Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, four-star General Wesley Clark envisioned a volunteer force of specially skilled Americans to be called upon to serve both domestic and international functions ranging from fighting forest fires to nation building in his 2004 platform for President of the United States. I wrote about a similar program dubbed the Civilian Reserve Corps proposed by President Bush in 2007.

This model for service fits nicely with Barack Obama's vision for America.

In the following video, General Clark critiques John McCain's positioning as the presumptive national security candidate in this year's election.


Who else is on your Obama VP short-list? Post a comment.

Labels: 2008 Election, Barack Obama, General Wesley Clark, John McCain, national security

The Bush administration has been busy tweaking various policies concerning the operation of our government while world media and attention are focused on the war in Iraq. I find this troubling to say the least.

Having spent the last 24-hours nearly absorbed in the coverage of the war I have come close to ignoring these seemingly minor events myself. I have however made note of them, and I plan to watch for consequences of these tweaks in the future.

I will continue to comment on major occurrences in Iraq.

I will not continue to keep a precise - moment-to-moment - log of these tragic events.

We can no longer hope to prevent the death of innocents. We can not stop this war. Now it is up to us to ensure that it is fought justly, and that our troops are brought home as soon as possible. Equally important is that we ensure that the America they come home to is not a nation under siege by its own government. We must pay attention - it's that simple.

Beyond the bread and circus:

U.S. Ready to Rescind Clinton Order on Government Secrets

WASHINGTON, March 20 — Making it easier for government agencies to keep documents secret, the Bush administration plans to revoke an order issued by President Bill Clinton that among other provisions said information should not be classified if there was "significant doubt" as to whether its release would damage national security.

The new policy is outlined in a draft executive order being circulated among federal agencies. A final version is expected to be adopted before April 17, when the last elements of the Clinton order would take effect, requiring automatic declassification of most documents 25 or more years old. Under the draft, such automatic declassification would be postponed until Dec. 31, 2006.

Labels: bill clinton, George W. Bush, national security, secrecy

For those of you on the West Coast:

Soon you will be safe and secure in your homes, your schools, and your shopping malls thanks to the Bush administration’s plan to bypass the testing and approval process for America’s missile defense shield. If you’re worried about having untested missile defense systems stationed throughout your cities – don’t. After all, Donald Rumsfeld says we don’t need no stinking tests!

This system is comprised of many, many little “friendly missiles,” which seek and destroy big “bad guy missiles.” Of course, without testing, we’ll never know how likely it would be for one of our “friendly missiles” to malfunction, and then seek and destroy the nearest “bad guy home,” “bad guy school,” or “bad guy shopping mall” in the area. Or will we?

This whole thing stinks. The Pentagon doesn’t even want this system, and our peers on the Pacific Rim (China and Russia) believe that the introduction of a missile shield can only serve to destabilize the delicate geopolitical balance in the area.

Since these systems are designed to take out missiles and not fuel laden passenger planes flown by terrorists, we know the missile defense shield is not meant to protect us from al-Qa’ida.

So that leaves North Korea. The starving, frigged, Stalinist wasteland who just happens to be capable of producing a nuclear weapon. Despite all the media fanfare, we’ve known about that capability since 1997.

North Korea has yet to field test an operational ballistic missile that could reach the U.S. (Much like we have yet to field test a missile shield that could protect the U.S.). Are they really a threat? You bet your ass. But that’s why we have diplomacy$.

We offered them an aid package as a bribe a few months ago. They rejected it. It might be worth noting that we offered them 90 Million in aid (notice the M there). That wouldn’t be enough to buy heating oil for one of their cities through the harsh winter.

We walked away from the table after that. In turn, they re-started their nuclear power plants. North Korea is about as cold as Maine, I can easily imagine attempting to live through the winter without heating oil or electricity. I’d last about week. Take away food and clean water…Well, you can see North Korea’s predicament.

Meanwhile, a hungry, freezing, armed North Korea watches the administration begin shoveling Billions of U.S. tax dollars onto ships bound for Turkey, Africa, and Eastern Europe – buying their support for our war in Iraq. North Korea is still in the cold after all these months. Yet instead of engaging them we shut them out with our missile defense shield. If we’re not willing to deal$ with North Korea now, then we will have to deal with them later.

Labels: Donald Rumsfeld, George W. Bush, missile defense, national security, North Korea

From the Toronto Star:

“A Toronto woman coming home from India says she was pulled aside at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, accused of using a fake Canadian passport, denied consular assistance and threatened with jail…Instead of jailing her on Jan. 27, an INS officer cut the front page of Cruz's passport and filled each page with "expedited removal" stamps, rendering it useless…She was photographed, fingerprinted, barred from re-entering the U.S. for five years and immediately "removed"…Not to Toronto, but to India, where she had just spent several weeks visiting her parents.”

Yes! Finally the United States is safe from this despicable loan officer. Who can say what horrors she would have unleashed upon an unwitting America had she been allowed to return to her home.

I’d like to personally thank whichever coffee swilling, chromosome-deficient, fuck stick bureaucrat who so astutely observed that this women was not white, and thereby deemed her claims of Canadian citizenship to be highly suspect. Your incompetence and bigotry – which I know is not unique amongst your peers – has earned the United States the continued ridicule and ire of the international community. At a time when we are pleading with our peers to support our policies, you have successfully highlighted their shortcomings with an act of astounding stupidity. You should be commended.

My only regret is that this story will not be reported in the United States. Our media is no longer allowed to critique the policies of our government. If they were, perhaps the citizens of America would be made aware of this shameful incident, and could extend their most sincere regrets and apologies to Berna Cruz.

After that, we might even endeavor to begin an honest public dialogue concerning the shortcomings of the new national security measures protecting our borders.

It’s unlikely that any of this will occur, however. And sadly it is equally unlikely that Berna will be the last person to have to endure this type of treatment at the hands of our government.

Labels: border security, ins, national security, patriot act, tsa