Tweedle Dee and Twiddle Dum: That would be the Pentagon and the CIA. We first address CNN's Jamie McIntyre's " Attempt to shoot down spy satellite to cost up to $60 million", and what a story this is! Seems it took $30 million to modify three Navy anti-missles to make them capable of shooting down a runaway satellite in low orbit carrying 1,000 pounds of toxic hydrazine before it hits a populated area. Obviously the other $10 to $30 million will be spent by the Navy on details such as modifying radar and "Fire-control" systems on the Navy ships, and the result of this effort could well be for naught. Then we turn to L.A. Times's Greg Miller, and his stunning Sunday piece, "CIA's ambitious post 9/11 spy plan crumbles". Apparently the CIA's setting up a network of "black stations" for a new generation of spies, costing you and us hundreds of millions, has been an absolute bust. You've gotta join us for the details, which make FEMA look almost efficient. Makes us wonder if perhaps the CIA should stick with what it does best: torture.
Shifting Sands of Politics: In this segment we cover three very interesting articles, "Unofficial Tallies in City Understated Obama Vote" by Sam Roberts and Abner J. Mikva's " 'Present' Perfect", both appearing Saturday in the N.Y. Times, and Media Matters writer Eric Boehlert's "Rush Limbaugh Is Trying to Tear the GOP Apart", published on Friday's
www.alternet.org. Join us for the details.
Disappearing Negative Information: This is huge, trust us."What you don't know can hurt us", published Wednesday in
www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com, addresses the Bush administration's hiding negative data about the GDP, net imports and exports, retail sales, intetrnational terrorism, factory closings, and charter schools, among others. How? By simply discontinuing web sites or publications. We guess the purpose is to keep us blissfully ignorant to prevent an uprising of the little people. Add to it Ralph Nadar's "We the Corporations... An Open Letter to President Bush" published Saturday in
www.counterpunch.org which sums up the total dormancy of OSHA and the resulting 1,000 deaths PER WEEK of dangerous workplace exposures in this country. That's more people dead in three weeks than died in 9/11. Think about it. And vote very carefully.
Ist Amendment and the Thought Police: These two topics are related by the fact they involve institutions of higher learning. First, the President of the College of William and Mary has resigned over his contentious decision on separation of Church and state grounds to remove a Christian cross from constant display in Wren Chapel because this publicly-funded college's chapel is also used by non-Christian groups and for non-religious purposes. Despite a compromise worked out with alumni and students leading to the cross being on continuous display in a plex-glass container, the Board decided not to renew the Prez's contract, so he resigned. Next,
www.southernstudies.org published portions of Stateside Dispatch's critical look at the right's latest attempt to discourage politically unpalatable viewpoints through legislation mandating that professors remain neutral in classrooms and creating councils to monitor views being presented. OUTRAGEOUS we say, and a move that takes us ever-closer to 1984.
We'll return on Thursday, February 21 for our 297th podcast if we're still standing unmuzzled. Until then spread the word and remain vigilent. Thanks for your support!
