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Friday, August 31, 2012

MittOmaRackney common-positioned unmentionables


More on torture and other critical issues criminally silent in DemR’pub-candidate rhetoric
What they won't talk about and why
Editing by Carolyn Bennett

Glenn Greenwald today on Democracy Now’s special “Breaking with Convention: War, Peace and the Presidency” programming

Look at the policies that incur the most expense, Greenwald said, policies “that have the most effect on the citizenry ─

[t]he drug war

[t]he primacy of the national security and  

[t]he surveillance state to operate with total secrecy,

[t]he war on whistleblowers,

[t]he posture of endless [foreign] wars,

[t]he supremacy of Wall Street and our nation’s oligarchs in shaping policy through their lobbyists and funding ─


Not a scintilla of daylight between the monopoly parties. Critical issues common-positioned, rendered unmentionable.

The issues listed by Greenwald are unmentioned in the 2012 run for the presidency because, he says (and I agree), neither of the two candidates (Democratic or Republican) can criticize the other because “they essentially have the same position.”

Torture

Critical domestic and international issue

Any talk of torture or the torture cases currently being covered by some press organizations is “inconceivable” as long as only two candidates are allowed to be heard, Romney and Obama ─ because these candidates hold “exactly the same views on the issues.”

The current president and his administration have consistently shielded former President George W. Bush officials and CIA officials from  any kind of accountability.

Early in his tenure President Obama said that anyone who complied with the permission slips given by Justice Department lawyers that legalized torture, who worked within those [permissions of torture] would be completely shielded from wrongdoing as would be the lawyers and the officials who ordered techniques of torture.

Last year, the Obama government said they were closing the books on all of those (at least a hundred torture) cases except two (an Iraqi detainee murdered at Abu Ghraib and an Afghanistan case where a detainee unclothed froze to death after being beaten and chained to a floor).

Now, the Obama administration has announced that even these two cases—clearly murder—will be shielded; thus demonstrating a complete whitewashing for any and all accountability.

While in office, the Obama government “has aggressively protected the previous administration” and perpetrators from “all forms of accountability”: exerting pressure and otherwise obstructing justice when Spain and Germany conducted international investigations of torture cases and when “victims of the torture regime tried to hold their torturers accountable in a court of law.”


Greenwald suggests that “the only hope” for discussion of critical issues facing the nation and related foreign relations is to allow inclusion in televised presidential candidate debates and give media coverage to at least some of the third-party candidates so that they will challenge the monopoly candidates (DemR’pubs) who are wrapped in a conspiracy of silence on deeply critical issues and their common positions on them.


Sources and notes

“Glenn Greenwald on the Justice Dept.’s Rejection of CIA Torture Prosecutions After 3-Year Probe,” August 31, 2012, http://www.democracynow.org/2012/8/31/glenn_greenwald_on_the_justice_depts

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Bennett's books are available in New York State independent bookstores: Lift Bridge Bookshop: www.liftbridgebooks.com [Brockport, NY]; Sundance Books: http://www.sundancebooks.com/main.html [Geneseo, NY]; Mood Makers Books: www.moodmakersbooks.com [City of Rochester, NY]; Dog Ears Bookstore and Literary Arts Center: www.enlightenthedog.org/ [Buffalo, NY]; Burlingham Books – ‘Your Local Chapter’: http://burlinghambooks.com/ [Perry, NY 14530]; The Bookworm: http://www.eabookworm.com/ [East Aurora, NY] • See also: World Pulse: Global Issues through the eyes of Women: http://www.worldpulse.com/ http://www.worldpulse.com/pulsewire http://www.facebook.com/#!/bennetts2ndstudy
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Who cares about torture?

Optional Protocol to Convention against Torture: 63 States Parties (42 States Designated National Preventive Mechanisms (NPM)
Excerpting by Carolyn Bennett

Second annual report of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment’s account of the work of the SPT during the period of April 1, 2008-March 31, 2009

STATES PARTIES TO THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT) had 46 States parties and 62 signatories as of March 31, 2009
Participant Signature, Succession to signature (d); Ratification, Accession (a), Succession (d)

Albania 1 Oct. 2003 (a)
Argentina 30 April 2003 15 Nov. 2004
Armenia 14 Sept. 2006 (a)
Austria 25 Sept. 2003
Azerbaijan 15 Sept. 2005 28 Jan. 2009
Belgium 24 Oct. 2005
Benin 24 Feb. 2005 20 Sept. 2006
Bolivia 22 May 2006 23 May 2006
Bosnia and Herzegovina 7 Dec. 2007 24 Oct. 2008
Brazil 13 Oct. 2003 12 Jan. 2007
Burkina Faso 21 Sept. 2005
Cambodia 14 Sept. 2005 30 March 2007
Chile 6 June 2005 12 Dec. 2008
The Congo 29 Sept. 2008
Costa Rica 4 Feb. 2003 1 Dec. 2005
Croatia 23 Sept. 2003 25 April 2005
Cyprus 26 July 2004
Czech Republic 13 Sept. 2004 10 July 2006
Denmark 26 June 2003 25 June 2004
Ecuador 24 May 2007
Estonia 21 Sept. 2004 18 Dec. 2006
Finland 23 Sept. 2003
France 16 Sept. 2005 11 Nov. 2008
Gabon 15 Dec. 2004
Georgia 9 Aug. 2005 (a)
Germany 20 Sept. 2006 4 Dec. 2008
Ghana 6 Nov. 2006
Guatemala 25 Sept. 2003 9 June 2008
Guinea 16 Sept. 2005
Honduras 8 Dec. 2004 23 May 2006
Iceland 24 Sept. 2003
Ireland 2 Oct. 2007
Italy 20 Aug. 2003
Kazakhstan 25 Sept. 2007 22 Oct. 2008
Kyrgyzstan 29 Dec. 2008
Lebanon 22 Dec. 2008 (a)
Liberia 22 Sept. 2004 (a)
Liechtenstein 24 June 2005 3 Nov. 2006
Luxembourg 13 Jan. 2005


CAT/C/42/2
Participant Signature, Succession to signature (d); Ratification, Accession (a), Succession (d)

Madagascar 24 Sept. 2003
Maldives 14 Sept. 2005 15 Feb. 2006
Mali 19 Jan. 2004 12 May 2005
Malta 24 Sept. 2003 24 Sept. 2003
Mauritius 21 June 2005 (a)
Mexico 23 Sept. 2003 11 April 2005
Moldova 16 Sept. 2005 24 July 2006
Montenegro 23 Oct. 2006 (d) 6 March 2009
Netherlands 3 June 2005
New Zealand 23 Sept. 2003 14 March 2007
Nicaragua 14 March 2007 25 Feb. 2009
Norway 24 Sept. 2003
Paraguay 22 Sept. 2004 2 Dec. 2005
Peru 14 Sept. 2006 (a)
Poland 5 April 2004 14 Sept. 2005
Portugal 15 Feb. 2006
Romania 24 Sept. 2003
Senegal 4 Feb. 2003 18 Oct. 2006
Serbia 25 Sept. 2003 26 Sept. 2006
Sierra Leone 26 Sept. 2003
Slovenia 23 Jan. 2007 (a)
South Africa 20 Sept. 2006
Spain 13 April 2005 4 April 2006
Sweden 26 June 2003 14 Sept. 2005
Switzerland 25 June 2004
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
1 Sept. 2006 13 Feb. 2009
Timor-Leste 16 Sept. 2005
Togo 15 Sept. 2005
Turkey 14 Sept. 2005
Ukraine 23 Sept. 2005 19 Sept. 2006
United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland
26 June 2003 10 Dec. 2003
Uruguay 12 Jan. 2004 8 Dec. 2005

Note: The 46 States parties do not include the 62 States having achieved signature or succession to signature, but not having achieved ratification of, or accession or succession to, the OPCAT.

COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE Forty-second session, Geneva, April 27 to May 15, 2009, http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cat/opcat/docs/2ndAnnualReportSPT.pdf

Association for the
Prevention of Torture
List of Designated National Preventive Mechanisms (by country)


Country           Ratification Date        NPM Options

Albania            01 October 2003
            People's Advocate (Parliamentary Ombudsman or Avokati i Popullit)
Armenia
            14 September 2006
            Human Rights Defender's Office
Azerbaijan
            28 January 2009
            Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsperson's Office)
Cambodia        30 March 2007            Inter-governmental body
Chile
            12 December 2008
            National Human Rights Institute
Costa Rica       01 December 2005      Ombudsperson's Office (La Defensoría de los Habitantes)
Croatia            25 April 2005 Ombudsperson’s Office
Cyprus
            29 April 2009
            The Office of the Commissioner for Administration (Ombudsman)
Czech Republic
            10 July 2006
            Public Defender of Rights (Ombudsman)
Denmark
            25 June 2004
            Parliamentary Commissioner for Civil and Military Administration (Folketingets Ombudsmand or Ombudsman )
Ecuador           20 July 2010    Ombudsperson's Office
Estonia
            18 December 2006
            Office of the Chancellor of Justice (Õiguskantsler or Ombudsman)
Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia
            13 February 2009
            Ombudsman
France
            11 November 2008
            General Inspector of Places of Deprivation of Liberty (Contrôleur général des lieux de privation de liberté)
Georgia
            09 August 2005
            Public Defender

Germany
            04 December 2008
            National Agency for the Prevention of Torture (Bundesstelle zur Verhütung von Folter) and the Joint Commission of the Länder - to be established
Guatemala       09 June 2008   National Preventive Mechanism (Mecanismo nacional de prevención de la tortura y otros malos tratos) – to be established
Honduras
            23 May 2006
            National Committee for the Prevention of Torture
Hungary          12 January 2012          Commissioner for Fundamental Rights
Liechtenstein   03 November 2006
            Corrections Commission
Luxembourg
            19 May 2010
            Ombudsman
Maldives
            15 February 2006
            Human Rights Commission of the Maldives
Mali
            12 May 2005
            National Human Rights Commission (Commission nationale des droits de l’homme)
Malta
            24 September 2003
            Board of Visitors for Detained Persons and Board of Visitors of the Prisons
Mauritius
            21 June 2005
            National Human Rights Commission
Mexico            11 April 2005
            National Human Rights Comission (Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos)
Montenegro     06 March 2009            Protector on Human Rights and Freedom
Netherlands     28 September 2010     6 bodies were designated as the NPM (three national inspectorates on public order and security, youth care and health care), a commission and a council, coordinated by the Inspectorate for Implementation of Sanctions
New Zealand 14 March 2007
            Multiple body, 5 different bodies coordinated by the Human Rights Commission (central NPM), and comprising the Office of the Ombudsman, the Independent Police Conduct Authority, the Office of the Children’s Commissioner and the Inspector of Service Penal Establishments of the Office of the Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces
Nicaragua        25 February 2009        Ombudsperson's Office (Procuraduría para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos)
Nigeria
            27 July 2009
            National Committee on Torture - For further information
Paraguay         02 December 2005      National Commission for the Prevention of Torture and other forms of ill-treatment – to be established
Poland
            14 September 2005
            Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection (Rzecznik Praw Obywatelskich)
Republic of Moldova
            24 July 2006
            National Centre for Human Rights (Ombudsmen’s Office) and a Consultative Council (12 civil society representatives and independent experts)
Senegal
            18 October 2006
            National Observer for Places of Deprivation of Liberty (Observateur National des Lieux de Privation de Liberté)
Serbia 26 September 2006     Ombudsperson’s Office (Protector of Citizens) in cooperation with the ombudsperson’s offices from the autonomous provinces and human rights associations
Slovenia
            23 January 2007
            Human Rights Ombudsperson's Office
Spain
            04 April 2006
            Ombudsperson's Office (Defensoría del Pueblo) with a Consultative Council
Sweden           14 September 2005
            Parliamentary Ombudsman (Riksdagens Ombudsmän) and the Chancellor of Justice (Justitiekanslern)
Switzerland
            24 September 2009
            National Commission for the Prevention of Torture
United Kingdom
            10 December 2003
            18 bodies were designated as part of the UK NPM, coordinated by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons - Click for a complete list
Uruguay
            08 December 2005
            National Human Rights Institution (Institución Nacional de Derechos Humanos) - to be established



Who cares about torture? 

WHERE IS THE USA?


___________________________________


Bennett's books are available in New York State independent bookstores: Lift Bridge Bookshop: www.liftbridgebooks.com [Brockport, NY]; Sundance Books: http://www.sundancebooks.com/main.html [Geneseo, NY]; Mood Makers Books: www.moodmakersbooks.com [City of Rochester, NY]; Dog Ears Bookstore and Literary Arts Center: www.enlightenthedog.org/ [Buffalo, NY]; Burlingham Books – ‘Your Local Chapter’: http://burlinghambooks.com/ [Perry, NY 14530]; The Bookworm: http://www.eabookworm.com/ [East Aurora, NY] • See also: World Pulse: Global Issues through the eyes of Women: http://www.worldpulse.com/ http://www.worldpulse.com/pulsewire http://www.facebook.com/#!/bennetts2ndstudy
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Thursday, August 30, 2012

Plural: more than corporate-media's one (Dem/Rpub) running for White House

U.S. Presidency 2012 


“There are some great third parties in this country, but none of them have a history of winning elections. They simply do not resonate with a sufficiently broad political base, either to succeed in winning or in helping create a long-term, sustained movement for significant change in this country. 

I think this is a perfect time for third parties to come together under one unified banner, perhaps set aside some of our differences and join in providing the kind of option the majority of the American people want to see in the coming election.” [Rocky Anderson]


THIRD PARTY and
INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES:

(Note: Parties with ballot status in at least one state -- based on either 2008 status or preliminary 2012 status -- listed first, then all others under the INDEPENDENT and WRITE-IN CANDIDATES header)

AMERICA'S PARTY / AMERICAN INDEPENDENT PARTY:


Tom Hoefling J.D. Ellis Tom Hoefling (Iowa)
Presidential Nominee

J.D. Ellis (Tennessee)
Vice Presidential Nominee



AMERICAN THIRD POSITION PARTY:
Merlin Miller Harry Bertram Merlin Miller (California)
Presidential Nominee

Harry Bertram (West Virginia)
Vice Presidential Nominee



CONSTITUTION PARTY:
Virgil Goode Jim Clymer Former Congressman Virgil Goode (Virginia)
Presidential Nominee

Jim Clymer (Pennsylvania)
Vice Presidential Nominee

CONSTITUTION PARTY OF OREGON / INDEPENDENT AMERICAN PARTY:
Will Christensen Ken Gibbs Will Christensen (Utah)
Presidential Nominee

Ken Gibbs (California)
Vice Presidential Nominee
NOTE: THE CONSTITUTION PARTY OF OREGON IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE CONSTITUTION PARTY (OF THE UNITED STATES).

GRASSROOTS PARTY:
Jim Carlson George McMahon Jim Carlson (Minnesota)
Presidential Nominee

George McMahon (Iowa)
Vice Presidential Nominee

GREEN PARTY:
Dr Jill Stein Cheri Honkala Dr. Jill Stein (Massachusetts)
Presidential Nominee

Cheri Honkala (Pennsylvania)
Vice Presidential Nominee

JUSTICE PARTY:
Rocky Anderson Luis Rodriguez Former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson (Utah)
Presidential Nominee

Luiz Rodriguez (Illinois)
Vice Presidential Nominee
NOTE: ALSO NOMINEE OF THE INDEPENDENCE PARTY OF CONNECTICUT and NATURAL LAW PARTY OF MICHIGAN.

LIBERTARIAN PARTY:
Gov Gary Johnson Judge Jim Gray Former Governor Gary Johnson (New Mexico)
Presidential Nominee

Former Superior Court Judge Jim Gray (California)
Vice Presidential Nominee

OBJECTIVIST PARTY:
Tom Stevens Alden Link Tom Stevens (New York)
Presidential Nominee

Alden Link (Florida)
Vice Presidential Nominee

PARTY OF SOCIALISM AND LIBERATION (PSL):
Peta Lindsay Yari Osorio Peta Lindsay (California)
Presidential Nominee

Yari Osorio (New York)
Vice Presidential Nominee
NOTE: THE PSL MAY ALSO USE SURROGATE PSL NOMINEES IN SOME STATES, WHERE NEEDED FOR BALLOT ACCESS PURPOSES, AS LINDSAY (AGE 27) AND OSORIO (AGE 26 & FOREIGN BORN) ARE NOT CONSTITUTIONALLY QUALIFIED TO SERVE IF ELECTED.

PEACE & FREEDOM PARTY:
Rosanne Barr Cindy Sheehan Rosanne Barr (Hawaii)
Presidential Nominee

Cindy Sheehan (California)
Vice Presidential Nominee

PROHIBITION PARTY:
Jack Fellure Rev. Toby Davis Lowell "Jack" Fellure (West Virginia)
Presidential Nominee

Toby Davis (Mississippi)
Vice Presidential Nominee

REFORM PARTY USA:
Andre Barnett Ken Cross Andre Barnett (New York)
Presidential Nominee

Ken Cross (Arkansas)
Vice Presidential Nominee

REFORM PARTY OF KANSAS:
Chuck Baldwin Joseph Martin Chuck Baldwin (Montana)
Presidential Nominee

Joseph Martin (North Carolina)
Vice Presidential Nominee
NOTE: THE REFORM PARTY OF KANSAS IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE REFORM PARTY USA.

SOCIALIST PARTY USA (SP-USA) / LIBERTY UNION PARTY:
Stewart Alexander Alex Mendoza Stewart Alexander (California)
Presidential Nominee

Alejandro "Alex" Mendoza (Texas)
Vice Presidential Nominee

SOCIALIST EQUALITY PARTY:
Jerry White Phyllis Scherrer Jerome "Jerry" White (Michigan)
Presidential Nominee

Phyllis Scherrer (Pennsylvania)
Vice Presidential Nominee

SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY (SWP):
James Harris Maura DeLuca James Harris (New York)
Presidential Nominee

Maura DeLuca (Nebraska)
Vice Presidential Nominee
NOTE: THE SWP MAY ALSO USE A SURROGATE VP NOMINEE IN SOME STATES, WHERE NEEDED FOR BALLOT ACCESS PURPOSES, AS MAURA DeLUCA (AGE 33) IS NOT CONSTITUTIONALLY QUALIFIED TO SERVE IF ELECTED.





INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES WITH BALLOT STATUS IN AT LEAST ONE STATE:
Jeff Boss Jeff Boss (Independent-New Jersey)
Richard Duncan Richard Duncan (Independent-Ohio) - No Campaign Website
Nelson Keyton Nelson Keyton (Independent-Virginia)
Jerry Litzel Jerry Litzel (Independent-Iowa) - No Campaign Website
Sheila "Samm" 
                  Tittle Sheila "Samm" Tittle (We The People-Virginia)
Mike Vargo Mike Vargo (Independent-Ohio)




____________________________________________________

Bennett's books are available in New York State independent bookstores: Lift Bridge Bookshop: www.liftbridgebooks.com [Brockport, NY]; Sundance Books: http://www.sundancebooks.com/main.html [Geneseo, NY]; Mood Makers Books: www.moodmakersbooks.com [City of Rochester, NY]; Dog Ears Bookstore and Literary Arts Center: www.enlightenthedog.org/ [Buffalo, NY]; Burlingham Books – ‘Your Local Chapter’: http://burlinghambooks.com/ [Perry, NY 14530]; The Bookworm: http://www.eabookworm.com/ [East Aurora, NY] • See also: World Pulse: Global Issues through the eyes of Women: http://www.worldpulse.com/ http://www.worldpulse.com/pulsewire http://www.facebook.com/#!/bennetts2ndstudy