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Kpete's Journal Documenting the Atrocities
Posted by kpete in General Discussion
Sat Jul 05th 2008, 11:42 PM
The Spying Started BEFORE September 11 - That's The Whole POINT
Posted July 5, 2008 | 10:45 PM (EST)

Dave Johnson
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


In the aftermath of Sept. 11, the White House directed telecommunications carriers to cooperate with its efforts to bolster intelligence gathering and surveillance -- the administration's effort to do a better job of "connecting the dots" to prevent terrorist attacks.http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-...


No, it started a few weeks after Bush took office - a time when the Bush administration was ignoring the terrorist threat. So it was about something else, and was a high enough priority to plan out during the transition. (Can you say "political spying?")
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...

One telecom company, Qwest, refused because it was flat-out illegal. The Bush administration punished them, blocked federal contracts, and in an early indicator of what was to come from the politicized Bush Justice Department, they prosecuted Qwest's CEO on trumped-up charges.

The combination of the telecoms letting Bush illegally spy on us BEFORE September 11, and the politicized Bush Justice Department punishing the company that refused - refused because it was illegal - is the reason so many of us are so adamant that Democrats should not be passing a law giving these companies immunity. The President can't spy on people without warrants, and the telecoms knew that. They knew it was illegal to spy on us without warrants but they went along with it. Why? Why didn't they ask the Bush administration to just get warrants? And why would Democrats vote to let them off the hook?

Don't forget that Watergate was about Republicans illegally wiretapping Democrats. Don 't think they don't do it.

more at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-johnson...
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kpete
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17062 posts
Member since Fri Sep 17th 2004
My Art Work
You can reach my art gallery at http://www.kpetestudio.com


I long for meaningful discussion of our shared values as Americans; I fear only the sound of silence. In the spirit of progressive hope, and while honoring tradition, I poured out my life, heart and soul into the hope of showing the spark of democracy within the paint. I submit my deep longing for the fireworks of a greater democratic deliberation, one that serves us all, as the hoped for result of the sparks in "Freedom in Love."

Before putting paint to canvas for this latest series on the outer path, my preparatory process included: (1) four intense years of research, (2) posting tens of millions of lines of political discourse and images among over 12,000 blog posts, and (3) actively listening to the opinions of others contained in the responses to my posts. I learned much, and the core of this is present in "Freedom in Love."

Notable similarities emerge between my earlier work on the path of the soul and my present work on the path of freedom and democracy. In both, windows represent seeing, or ways out, and pathways symbolize journey. Trees traditionally represent soul, their gnarled qualities a reflection of the forces that buffet them. Birds are wildness, but also observers, the "nonvoters" of nature who still see with dignity and a worthy opinion. Stars and moons are elemental forces of nature and soul-guides. In democracy they are the guide-stars of ideals or principles, lighting the way down the path of democracy. I feel this series of paintings reveals both inner and outer paths as the same journey.

kpete
Freedom in Love Series
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