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POPSThe Ballad of Bill Hubbard "Harry Patch (The Last Tommy) died in July 2009. As the last surviving soldier to have experienced the horrors of the 1st world war trenches , he was 111 years old . Staunchly anti-war , his final years were characterised by a rising public profile , as he finally spoke of the horrors and futility of war . As a machine gunner , he would shoot the Germans legs , rather than kill them. This song is a tribute by Roger Waters to Bill Hubbard ( a young man who didn't come back from the Somme) , and the memory of his last moments , forever carried by his friend Alf Razzel ( Raz) , who tells the story . "
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POPSMassive Anti-War Protest*** March 10, 2010*** Plan to attend or organize your own in solidarity. Individual protests are fine, but when we come together and walk our talk, we force authority to pay attention. If we maintain our focus and momentum, together we can bring OUR government to heel Will there be threats and resistance and backlash from the Military-Industrial Complex Machine? You betcherass there will. So. Be prepared. Make sure your friends and relatives support and watch out for you in case of arrest. People cannot be disappeared when they have support from their community. Are you willing, but don't have the bucks? Get your friends and neighbors to chip in and send you as their representative. Solidarity, remember? Maybe your community can send a group to represent them, as an investment in taking back our voice in the government. It's time, people!
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POPSThe US Military Is Exhausted These troops refuse deployment for a variety of reasons: some because they ethically oppose the wars, some because they have had a negative experience with the military, and some because they cannot psychologically survive another deployment, having fallen victim to what has been termed "Broken Joe" syndrome. The voices of refusal coming from within the US military send a powerful message that soldiers will not be fodder for an unjust and unnecessary war. And the longer the war in Afghanistan drags on - the more lives that are lost and destroyed - the more resistance we will see coming from within the ranks.
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POPSRetired Nave SEAL questions Nation's Priorites I don't believe the "Nation" questions this. I think that the anti-American Left and the anti-war, anti-Bush proponents have made this an issue. Who will fight or stand for American interests when they risk criminal prosecution? This doesn't even rise to the level of Abu Ghraib ...which in my opinion was not news-worthy, just dumb.
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POPSDecember 7, 1941: Day of Deceit--FDR and Pearl Harbor FDR deliberately set up a plan to provoke Japan into attacking the US Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor (where they sat as ducks in this new forward position, resisted by Naval commanders for that very reason), in order to force reluctant Americans into war with Germany. Throughout 1941, FDR implemented the remaining seven provocations . He then gauged Japanese reaction through intercepted and decoded communications intelligence originated by Japan’s diplomatic and military leaders. The island nation’s militarists used the provocations to seize control of Japan and organized their military forces for war against the U.S., Great Britain, and the Netherlands. The centerpiece – the Pearl Harbor attack – was leaked to the U.S. in January 1941. During the next 11 months, the White House followed the Japanese war plans through the intercepted and decoded diplomatic and military communications intelligence.
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POPSThe Obama Escalation, Too Sad To Watch.
When I saw President Obama give his speech last night on why he is sending more to die in this Godforsaken Bush/Cheney war in Afghanistan. I felt like I was Yogi Berrer uttering, "This is like deja vu all over again."... But this time is wasn’t War Monger Dubya speaking, it was the "Change You Can Believe In” and the, “Every time I speak about my hope for America, the cynics in Washington roll their eyes.”, Barack Obama. The man who once asked before his election, “I ask you to believe-not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington. I'm asking you to believe in yours.” ... YEAH RIGHT Mr. President, and may I ask… “WHAT HAPPENED TO DIPLOMACY TO END THIS WAR? I now realize that was never really in the cards was it?” I believe, Our President wants us to brace ourselves for this war in Afghanistan becoming another Vietnam! thinkingblue “You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake.” - Jeannette Rankin Also - http://www.thethinkingblue.com/escalate.html
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POPSBecause Every Circus Needs A Ringmaster Well, if that’s the case, then I exactingly demand a drumhead trial followed swiftly by firing squad. However morbidly entertaining the spectacle of Obama’s hearkening to his inner Kumbayah chorus with the most ridiculous of civil liberty sops may prove to be. While attacking Islamic terror support bases has been a great recruiting tool for jihad, trying terrorist war criminals under American criminal law in open court with full American constitutional will make them like us better. True or false. Like this isn’t a three-ring circus in the making at all, but some relatively normal, if high-profile, criminal prosecution. And, incidentally, no mention of the fact that some portion of the American public might consider this prospect to be a legal abomination and a travesty of justice. Never mind that. What KSM’s entertainment value? Well, he’s got undeniable star power and a certain terrorvoire faire:
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POPSPinups for Peace - Reclaiming the Bombshell “Since the dawn of time, the promise of our charms has been used to urge our men into battle. We are called up to rally behind our troops, and to give the boys something to take their minds off their job: WAR. Those times are over.” ~Pinups for Peace
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POPSSedition Act of 1918 U.S. citizens, including members of the Industrial Workers of the World union, were also imprisoned during World War I for their anti-war dissent under the provisions of the Sedition Act. Anti-war protesters were arrested by the hundreds as speaking out against the draft and the war became illegal under this law.
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POPSGlenn Beck's '9-12' Logo based on Communist and Socialist designs More: Turnout for the 9-12 Project's Saturday march on Washington was a bust; 30,000 protesters signed up in advance (MSNBC reporter David Shuster tweeted that D.C. park police called that figure "generous"). But even if three times that many actually showed up, the number would fall far short of the hundreds of thousands (and even millions) claimed to be planning to attend. Even in that reduced crowd, however, surely someone recognized how odd the right-wing gathering's left-wing logo was. Maybe Beck will explain. Sort of.
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POPS Obamlet What any prosecutor or defense attorney will tell you about jury deliberations … how long they’re out doesn’t necessarily tell you anything. It could mean they are trying really hard to convince themselves that abandonment will work … and to find a way to convince America and the world that an easy out is the considered, sensible thing to do. Or it could be that they know what they need to do, they are just afraid to do it. Afraid of the consequences of angering their anti-war lefty base, afraid of remaining committed to a war with a horizon past 2010 and 2012. But that’s about as charitable and optimistic a view as is possible, and assumes they actually want to find a way to do the right thing. Unfortunately, there has been little to indicate that is what they are interested in doing. What makes this less like jury deliberations and more like a Shakespearean tragedy, though, is that every now and then, a major player sticks his head out to shout something.
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POPSThe United States’ Place in The World … and he needs to grow a set via Weekly Standard, Lieberman, Kyl and Bayh, “Whatever it takes … crippling sanctions.” I dunno, I can think of other measures that might be more effectively crippling. Whatever … Also at WS, Steven Hayes, hurtfully, “Speak timidly and don’t carry a stick.” Ralph Peters, NYPost, cruelly: “Appease-y does it for weak Prez on the road to a Mideast apocalypse.” Greenwald, Should any Iraq lessons be applied to Iran? I can think of a few quick applicable Iraq lessons off the top of my head. Whack one tyrant, the rest notice. Also, whacking tyrants effectively neutralizes their ability to cause trouble. Also, follow-on is important, don’t let the Euros weasel out of it, and ignore the Dems and the anti-war American left. They are loud, but harmless.
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POPSIs America Hooked on War?
When it comes to war (and peace), we live in a world of American Newspeak in which alternatives to a state of war are not only ever more unacceptable, but ever harder to imagine. War is now our permanent situation. It lacks, for instance, "victory." But achieving victory no longer seems to matter. War American-style is now conceptually unending, as are preparations for it. In a sense, the ongoing war system can't absorb victory. Any such endpoint might indeed prove to be a kind of defeat. Similarly drained of its traditional meaning has been the word "security". If we ever decided we were either secure enough, or more willing to live without the unreachable idea of total security, the American way of war and the national security state would lose much of their meaning. In other words, in our world, security is insecurity. And peace itself? Simply put, there's no money in it. America's true religion and addiction, is force. Americans are --always--marching as to war.
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POPS The Biden Plan
Among the alternatives being presented to Mr. Obama is Mr. Biden’s suggestion to revamp the strategy altogether. Instead of increasing troops, officials said, Mr. Biden proposed scaling back the overall American military presence. Rather than trying to protect the Afghan population from the Taliban, American forces would concentrate on strikes against Qaeda cells, primarily in Pakistan, using special forces, Predator missile attacks and other surgical tactics. The Americans would accelerate training of Afghan forces and provide support as they took the lead against the Taliban. But the emphasis would shift to Pakistan. Mr. Biden has often said that the United States spends something like $30 in Afghanistan for every $1 in Pakistan, even though in his view the main threat to American national security interests is in Pakistan. Mr. Obama rejected Mr. Biden’s approach in March, and it is not clear that it has more traction this time. But the fact that it is on the table again . . .
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POPSHR 2159: A 2nd Amendment Revocation Act? The government only needs to label someone "suspect" (they arbitrarily think you might do something, without hard evidence?) and the definition of "terrorist" is very broad: (5) the term "domestic terrorism" means activities that - (A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State; (B) appear to be intended – (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; A vehement protester could be labeled such. This is a Carte Blanche for the Feds to strip anyone they choose of their right to bear arms. In other words, you must be a passive, perfectly obedient, tame and mild SLAVE to keep your right to bear arms. When the British tried to seize the arms of Colonists the Revolutionary War began (Boston Massac
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POPSBelieve it Lying about a blowjob is an impeachable offense -- lying about a war is no big deal, really. Investigating a shady land deal involving the First Lady is a matter of National Identity -- investigating the use of torture at the direction of the Executive Branch is a partisan witch hunt. Executing Japanese officers for waterboarding prisoners during WWII shows that we have the moral high-ground on human rights -- waterboarding prisoners of our shows that we have the moral high-ground on human rights. Sitting two rows in front of Jane Fonda in a 1970 anti-war rally is an OUTRAGE! Shaking Saddam's hand in 1983...meh, not so much. Anyone who questions the president during a time of war is giving aide and comfort to the enemy and should be deported...unless the president in question has a (D) next to their name in which case you should undermine them at every turn even if you have to routinely make shit up to do it. Socialism, Marxism, Communism and Fascism are all interchangea