Well, Jonah Loadpants has yet another person to whom he needs to explain his very serious book…

Chris Hedges, reporter, 2002 Pulitzer Prize

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges explores the rise of the Christian right in America, drawing parallels with the rise of fascism in Europe prior to the Second World War. How does the vision of the United States as a Christian nation relate to our Bill of Rights? Why does Hedges identify the increasing political power of Christian fundamentalism as a war against America?

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities.

Watch The Google Video Here

More Like This At The WGBH Forum Network. (Lambert, you’ll really like this link.)  Read more 

These are the things you learn from your grandparents, the things you see when you visit the relatives, these are the memories of what it means to be Black in America, this is what we think when we hear about Jena. This is why we say what we say about Police.

Just thought I’d clear my throat so to speak. I had to post this clip by Naomi Wolf, if it’s redundant, my apologies, I‘ve been down in the dungeon trying to get a paycheck. Also I’ve been abstaining, I had to make sure that I saw what I saw. I watch the technique, when the Air Force takes over intelligence  Read more 

First Blackwater attacks Air Force Officers. Next, they lie about “returning fire” in Iraq. Then, they lie about what kind of money they’re making undermining the US Military abroad. From a Dkos Diary on Prince’s testimony, Tennessee Congressman John Duncan reveals the escalation in costs of Blackwater’s services during the past three fiscal years:

“Our committee memorandum says using Blackwater instead of U.S. troops to protect embassy officials is expensive.

That’s putting it lightly; Blackwater charges the government $1,222 per day for the services of a private military contractor. This is equivalent to $445,000 per year - over 6 times more than the cost of an equivalent U.S. soldier.

This war has produced some of the most lavish, most fiscally excessive, most exorbitantly profitable contracts in the history of the world. And it seems to me that fiscal conservatives should be under no, feel no obligation to defend this type of contract.

In fact, it seems to me that fiscal conservatives should be the ones most horrified by this. And I notice in the table that Blackwater’s contracting has gone from 25 million in 2003 to 48 million 2004, to 593 million in 2006.

If we are going to be there another 10 years, as some have said, I surely hope that we’re not going to continue to see these types of ridiculously excessive increases in the contracts that are being handed out.”

Yeah, Duncan’s a Republican (as opposed to, at least in this instance, a GOP shill). He goes on:

“I also notice that Blackwater is a subsidiary of the Prince Group, of Prince Group Holdings, and that another one of the holdings of that firm is Presidential Airways, an aviation company that has held a contract with the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command. Mr. Prince, can you tell me what percentage of Prince Group Holdings comes from federal contracts of all or any types?”

Prince asks him to repeat the question.

Rep. John Duncan: “Can you tell me…I don’t know what all companies are in…I don’t know all the companies that are in your Prince Group Holdings. Apparently, there is a Presidential Airways. I don’t know how many other companies there are. What I’m wondering about is how much of Prince Group Holdings comes from federal contracts of any and all types.”

Prince: Most of Prince Group Holdings come from federal contracts. blather blather blather

Rep. John Duncan: When you said most; does that mean 100%? Rough guess: what percentage?

Prince: Rough guess? 90%  Read more