Video of the Week: Generation Chickenhawk

That about says it all.

Apathetically Silent

I had to write a memoriam last night for an 18 year-old.

I cried.
I felt sick to my stomach.
I got angry.

I told myself, there's nothing you can do, it's a war and you're only one person.

But I knew it wasn't true.

We must stop this war - but you've already heard that time and time again, haven't you?

I'm not the first person to write these words and feel these emotions, and I won't be the last.

The amount of apathy in this state and this country reeks from sea to shining sea. And so our men and women, our brothers and sisters, our sons and daughters remain fighting in an unjust war, dying an honorable death caused by dishonorable leaders.

For a moment, we cluck our tongues, we silently grieve for the maimed, the missing, and the dead, we shake our heads, and yet, for the most part we remain silent.

Is it because we feel so powerless, so helpless? Or is it too far away, a land to which most of us have never been, nor will ever go? Is it because time has inflated our apathy, our willingness to stand silent?

We're not shocked anymore when the evening news begins with the latest death count, and most of us barely notice when we pass a tree with a tattered yellow ribbon.

It's a war, but it's not about WMDs, or oil, or money, or even partisan bullshit.

It's a war on our hearts and our minds and the justice that has been muffled within them.

So while you grieve and get angry and shake your head in frustration, ask yourself one question before you move on with the rest of the day.

How many more memorials must be written for you to finally read between the lines?

You can change the world today

You have the opportunity to help bring our soldiers home now.
Will you take it?

On Thursday night, the United States House of Representatives voted to end the war in Iraq responsibly and bring our troops home. Michigan Congressmen Ehlers, Upton, McCotter, Knollenberg, and Rogers all voted to continue the failed policy in Iraq and keep our nation on a path of endless war.

Americans Against Escalation in Iraq plans to hold those Congressmen accountable for their votes on Friday with a Press Conference and Rally as part of their Iraq Summer campaign.

The event will be held from 12:30-1:30 at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing. Speakers will include Kevin Kelley and our own Bruce Fealk.

This event is yet another opportunity to help change how Michigan's Congresscritters treat the war in Iraq. You have a real opportunity to be a part of the force that changes the tide.

This campaign is effective. Eight Republican US Senators have recently changed their position on the war in Iraq. Five of them were targets of the Iraq Summer campaign.

Please do whatever it takes to make this rally.

Our troops are depending on us.

The Reason behind the Season

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, and that just with the rest of our holidays, we all remembered the reason behind it.

I've mentioned this before, but as the daughter of a Vietnam Vet, I hold a high, holy place for those who willing to sacrifice anything for our country, even when we have misguided leaders leading the way.

One of the first pieces I ever wrote was a tribute to our veterans, inspired by Veterans Day, my father, and a proud family history of serving our country. Often regarded as one of the best posts here on LLP, stop by and read For Our Veterans.

Some of you may be readers of the country's largest national liberal/progressive blog, Daily Kos. In addition to my duties here, at Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, and Michigan Liberal, I also volunteer at Daily Kos as a 'Rescue Ranger', and no, it doesn't involve a chipmunk costume. I'm assigned a couple time slots each week where I pour through all of the posts, or diaries, and select some of the best written ones, where they are then highlighted at the end of the day in Diary Rescue. Since there are thousands of diaries written each day, it takes a volunteer force of about 50 of us from all over the country literally working day and night on this.

Yesterday happened to be one of my regular shifts, it was great to see how many average Americans express their joy, sorrow, anger, and frustration all through the written word. I was particularly pleased to be able to rescue A Soldier's Thoughts on Memorial Day by MichLib's own recently returned veteran from Iraq, djtyg.

DJ's even younger than I am, and he's already been to Gitmo, Iraq and Afghanistan, and carries some painful scars. We're grateful to have him back, but now as a Reservist, he's facing too many uphill battles for a job, funding for education, and proper health and career services. I keep him in mind constantly when doing what I can to speak up on better treatment of the military.

There were several other posts that really touched me, and I wanted to share them with you, as they were written to be read, and I hope that you'll also pass them along.

• Haditha Revelation: Rescue the Troops
• Dwell Time/Stabilization for the Military
• The sum of all the peace in all hearts of the world
• One last Memorial Day post
• A time to remember, a time to look forward too

Namaste

Blackwater: The Extreme-Right Mega-Millionaire Mercenary

Since the U.S.'s invasion into Iraq and Afghanistan, many Michiganders, like many Americans, lives have changed. So many lives lost in a fight that is viewed by most of the country and world as unjust. So many families shattered, so many bright futures tragically cut short.

For one Michigan man, the War of Bush/Cheney/Haliburton Oil was his golden ticket to massive wealth and an extraordinary level of influence and menacing power. Meet Erik Prince, born and raised in Holland, Michigan, and one of the country's most dangerous men.

The Man, the Mercenary

Ted Roelof of the Grand Rapids Press has an extensive look into the reclusive Prince and a life built on ultra-conservative tenets and money.

Prince, son of Holland industrialist Edgar Prince and an ex-Navy SEAL, tapped his inherited wealth in 1996 to found a little-noticed North Carolina security firm that would become Blackwater USA.

Family connections helped. As brother to former Michigan GOP chairwoman Betsy DeVos and brother-in-law to her husband, 2006 GOP gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos, Prince had access to Capitol Hill power brokers.

But his business plan did not crystallize until the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

With the U.S. decision to go to war in Afghanistan and Iraq, a changing military looked to the private sector to complete a variety of missions.

Blackwater was in prime position to capitalize.

Roelof's Blackwater descriptor as a "security firm" is akin to calling Wal-Mart the mom and pop corner store. According to David Isenberg with the British American Security Information Council (BASIC), Blackwater is a private military company. Isenberg should know, he has been researching and writing on private military companies since the early 1990s.

George Washington University professor of political science Deborah Avant had this to say about Prince in Roelof's piece

"Blackwater is owned by one guy, who is very rich," Avant said. "He's very connected. He's very tied to the Christian right."

Prince's entire history is seeped in the ultra-conservative agenda, from political beliefs to campaign donations, Prince has been a stalwart of the Republican money machine.

In 1992, Erik Prince and his father split politically with his sister, Betsy DeVos, who was then 5th District GOP chairwoman. They backed Pat Buchanan for president. She supported President George H.W. Bush.

As a 22-year-old senior at Hillsdale, Prince explained his decision to The (Grand Rapids) Press.

"I interned with the Bush administration for six months," he said.

"I saw a lot of things I didn't agree with -- homosexual groups being invited in, the budget agreement, the Clean Air Act, those kind of bills. I think the administration has been indifferent to a lot of conservative concerns."

-snip-

At age 19, Prince made his first political contribution: A $15,000 donation to the GOP. By 2006, his total contributions had swelled to more than $235,000 -- virtually all to Republican or conservative causes.

The Questionable Company

The problem isn't Prince's money, personal political beliefs or his sister and brother-in-law, fondly known here in Michigan as Mr. and Mrs. Amway Guy. As much as I may not agree with Prince, I respect his right to believe whatever he wants and have as much money as he wants.

The real problem is with what he's turned Blackwater into, how the company is being used to our ridicule country's justice system and the careless way in which its employees are being treated.

According to BASIC's Isenberg, private military companies like Blackwater use political campaign contributions and lobbying firms to influence the government.

On the lobbying front it was reported that Washington, D.C.-based PR and lobbying firm Alexander Strategy Group is working on behalf of Blackwater USA. Though ASG recently announced it was shutting down because of its ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and former House majority leader Tom DeLay, who has been indicted on money-laundering charges.

As if that's not bad enough, The Nation's Jeremy Scahill has done extensive research on Blackwater USA. Up till now, the facts have been kept quiet because they are so scary. Consider this from Scahill's August '06 report -

Government records recently obtained by The Nation reveal that the Bush Administration has paid Blackwater more than $320 million since June 2004 to provide "diplomatic security" services globally. The massive contract is the largest known to have been awarded to Blackwater to date and reveals how the Administration has elevated a once-fledgling security firm into a major profiteer in the "war on terror."

-snip-

Blackwater was originally slated to be paid $229.5 million for five years, according to a State Department contract list. Yet as of June 30, just two years into the program, it had been paid a total of $321,715,794. When confronted with this apparent $100 million discrepancy, the State Department could not readily explain it. Blackwater's two years of WPPS (Worldwide Personal Protection Services, a little known State Department program) earnings exceed many estimates of the company's total government contracts, which the Virginian-Pilot recently put at $290 million combined since 2000. Six years ago the government paid Blackwater less than $250,000.

With this surmounting evidence, it seems as if Blackwater is up to its eyeballs in questionable transactions and the whole thing reeks of collusion and conspiracy.

The Sins of the Employer visit kill the Employees

Many Americans are perfectly willing to sit in their living rooms and cluck their tongues when they hear of corporate scandal and incest. For most, it's a problem within the boardroom, and even if they wanted too, what could they really do about it?

To date, according to SourceWatch, Blackwater USA has receieved no-bid government contracts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and post-Katrina New Orleans, all from George W. Bush's administration.

That's what was going on with Blackwater until that fateful day in Fallujah on March 31st, 2004. The world turned on their televisions and were met with a gruesome image of charred American bodies, burned and chopped up, hung in pieces to a bridge over the Euphrates River. The poor soldiers, everyone said. Jaws hit the floor when it was discovered that those poor men were not U.S. soldiers, they were Blackwater USA employees.

Even more stunning than the manner in which they died, is why they died. In a separate piece for The Nation, Scahill's Blood is Thicker than Blackwater reveals the truth.

According to former Blackwater officials, Blackwater, Regency and ESS were engaged in a classic war-profiteering scheme. Blackwater was paying its men $600 a day but billing Regency $815, according to the Raleigh News and Observer.

-snip-

All this was shady enough--but the real danger for (murdered Blackwater employee Scott) Helvenston and the others lay in Blackwater's decision to cut corners to make even more money. The original contract between Blackwater/Regency and ESS, obtained by The Nation, recognized that "the current threat in the Iraqi theater of operations" would remain "consistent and dangerous," and called for a minimum of three men in each vehicle on security missions "with a minimum of two armored vehicles to support ESS movements." [Emphasis added.]

But on March 12, 2004, Blackwater and Regency signed a subcontract, which specified security provisions identical to the original except for one word: "armored." Blackwater deleted it from the contract.

"When they took that word 'armored' out, Blackwater was able to save $1.5 million in not buying armored vehicles, which they could then put in their pocket," says attorney Miles. "These men were told that they'd be operating in armored vehicles. Had they been, I sincerely believe that they'd be alive today. They were killed by insurgents literally walking up and shooting them with small-arms fire. This was not a roadside bomb, it was not any other explosive device. It was merely small-arms fire, which could have been repelled by armored vehicles."

When the facts of the case revealed themselves, the families of the murdered men were horrified. It was discovered that Scott Helveston and other Blackwater employees knew about the shortcuts and mistreatment, and attempted to bring it to Blackwater's attention. Their complaints were swept under the rug and the families would not find out about it until after that fateful day in Fallujah.

Erik Prince and Blackwater played the role of grieving employer well, until the families wanted some answers.

After the killings, Katy Helvenston joined the families of Mike Teague, Jerko Zovko and Wesley Batalona in grieving and in seeking details about the incident. Blackwater founder Erik Prince personally delivered money to some of the families for funeral expenses, and the company moved to get the men's wives and children benefits under the government's Defense Base Act...

-snip-

But then things started to get strange. Blackwater held a memorial service for the men at its compound. The families were gathered in a conference room, where they thought they would be told how the men had died. The Zovko family asked Blackwater to see the "After Action Report" detailing the incident. "We were actually told," recalls Zovko's mother, Danica, "that if we wanted to see the paperwork of how my son and his co-workers were killed that we'd have to sue them."

Thus began the legal battle between Blackwater and the dead men's families. In one of its few statements on the suit, Blackwater spokesperson Chris Bertelli said, "Blackwater hopes that the honor and dignity of our fallen comrades are not diminished by the use of the legal process."

Katy Helvenston calls that "total BS in my opinion," and says that the families decided to sue only after being stonewalled, misled and lied to by the company. "Blackwater seems to understand money. That's the only thing they understand," she says. "They have no values, they have no morals. They're whores. They're the whores of war."

Prince and Blackwater do seem to understand money quite well. They hired convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff's former employer, Greenberg Traurig, the influential DC law firm as their lead counsel. With their vast financial resources, Blackwater's legal team has managed to delay the case for almost 3 years now with tricky moves and one fluff motion after another.

According to another article in The Nation, in early October 2006, Blackwater dumped Greenberg Traurig and hired former Whitewater investigator Kenneth Starr to file motions in front of the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the suit.

There are undeniable benefits to having Starr, the US Solicitor General under President George H.W. Bush, represent Blackwater--a highly partisan GOP company--in front of a Supreme Court stacked with Bush appointees. Starr also has a personal connection to Blackwater. Starr and Joseph Schmitz, the general counsel and chief operating officer of Blackwater's parent company, the Prince Group, have both worked closely with the arch-conservative Washington Legal Foundation. Since 1993 Starr has served on the legal policy advisory board of the organization for which Schmitz has frequently acted as a spokesperson and attorney.

The case is in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, and a decision is being awaited. U.S. Congressman Henry Waxman (D-California) chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is holding hearings into the allegations that Blackwater purposely shorted its employees of necessary equipment.

As the country awaits the two decisions, we need to stare the grim reality of this situation of corruption, greed, and complete disregard for American lives straight in the face and change the system. The ultimate tragedy will be if we, the People, turn a blind eye and allow people like Erik Prince and corporations like Blackwater to continue to make a farce out of our brave men and women and the laws that exist to protect them.

Lansing-Area Iraq War Anniversary Vigil

Iraq War Anniversary Vigil

Here's an event in our area:

Mason Peace Vigil
Courthouse sidewalk/Jefferson St.
341 S. Jefferson St

Mason, MI 48854

Monday, March 19th, 5:30 PM

We are gathering in front of the courthouse on the 4th anniversary of the Iraq War. This will be a solemn peace vigil, in remembrance of all who have died in the Iraq War. We will stand in quiet unity for peace.

Address: 341 S. Jefferson St (Map)
Location: Mason, MI 48854
Host: Karen Oswald
Status: Public, open for RSVP, 14 Guests (Max 30)

RSVP here

Cruise Director Report: This Week in Lansing

Happy Thursday to you!

If you're in town tonight looking for good cheer and good conversation, consider stopping by the Nuthouse for Drinking Liberally Lansing's second meeting starting at 7pm. Last meeting we had about 30 folks show up, and we now have almost over 100 on our list-serv.

Tomorrow night, join the Lansing community for Silent No More, a community-wide worship service commemorating the start of the war in Iraq tomorrow (Friday, March 16th) at 7pm at Central United Methodist Church, 215 North Capitol Avenue, Lansing.

In honor of those who have died - from the United States, Iraq, and other nations - we call upon all people whose convictions cry for peace to join us in rededicating ourselves to that effort.

Silent No More is sponsored by the Shalom Center for Justice and Peace and is held in conjunction with the Sojourners' Christian Peace Witness for Iraq at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. For more info, visit the website or call 517-487-3013.

If you find yourself awake and near a radio, tune into 1320 AM WILS between 8:30 and 9 Saturday morning. I've been asked back by host Jack Ebling to provide a little commentary and debate from the left side of the field. If you're so inspired, call in and add your two cents!

Take Action Today in Lansing

There's lots of things in Michigan and Lansing that we all need to fight for, but as a country, we need to stand up to those who aren't looking out for our troops best interests.

I hope you'll consider taking a half-hour out of your lunch break today to do something to protect our troops from their own worst enemy, our President.

Consider joining me at noon at Mike Rogers' office to personally deliver letters from tens of thousands of Michigan's residents calling for a stop to the troop escalation in Iraq. From MoveOn -

On Thursday, MoveOn members are gathering outside hundreds of congressional offices to keep the pressure on Congress to block the escalation. We'll be holding signs and listening to compelling speakers, and we've invited the media.

We want to make sure we have a good-sized group from your district.

Can you join us at a "Congress Decides" letter delivery on Thursday around lunchtime in Lansing?

Where:Mike Rogers office on Michigan (between Holmes and Ferguson) Lansing
When: Thursday, Feb 22 2007, 12:00 PM
RSVP: MoveOn

A majority of those in Congress oppose the president's plan to escalate the war. Now we have to make sure they stop him. In a few weeks Congress will have to decide how far they're willing to go to block the escalation.

They're home for recess and this is our best opportunity to influence what they do when they return to Washington. They need to know that we're not going to rest until they start bringing our troops home.

The more of us who participate on Thursday, the louder our message will be. If we keep the pressure on now, we can make sure Congress does the right thing by blocking the escalation and taking steps to bring our troops home.

Can you join us on Thursday to tell Congress, You're the decider, you must stop the escalation?

Rep. Jack Murtha—who's been leading the fight to stop the escalation—recently told MoveOn members, "The time to act is now...We can get this done. We can bring our troops home."

Here in the 8th District we have an even bigger motivating factor, Mike Rogers' refusal to do what's right for the troops. As we've seen time and time again over at Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, Mike's not in the game of representing anyone else's interests besides his own extreme views.

We might not be able to bring them home tomorrow, but as our closest allies start to pull out there's no reason we should be putting any more troops at risk.

Our troops are the people that voluntarily risk everything to ensure our country stays great. Don't they deserve us fighting for them?

Come See Sen. Levin Speak Today

Today I'll be back in my old haunts as I attend a very special event.

The Livingston Co. Democratic Party is hosting

U.S. Senator Carl Levin
12:30 p.m.
Whispering Pines Golf Course
2500 Whispering Pines Dr., Pinckney
734.878.0009
Cost: $55 each

I'm honored to have been asked by the Livingston Co. Dems to come out and attend. If the facilities permit, I'll be live-blogging from the event on MichiganLiberal.

Sen. Levin will speak on the Iraq war and the Democratic Party's successful First 100 Hours Agenda. It will be very interesting to hear what he has to say.

See you there!

Bloggers Get Real or The Next Book You Need to Read

There's a book that's due out that I can't wait to read.

Written by fellow Michigan blogger emptywheel, Anatomy of Deceit: How the Bush Administration Used the Media to Sell the War and Smear a Critic is already listed on Amazon.com, although it won't be out for a couple more weeks.

Here's a great description of the book from Amazon:

What happens when Washington, D.C. pundits and journalists run in the same social circles as the people they cover? When the President and his administration trade press access for loyalty? The public gets a complicit, uncritical press greasing the skids to a brutal war, outing a CIA agent, and muddying the waters of a grand jury investigation. In the fearful aftermath of 9/11, much of America’s pride — its free press — became an unquestioning propaganda arm.

Marcy Wheeler’s Anatomy of Deceit documents how the media promoted the Administration’s justification for war — that Iraq was on the verge of acquiring weapons of mass destruction — even though it had no basis in reality. And it provides a play-by-play account of how Vice President Dick Cheney’s office first used the media to target a critic, former Ambassador Joe Wilson, and then to avoid criminal charges in the CIA leak case.

While the media was beating the drums of war and cozying up to the administration, citizen journalists were digging for the truth. Wheeler's compelling account tells the story, as it needs to be told — from outside the Beltway's cocktail circuit.

Firedoglake will be featuring emptywheel on a discussion about her book, the process of uncovering the real facts, and what's next for her and the book. Join her at Firedoglake this Sunday, Jan. 7th at 5pm EST. I'll see you there.

I'm excited because the publication of this book further displays the power of the "alt-media" as bloggers are now being called. The world is just starting to grasp how we bloggers are able to change the face of the media. We don't have partisan editorial boards to report too, we don't write because we depend on a paycheck (although it would be nice!) we write because we believe in what we do, and the potential that educating others holds.

Many thanks to emptywheel for her hard work and dedication. I'm expecting many more great things out of her!

The Deafening Silence of Grief

In the last 24 hours -

• I've lost a family member
  

• Michigan's lost 5 soldiers
  

• The U.S. has lost a president

Which of these was preventable?

We're almost up to 3,000 American deaths in Iraq.

How many more must die before we stop sending our brave men and women to the slaughter?

It Just Doesn't Make Any Sense

Iraq seems so far from Michigan. That is until you realize that here in Michigan we've lost 116 men and women to the war in Iraq. The U.S. has lost 2,962 American troops, and worldwide, the total is at a staggering 3,209 coalition deaths.

My father has canceled his subscription to Time Magazine and no longer watches the news on a daily basis. The constant news about Iraq inundates him with too many painful memories of his time in Vietnam, now almost 40 years ago. He doesn't understand why we haven't learned our lesson yet.

Polls from the November elections showed that more voters voted against the Republicans because of the situation in Iraq more than any other reason.

Now the Detroit News suggests we should send another 10,000 troops to the slaughter. Why?

How many more must die? How many of our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers must we sacrifice?

Just a thought, perhaps we should take a page from President James Monroe who advised:

In the wars of the European powers, in matters relating to themselves, we have never taken part, nor does it comport with our policy, so to do. It is only when our rights are invaded, or seriously menaced that we resent injuries, or make preparations for our defense.

Substitute European for Middle Eastern, and you've got yourself some free advice, Dubya.

Let's focus on another key word there - defense, apparently these days confused quite often with offense.

:sigh:

I don't have answers, but I do know that staying there, and continuing to send our loved ones there is not the answer either. Surely with all the brilliant minds in D.C. we can come up with something better than the status quo.

Our brave men and women deserve more than a magnet on our car or a yellow ribbon tied around the mail box.

Don't they deserve us fighting for them?