tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18981789.post114577760695785396..comments2023-08-13T06:45:38.669-07:00Comments on Gold Star Mom Speaks Out: Unwelcoming Bush to CaliforniaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732318783762041369noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18981789.post-1148510586092264072006-05-24T15:43:00.000-07:002006-05-24T15:43:00.000-07:00Hi, I'm a Mom too, although a brand new one. I jus...Hi, I'm a Mom too, although a brand new one. I just discovered your blog and I'm 150% behind what you say.<BR/>I'm a circus Mom and we were in San Jose until Sunday, but sadly I had no idea that Bush was there or that they were protests (it's hard to keep track with a six-month old and a part-time job and a household, albeit an RV-size one.)<BR/>Thank you for speaking out, sometimes this country scares me so much, even though I love it (I'm from France,) and I forget there are people like you as well out there, not just those who elected this horror president twice.Valérie Berta Toraleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18383899565300926460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18981789.post-1145949631272849182006-04-25T00:20:00.000-07:002006-04-25T00:20:00.000-07:00Chance-I totally agree. I wondered if they told B...Chance-<BR/><BR/>I totally agree. I wondered if they told Bush they weren't going to their original destination at Stanford. He probably wouldn't have understood. Sometimes it's just best to do things and not tell; something I'm sure his aides learned long ago! tee!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15732318783762041369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18981789.post-1145932921170218892006-04-24T19:42:00.000-07:002006-04-24T19:42:00.000-07:00GSM,Could you please send me an email at brainhell...GSM,<BR/><BR/>Could you please send me an email at brainhell2003@yahoo.com? I've something I'd like to discuss with you. Thanks.brainhellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02503709622888691582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18981789.post-1145831811185607092006-04-23T15:36:00.000-07:002006-04-23T15:36:00.000-07:00Hooah!Hooah!brainhellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02503709622888691582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18981789.post-1145826883931537762006-04-23T14:14:00.000-07:002006-04-23T14:14:00.000-07:00He was in Sonoma County as well this weekend. Som...He was in Sonoma County as well this weekend. Somehow when you have to work that hard to avoid protesters, it might be just a bit of a sign that there's a problem of some kind.Chanceluckyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16829789745697541046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18981789.post-1145822963418034862006-04-23T13:09:00.000-07:002006-04-23T13:09:00.000-07:00The plan I am sending you has been approved by man...The plan I am sending you has been approved by many prominent thinkers and<BR/>activists in the field. Which includes: Benjamin Ferencz, Chief Prosecutor<BR/>at the Nuremburg Trials, Tom Hayden, Matthew Rothschild, Anthony Arnove, Danny Schecter,<BR/>Tony Benn- Former Member of the British parliament ,Reggie Rivers,<BR/>Robert Jenkins, Andrew Bard Schmookler and others.<BR/> I formulated this plan in September 2004, based on a comprehensive<BR/>study of the issues. For my plan to be successful it must be implemented<BR/>with all seven points beginning to happen within a very short period of<BR/>time.<BR/> I have run up against a wall of doubt about my plan due to it's<BR/>rational nature ,and due to it's adherence to placing the blame on the<BR/>invaders, and then trying to formulate a process of extrication which would<BR/>put all entities in this conflict face to face, to begin to finally solve<BR/>the dilemmas that exist.<BR/> If you read my plan you will see that it is guided by a reasonable<BR/>and practical compromise that could end this war and alleviate the<BR/>internecine civil violence that is confronting Iraq at this juncture in it's<BR/>history.<BR/> I am making a plea for my plan to be put into action on a wide-scale.<BR/>I need you to circulate it and use all the persuasion you have to bring it<BR/>to the attention of those in power.<BR/> Just reading my plan and sending off an e-mail to me that you received<BR/>it will not be enough.<BR/><BR/> This war must end-we who oppose it can do this by using my plan.<BR/> We must fight the power and end the killing.<BR/><BR/>If you would like to view some comments and criticism about my plan<BR/>I direct you to my blog: sevenpointman<BR/><BR/>Thank you my dear friend,<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>Howard Roberts<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/> A Seven-point plan for an Exit Strategy in Iraq<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>1) A timetable for the complete withdrawal of American and British forces<BR/>must be announced.<BR/> I envision the following procedure, but suitable fine-tuning can be<BR/>applied by all the people involved.<BR/><BR/> A) A ceasefire should be offered by the Occupying side to<BR/>representatives of both the Sunni insurgency and the Shiite community. These<BR/>representatives would be guaranteed safe passage, to any meetings. The<BR/>individual insurgency groups would designate who would attend.<BR/>At this meeting a written document declaring a one-month ceasefire,<BR/>witnessed by a United Nations authority, will be fashioned and eventually<BR/>signed. This document will be released in full, to all Iraqi newspapers, the<BR/>foreign press, and the Internet.<BR/> B) US and British command will make public its withdrawal, within<BR/>sixth-months of 80 % of their troops.<BR/><BR/> C) Every month, a team of United Nations observers will verify the<BR/>effectiveness of the ceasefire.<BR/>All incidences on both sides will be reported.<BR/><BR/> D) Combined representative armed forces of both the Occupying<BR/>nations and the insurgency organizations that agreed to the cease fire will<BR/>protect the Iraqi people from actions by terrorist cells.<BR/><BR/> E) Combined representative armed forces from both the Occupying<BR/>nations and the insurgency organizations will begin creating a new military<BR/>and police force. Those who served, without extenuating circumstances, in<BR/>the previous Iraqi military or police, will be given the first option to<BR/>serve.<BR/><BR/> F) After the second month of the ceasefire, and thereafter, in<BR/>increments of 10-20% ,a total of 80% will be withdrawn, to enclaves in Qatar<BR/>and Bahrain. The governments of these countries will work out a temporary<BR/>land-lease housing arrangement for these troops. During the time the troops<BR/>will be in these countries they will not stand down, and can be re-activated<BR/>in the theater, if the chain of the command still in Iraq, the newly<BR/>formed Iraqi military, the leaders of the insurgency, and two international<BR/>ombudsman (one from the Arab League, one from the United Nations), as a<BR/>majority, deem it necessary.<BR/><BR/><BR/>G) One-half of those troops in enclaves will leave three-months after they<BR/>arrive, for the United States or other locations, not including Iraq.<BR/><BR/> H) The other half of the troops in enclaves will leave after<BR/>six-months.<BR/><BR/> I) The remaining 20 % of the Occupying troops will, during this six<BR/>month interval, be used as peace-keepers, and will work with all the<BR/>designated organizations, to aid in reconstruction and nation-building.<BR/><BR/><BR/> J) After four months they will be moved to enclaves in the above<BR/>mentioned countries.<BR/> They will remain, still active, for two month, until their return to<BR/>the States, Britain and the other involved nations.<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>2) At the beginning of this period the United States will file a letter with<BR/>the Secretary General of the Security Council of the United Nations, making<BR/>null and void all written and proscribed orders by the CPA, under R. Paul<BR/>Bremer. This will be announced and duly noted.<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>3) At the beginning of this period all contracts signed by foreign countries<BR/>will be considered in abeyance until a system of fair bidding, by both<BR/>Iraqi and foreign countries, will be implemented ,by an interim Productivity<BR/>and Investment Board, chosen from pertinent sectors of the Iraqi economy.<BR/>Local representatives of the 18 provinces of Iraq will put this board<BR/>together, in local elections.<BR/><BR/><BR/>4) At the beginning of this period, the United Nations will declare that<BR/>Iraq is a sovereign state again, and will be forming a Union of 18<BR/>autonomous regions. Each region will, with the help of international<BR/>experts, and local bureaucrats, do a census as a first step toward the<BR/>creation of a municipal government for all 18 provinces. After the census, a<BR/>voting roll will be completed. Any group that gets a list of 15% of the<BR/>names on this census will be able to nominate a slate of representatives.<BR/>When all the parties have chosen their slates, a period of one-month will be<BR/>allowed for campaigning.<BR/>Then in a popular election the group with the most votes will represent that<BR/>province.<BR/>When the voters choose a slate, they will also be asked to choose five<BR/>individual members of any of the slates.<BR/> The individuals who have the five highest vote counts will represent a<BR/>National government.<BR/>This whole process, in every province, will be watched by international<BR/>observers as well as the local bureaucrats.<BR/><BR/>During this process of local elections, a central governing board, made up<BR/>of United Nations, election governing experts, insurgency organizations, US<BR/>and British peacekeepers, and Arab league representatives, will assume the<BR/>temporary duties of administering Baghdad, and the central duties of<BR/>governing.<BR/><BR/>When the ninety representatives are elected they will assume the legislative<BR/>duties of Iraq for two years.<BR/><BR/>Within three months the parties that have at least 15% of the<BR/>representatives will nominate candidates for President and Prime Minister.<BR/><BR/>A national wide election for these offices will be held within three months<BR/>from their nomination.<BR/><BR/>The President and the Vice President and the Prime Minister will choose<BR/>their cabinet, after the election.<BR/><BR/><BR/> 5) All debts accrued by Iraq will be rescheduled to begin payment, on the<BR/>principal after one year, and on the interest after two years. If Iraq is<BR/>able to handle another loan during this period she should be given a grace<BR/>period of two years, from the taking of the loan, to comply with any<BR/>structural adjustments.<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>6) The United States and the United Kingdom shall pay Iraq reparations for<BR/>its invasion in the total of 120 billion dollars over a period of twenty<BR/>years for damages to its infrastructure. This money can be defrayed as<BR/>investment, if the return does not exceed 6.5 %.<BR/><BR/><BR/>7) During the beginning period Saddam Hussein and any other prisoners who<BR/>are deemed by a Council of Iraqi Judges, elected by the National<BR/>representative body, as having committed crimes will be put up for trial.<BR/>The trial of Saddam Hussein will be before seven judges, chosen from this<BR/>Council of Judges.<BR/>One judge, one jury, again chosen by this Council, will try all other<BR/>prisoners.<BR/>All defendants will have the right to present any evidence they want, and to<BR/>choose freely their own lawyers.sevenpointmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06482791850775174142noreply@blogger.com