Friday, November 14, 2008
How Would you like Your Corn? Medium Rare? - (CHL)
Many people may not realize that most cows and chickens that end up as meals are primarily fed corn, not grass. Why does this matter? Scientific American explains.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Torturing Democracy - (PWE)
If you are concerned or outraged by the fact that the Bush Administration, which for the past eight years has trumpeted many of its abhorrent acts in the name of promoting freedom, not only condoned but encouraged torture, then you absolutely must watch this documentary film entitled Torturing Democracy. Even if today you aren't concerned or outraged or don't think we tortured enemy combatants, please watch the film. Because if you do watch it, you will be and you will think so.
The broader issue beyond the content of this excellent yet disturbing account of how the United States came to allow its military personnel to engage in torture, is the culpability of those within the Bush Administration who allowed it to happen. There are plenty of people out there, including journalists and politicians and people in the military who believe crimes were committed at the highest levels of our government. A good summary of the views on this issue can be found here.
Putting aside the criminality issue and whether investigations are warranted, every American citizen has to be embarrassed and disgusted that our country, founded and built on the pillars of basic human rights as embodied in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, which rightly condemns genocide, tyranny, oppression, terror, which is bound to adhere to the Geneva Conventions (see excerpt below) lest it not be able morally to demand that its prisoners of war be humanely treated, has immorally, illegally and disgustingly tortured prisoners and declared it acceptable to do so. How could any person could not draw the conclusion that encouraging torture has endangered our own troops and the security of our country as a whole?
Language from Convention III of the Geneval Conventions of 1949:
Art. 13. Prisoners of war must at all times be humanely treated. Any unlawful act or omission by the Detaining Power causing death or seriously endangering the health of a prisoner of war in its custody is prohibited, and will be regarded as a serious breach of the present Convention. In particular, no prisoner of war may be subjected to physical mutilation or to medical or scientific experiments of any kind which are not justified by the medical, dental or hospital treatment of the prisoner concerned and carried out in his interest.Likewise, prisoners of war must at all times be protected, particularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity.Measures of reprisal against prisoners of war are prohibited.
Art. 14. Prisoners of war are entitled in all circumstances to respect for their persons and their honour.Women shall be treated with all the regard due to their sex and shall in all cases benefit by treatment as favourable as that granted to men.Prisoners of war shall retain the full civil capacity which they enjoyed at the time of their capture. The Detaining Power may not restrict the exercise, either within or without its own territory, of the rights such capacity confers except in so far as the captivity requires.
Art. 15. The Power detaining prisoners of war shall be bound to provide free of charge for their maintenance and for the medical attention required by their state of health.
Art. 16. Taking into consideration the provisions of the present Convention relating to rank and sex, and subject to any privileged treatment which may be accorded to them by reason of their state of health, age or professional qualifications, all prisoners of war shall be treated alike by the Detaining Power, without any adverse distinction based on race, nationality, religious belief or political opinions, or any other distinction founded on similar criteria.
The broader issue beyond the content of this excellent yet disturbing account of how the United States came to allow its military personnel to engage in torture, is the culpability of those within the Bush Administration who allowed it to happen. There are plenty of people out there, including journalists and politicians and people in the military who believe crimes were committed at the highest levels of our government. A good summary of the views on this issue can be found here.
Putting aside the criminality issue and whether investigations are warranted, every American citizen has to be embarrassed and disgusted that our country, founded and built on the pillars of basic human rights as embodied in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, which rightly condemns genocide, tyranny, oppression, terror, which is bound to adhere to the Geneva Conventions (see excerpt below) lest it not be able morally to demand that its prisoners of war be humanely treated, has immorally, illegally and disgustingly tortured prisoners and declared it acceptable to do so. How could any person could not draw the conclusion that encouraging torture has endangered our own troops and the security of our country as a whole?
Language from Convention III of the Geneval Conventions of 1949:
Art. 13. Prisoners of war must at all times be humanely treated. Any unlawful act or omission by the Detaining Power causing death or seriously endangering the health of a prisoner of war in its custody is prohibited, and will be regarded as a serious breach of the present Convention. In particular, no prisoner of war may be subjected to physical mutilation or to medical or scientific experiments of any kind which are not justified by the medical, dental or hospital treatment of the prisoner concerned and carried out in his interest.Likewise, prisoners of war must at all times be protected, particularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity.Measures of reprisal against prisoners of war are prohibited.
Art. 14. Prisoners of war are entitled in all circumstances to respect for their persons and their honour.Women shall be treated with all the regard due to their sex and shall in all cases benefit by treatment as favourable as that granted to men.Prisoners of war shall retain the full civil capacity which they enjoyed at the time of their capture. The Detaining Power may not restrict the exercise, either within or without its own territory, of the rights such capacity confers except in so far as the captivity requires.
Art. 15. The Power detaining prisoners of war shall be bound to provide free of charge for their maintenance and for the medical attention required by their state of health.
Art. 16. Taking into consideration the provisions of the present Convention relating to rank and sex, and subject to any privileged treatment which may be accorded to them by reason of their state of health, age or professional qualifications, all prisoners of war shall be treated alike by the Detaining Power, without any adverse distinction based on race, nationality, religious belief or political opinions, or any other distinction founded on similar criteria.
More Scary News on the State of the Earth's Environment - (STE)
Just to brighten up your day, here is a story from The New York Times which sheds light on the problem of light, sunlight that is, being impeded by a think layer of soot, smog and chemicals (I think we need to coin a new term for this toxic air sludge, well, how about "air sludge," or toxic soog or toxic smot or toxic smoot or toxic smoog) that frequently covers large parts of Asia.
The window to take action to reverse the effects of pollution and global warming and save our environment is closing quickly. In fact, it may be slamming shut.
The window to take action to reverse the effects of pollution and global warming and save our environment is closing quickly. In fact, it may be slamming shut.
DregBlog Update - (MISC)
After a two and a half month hiatus to focus on the presidential campaigns and the elections, DregBlog is back and hopefully at least as good as, if not better than, ever.
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