Tuesday, February 20, 2007

THIS JUST IN! SHOW BOATING MCCAIN BACK AT IT AGAIN!

 
ALL ON BOARD!  THE SHOW BOAT EXPRESS IS HUFFING AND PUFFING AND LYING AND MISLEADING AGAIN.
 
U.S. SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN WHO DOESN'T STAND A CHANCE OF BEING PRESIDENT BUT NO ONE WANTS TO BREAK IT TO HIM GENTLY, SHOW BOATED FOR A CROWD OF ADMIRERS IN SOUTH CAROLINA -- A VERY SMALL CROWD -- AS HE DECLARED, "I THINK THAT DONALD RUMSFELD WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS ONE OF THE WORST SECRETARIES OF DEFENCE IN HISTORY."
 
THAT'S HOW THE SHOW BOAT EXPRESS WORKS, TELL THE TRUTH MONTHS, YEARS AFTER IT COULD HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE.  WHEN RUMSFELD BECAME RUMSFLED LAST YEAR, MCCAIN DECLARED: "HE DESERVES AMERICANS' RESPECT AND GRATITUDE".
 
SPINNING IT WHICH EVER WAY THE WIND BLOWS, JOHN MCCAIN AND HIS SHOW BOAT EXPRESS.
 
 
Turning to news of war resistance, Agustin Aguayo faces a March 6th court-martial in Germany. As noted Monday on Democracy Now!, Aguayo's civilian court appeal has been rejected. Matt Apuzzo (AP) reported that the US Court of Appeals rejected the request "to overturn the detention" of Aguayo who now faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of all counts (desertion and missing movement) in his court-martial next month. Meanwhile, AP reports, Susana Aguayo, Agustin's mother, is asking the Mexican government to assist her son: "In an open letter to Mexican Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa, Susan Aguayo
asked for 'consular assistance.' 'It is urgently necessary that the Mesican Ambassador in Berlin, Jorge Castro Valle, provide a lawyer to give him legal aid . . . before it's too late,' the letter said." Agustin Aguayo holds dual citizenship in the US and Mexico.

Meanwhile, Monica Benderman, wife of Kevin Benderman, wonders "America, Where Are You Now?" In Friday's snapshot, while noting Ehren Watada, the following appeared: "John Catalinotto (Socialist Worker) observes: 'Watada's military defense lawyer -- appointed by the Army -- Capt. Mark Kim, said that he agreed with Seitz's interpretation of military law'." That was incorrect. John Catalinotto's article appeared in Workers' World, not Socialist Worker, my apologies. Matthew Cookson (Socialist Worker -- honest) examines war resistance in Canada and focuses on Patrick Hart who self-checked out of the US military after serving in Iraq and went to Canada who states: "If your government is going to put troops in harm's way, you better have a damn good reason. We have already lost too many British and American youth, as well as the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, which our government calls 'collateral damage'. Don't be a part of it." Another war resister in Canada is Jeremy Hinzman and Edward C. Corrigan's (Media Monitors Network) explains where his case currently stands: "Jeremy Hinzman lost his 'conscientious objection' refugee case at the IRB. He then applied to the Federal Court for a judicial review of the Immigration and Refugee Board decision rejecting his claim. However, the Federal Court upheld the negative decision but the case has been referred to the Federal Court of Appeal. The key issue is whether or not the legality of the war is a relevant issue to the claim for protection. It will be interesting to see the decision of the Federal Court of Appeal. This legal question may ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court of Canada."

Aguayo, Watada, Benderman, Hart and Hinzman are a part of a movement of resistance with the military that includes others such as Kyle Snyder, Darrell Anderson, Ivan Brobeck, Mark Wilkerson, Ricky Clousing, Aidan Delgado, Joshua Key, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Corey Glass, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, Chris Teske, Matt Lowell, Jimmy Massey, and Tim Richard. In total, thirty-eight US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.

Information on war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters.
 


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