3 Reasons Why Murdering an Abortion Doctor Isn’t Being Called “Terrorism”

Thomas Paine's Corner. Worth a read.

[...] U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder called the murder an “abhorrent act of violence,” but he hasn’t used the word “terrorism.” Not once.

Why?

As a bit of context, if you’re new to this website, the FBI labels the animal rights and environmental movements as the “number one domestic terrorism threat” even though those activists have never harmed a human being. [...]

When animal rights activists or environmental activists are arrested, though, the government immediately sends out press releases and holds press conferences trumpeting the arrest of “eco-terrorists” and “domestic terrorists.”

What gives? Why hasn’t the murder of an abortion provider been labeled “terrorism”?

It’s not a threat to profits. Time and again, we’ve seen that a driving force behind the domestic “War on Terrorism” is protecting corporate interests. The ELF, ALF and above-ground, lawful activists all directly target profits. As the Department of Homeland Security said in a memo, “Attacks against corporations by animal rights extremists and eco-terrorists are costly to the targeted company and, over time, can undermine confidence in the economy.” Similarly, the State Department has warned corporations how to protect their profits from “eco-terrorists.”

It’s not threatening the “American way of life.” In my reporting I’ve found that the word “terrorism” is typically applied to two types of crimes. The first are crimes that go up the chain of power (so, for example, the U.S. military bombing civilians is not terrorism, but an Iraqi civilian bombing the military is).

The second are crimes that challenge dominant American values. Let me explain: Attacking African American voters is not terrorism, right-wingers like Chuck Norris calling for armed revolution is not terrorism, Timothy McVeigh bombing the Oklahoma City building is not terrorism. Why? Because the values behind all of those actions– racism, capitalism, and Christian fundamentalism—are business as usual.

What was McVeigh, merely a disgruntled right-wing militiaman exercising his right of free speech? Yeesh.

So, for example, if Dr. Tiller had been murdered by Muslim extremists proclaiming jihad against the West, the government would be labeling this “terrorism.” The exact same crime committed by Christian extremists is merely a “wicked deed in Wichita”

There you have it.

I don't agree with the writer 100%, but I think he's very close.

Quote of the Day

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT):

... Our current private health insurance system is the most costly, wasteful, complicated and bureaucratic in the world. Its function is not to provide quality health care for all, but to make huge profits for those who own the companies ...

Great thanks to our pal Montag for the link.

Shaddap!

Pic stolen from our pal Nunya.

Update:

And a perfect companion piece to the pic:

...

Barack Obama may have no realistic plan for eliminating the deficit, but neither do Republicans. "Tax cuts" to "create jobs" aren't going to do it. George W. Bush cut taxes for the wealthy time and time again, and unemployment exploded under his tax policies. So can we please stop this "rich people create jobs" nonsense? They had eight years of paying ever less taxes and instead of creating jobs, they created bonuses for themselves. As for spending cuts, let's see Republicans come up with a realistic plan to eliminate the deficit. Elminiate Social Security and Medicare? Go ahead. Propose it. See how far you get, especially among families where one or both breadwinners are unemployed, the savings account they set up for the kids' college has been decimated by the economic crash and their parents have lost most of their retirement savings at the same time. Tell these families that their elderly parents now have to pay all their medical expenses on their own. Then if the other breadwinner loses his or her job, and they start sliding down into poverty, tell them there's no more SCHIP. No more food stamps. No more job retraining. Nothing for them, because "deficit reduction is the only important thing." See how that will fly. [my em]

...

The Mrs. is working from the city office today so I gotta kick her out at the train station before I go to work. See yas later.

Terrorism works ...

Just ask Osama bin-Laden or Scott Roeder*:

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) -- George Tiller's slaying has accomplished what anti-abortion activists had tried to do for decades: The doors to his Kansas clinic will shut forever.

The announcement Tuesday from Tiller's family was a tainted victory for the nation's anti-abortion movement. For years, it had focused on Tiller, making him the target of protests, legislation and legal attacks. His death reignited a public debate over some abortion opponents' tactics and left many wondering how it will transform the abortion battleground.

...

So, who's going to serve the women of this community now?

I say we waterboard the bastid.

*Great thanks to Oliver Willis for the link.

An Email About George Tiller's Killer

A 'Non-Obscene, For The Kids' post from The Rude Pundit on Dr. Tiller's terrorist assassin. Links at site:

In today's post, attracting much warranted attention was the letter from rude reader JC, who is from Wichita. Here it is in a profanity free entry so blogs with delicate sensibilities can link to the fascinating information contained therein:

"For some few years I volunteered as an escort at Dr. Tiller’s and several other clinics. I didn’t know the good doctor well, but met with him on several occasions and was impressed with his kindness and the care he obviously felt for the women who needed his services.

"Of course I have been heartbroken by his assassination, but I’m not so full of hate towards his killer. I’ve seen too many of his kind on the lines; in fact I remember seeing him. We knew Mr. Roeder as 'Prom Queen' from the flowers he usually carried there, and the screaming fits he would throw when approached by escorts. He was one of many not-too-bright mentally ill recruited by various self-appointed fundie leaders who groomed them to scream the threats they themselves were so careful not to utter aloud.

"I’m pretty sure that he has been exploited again to shoot Dr. Tiller. I don’t know who is using him this time- when I saw him, he was in Troy Newman’s stable of nuts, but the fundie leaders are an incestuous bunch who tend to swap followers as needed.

"According to papers Roeder filed today, his possessions amount to a 16yr.-old Taurus and $10, and he only works occasionally at minimum-wage jobs. Yet he managed to finance several 400-mile round trips to Wichita from the KC area in the last month to case the church and know Dr. Tiller by sight, bought a handgun, gas and meals etc. Also, he asked- begged- for bail to be set today, despite his total lack of assets. Obviously, the poor bastard expects someone to post it, all of which leads me to believe that he is not the solitary nutcase the fundies claim he is.

"Somebody had to put him up to it, help him plan it and pay his expenses, and will now feed him to the sharks. Hopefully, and maybe with a bit of psych help, he will realize how he was used and name names."

As soon as this murderer realizes he's been hung out to dry and that the people who put him up to this have washed their hands of him and deny any responsibility for his actions and leave him to rot like it was his own idea, I hope he starts singin' like a little bird and the Feds can get these American Taliban under RICO and close 'em down and lock 'em up.

Roeder can still rot in jail for what he did. In a perfect world he would have a lot of company.

Krugman's Enigma

Paul Krugman

We’re in London, and trying to do a few human things before the lecture series starts. Since it was D-Day, we visited Bletchley Park.

And that, all you crypto-buffs, is an Enigma machine.

Wow! My aunt used to love to give me enigmas when I was a kid, but she didn't have a neat-lookin' rig like that! Leave it to those Krauts! Where d'ya hook up the hose?

Colbert Goes Commando

Accompanying article at The Daily Mail (UK)

Then Colbert asked if he would make a good soldier, but General Odierno said 'only if you get your haircut like these guys out here'.

As the troops cheered, Colbert stonewalled, telling the bald general: 'With all due respect sir, you're not the best advert.

'Frankly sir, its going to take more than a four-star-general to get me to cut my hair.'

At that moment, President Obama cut in via a satellite link, and told Colbert he had been eavesdropping.

'Are your spy satellites really that good?' Colbert asked.

'No, but my ears are really that big', the president replied.

'As Commander-in-chief, I hereby order you, general, to shave that man's head.'

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Obama Orders Stephen's Haircut - Ray Odierno
colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Stephen Colbert in Iraq

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Sign Off - New Haircut
colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Stephen Colbert in Iraq

Colbert's a good sport, but it's a good thing he's with the Army. If I'da shown up with a buzzcut like that, my Gunny woulda told me I looked like a goddam hippie and to go get a haircut. He'da told Obama the same thing.

Un-American Trash Talking

Ann Davidow

Distorting the ideals that define us as a people has become a national pastime for some of our public figures. In addition to obvious face-saving lies, unsubstantiated 'facts' are served up by right-wing politicians and surly Fox News media types. Providing a platform for far-right rants and lending media space to comments like those of Oklahoma's Republican Senator Inhofe, who called the president "un-American," test our patience and the limits of our commitment to "freedom of speech."

If lies and whining and libel were not permitted under Freedom of Speech, the airwaves would be silent.

Dealing with the country's most troubling challenges requires the diligent efforts of well-intentioned adults not allegiance to partisan absolutism. Fixing one's political star to hard-right propaganda and talking trash about a president who is trying to change the course of a foundering ship of state is about as "un-American" as it gets.

Yes, it's un-American, but it's about as Repuglican't as it gets. They got nothin' else and S'nTFU is out of the question for them as a matter of party policy as long as the Ds are ostensibly in charge.

Weather prediction: Hot foul-smelling air from the Far Right is likely to continue unabated for the foreseeable future.

Quote of the Day

Maru on Sen. Chuck Grassley's snivelin' over gummint-sponsored health care:

...

Blogger says that Sen Grassley has nerve whinging now when he and his fellow repukes sat back with their thumbs up their precious assholes as their codpieced faux-cowboy disastermonkey fucked this country over. With their help. So fuck you, you autofellating shitbag. You have as much cred here as a fucking bowel movement.

...

Oh, and fuck you, you pathetic drama-queen.

In-fucking-deed!

Monday Revisited

Jimmy Buffett ~ Come Monday

Thanks to starsonthewater1.

So what's there to do on Monday? How about this?

Note to Fixer: (wink)

Comes the dawn...

Thanks, YubaNet.

Trying to hold back the light:

Robert Reich

How Pharma and Insurance Intend to Kill the Public Option, And What Obama and the Rest of Us Must Do

You know why, of course. They don't want a public option that would compete with private insurers and use its bargaining power to negotiate better rates with drug companies. They argue that would be unfair. Unfair? Unfair to give more people better health care at lower cost? To Pharma and Insurance, "unfair" is anything that undermines their profits.

All this will be decided within days or weeks. And once those who want to kill the public option without their fingerprints on the murder weapon begin to agree on a proposal - Snowe's "trigger" or any other - the public option will be very hard to revive. The White House must now insist on a genuine public option. And you, dear reader, must insist as well.

This is it, folks. The concrete is being mixed and about to be poured. And after it's poured and hardens, universal health care will be with us for years to come in whatever form it now takes. Let your representative and senators know you want a public option without conditions or triggers - one that gives the public insurer bargaining leverage over drug companies, and pushes insurers to do what they've promised to do. Don't wait until the concrete hardens and we've lost this battle.

You know what to do.

Obama the antisemite

EssEffXam, links at site.

They didn't even wait for the speech in Cairo. According to a report in Courrier International, on June 3rd, over 130 people gathered in front of the American Consulate in Jerusalem to protest against President Obama's Middle East tour. Protesters carried banners that defended the extension of settlements into Palestinian territory. Extreme right wing activist Itamar Ben Gvir stated that 'we have apparently reached a yellow line that the most antisemitic of American presidents has crossed; we will launch a campaign against Barack Hussein Obama. He is bad for the people and the State of Israel and his policies will lead us to disaster'. Sounds a lot like Dick Cheney, doesn't it?

Trouble is that the majority of Americans agree with the president's policies which include a two-state solution for Israel/Palestine, and a complete halt to settlement activity and a return to the conditions of the road map which was re-drawn at Annapolis. Additionally, Sima Kadmon of Yedioth Ahronoth reported on a Dahaf Institute polling of Israelis, following Obama's speech in Cairo:

Q: Should the illegal outposts be evacuated?
Yes - 70%
No - 25%

I like the term 'illegal outposts' as opposed to 'settlements'. 'Settlements' sounds like hardy pioneers instead of the criminal territorial expansion that it is.

I'm glad Obama finally gave a little push back to Israel. They worked Bush like a rented mule.

Fuck AIPAC too.

Right-wingers are right-wingers. Anywhere. Period. They're no damn good.

Oh, the irony...

Ironic Times

Minnesota: Coleman Still Holding Out Hope
Hope that meteor hits Franken.

Foolproof plan to get a decent bipartisan health care bill through the Senate.
·All Democratic Senators draw straws.
·Short straw switches parties, becomes a Republican.
·Republican votes for decent health care bill.
·Bill passes with 1 Republican vote.

Hummer Purchased by Firm in China
Where they'll be sold as housing.

I don't like Mondays ...

Sir Bob and the Rats.

Boomtown Rats -I Don't Like Mondays

A few "bad apples"?

I don't think so. Greenwald looks at the torture memos and the response by the career DOJ folks. It goes all the way to the top:

...

But the real story here is obvious -- these DOJ memos authorizing torture were anything but the by-product of independent, good faith legal analysis. Instead, those memos -- just like the pre-war CIA reports about The Threat of Saddam -- were coerced by White House officials eager for bureaucratic cover for what they had already ordered. This was done precisely so that once this all became public, they could point to those memos and have the political and media establishment excuse what they did ("Oh, they only did what they DOJ told them was legal"'/"Oh, they were only reacting to CIA warnings about Saddam's weapons"). These DOJ memos, like the CIA reports, were all engineered by the White House to give cover to what they wanted to do; they were not the precipitating events that led to and justified those decisions. That is the critical point proven by the Comey emails, and it is completely obscured by the NYT article, which instead trumpets the opposite point ("Unanimity at DOJ that these tactics were legal") because that's the story their leaking sources wanted them to promote. [my ems]

...

All the evidence is out there in black and white. All we're waiting for is the political will by AG Holder and the President to see these assholes in jail. It's time to use this to finally drive the stake through the neocon heart.

Obama's Overseas Tour

Thanks, YubaNet.

Sunday Maybe Not-So-Crazy Redneck Music Blogging

There are a lot of levels to this song. Faithless love, guilt, alcoholism, PTSD, no redemption on this side. Pick your own.

I was gonna make a crack about the video starring Rick Schroder as the world's oldest army Private but with all the Guard troops that have had their lives jerked out from under them, I'm not so sure there ain't some even older slick sleeve Privates somewhere. Maybe some Guard or Reserve former Sergeant Major who told his CG where to put his fourth goddam Iraq tour.

Brad Paisley & Alison Krauss ~ Whiskey Lullaby

In 2008, CMT named the video #2 on the 100 Greatest Music Videos.

Thanks to sexylipgloss15, NY.

Green History Blogging

Thanks to Weeds.

Oh, the Humanity!

You know how much the French hate us ... not:

The AP has a bunch of photos documenting this terrible treatment of visiting Americans. They're lining up on the streets to protest the visitors, surely, because everyone knows that the French are always up to no good and detest all things American. Clearly the sneaky Frenchies don't know that they owe us for saving their bacon. Besides, just because they helped win independence for America doesn't matter because it was too long ago to matter. Brace yourself for horrible scenes below and if you can stand it, here's a video of them protesting as well. They go so far as to comment on the big American automobiles! Oh the humanity!

...

You know, as an American who speaks very little French, you would think (from everything you hear in this country about the French) I'd have nothing but hassle when I went over there. Well let me tell you, after numerous trips to Paris and the French countryside, we have never had a problem or been met with disdain. And no, we don't hide the fact we're Americans.

What they do have a problem with is Americans coming over there with the attitude that we know and do everything better. It's the "Ugly American" act that doesn't fly over there, or anywhere else in the civilized world for that matter.

Diversions ...

While Mozart moves me the most of the classical composers (the shout of "Rock me, Amadeus!" is heard frequently around here), his "Divertimento" are my favorite of his pieces. A small sample for your Sunday:

Mozart - Divertimento K-136(I) (II, III)