Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/52375
6A Daily News – Tuesday, January 10, 2012 Opinion Global day of action to close Guantanamo D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes let- ters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All let- ters must be signed and pro- vide the writer's home street address and home phone num- ber. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submit- ted will be considered for publi- cation. Letters will be edited. 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How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 On the last day of 2011 the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2012 was signed into United States law by President Barack Obama. The Act authorizes $662 billion in funding for national security pro- grams, Department of Defense health care costs, counter-terror- ism in the United States and abroad, and military moderniza- tion. The Act also imposes new economic sanctions against Iran, commissions reviews of the mili- tary capabilities of countries such as Iran, China, and Russia, and refocuses the strategic goals of the North Atlantic Treaty Organiza- tion (NATO) towards energy secu- rity. In addition the NDAA affirms the President's authority to detain, via the Armed Forces, any person "who was part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition part- ners," or anyone who commits a "belligerent act" against the U.S. or its coalition allies, under the law of war, "without trial, until the end of the hostilities authorized by the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists (AUMF) passed in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The text also sanctions trial by military tribunal, or "transfer to the custody or control of the person's country of origin," or transfer to "any other foreign country, or any other foreign entity." While these objectives and powers are certainly noble in their intent, I have severe reservations regarding their magnitude and extent. Our $660 billion represents nearly half of all military expendi- tures worldwide, and is over three times the levels of our spending following the Vietnam War, although the number of active duty military personnel has dropped by one-third. We simply cannot afford the continued borrowing from China needed to sustain such an overwhelming and world-wide military presence. Instead we should be setting an example investing in education, sustainabil- ity, and creating opportunities for everyone to achieve the American dream. By signing the NDAA the Obama administration has also paved the way for legislation that authorizes indefinite detentions, even of American citizens. The bill places enormous power in the hands of future Presidents, and the only answer our President has is to say "trust me." It denigrates our Bill of Rights and constitutional protections for due process and habeas corpus as our Founders intended when they created a civil- ian, nonmilitary justice system to ensure we did not become a coun- try under military rule. Detaining citizens without trial who can be taken from the United States and sent to a camp at Guantanamo Bay and held indefinitely is not Ameri- can. Over the last decade, torture, profiling of Muslims, extreme ren- dition, assassination, domestic spying, perse- cution of whistleblow- ers, airport strip search- es, and unjustified wars have been carried out in our name with our tax dollars and borrowed money in the name of security while creating a climate that is neither secure nor consistent with American values. Is the domestic terrorist threat as significant as those driven by fear assert? Or are these con- cerns a pretext to quiet dissent exposing Wall Street corruption and the strangle- hold of the military-industrial complex, powerful lobbyists, and the corporations they represent? Once government has the authority to hold people indefinite- ly, the risk is that it can be almost impossible to rein such power in. We, the people, need to demand that Congress repeal the draconian provisions of the NDAA and scale back the military-industrial com- plex. In words attributed to Ben- jamin Franklin, "Those who would sacrifice freedom for secu- rity deserve neither," and President Eisenhower cautioned us to "beware of the military-industrial complex." Richard Mazzucchi Positive Point To these ends Amnesty International and over 45 other orga- nizations will protest the NDAA and Guan- tanamo on January 11-- the 10th anniversary of the "war on terror" prison. Concerned Cali- fornians will gather tomorrow at the Federal Building in San Fran- cisco with a goal of joining the hands of 171 people, each represent- ing a detainee still held at Guantanamo, to form a human chain marking 10 years of Guan- tanamo Prison, and to bring attention to the continuing detention and abuse of detainees. If you can't be among us please take the time to watch Amnesty International's You-tube video entitled "HAPPY WORLD TRAVEL," about Guantanamo, indefinite detention, torture and Islamophobia. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =uJPkILquXWo to help appreci- ate why I support the Global Day of Action to Close Guantanamo. Richard Mazzucchi can be reached at living- green@att.net. Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 6031 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319-2102 STATE SENATOR — Doug LaMalfa (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 3070 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E-mail: gover- nor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Wally Herger (R), 2595 Cean- othus Ave., Ste. 182, Chico, CA 95973; 893-8363. U.S.SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224- 0454. Big Lie propaganda and false charges Commentary The one-year anniversary of the shooting, injuries and deaths in Arizona, by someone we now know was a deranged lunatic, pro- vides material for this week's col- umn: the use of the "Big Lie" in propaganda and the false charge that I "distorted facts." Those on the left insisted at the time, from President Obama down to local writers on this page, that there was causation to be found in conserva- tive political rhetoric. One would think that, after leaping to similar conclusions over the years, only to find no connec- tion to conservatism or the tea party, people would hesitate to make such charges, but one would be wrong. Liberal commenters, mouthpieces and reporters ran with their fact-free narrative, not unlike the old adage that a lie can get around the world before the truth can put on some slippers. When acquaintances of the shooter, Jared Loughner, were found and inter- viewed, he was described as hav- ing paid no attention to news, opin- ion shows, radio or political caus- es. One person stated that Loughn- er became visibly angry when looking at a poster of then-Presi- dent George Bush; it proves noth- ing as Loughner was a nut. Many partisan ideologues express irra- tional vituperation over Republi- cans, conservatives, Sarah Palin or other well-known, prominent advocates on the right. Examples of such angry hatred, directed at me on this page or in comments online, appear almost weekly. In the case of the Arizona shootings, it became indisputable that no con- nection existed whatsoever to the so-called cross-hair targeting imagery used in the previous elec- tion season. It turned out that such imagery and terminology are rou- tinely used by both sides, as well as by news media, in connection with political campaigns (campaign: violent military activity). Hence, the Big Lie was conve- niently used to try to intimidate conservatives and the tea party from engaging in passionate advo- cacy. The propaganda value of the phony narrative, that rhetoric caused the violence, was nearly priceless – after all, when you can browbeat your opponents into silence, there's no need to spend money and effort trying to refute their message. When the truth turned out to be just the opposite of the initial story line, none of the proponents ever came back to us to apologize and proclaim that they got it wrong. It's just like the Big Lie that tea party protesters direct- ed racial epithets and spitting at Congressional Black Caucus members over the health care law two years ago. Being a liberal apparently means never having to say you're sorry that you got some- thing wrong. A recent example of a Big Lie being trotted out far, wide and even on this page, is the contention that Republicans want the economy to remain in bad shape, and are engaged in economic sabotage, if you will, to make sure that Obama is not reelected. One writer has made such assertions more than once, without ever pro- viding any sort of proof, corroboration or even a single statement by any Republican to that effect. When I use the word "propaganda," it is nar- rowly construed to mean telling falsehoods to advance an untrue narra- tive. Saying Republicans want the economy to tank, and work toward that end, is a lie so big that it fits the "Big Lie" propaganda technique perfectly. It ascribes near- ly evil motives to Repub- lican efforts to obstruct things they really believe are harmful to the econo- my, specifically the mas- sive deficits, spending and tax increases occurring or being pro- posed by Democrats, from Sacra- mento to Washington. It does not mean, however that I am calling anyone in particular a liar; for that to be the case, I would have to know that someone knows they are spouting falsehoods and I can't say that with certainty. People can believe and spread lies and simply not know it, strange as it might seem. Don Polson The way I see it a false assertion. Just to be clear, a fact is, by definition, not distorted – it is either a fact or it is not a fact. Just because someone disagrees with my con- clusions based on the facts I present, it doesn't follow that I have dis- torted anything. If my opinions differ from those accepted as true by liberals/progressives, I base them on facts as I find them. Facts regard- ing things that have already occurred can be verified; various facts can be marshaled to support different views. When I factually report the amount of taxes paid by the rich- est Americans, I'm not making a case for their deserving sympathy; I Another accusation that appeared in a letter was that I "dis- tort facts," which is a lie in itself. The writer probably really believes it and feels justified in making such am simply refuting the false nar- rative that the rich don't pay their fair share. If they break laws they should be punished; if the best advice they can buy helps them use the tax statutes to minimize what they pay, good for them. They're not obligated to pay more than the law requires. I also factually reported analysis by The Tax Foundation to show that we can't raise enough money, by taxing the rich, to eliminate deficits. That's truth, not distor- tion. Don Polson can be reached by e-mail at donplsn@yahoo.com.