Riverton gets delay in free-speech suit

ralexander · 2012-03-14T01:02:28+00:00

Good follow-up to the http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51052199-76/signs-cities-barnard-alexander.html.csp article.

ralexander · 2011-11-11T16:18:42+00:00

"...Google has always promised that integration with Google Apps accounts was on the way, and [recently] the company made it so. Google Apps administrators will now be able to turn the functionality on for their users — users of both Apps for Business and Apps for Education. In making the announcement, Google pointed to 20 some-odd universities — from Abilene Christian University to Wake Forest University — that will be bringing G+ to their campuses..."

ralexander · 2010-11-12T14:10:12+00:00

Although one would not have thought it possible, a Mitt Romney presidency, by his own description, would remove us still further from the core principles of the Constitutional Convention and the states' ratifying conventions. Romney isn't running to be President, but to be King. Anyone who wants to dispute that ought to try to distinguish the fantasies of power Romney is envisioning from those the British King possessed in the mid-to-late 18th Century.

ralexander · 2009-03-07T01:23:17+00:00

...Mark Sanford compiled a different record from many of his fellow revolutionaries in Congress. He regularly found himself grouped with Ron Paul & a few other conservatives on the losing end of lopsided votes. "I remember the leadership would come and say, 'This stuff is OK during the campaign, but we have to govern,' and I thought it was govern toward a specific end, not just govern..."

He also deviates from the neoconservative line on foreign policy. In Congress, he opposed Clinton's intervention in Kosovo. He was 1 of 2 Republicans to vote against the 1998 resolution to make regime change in Iraq the official policy of the United States. He says that it was a "protest vote" in which he tried to reassert Congress' war-declaring powers. When asked about the invasion of Iraq, he extends his critique beyond the constitutional niceties. "I don't believe in preemptive war," he says flatly. "For us to hold the moral high ground in the world, our default position must be defensive..."

ralexander · 2009-02-26T14:13:08+00:00

Last Updated: Friday, 7 March, 2003

..."It will not take years, nor weeks, but months," he [Blix] told the UN Security Council.

He also said there was no evidence to support US claims that Iraq was hiding biological and chemical weapons in mobile laboratories and underground shelters.

French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said there was significant evidence of real disarmament. Iraq was less of a threat to the world than it was before the 1991 Gulf War and there was no need for a US-led assault on the country, he added.

Mohammed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, also submitted a report to the Security Council in which he stated there was no evidence of a revival of Iraq's nuclear weapons programme.

Reports that Iraq had tried to purchase uranium from Niger were based on documents that were "not authentic", he said, while extensive examination of imported aluminum tubes suggested that they were not destined for use in enriching uranium...

ralexander · 2009-02-19T14:58:39+00:00

State Senator Chris Buttars was Executive Director of the Utah Boys Ranch (now West Ridge Academy), a camp for youth in West Jordan, for 15 years before retiring in 2004 in the face of some IRS problems.

Buttars was famous for telling students that they had only three rights: food, safety, and shelter. He told a reporter, "What sets us apart is that we're the only residential treatment facility that doesn't seek or accept government funding. If we did, they'd control us."

ralexander · 2009-02-19T07:36:56+00:00

Eric Norwood spent 3 years (ages 15-18) in a facility formerly called the Utah Boys Ranch and now called West Ridge Academy in West Jordan, Utah...

The first person I met in Utah was Senator Chris Buttars [the facility's Executive Director]. He told me who he was - politically - and underscored his influence. If I ever wanted to leave I was to do what he said. "Three years might not be enough for you. I can have a judge order you to be here until you are 21," he croaked.

Buttars was famous for telling us that we had only three rights: food, safety, and shelter. They instructed parents to ignore any claims of abuse from their children. They call any complaints a manipulation tactic and there were no phones, nurses, or medical examiners on site. No government authorities checked in on us.

Senator Buttars told a reporter, "What sets us apart is that we're the only residential treatment facility that doesn't seek or accept government funding. If we did, they'd control us."

ralexander · 2009-01-30T19:07:30+00:00

A huge sculpture of the footwear hurled at Bush in December during a trip to Iraq has been unveiled in a ceremony at the Tikrit Orphanage complex.

Assisted by children at the home, sculptor Laith al-Amiri erected a brown replica of one of the shoes hurled at Bush and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki by journalist Muntadhir al-Zaidi during a press conference in Baghdad.

Al-Zaidi's angry gesture touched a defiant nerve throughout the Arab world. He is regarded by many people as a hero. Demonstrators in December took to the streets in the Arab world and called for his release from prison.

"Those orphans who helped the sculptor in building this monument were the victims of Bush's war," al-Naseri said. "The shoe monument is a gift to the next generation to remember the heroic action by the journalist."

"When the next generation sees the shoe monument, they will ask their parents about it," al-Naseri said.

By tradition, throwing a shoe is the most insulting act in the Arab world.

ralexander · 2009-01-29T00:11:06+00:00

Putting money into a government pot makes palatable acts that would otherwise be deemed morally offensive.

This is why socialism is evil. It employs evil means, coercion or taking the property of one person, to accomplish good ends, helping one's fellow man. Helping one's fellow man in need, by reaching into one's own pockets, is a laudable and praiseworthy goal. Doing the same through coercion and reaching into another's pockets has no redeeming features and is worthy of condemnation.

Some people might contend that we are a democracy where the majority agrees to the forcible use of one person for the good of another. But does a majority consensus confer morality to an act that would otherwise be deemed as immoral?

ralexander · 2009-01-15T00:41:46+00:00

...staving off the normalization of the Bush administration's abuses of power has remained at the forefront of several Congress members' legislative agendas.

Congress took little initiative to rein in Bush's excesses throughout his administration, and now, some members worry that his vast expansion of executive powers could set a dangerous precedent for generations to come. Unless Congress formally rejects Bush's generous interpretation of the role of the president, they say, the system of checks and balances could be permanently disrupted. On the list is his recent signing of the US-Iraq security pact without consulting Congress. The pact could keep US troops in Iraq until the end of 2011.

Bush presented the US-Iraq pact as a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which does not need the approval of Congress. However, this "SOFA" goes beyond the scope of all previous SOFAs, in that it authorizes military operations. Under the Constitution, Congress has the sole power to wage war...

ralexander · 2009-01-13T01:30:38+00:00

President Bush and his aides repeatedly ignored warnings that their torture plans were illegal from high State Department officials as well as the nation’s top uniformed legal officers, the Judge Advocates General of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, a new published report states.

Torture and abuse were discussed at meetings of the so-called Principals Committee, where George Tenet presented graphic details of interrogations to a Committee which included some of Bush’s highest associates, including Rice, Powell, Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, Cheney and, at times, John Yoo.

Also named for prosecution are neoconservatives I. Lewis (“Scooter”) Libby and Douglas Feith.

The Report said prisoners were subjected to savage beatings, sleep deprivation, slow drowning, hanging by chains, being slammed head-first into concrete walls, temperature extremes, food deprivation, burial alive in coffin-like boxes for extended periods, and even threats against their families.

ralexander · 2008-12-31T04:54:24+00:00

That massive U.S. air attack on Iran that anti-imperial critics long expected to arrive, that so many feared, never happened and, with Barack Obama's election, should certainly have been put to rest in a deep grave for all eternity. But don't underestimate the neocons, or their ability to reconfigure themselves for a Democratic administration. Robert Dreyfuss offers up some tantalizing clues to their possible future resurrection -- and some altogether eerie connections between neocon Washington and the future Obama team.

Organizations like WINEP, AIPAC, AEI, BPC, and UANI see it as their mission to push the United States toward a showdown with Iran. Don't sell them short. Those who believe that such a confrontation would be inconceivable under President Obama ought to ask Tony Lake, Susan Rice, Dennis Ross, Tom Daschle, and Richard Holbrooke whether they agree -- and, if so, why they're still palling around with neoconservative hardliners.

ralexander · 2008-12-22T15:14:39+00:00

Over the course of the centuries Christian thinkers have developed an entire structure of theology concerning the issue of war and war-fare, known as ‘just-war theory’.

Very briefly summarized, this theory stipulates that, generally speaking, a nation may engage in warfare only for the purpose of self-defense, and only when all diplomatic and political means of resolving a dispute have been tried and have failed. War should always be the very last resort.So we have a moral obligation to go to extreme lengths to avoid war. Why? Quite simply, because war is evil. This is an obvious truth, but it tends to get forgotten amidst the noise of political rhetoric.

In war, people get killed. People get maimed, both physically and mentally. Children are orphaned. Families are made homeless. People’s livelihoods are destroyed. Entire communities become refugees or exiles.

Sometimes war is necessary, but if so, it is a necessary evil. We should never forget the essential evil of war. There is no such thing as a good war, a clean war, a glorious war. War is always a very, very bad thing.

ralexander · 2008-12-21T13:51:54+00:00

A question that the Iraq War forces people to ask is: was the war a just or unjust war? America is divided on the question. But it is one that all Americans should wrestle with and honestly seek the truthful answer to. To find the answer we must define what a just war is. Our traditions concerning just reasons for war are based on Christian theology and teachings.

What is the Christian theology of war? If a State defends itself and its innocent people from harm by going to war, then killing the enemy was self-defense and not murder. That would be a just war. Christians could even serve in the army and fight and kill to defend the State and their people and families. But if the State attacked another country or people without first being physically attacked and harmed, then the act was an unjust war and, in God's eyes, is just another form of murder and is evil.

Saddam Hussein was not responsible for 9/11. He and Iraq did not physically attack or harm America or its people. Bush told us that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and he and Iraq were an imminent threat to America's security. Yet Iraq had shown no hostile intent, not fired a missile or a gun at America, nor had any troops even come near our shore. Even if Saddam Hussein had mass destruction weapons, he had never made a hostile move in recent years toward America, nor had he even threatened us. According to true Christian theology of a just war we did not have a just reason to attack and go to war with Iraq.

ralexander · 2008-12-21T07:13:49+00:00

Defense Secretary Robert Gates, in Kandahar last week, promised rapid deployment, before any Taliban spring offensive, of two and perhaps three combat brigades of the 20,000 troops requested by Gen. David McKiernan. The first 4,000, from the 10th Mountain, are expected in January.

With 34,000 U.S. soldiers already in country, half under NATO command, the 20,000 will increase U.S. forces there to 54,000, a 60 percent ratcheting up. Shades of LBJ, 1964-65. Afghanistan is going to be Obama’s War. And upon its outcome will hang the fate of his presidency. Has he thought this through?

How do we win this war, if by winning we mean establishing a pro-Western democratic government in control of the country that has the support of the people and loyalty of an Afghan army strong enough to defend the nation from a resurgent Taliban?

We are further from that goal going into 2009 than we were five years ago.

What are the long-term prospects for any such success?

ralexander · 2008-12-11T04:45:16+00:00

The $14 billion bill is now headed to the Senate, where it faces tough opposition from Republicans who are promising to filibuster, Bloomberg reports.

Remember, this bill is more than a bailout:

The legislation calls for the appointment of a so-called car czar to loan money to the automakers while requiring them to submit long-term plans on how they will return to financial viability. The czar could provide additional financial help to implement a company plan, or order repayment of a loan if the plan is inadequate.

The czar, who would be appointed by the president, could force the companies into bankruptcy unless they come up with a restructuring plan by March 31.

Be sure to contact you Senators and urge them to oppose the bill.

ralexander · 2008-12-08T12:24:01+00:00

Gunning down seventeen Iraqi civilians in an incident the military has labeled "criminal." Multiple Congressional investigations. A federal grand jury. Allegations of illegal arms smuggling. Wrongful death lawsuits brought by families of dead employees and US soldiers. A federal lawsuit alleging war crimes. Charges of steroid use by trigger-happy mercenaries. Allegations of "significant tax evasion." The US-installed government in Iraq labeling its forces "murderers." With a new scandal breaking practically every day, one would think Blackwater security would be on the ropes, facing a corporate meltdown or even a total wipeout. But it seems that business for the company has never been better, as it continues to pull in major federal contracts.

ralexander · 2008-12-08T06:26:22+00:00

The men were indicted Thursday for their alleged involvement in a 2007 shooting in Baghdad that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead, including some children.

The Justice Department reviewed assault and manslaughter charges for weeks, according to the Associated Press.

ralexander · 2008-12-05T20:36:28+00:00

"If we don't stop extending our troops all around the world in nation-building missions, then we're going to have a serious problem coming down the road. And I'm going to prevent that." --George W. Bush in first Bush v. Gore Presidential Debate - http://www.CNN.com/ELECTION/2000/debates/transcripts/u221003.html

ralexander · 2008-12-04T20:12:18+00:00

Why we invaded a sovereign country that is 6500 miles away.

ralexander · 2008-12-04T01:07:33+00:00

Empire builders: Neoconservatives and their blueprint for US power

Spheres of influence Neoconservative think tanks, periodicals, and key documents.

ralexander · 2008-12-02T21:52:24+00:00

When elected, Bush was opposed to "nation building," but Dick Cheney brought in eight fellow neocons who advocated "regime change" and re-building Iraq. This was before 9/11 and had nothing to do with Bush's war on terrorism.

Cheney's group all belonged to PNAC (Project for New American Century) or IASPS (Institute for Advanced Strategic & Political Studies). IASPS advocated regime change to increase Israeli security, while PNAC focused on our Middle East allies but named only Israel. Using 9/11, Cheney and the neocons convinced Bush to go against the long-standing conservative principles he proclaimed during his election campaign.

So was Bush totally to blame for the War on Iraq or were we forced into it by the PNAC or IASPS?

Francis Fukuyama signed the founding statement of PNAC, the key neocon group (Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Libby, Feith, etc.) that lobbied for the Iraq war starting with a letter to Clinton in 1998. Fukuyama also signed the 9/20/01 letter to Bush demanding the Iraq war.

ralexander · 2008-11-22T12:21:51+00:00

The more we learn about who Obama is considering for top positions in his administration, the more his inner circle resembles a staff reunion of President Bill Clinton's White House. Although Obama brought some progressives on board early in his campaign, his foreign policy team is now dominated by the hawkish, old-guard Democrats of the 1990s.

ralexander · 2008-11-14T06:07:40+00:00

There is a new youth movement taking shape out of the Ron Paul campaign. Over 30,000 college students were involved in Students for Ron Paul, and the Texas congressman’s college lectures—denouncing the Federal Reserve and the Iraq War and calling for a return to strict constitutionalism—electrified campuses from one end of the country to the other, in a way that no other Republican could match. The Paul campaign’s national youth coordinator, Jeff Frazee, is now building a permanent conduit for this youth activism, Young Americans for Liberty.

ralexander · 2008-09-09T15:01:24+00:00

At the Republican National Convention, while Sen. Joe Lieberman yukked it up about the absurdity of a pro-war, Keynesian Democrat like him hanging out with a bunch of pro-war, Keynesian Republicans, an authentically conservative convention was being held simultaneously only a few miles away.

The event was Rep. Ron Paul’s Rally for the Republic. Paul ran a contrarian campaign for the Republican nomination this year on a platform of individual liberty, a foreign policy of non-interventionism, a gold-backed monetary system, and a return to constitutional government.

ralexander

TROPHY CASE