Torture and the Deficit

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2009/08/cheney_rejoins.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/04/23/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry4963412.shtml

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/08/24/cia-probe-is-terrible-politics-for-obama-dem-strategist-says/

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/us/politics/25rendition.html?bl&ex=1251259200&en=f907eb5f98d9a753&ei=5087%0A

Ok, DICK, enough is enough. This idea, that has somehow cemented itself into your tiny brain, that torture (or as he calls it “enhanced interrogation”) has made this country safer is absolute lunacy! The recent reports that have come out that you claim have “proved these techniques increase our security” have only made YOUR position more asinine. The “techniques” that were described (the ones not redacted) as being used on prisoners are in a word: disgusting! How in the hell do you justify such bull shit!? What you and your “friends” are too dense and pea-brained to understand is that torture DOES NOT make us safer! It in fact gives everyone out there who hates us, a perfect recruiting tool. Torture doesn’t make us safer you dumb ass, it makes us more of a target! You do realize don’t you, that if we are attacked again the line “it was the previous administration’s fault” slams itself squarely onto YOUR shoulders, and for once it won’t be a baseless statement! Oh but wait, that thought would be WAY too logical to make it even a nanometer into that thick skull of yours, much less make an impact on a pint sized brain. I think instead of fly-fishing for fish, you need to fly-fish your own head out of your ass. But surprisingly you aren’t the only one who has disgusted me this day.

Senator John McCain….how the hell can YOU of all people criticize the decision by the Justice Department and the President to investigate the CIA over these “tactics”? How can you possibly say that you strongly disagreed with the torture approved by the Bush Administration on one hand, and then turn around and call any investigation into it as a “witch hunt”? Are you telling me, Sir, that you would let torturers walk away scot-free? To think that I probably would have voted for you in 2000 if I had been old enough. I like to think that, John McCain would never have put politics ABOVE doing what is right. It would appear that I was grossly mistaken in that thought Senator. Moving on…

I also take issue with these people, such as James Carville, who feel that it is “terrible politics” for the President and Justice Department to investigate these allegations. Who gives a flying fuck if it is “good politics” or “bad politics”? Its not like the President made it a point to have his people dig around for dirt to legitimize an investigation into these torture allegations! The President said himself that he prefers to look forward and not back, but even he can’t deny that this needs to be investigated fully! This report was written in 2004, it wasn’t even written by the current administration! The President may not be thrilled about having to accept the need for the investigation but he seems to realize that, on this subject at least, it is the RIGHT thing to do. The very fact there was torture has already destroyed the prosecution of ANY of these “terror suspects” because anything gained by torture or coercion is INADMISSABLE in ANY court of law. Now I feel I must criticize the President, after praising him.

President Obama, I thought you were smarter than this. To continue the practice of rendition (which I concede was started under former President Clinton) is a gross misstep on your part. The investigation into torture is a step in the right direction, this however is a step back. The very idea of rendition is disturbing. Despite what these countries have said, we have no way to ensure that they won’t torture in these interrogations. Once we send these prisoners into the hands of other countries, we only have as much power there as they give us. Nothing stops them from saying “ok guys we’ll take it from here, now please wait outside.” We are in THEIR territory and if we want to stay there then we have to play by THEIR rules if we want them to continue interrogating our prisoners. Also, why was rendition created in the first place? If we have enough evidence to hold them for questioning, then surely we should have no reason to question them outside of U.S. jurisdiction. Why is it so much better to interrogate someone in a prison in Egypt than it is, on a U.S. military base near where the people we captured? This policy is wrong and has been so from the start and I am truly disappoint that the President has decided to continue it.


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125119686015756517.html?mod=rss_com_mostcommentart

Today the CBO and White House, said that the deficit will be far higher than they had predicted. Now I can already guess that everyone is going to have a fit but not offer any solutions to the problem. Therefore, I have some options to offer,

1) Raise taxes. Everyone hates this option and says you can’t do it in this economy. Well, when no one wants to cut government programs because they are popular for one group or another, then what other option is there?

2) Eliminate most, if not all, tax breaks and deductions. This is not technically a tax raise, but it would increase the amount of tax revenue the government receives.

3) Cut services. Cut the budgets of the top 10 government agencies/departments by 30% and cut the remaining 13 by 20% (I just picked those percentages as an example, it could be more or less). This seems just as unlikely as raising taxes. People love their government programs (even the ones who protest our “socialist government”) and all elected officials know that to cut programs that their constituents like is political suicide.

4) Reduce or eliminate the high numbers of contractors hired by the government. I don’t understand why contractors are so popular, they are far more expensive than having civil service employees and I would say are a big reason why costs of government have gone up so much.


http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/expectmore/2008Performance.pdf

30% CUT
1 Department of Health and Human Services FY 2008 totaled $700 billion
2 Social Security Administration FY 2008 $694.6 billion - graph
3 Department of Defense FY 2008 funding (outlays) totaled $594.5 billion
4 Department of the Treasury FY 2008 totaled $519.1 billion
5 Department of Education FY 2008 $193.9 billion
6 Department of Agriculture FY 2008 $172.7 billion
7 Office of Personnel Management FY 2008 totaled $103.5 billion
8 Department of Veterans Affairs FY 2008 $97.0 billion
9 Department of Transportation FY 2008 $67.0 billion
10 Department of Homeland Security FY 2008 totaled $61.3 billion

20% CUT
11 Department of Labor FY 2008 totaled $59.2 billion
12 Department of Housing and Urban Development FY 2008 $52.3 billion
13 Department of Energy FY 2008 totaled $33.213 billion
14 Department of Justice FY 2008 totals $24.2 billion
15 National Aeronautics and Space Administration FY 2008 totaled $21.3 billion
16 General Services Administration FY 2008 $20.2 billion
17 Department of State FY 2008 $19 billion
18 Department of the Interior FY 2008 totaled $18.571 billion
19 United States Agency for International Development FY 2008 $13.9 billion
20 Department of Commerce FY 2008 is approximately $8.2 billion
21 Environmental Protection Agency FY 2008 totaled $7.472 billion
22 National Science Foundation FY 2008 $6.1 billion
23 Nuclear Regulatory Commission FY 2008 was $926.1 million
24 Small Business Administration FY 2008 totaled $528 million