You can follow the timeline to see some of the 'lowlights' of the Bush administration's environmental actions between 2001 and 2008 -- dismantling safeguards, ignoring climate concerns, marginalizing sound science and catering to industries that endangered Americans' health and natural heritage.
Brian Tyler Cohen - So You Say You Want Truth...
Weekly Interest
332 Landslide
January 6, 2009
The Bush Administration's Dirty Time Line
You can follow the timeline to see some of the 'lowlights' of the Bush administration's environmental actions between 2001 and 2008 -- dismantling safeguards, ignoring climate concerns, marginalizing sound science and catering to industries that endangered Americans' health and natural heritage.
July 11, 2008
U.S., Israel and Iran: A Clear View
A fellow blogger Payvand has published a very direct and to the point article, re-stating what many lesser media friendly faces have been telling us for a while.
Please check out the article- Iran is effectively surrounded by American troops which are based in Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkey and Persian Gulf.
- Iran is being threatened almost daily by American and Israeli officials. Even nuclear attacks on Iran have been contemplated and discussed.
- U.S. and Israel have nuclear weapons. Iran doesn't.
- U.S. and Israel have invaded other countries in the region. Iran hasn't.
- Israel recently conducted a massive exercise over the Mediterranean consisting of around 100 planes. This was supposed to be a dry run in preparation of a possible attack on Iran.
- A just published expose piece by investigative journalist Seymour Hersh has revealed that the Bush Administration has stepped up its secret moves against Iran by budgeting $400M to create chaos in Iran and to destabilize the regime.
- U.S. Congressional Resolution H.CON.RES 362 ( calls on the president to stop all shipments of refined petroleum products from reaching Iran. It also "demands" that the President impose "stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains and cargo entering or departing Iran." Experts say the measures called for in the resolutions amount to an act of war.
- U.S. has held many intimidating war games in Persian Gulf and just finished another one!
The fact is it is the U.S. troops that have barged in Iran's backyard and threaten to enter the house. Now why is it so upsetting if Iran fires a few missiles to say we are ready? Should we instead expect them to kneel down and submit, because that fits our interests? Iran has repeatedly stated that they will attack back if they are attacked. However, this defensive posturing is conveniently interpreted as provocation by both U.S. and Israel while ignoring their own offensive posturing!
There is no way out of this stalemate except for dialogue and diplomacy. Iran has repeatedly signaled readiness to engage in negotiations without any preconditions. U.S. has however repeatedly shunned Iran's offers and continues to insist on "verifiable uranium enrichment freeze by Iran" as a precondition to negotiations. Many analysts and experts are pressing the Bush Administration to drop the precondition and engage in dialogue. It's time to heed the advice of these experts.
War will not benefit Americans, Israelis or Iranians. In fact many experts have sounded the alarms that an attack by U.S. or Israel on Iran will engulf the whole region in fire and have global repercussions. This warning shouldn't be taken lightly. It is time to focus the world's energies on addressing important issues such as global warming, food shortages, poverty and diseases. No more killing and destroying please!
About the author: Ali Moayedian is a concerned Iranian-American. He lives in San Francisco Bay Area.
... Payvand News - 07/10/08 ...
June 11, 2008
Bush Administration Still Dangerous
Hooking Your Toilet to the Kitchen Tap
-Sierra Club
"Atlanta, GA -- In most states, it's illegal to connect your toilet so that it drains through your tap. But on a larger scale, the Bush EPA is prepared to declare that this is, in effect, allowed under the Clean Water Act. At least that's what the agency told a conference of water managers here will be permitted by a new agency rule.
According to a new agency rule, anyone -- an industry, water agency, municipality -- can take dirty water from any body of water, use it (as long as they don't make it dirtier), and then dump it into a clean body of water -- without applying for a Clean Water Act permit. The industry or agency dumping the water can take as much dirty water as it wants, move it as far as it wants, and dump it wherever it wants -- regardless of the impact on the body of water."
Previously I've blogged about the blatant disregard for our environment demonstrated by our Environmental Protection Agency; EPA Missing in Action, and similar in-actions by other Bush Administration agencies; Crossing a Line and Villainous Nominee . Now we can add that the Department of Defense, under criticism during the Bush Administration for contracting out vital military tasks putting into question the nation's security, has Contracted Out Contractor Oversight. The 'Fly in your Face' attitude doesn't stop there, Bush's FCC is now being asked to probe the Bush administration's Propaganda Program! A bit like having inmates of cell block C check cell block D for paraphernalia. Let's not forget the USDA, that decided to shut down a congressional audit and advise it's employee's not to cooperate.
It seems to me there are an awful lot of 'Long Term Plans' being laid last minute by the bought and corrupted officials placed in our agencies by this administration, especially considering his 'New Rule' of 'No New Rules' from agencies after June 1st.
Extraordinary steps must be taken to stop the last minute actions planned by this criminal administration. A precedent needs to be set for not only the top guy, but all the little trickle down guys and gals as well. Education, communication and technology have opened up the world, we need to pay attention to the faces we present and take responsibility for our voting actions.
The Center for Public Integrity
The 380,000-plus-word database presented here allows, for the first time, the Iraq-related public pronouncements of top Bush administration officials to be tracked on a day-by-day basis against their private assessments and the actual “ground truth” as it is now known. Throughout the database, passages containing false statements by the top Bush administration officials are highlighted in yellow. The 935 false statements in the database may also be accessed by selecting the “False Statements” option from the “Subject” pull-down menu and may be displayed within selected date ranges using the selection tool below. Searches may also be limited by person or subject, or both, by using the appropriate selections from the pull-down menus.

