Wade Davis: One River The tale of two generations of Harvard ethnobotanists who explored the jungles of South America discovering the amazing array of unknown plants particularly the hallucinogens, rubber and coca. Living with and learning from the native people what they discovered has crucial relevance to 21st century man.
Gene Sharp: Power and Struggle (Politics of Nonviolent Action, Part 1) Professor Sharp has made a life of study deconstructing Non-violent action throughout recorded history. In this 1st volume he elucidates the reasons that non-violent action works and what are the realities of power and what power derives from.
Torture is an internationally recognized crime. We prosecuted the Nazi's for torture after World War II. Acting on orders was not allowed as a defense. Until those who spearheaded the movement to cause the United States to become a nation that tortured people are brought to justice, the United States will continue to torture people, clandestinely, but it will continue. Until everyone who engages in torture knows that they if they are caught they will face jail time, torture will not stop.
"Carle concluded not long after he began interrogating Wazir that the agency had "kidnapped" the "wrong guy" and Wazir, who ran an informal money-transfer business known as a Hawala, was not a "committed jihadist" or Bin Laden's personal banker."
"Wazir was "more like a train conductor who sells a criminal a ticket," Carle writes in "The Interrogator." "Slowly, progressively, first in dismay, then in anger, I had realized that on the CAPTUS case the Agency, the government, all of us, had been victims of delusion.""
"Wazir's life had been "destroyed" based on what Carle characterized as an "error."
The Military Industrial Complex's point man tells us that although we can't afford to educate our young, we can't afford to take medical care of our citizens, we can't afford to take care of our older people and our crumbling infrastructure, we have to make sure that the military industrial complex is well fed.
The United Nations, which officially authorized the Afghanistan military mission, is sensitive to claims that a regime practicing systemic torture has been the result. The new finding of systemic torture is a stinging new development, but the UN report still goes on to maintain that “reform is both possible and desired,” despite the voluminous evidence their investigators collected in the 2010–11 period. Top diplomats fret that the report might “undermine the strategic partnership” envisioned between Afghanistan, the European Union and the United States.”
Of the 775 prisoners originally confined under inhumane conditions at GTMO, approximately 600 have been released without being charged with any crime or ever setting foot in a courtroom. Of the remaining 171, another 90 have been cleared for release without trial. This leaves approximately 81 prisoners whose fate remains undecided. Of those, the United States claims it will provide trials to approximately 30 individuals (less than 4 percent of those it saw fit to confine). The rest will continue to be imprisoned at GTMO, without trial, under President Obama's officially-authorized policy of "indefinite detention."
End the foreign wars that are draining the economy
Close most of our foreign military bases
End the attacks on our unions by reinstating the Taft-Hartley Act.
Allow ALL citizens to form unions based on a simple majority vote.
Prosecute union busting in all of it’s forms.
Appoint a national commission to completely re-write the tax code, no politicians or corporate lobbyists allowed. Remove the industry written loopholes. Craft it to favor small businesses and not large businesses.
Do everything that needs to be done to make starting and running a small business as easy as possible with special loan programs and mentorship programs specifically for small businesses.
Re-instate and re-write the Glass-Steagall act to prevent bubbles in the economy and prevent recessions and depressions.
Repeal the Patriot Act.
The restoration of the protections of the 4th amendment with respect to illegal search and seizure. An end to searches of citizens or their effects without a court order. The end to spying on US citizens. An end to tapping of phones and computer communications of US citizens.
The complete restoration of the protections of the 1st amendment. The end on restrictions on protests and the end of harassment of protesters by police.
Close the CIA and appoint a special prosecutor with a large team of investigators to uncover the illegal actions of the CIA and prosecute the criminals. Prosecute all who violated the Geneva convention on torture. Document and prosecute all illegal activities of the CIA since it’s inception. The CIA now represents an illegal unrestricted 4th branch of government that is a threat to our freedoms. It was originally chartered to gather information. It has become an illegal army making war wherever and whenever it wants without the declaration of war by the congress.
An end to torture, REALLY!
The restoration of the constitutional war making power to the congress. No war actions to be allowed without a congressional declaration of war.
A constitutional amendment to ban unlimited campaign contributions.
A real congressional code of ethics preventing any Senator or Representative from voting on a measure affecting one of their campaign contributors.
Restoration of the equal time law that specifies that all broadcast media must provide free equal time for any partisan broadcasts.
The establishment of special government channel(s) like C-span for public political debate. ALL candidates would have free air time and would not be allowed to buy air time on the non-government channels thus eliminating the largest political campaign expenditure significantly reducing the need for large sums of money in politics.
Close the capital building to lobbyists.
No lobbyist shall be eligible to run for elected office for 10 years after their last paycheck.
No congressperson or senator shall become a lobbyist for 10 years after leaving congress.
The acceptance of anything from a lobbyist, even a meal shall be grounds for expulsion from the congress.
No bill shall be presented to congress that is not written in the congress by paid congressional personnel.
End the US government war against Julian Assange and Pvt. Bradley Manning. Reward the whistle blowers.
End the government secrecy policies and allow the citizens to know what is really going on in government. Publish the Warren Commission report. After 50 years we deserve to know the truth.
End the war on illegal immigrants. No person is illegal.
An end to the economic blockade of Cuba.
Legalize all drugs. Control those with the most serious issues but allow their use under supervision.
Iris Dement: Infamous Angel Iris is a true songwriter and an extraordinary one at that. Her insights are wonderful and her singing and playing are equally wonderful.
Cure: Disintegration In my opinion, the best album of the 80's. Robert Smith's style of playing the 6 string bass is inspired. Prepare to be depressed, it's good for you.
Morelenbaum2/Sakamoto: Casa Paula Morelenbaum sings, Jaques Morelenbaum plays cello, and Ryuichi Sakamoto plays piano. They play the works of Antonio Carlo Jobim in his house using his piano. An incredibly fine tribute to one of the giants of Brazilian music. Click Here To see this album
