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Obama sinks to a new low: snubs Lady Thatcher’s funeral
April 16, 2013 — xanthippaWhen I read this, at first, I thought I had it wrong. But, Obama has really, really sunk to a new low – he is not going to send any representative of his administration to Lady Thatcher’s funeral.
From ‘Mail Online’:
‘Though President Obama himself had not been expected to attend, there had been speculation that he would be represented either by Vice President Joe Biden or wife Michelle. However, the Obama administration had said it would not be attending Thatcher’s funeral before the Boston bombings
…
The Queen’s decision to attend Lady Thatcher’s funeral has effectively elevated it to a state occasion unprecedented for a political figure in Britain since the death of Sir Winston Churchill in 1965.
Other world leaders, including Canada’s Stephen Harper, Mario Monti of Italy and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, are attending the service in person.
…‘This is a hugely significant week in terms of US domestic politics,’ a spokesman added.
He said that both the First Lady and the Vice President were ‘the President’s point people on gun control’, adding: ‘This is a week when there is a lot of movement on Capitol Hill on gun control issues.’
Words fail me…how Americans could have elected this arrogant, disrespectful snotling-fondler not once, but twice, is beyond comprehension!
H/T: BCF
25 APRIL: INTERNATIONAL DAY TO DEFEND BANGLADESHI BLOGGERS
April 16, 2013 — xanthippaFrom Maryam Namazi of One Law For All:
‘The Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and others have called for 25 April to be an international day to defend Bangladesh’s bloggers and activists. Please spread the word, sign this petition today, and stand with and for Bangladeshi freethinkers.
As you may know, in January, 29 year old blogger Asif Mohiuddin was stabbed. In February, 35 year old atheist blogger involved in the Shahbag protests, Ahmed Rajib, was brutally killed. Islamists continue to threaten prominent bloggers and have called for the “execution of 84 atheist bloggers for insulting religion”. Rather than prosecute the Islamists, the government has arrested some bloggers and shut down blogs and sites.
We unequivocally condemn the attacks on and threats against atheist, secularist and freethinking bloggers and call on the Bangladeshi government to guarantee their safety, respect free expression and prosecute Islamists who threaten, attack and harm critics.
On 25 April, we urge groups and individuals to rally at Bangladeshi embassies, contact members of parliament in their countries of residence, highlight the situation, write protest letters, carry out acts of solidarity, Tweet #Bangladesh #Bloggers and more.
You can find more information here.’
In case you are not aware, Bangladeshi Islamists have been calling for including the death penalty for transgressing Bangladesh’s blasphemy laws:
Blasphemy laws are being implemented in more and more countries. Russia, for example, is preparing a blasphemy law so unreasonable (in every sense of the word) that the mere teaching of evolution and the Big Bang Theory would violate it. And don’t even get me started on the UN…
We must fight this trend of normalizing penalties for blasphemy – an integral part of free speech. Supporting the Bangladeshi bloggers is a small step in the right direction!
Pat Condell: I’m offended by Islam
April 16, 2013 — xanthippaI’m offended by not applying the rule of law equally to each and every citizen.
I’m offended by all claims that religious laws are above human laws.
I’m offended by adult human beings taking pride in believing things that they have no evidence for.
I’m offended by people claiming that a person can be both religious and moral.
I’m offended by people thinking it’s their right to intellectually cripple their children by brainwashing them into the religion of the parents’ choice…
John Stossel: Climate change and global greening
April 16, 2013 — xanthippa
Also – beware the unprecedented ‘smart storms’!
Cato Institute: “The Great Deformation: The Corruption of Capitalism in America”
April 16, 2013 — xanthippa
Reason TV: Why The European Union Will Fail: Q&A with Austrian Economist Barbara Kolm
April 16, 2013 — xanthippa
Amina Tyler, the Tunusian Femen, is missing
April 15, 2013 — xanthippaAccording to her family, Amina has left the house and not been seen or heard from since.
Considering her family had had her committed to a mental institution following Amina’s typically Femen topless protest, I do hope she is getting herself to safety in one of our oppressive capitalist countries. But, given all the death threats and fatwas against her, the possibility of foul play cannot be discounted, either…
UPDATE: Amina ran away and is now safe!
H/T: BCF
The ‘rule-of-law’is breaking down in the US
April 12, 2013 — xanthippaThe processes regarding the Grand Juries are so terribly flawed – and there is no ‘taking the fifth’! It is precisely the Grand Jury process that was so abused during the Aaron Swartz investigation.
P.S. I have officially joined the Evangelical Church of Kopimism.
CISPA: when governments take ‘secret votes’, you know you will not benefit from their actions
April 11, 2013 — xanthippaHere is an email I received yesterday: it took me a while to blog it because I just did not want to think about it….it’s that bad.
Having lived in a totalitarian state, I can honestly explain the number 1 tool totalitarians government use for keeping control over their populace: pass laws that NOBODY can ‘not break’ at one time or another. Then, if someone becomes ‘uncomfortable’ or ‘too uppity’ or starts saying things the people in power (usually the apartchiks – the bureaucrats who make the totalitarian regime possible), they will selectively enforce the laws against them.
CISPA not only ends all expectation of privacy in ALL online activity, it also creates an environment where regular citizens will, inevitably, break one or another of its provisions: and THAT makes it a very dangerous thing!
Friend,
If you’re a Google, Facebook, or Twitter user, or if your friends are, you should be worried.
Today, Congress held a secret vote on CISPA, the modern government surveillance system that every website, including Google, Facebook, and Twitter could participate in, if it becomes law.
Here’s one important way to protect all that data they have on you right now.
Facebook supported CISPA when it was proposed last year. This time, even Facebook is saying the bill has privacy problems, but we still haven’t heard from Google or Twitter.
Will they let the government get all of our data against all privacy laws? Will they share your personal data with the government once you’re no longer able to sue them for it? We don’t know.
This is an important moment to get them before it’s too late.
That’s why Reddit’s co-founder, Alexis, called Google’s CEO himself to ask them about where they stand on CISPA.
We’re making headway — FFTF is delivering 300,000 signatures to CISPA co-sponsors one by one over Twitter. But the threat of CISPA moving forward in the House is very real. The bill passed out of Committee today and will be rushing to a floor vote next week.
Help your friends too and forward this email.
It’s your email; tell Google to support your right to keep it private!
It’s your private information; tell Facebook and Twitter to keep it that way!
Take an important step to protect all that data they have on you right now.
Thank you for everything,
Tiffiniy Cheng, Fight for the Future
P.S. want more awesome stuff like this? Can you kick down $10 to support our campaigns for Internet freedom? Thanks! Oh, and we also accept bitcoins now! Check it out.
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