The Nation has an excellent article critiquing U.S. involvement in Honduras government policy and actions. The short version is that the war on drugs is being used as cover for the war on citizens and their inherent human rights. No surprise given what U.S. influence has done to Latin American countries for longer than I’ve been alive. Glad to see MSM media coverage of this in particular.
Archives For June 2012
Credit: AP / POLITICO
Not only is Senator John McCain beating the war drum for troops in Syria, he is also collaborating with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on a very important legislation endeavor to end corruption- a Federal Boxing Commission.
Credit: Ted Warren / AP
The Washington Post recently reported on the Pentagon suspending Program 1033, and likely the 1122 Procurement Program, which authorizes military equipment to U.S. police departments for free or significantly reduced prices. Interesting that the writers failed to identify the program by name.
1033 law enforcement recipients take in millions worth of military gear, aircraft, vehicles and arms every year. The sister program, 1122, provides recipients with access to equipment specifically for counter-drug activities. In an ever increasing militarization of police departments, requests for such equipment is a growing trend.
No surprise both the 1033 and 1122 programs were created through National Defense Authorization Acts in the 90s. Under President Clinton, these programs were hyped as a way to save tax payer dollars, when in fact, they’ve bloated into an annual 2.6 billion exchange, not including the costs to staff and operate.
The Pentagon concern over this Santa Claus weapons wish-list is whether or not agencies are following government guidelines, including proper inventory records, and red flags, such as altering the equipment without approval, or selling equipment. This halt is being enforced nationwide, and although it’s being played in the press as a proactive accountability measure, the truth is this program has already shown signs of trouble. The fact that most agencies only keep paper records, and nothing electronically, is also a problem. Agencies rack up man hours to physically review documents, wasting time and money.
The February 2012 newsletter from the Department of Defense’s Law Enforcement Support Office makes note that several agencies were suspended for failure to conduct an annual inventory, and several others were being terminated. This halt also comes after reports that agencies have been selling weapons equipment to non law-enforcement agencies, for profit.
All of this fuels growing citizen concern over the very concept of militarizing civilian police, the enormous funds associated with these programs, and the continued failure of government accountability.
Last December, Democracy Now covered these concerns in light of the new domestic drone programs, which will include police use.
In 1954, in a forgotten forrest bunker, thousands of hidden archives of the infamous Nazi propaganda were discovered. It would be years before an unfinished documentary film would be seen by the public.
Filmed over several months in 1942 at the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland, only a year before the later failed rebellion. It’s regarded as one of the most prolific pieces of evidence in how calculated the Nazi annihilation plans were toward Jewish people, and eventually, many, many others. It was orchestrated by the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, headed by Joseph Goebbels, well known in his early days for orchestrating book burnings.
This is one of the most haunting films I’ve ever seen on Hitler’s Holocaust. Combined with the original film are readings from personal journals and Nazi records, the interrogation of one of the film’s several cameramen (well reenacted,) and a screening, watched by individual survivors of the Warsaw Ghetto. The level of manipulation is self-evident, incredibly disturbing, and a stark reminder of the power political propaganda holds.
Given an ‘R’ rating by the MPAA (completely unwarranted, and typical) this is a documentary that exposes a larger part of how the Holocaust was orchestrated. No better example exists of how long national lies can be sustained and furthered, and how so many will chose to blindly accept them as truth.
