The Louisiana State Penitentiary (… also known as Angola …) is a prison farm in Louisiana operated by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections. It is the largest maximum security prison in the United States …
… two US inmates have been held in solitary … for what will be 40 years this month.
Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace
The two were originally imprisoned for armed robbery.
The men who later became known as the Angola 2 were linked to the Black Panther party, and fought for better prison conditions for the black inmates, and an end to the widespread rape and harsh work conditions.
While in prison there, they were charged with the murder of a prison guard, and convicted on the evidence of a prison inmate who had been promised his freedom if he testified against them.
… The use of solitary confinement is on the increase in the US – we ask are there good reasons for its use, and whether it is compatible with US and international law.
I have no confidence at all that the American tough on crime laws are effective. Angola would be the place to start an investigation.
For anyone who has ever heard the term “Washington insider” and felt outside — we are with you. So this week, we go inside the rooms where the deals get made, to the actual moment that the checks change hands — and we ask the people writing and receiving the checks what, exactly, is the money buying?
Things are getting worse, by the way. Ever since the right leaning Supreme Court ruled on the 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision.
They decided that Political action committees (PACs) may accept unlimited contributions from individuals, unions, and corporations (both for profit and not-for-profit) for the purpose of making independent expenditures for and against politicians.
The best commentary on that idiotic decision was by comedian Stephen Colbert. He set up his own SuperPAC. Then had Jon Stewart (his boss) run it. Independently.
Here’s one of the TV ads paid for by Colbert’s SuperPAC. Mitt Romney is a serial killer.
Florida’s now-infamous Stand Your Ground law, which lets you shoot someone you consider threatening without facing arrest, let alone prosecution, sounds crazy — and it is. And it’s tempting to dismiss this law as the work of ignorant yahoos. But similar laws have been pushed across the nation, not by ignorant yahoos but by big corporations.
Specifically, language virtually identical to Florida’s law is featured in a template supplied to legislators in other states by the American Legislative Exchange Council, a corporate-backed organization that has managed to keep a low profile even as it exerts vast influence (only recently, thanks to yeoman work by the Center for Media and Democracy, has a clear picture of ALEC’s activities emerged). And if there is any silver lining to Trayvon Martin’s killing, it is that it might finally place a spotlight on what ALEC is doing to our society — and our democracy.
What is ALEC? Despite claims that it’s nonpartisan, it’s very much a movement-conservative organization, funded by the usual suspects: the Kochs, Exxon Mobil, and so on. Unlike other such groups, however, it doesn’t just influence laws, it literally writes them, supplying fully drafted bills to state legislators. In Virginia, for example, more than 50 ALEC-written bills have been introduced, many almost word for word. And these bills often become law. …
Vic Toews Canadian Conservative Public Safety Minister said on February 13, 2012:
“.. either stand with us or with the child pornographers” in response to questions from Quebec MP Francis Scarpaleggia (Lac-Saint-Louis) regarding extensive Privacy Commission concerns about ‘warrant-less access’ to all Canadian Internet and Cell phone accounts under C-30
Does that sound familiar?
… George W. Bush, in an address to a joint session of Congress on September 20, 2001 said,
“Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.”
Toews has been mocked and attacked for that polarizing, disingenuous statement.
George W Bush was by far the worst President from an economics point of view. I always felt his goal (Cheney’s goal) was to shovel as many dollars to rich friends as possible.
Leave a comment if you’ve got data to refute these numbers.
There is a behind-the-scenes campaign underway to bring laws such as the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the United States northward, warns a noted Canadian digital policy expert. …
The expert is Michael Geist, a law professor at the University of Ottawa. He’s my most trusted source on this issue.
The Conservative government under Harper is tempted by corporate lobbyists — but caves quickly as soon the Canadian public becomes aware of dirty tricks.
Geist is not completely against the latest version — Bill 11 … Here’s a succinct summary of the legislation currently under consideration.
The old music industry is dying. Something new will be taking its place. We want the NEXT music industry to be better, not worse to what we’ve had in the past. 🙂
… In 2008, the presidential election became blockbuster entertainment. Everyone was watching as the race for the White House unfolded like something from the realm of fiction. The meteoric rise and historic triumph of Barack Obama. The shocking fall of the House of Clinton—and the improbable resurrection of Hillary as Obama’s partner and America’s face to the world. The mercurial performance of John McCain and the mesmerizing emergence of Sarah Palin. …
It’s the definitive account of what happened.
You learn that you’d NEVER want to run for President of the USA. It’s ugly. It’s dirty.
Of the lead characters, John Edwards (in prison, I hope) and his wife Elizabeth (1949-2010) come off worst. A horror show.
Bill Clinton won’t be going to Heaven. I wouldn’t share a beer with him.
Actually, my opinion went UP for John McCain and Hilary. I personally campaigned against McCain in 2008, thinking him spawn of the Devil. He’s not as bad as I thought. I particularly liked how he backed Sarah Palin even after it became obvious that she was an insanely bad choice for VP.
… an upcoming (March 2012) Jay Roach film based on the book of the same name by journalists John Heilemann and Mark Halperin. The film will primarily track the actions of the Republican Party during the 2008 Presidential Election.
A series of new airfare rules put forth by the Department of Transportation (DOT) will go into effect Jan. 26 and offer travelers better “passenger protections.”
The most visible of the new rules is a law that requires airlines to include mandatory government taxes and fees in all advertised fares. Other rules pertaining to ticket cancellation policies and baggage fees went into effect on Jan. 24. …
Luggage fees are still not included. And code-share flights not necessarily disclosed. When you buy a flight on Alaska, for example, you might find yourself on Horizon.
What happens in the States often ends up happening worldwide, the aviation industry so international.
Rick McCharles 