Loveland Magazine

I'm Still Tortured by What I Saw in Iraq

AN INTERROGATOR SPEAKS

By Matthew Alexander

I should have felt triumphant when I returned from Iraq in August 2006. Instead, I was worried and exhausted. My team of interrogators had successfully hunted down one of the most notorious mass murderers of our generation, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq and the mastermind of the campaign of suicide bombings that had helped plunge Iraq into civil war. But instead of celebrating our success, my mind was consumed with the unfinished business of our mission: fixing the deeply flawed, ineffective and un-American way the U.S. military conducts interrogations in Iraq. I'm still alarmed about that today. Read on... I'm Still Tortured by What I Saw in Iraq - washingtonpost.com.

The number of U.S. soldiers who have died because of our torture policy will never be definitively known, but it is fair to say that it is close to the number of lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001. How anyone can say that torture keeps Americans safe is beyond me -- unless you don't count American soldiers as Americans. – Matthew Alexander

In Praise of a Rocky Transition

By Naomi Klein

In a moment of high panic in late September, the US Treasury unilaterally pushed through a radical change in how bank mergers are taxed--a change long sought by the industry. Despite the fact that this move will deprive the government of as much as $140 billion in tax revenue, lawmakers found out only after the fact. According to the Washington Post, more than a dozen tax attorneys agree that "Treasury had no authority to issue the [tax change] notice."

Of equally dubious legality are the equity deals Treasury has negotiated with many of the country's banks. According to Congressman Barney Frank, one of the architects of the legislation that enables the deals, "Any use of these funds for any purpose other than lending--for bonuses, for severance pay, for dividends, for acquisitions of other institutions, etc.--is a violation of the act." Yet this is exactly how the funds are being used.

Then there is the nearly $2 trillion the Federal Reserve has handed out in emergency loans. Incredibly, the Fed will not reveal which corporations have received these loans or what it has accepted as collateral. Bloomberg News believes that this secrecy violates the law and has filed a federal suit demanding full disclosure.Read on... Naomi Klein.

shifthappens.wikispaces.com

After watching this video, click here to find out how Shift can Happen in our schools.

What's Next

America faces unprecedented economic, environmental and national security challenges. We urgently need new jobs, stable energy prices, and freedom from dirty fossil fuels and global warming pollution.

Finally, there’s a solution as big as our problems: a bold plan to Repower America with 100% clean electricity within 10 years.

Eating My Words

Food for Thought

By Lyn Karnes

I can remember vividly using that I will never phrase. We all know that phrase well and tend to have to eat those words often. I am gladly eating my words … Kon will never be able to attend a regular public school … he will never be strong enough to tolerate all the chemicals, germs, foods, children, and of course … leaving me. Well, I enjoy swallowing those words! I am so proud of Kon and his drive to attend school. So, if you feel that you are never going to be able to share your Special Messenger with the world, read this carefully. It might enlighten you to how it is being done.

There were steps that had to happen to ensure his safety before I could let go … Read on...Listen to the Kids - Online Newsletter.

Lyn Karnes is a former Loveland Elementary Teacher now living in Colorado. Read more lessons from "Mother Earth's Special Messengers."

Portman's tolerance for incoherence

by David Miller

As John McCain tries in vain to distance himself from the last eight years of Bush II, Rob Portman (Bush III) is apparently launching a Joe the Plumber tour today in Ohio. (Bush IV is John McCain)

There is no one on earth that has been 110% more in line with Bush II's fiscal policies than Rob Portman. How is Portman going to pull off this campaign stunt, when he (Bush III),  held cabinet posts inside the Bush White House. One of them being head of Bush's Office of Management and Budget, the other position as Ambassador/United States Trade Representative? I have never heard Portman provide a subjective criticism of Bush fiscal policies, in fact he has been more articulate at exposing ALL of Bush II's policies than the President himself.

The Joe the Plumber skit is such a ruse. First Joe would be far better off tax wise under Obama's tax plan, as all of the plumbers I know will be. And second, Joe the Plumber apparently doesn't even believe in paying all of the taxes he now owes. Most all of what Bush IV and Palin (Bush V?) have said about Joe Plumbers have been proven false.

It's like when I look at the Loveland City Hall and remember that it used to be architecturally pure. It "was what it was" when it was built. However, in later years, someone decided it should look more like the old ancient building in downtown - so changes were made to the facade attempting to make the building into something it was not.

Now, when I look at the building, I see a disconnect. Fake dormers/gables make the whole building fake.

Can those ideologically bent, get past the disconnect between Joe Plumber and reality? Will their ideology stand in the way of actually voting for what is in their own best self interest?

So, a plumber and a millionaire will tour the State today to convince average folks to vote for Bush IV. Which one, Joe or Rob, will make the other appear "FAKE?" Or, will it just be the message?

As Eugene Robinson said today in the Washington Post, "He (McCain) overestimates the voters' tolerance for incoherence."

I suspect, so has Rob Portman.

(The campaign announcement stated that Rob Portman, the former Cincinnati congressman and White House budget director, would make the tour with a "special guest," but it has been confirmed that the guest is the tour’s namesake. toledoblade.com)

Getting the Lead Out

Bush administration slashes the airborne limit

 PRESIDENT BUSH has taken his fair share of lumps from us and others concerned about his seemingly all-talk-and-no-action approach to the deterioration of the environment. That's why, when his administration does something of benefit -- in this case, cutting the limit on airborne lead by 90 percent -- he should be given his due Read on... Getting the Lead Out - washingtonpost.com.

McMcCain's Miserable Record of Not Supporting America's Troops and Veterans

McCain Report Card: D

The rating give Obama B, Biden gets a B, and Congresswoman Jean Schmidt gets grade of A.

Find out who really supports our troops and veterans.

On Friday, September September 26, 2008, John McCain said the following:

"I know the veterans, I know them well, and I know that they know that I'll take care of them, and I have been proud of their support and their recognition of my service to the veterans, and I love them, and I'll take care of them, and they know that I'll take care of them."

This statement--made near the end of Friday's debate--immediately infuriated veterans across America and overseas.  In fact, Senator John McCain has a very clear, long, and illustrious history of not supporting troops and veterans one bit.  Read on...

Whose Health Plan?

The month before a presidential election isn't the best time for reasoned debate about complicated policy. Here goes, anyway. Read on...Ruth Marcus - Whose Health Plan? - washingtonpost.com.

Window came as surprise to Ohio GOP

Perhaps the most curious thing about the six-day window that allowed thousands of Ohioans to both register to vote and cast early ballots on the same day was that Republicans were so blind-sided by it.

After all, as is often noted, GOP state lawmakers were the architects of the bill allowing the early voting that caused all the crowds. Why would the party that wrote and passed a law champion legal action against it, as Republicans did - albeit unsuccessfully - this year? Read on... PERSPECTIVE: Window came as surprise to Ohio GOP - Examiner.com.