The truth at any cost lowers all other costs — curated by former US spy Robert David Steele.
(from the website) “We the People provides you with a new way to petition the federal government to take action on a range of issues. And if your petition attracts enough support, White House staff will review it, ensure it is sent to the appropriate policy experts, and issue an official response.”
Comment: “We the People” (?)
Exclusive: The Koch Brothers' Million-Dollar Donor Club
Mother Jones, Tue Sep. 6, 2011
Read our inside account of the Koch brothers' Vail seminar, and listen to the exclusive audio.
Twice a year, the billionaire industrialist brothers Charles and David Koch host secretive retreats for an exclusive list of corporate America's rich and powerful to strategize and raise money for their right-wing political agenda. Mother Jones has obtained exclusive audio recordings that shed some light on the brothers' latest retreat, held at a resort near Vail, Colorado, in late June.
Listen to the audio and read the roster of names and donations….
Phi Beta Iota: What really strikes our editors is that these billionaires are buying governments for chump change–each is contributing in the very low millions and often in the very low hundred thousands. One hundred million citizens giving $20 each would create a $2 billion war chest for democracy. Go figure.
“Stiglitz's “$3T war” also mentions the lack of auditability (/transparency/visibility) has resulted in lots of fraud which is significant factor in lack of adequate equipment for troops. Vietnam and “perpetual war” scenarios hobble the troops so there can never be decisive victory … it just goes on and on; the continuing fraud is motivation for the strategy. This is similar to beltway bandits “Success of Failure” culture, always failure, means never finishing and money flows forever ”
The 2011 Washington Whistleblower Assembly – a Conference for Accountability, will be held this September 19-20, 2011 in Washington, D.C. Resources for those interested in the conference are listed here and on sub-pages of this website.
About this year’s Washington Whistleblower Assembly
Workshops, panels, CLEs, and Expression Session registration information
Capitol Hill Advocacy Day information
Save the Date and registration
Sponsors and donors
Tip of the Hat to Mario Profaca for the pointer.
This essay discusses how the USA's security clearance process (mainly related to ensuring secrecy) may have a counter-productive negative effect on the USA's national security by reducing “cognitive diversity” among security professionals. Background refs:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Scott Page wrote an insightful book about the value of “cognitive diversity” in making effective groups, called The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies. From a review:
“Rather than ponder moral questions like, ‘Why can't we all get along?' Dr. Page asks practical ones like, ‘How can we all be more productive together?' The answer, he suggests, is in messy, creative organizations and environments with individuals from vastly different backgrounds and life experiences.”
Ralph J. Perro (a pseudonym) wrote an essay called: “Interviewing With An Intelligence Agency (or, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Fort Meade)”. From the document:
“After the process was over, I was talking to one of my references – a veteran Silicon Valley software executive, and former manager of mine. My reference commented on what transpired “That’s disappointing. If they can’t hire you, I have no idea who they can hire. That process seems to be designed to retain only the most bland.” The ‘bland’ comment might be a bit severe, however, considering the 1999 External Management report it would appear that the agency would appear to need creative thinkers & problem-solvers more than ever.”
What happens if you think about both of these together and consider the implications for US national security?
What Has Been the Cost of the Post-9/11 Wars?
Email from Winslow Wheeler
This week, as the media runs its displays on America ten years after the 9/11 attacks, there will be references to the dollar costs. A figure some will use is the one trillion dollars President Obama cited as for the war in Iraq. That figure is a gross underestimate.
The war in Iraq and its costs are inseparable from the wars in Afghanistan, Yemen, Pakistan, the Philippines, Somalia and elsewhere. Indeed, when the Defense Department seeks appropriations for them, it does not distinguish the costs by location; nor does Congress in appropriations bills.
Moreover, the DOD costs are hardly the whole story: add costs in the State Department budget for aid to the governments (such as they are) of Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere.
Add also the costs to care for the US veterans of these wars. That would include the care already extended and the care now obligated for the duration of these men's and women's lives.
Add to that the expanded costs of domestic security against terrorism.
Add also the interest we annually pay for the deficit spending that has financed the wars.
Continue reading “Winslow Wheeler: True Cost of Post-9/11 Wars $5T+”
Below the line, covers, Amazon links, and product descriptions for:
LBJ: The Mastermind of JFK's Assassination
Betrayal in Dallas: LBJ, the Pearl Street Mafia, and the Murder of President Kennedy
Blood, Money & Power: How L.B.J. Killed J.F.K.
LBJ and the Conspiracy to Kill Kennedy–A Coalescence of Interests
DVD: The Men Who Killed Kennedy
Phi Beta Iota: The jury is still out, and the issue of whether Cuban exiles supported by CIA including forged Secret Service credentials, or Dallas mob contract killers, or both, were “prime,” remains to be settled. However, the nature of Oswald as a patsy, and the contrived “evidence” from Russia and Mexico, suggest a very important role for selected CIA leaders (not necessarily the institution) in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. This flurry of books could have an interesting effect on the presidential candidacy of Governor Perry, leading to his character assassination by association….whether deserved or not, it is clear Texas as a culture has some truth and reconciliation in its future. It merits comment that JFK was warned by his brother that assassination leads had been picked up and JFK himself chose to ignore those warnings and expose himself in his enemy's lair. In our view, the JFK and MLK assassinations embolded the “rule by secrecy” white collar crime families, and turned every subsequent President into a pawn to be used against We the People in favor of the financial crime families. If Governor Perry gets a major financial bounce–including the same $300 million in undeclared (illegal) contributions that Obama got and did not account for, he can be regarded as the heir apparent to the farce we call democracy.
