This is bound to tick off and dig into the ego of our TOTUS POTUS. The Paleos are calling for the U.S. to impose a solution on the mideast. Favorable to the paleos of course.
#1
US defense agency's hypersonic glider test fails
The U.S. military lost contact with an experimental hypersonic glider after it was launched by a rocket on a test flight over the Pacific Ocean last week, a defense agency said.
The Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle-2 was launched Thursday from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., and was supposed to separate from the booster at an altitude of several hundred thousand feet and then autonomously glide at 13,000 mph to a splashdown in a sea range near Kwajalein Atoll, 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii.
The separation did occur, according to a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency statement.
Northern Arizona University will install an electronic system that detects when each student with an ID card walks through the door to some large classrooms. The system will produce an attendance report for the instructor.
NAU President John Haeger said that, along with the card readers, he will "strongly encourage" faculty to require students to attend their freshman- and sophomore-level courses. Although the university isn't planning to implement a mandatory-attendance policy, the new technology and Haeger's prodding likely will prompt more faculty to use attendance or class participation as part of a student's final grade.
The goal is to reduce the number of students who miss class, fall behind and drop out of school. A growing body of research suggests that attendance is a key factor in class success and that good grades can motivate students to remain in school. Students who make it through the first year of college are less likely to drop out later.
For faculty to tell a student "it's up to you" to attend class isn't enough, especially when research supports the value of class attendance, Haeger said.
"We all have to be committed to student success," he said.
But the proposal is already generating debate among students, some of whom say the university is going too far by introducing a "Big Brother" system to record attendance.
Like most universities, NAU allows faculty members to decide whether to take attendance or factor it in to their grading. In recent years, more faculty are making attendance part of their grades, influenced by research that links attendance and classroom success, some NAU professors said.
One of NAU's larger courses, Psychology 101, started factoring class participation into 10 percent of the final grade in fall 2007.
One of Haeger's goals is to increase NAU's retention rate. At NAU, seven out of 10 freshmen return the next year. That's slightly above the national average for four-year public universities, but Haeger would like to boost that to between eight and nine.
The prospect of more professors factoring attendance into final grades worries some students.
A new Facebook group, "NAU Against Proximity Cards," has sprung up and has more than 1,300 members.
Rachel Brackett, 19, an NAU sophomore who started the Facebook group, said her chief objection is that the change will rob students of a valuable life lesson. "My biggest problem is we are here at college to learn to become adults," she said. "I don't think we're all there maturitywise, but choosing to go to class is a stepping stone in maturity."
She also objects to the university handing out points just for being there, as it suggests that NAU is less rigorous than some other schools.
The majority of Brackett's professors do not record attendance or use it as part of the grade. Even so, she said she rarely misses class.
Students will just find a way around any attendance system, she said.
University officials say that although a student could carry another person's ID card, IDs also are keys to residence halls and are used to pay for meals.
"(It) might not be worth asking someone to take your card," Bousquet said. In one fell swoop, it penalizes smarter students who now have to sit through incessant leftist drivel in mandatory stupid classes, dumb students who might pass a class though never graduate--costing them more tuition debt, and good teachers who would far rather just teach those motivated enough to want to attend class.
#1
One of Haeger's goals is to increase NAU's retention rate.
Never consider raising entrance standards to eliminate those who do not possess the academic and motivation abilities that an institute of 'higher learning' should demand. Your drop out rates are also an indication that not everyone should be going to the university in the first place. However, that line of thought is not supportive of more instructors, more departments, more grants, mo'money.
#4
Twobyfour identifies why so few workable ideas for life in the real world originate in colleges...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
04/27/2010 15:31 Comments ||
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#5
I've noticed that most "Learning Institutions" enroll as many "Live Bodies" that they can, KNOWING they won't graduate, but WILL pay tuition, it's a huge profit maker when some dolt drops out without any chance of refunding the tuition.
Money,Money, Money rules all.
Teching comes a good third.
Just remember how many "Student loans" are paid for years later, the colleges don't really give a shit if you learn, only if you PAY.
And the higher the tuition, the better.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
04/27/2010 15:55 Comments ||
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#6
A thumb-tack through the transponder will stop that.
#7
One thing that has annoyed me about the trailing daughters' university is how many professors will choose to fail a student for attendance issues, regardless how the student does on assignments and tests. So a student who got above 95% cumulative points for doing and mastering the material can still fail the course. This is perhaps a minor factor in the number of students dropping out of college -- inability to function at that level by students who never should have been admitted is still the major factor, and for those students steady attendance plus tutoring is their only hope -- but how much does the institution lose by driving out the Bill Gates types?
It seems to me there ought to be a more nuanced approached, separating out those struggling from those who don't need to catch every pearl that drops from the instructor's lips. The way to do that is by grading frequent assignments/tests, and giving a pass to those who score in the top 10% of the class.
#8
It's been a while (!!) but during my almost ten years in the academic world very few profs penalized for non-attendence. Most took attendence, and many gave 'extra credit' for good attendence, but if you did the work and aced the tests without showing up, that was ok.
#9
as a young man in engineering school and living in a fraternity house, I had an ...er... "issue" with attendance, although rarely on tests. Attendance is a vanity for many profs, because, if students can do well on tests without the glowing periodic presence of Professor Chalkboard, it paints a bad picture of their teaching skills.
BTW: I got better
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/27/2010 19:13 Comments ||
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I moved out of the fraternity and into a rented house with three other bro's...
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/27/2010 19:53 Comments ||
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#12
In my experience, both as a student and as faculty, how much attendance matters depends in part on the nature of the course and the size of the enrollment.
Most courses have some degree of student participation in sessions. Having the best students missing a lot of the time definitely impacts the quality of participation. But it also impacts those students in more subtle ways. Some of the best learning moments I've seen happen for bright capable students came when they were forced to go beyond their intuition and find effective ways to articulate insights to others.
Regular assignments as metrics depend both on honesty (did the student do the work him/herself?) but also on the degree to which the assignments are integrative. And while the prof can do some amount of commenting on written assignments it's incredibly time consuming to try to teach indirectly, through the comments made while grading, and that isn't all that effective - interactive feedback really is needed if teaching is the real goal.
But then I didn't teach huge lecture courses in a state university. So YMMV.
#13
I passed the State registration first time without studying...student participation in engineering lecture? Oh please....
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/27/2010 21:33 Comments ||
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#14
Reminds me that in one of my University finals exams, the invigalator who also taught the course wanted to know who I was, because he had never seen me before.
I passed the course and graduated with honours.
Even 40 years ago attending lectures was mostly a waste of time. These days, my daughters lectures are all recorded and online.
Burma is now preparing for elections at the state, regional and national level. But the country's much-criticized election laws prompted the main opposition party to opt out, leaving many activists disheartened and disgruntled.
This is how Burmese, pro-democracy advocates living in India reacted to new election rules in Burma. The rules essentially bar Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and other opposition leaders from running.
"Because General Than Shwe led by military government they are cheating the people," said one protester.
Burma's ruling military junta says it will hold free and fair elections this year for the first time in two decades. Priscilla Clapp, the former mission chief at the U.S. Embassy in Burma, says that while elections are a step in the right direction, Burma's constitution finalized in 2008 ensures strong control by the military.
"Many senior military leaders have resigned and they are already out campaigning," said Priscilla Clapp.
Burma's constitution bars political prisoners from running for office. The iconic Aung San Suu Kyi heads the main opposition party, the National League for Democracy or NLD, but she has been under house arrest for 14 of the last 20 years. Her party has opted out.
"How can the NLD in good conscience register themselves as a political party and participate in these elections when all of their leaders who have suffered so heavily for their engagement would be precluded from engaging with this new government," said Jared Genser.
Washington attorney Jared Genser is Aung San Suu Kyi's international counsel. He has a lot to say about the junta's upcoming elections, none of it good.
"I think they learned their lesson from 1990 when they actually allowed for a free and fair election and lost in a landslide and they are not going to allow that sort of thing to happen again," he said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/27/2010 00:00 ||
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And, of course, Mayor Daley (D-Machine) blames "illegal guns" (Not, of course, Illegal Aliens, Criminals, denial of Second Amendment rights, etc...)....
#1
These things happen when you do not hire enough Police Officers to match retirements, let the Rev's and 'community activists' dictate your Law Enforcement policies, have a leadership vacuum at the top of your Police Dept.,and pay off every silly lawsuit filed. Wind meet Whirlwind
#3
Unfortunately this is NOT the first time. There were huge riots in the late 1960's and early 1970's. Chicago, Detroit, Wash D.C. had massive arsen, looting, National Guard call-ups, 82nd Abn deployments. M1's, BAR's and vehicle mounted M2 Brownings raking buildings, engaging snipers. Very, very bad. Imagine if you will, what will happen if the free gov't cheese comes to a stop.
Posted by: ed ||
04/27/2010 10:58 Comments ||
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#7
There was a proposal not too long ago to do away with testing for the Chicago area police officers in an attempt to improve the hiring base. Not sure if a bunch of unqualified badges is the answer either. As you said WG1150 lawsuits and case dismissals galore.
One problem may be the difficulties in running a legitimate business. Too many people have been too relient on others to do the dirty work required. Can't fire someone else ya gotta pay out unemployment or worse some discimination lawsuit, laws and regulations create paperwork which if not filled out entirely can get ya in trouble, local politics if you will, all before being able to concentrate on creating that product or service for a profit large enough to live off of even before growing a business. Yeah, sign me up for that job just to be rediculed or worse as some profiteer.
#8
Once again the violence is tied to gangs and the drugs they move, which is also related to the border violence. Putting the National Guard on the border would be a better place to start. Surprising stats put Omaha, NE at third in the nation in black violence, over Detroit, New Orleans, and even Chicago. Only East St. Louis and Newark were higher:
from Omaha.com
Over a recent span of five days, gunfire rocked northeast Omaha.The surge of violence left three dead and another gravely wounded and heightened the tensions in several Omaha high schools.
But more than that, it underscored how Omaha's streets in recent years have become among the deadliest places in America for blacks.
Fueled by gun violence in northeast Omaha, Nebraska has the third-highest black homicide rate in the nation, according to the latest compilation of detailed national homicide statistics. The figures are based on homicide data from 2007, but they aren't a one-year fluke. Nebraska's black homicide rate for 2008 was even worse, and should again rank with the nation's highest when national figures become available.
Nebraska's black homicide rate did drop considerably in 2009, a welcome change that police and north Omaha community leaders attribute to initiatives aimed at tamping down gun violence.
But as the recent outburst of gunfire showed, there is still work to do.
When we do have a flare-up like that, we absolutely pay attention,'' said Omaha Police Chief Alex Hayes. All these efforts are still ongoing. It takes a collaborative effort.''
Both nationally and here, gangs, guns and black-on-black youth violence are at the center of the black homicide epidemic.
Though Nebraska's 82,000 black residents make up about 4.5 percent of the state's 1.8 million population, blacks have accounted for nearly 40 percent of the state's homicide victims over the past three years. In Omaha, 55.5 percent of the homicide victims in that time were black.
#9
Though Nebraska's 82,000 black residents make up about 4.5 percent of the state's 1.8 million population, blacks have accounted for nearly 40 percent of the state's homicide victims
End the racist meddling! These statistics point to a very obvious, self correcting phenomenon.
#10
My bad. It wasn't Newark but Philadelphia. Still, you don't hear much about it and the police in Omaha were submitting reports to the FBI incorrectly for several years, skewing the stats for whatever reason. They also have turf battles with the Hispanic side of town, where MS-13 and other gangs have had a presence, just as any other city and even small towns have.
#12
Chicago is beginning to sound a little like Juarez or Tijuana or other Mexican border towns. How's the court case coming along where the honest citizens of Illinois can carry concealed and protect themselves? Crime goes down in concealed carry states.
#13
Step one of the frontal assault on the constitution. They call for the nat guard. It falls of deaf ears. The gov calls it a state of emergency forcing the feds into action. Now the nat guard show up, the 82d, and some SOF troops. During the state of emergency the constitution does not apply, it is a true police state. US troops raiding drug and gang houses shoot up some locals and the riots start. More reason to call the whole state in a state of emergency, now a full blown federalized police state. Constitutional crisis initiated, our dear leader is now dictator of what used to be the free world. Seem crazy, not to me...
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
04/27/2010 15:33 Comments ||
Top||
#14
Not crazy to me either. Flip to 'fast forward' as the gov't cheese runs out.
"Never let a good crisis to to waste."
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