From the Pirate Party of Oklahoma:
Wikileaks has released footage from a US Apache helicopter firing and killing Reuters journalists and civilians in Iraq. It appears that the soldiers saw the cameras the journalists were carrying and thought that they were RPG’s. After engaging and killing the journalists the US forces also engaged a van which was in the process of picking up the survivors. Children in the van were wounded.
The Pirate Party of Oklahoma gives these soldiers every benefit of the doubt. Our soldiers are under high levels of stress while working in an area where many of their fellow soldiers have made the ultimate sacrifice. Our forces must make split second decisions and try to make the best decision with the data they have available to them. That is the reality of armed conflict, and they do not make these decisions lightly.
The problem with this story is the way this incident was handled by the Military and the US Government after the engagement. FOIA requests were denied, Reuters was told that the military did now know how their reporters died. All knowledge of the incident was denied. Wikileaks reporters were trailed by US agents, detained, questioned, and they had their computers and media devices confiscated in order to prevent this footage from being leaked.
The incident lasted just over 10 minutes. The cover-up lasted almost 3 years.
Anyone who watches this video and does not see it for what it is, murder- is blinded by American exceptionalism.
The video footage is horrific, the people being shot at initially were Reuters photogrophers.
The van which showed up was picking them up because they had just been shot. Inside the van was two children. Their father who was helping injured people (shot by US Forces) and had no weapon in his hand. The video shows the soldiers in the helicopter seeking authorization to shoot both times. He recieves it and shoots unarmed civilians in both shootinng events. Including children. When he learns that there are children shot, his comment is ‘it’s their fault for bringing kids to battle.”
Apparently the man stoping to help the men initially murdered by US troops was driving his kids to a special school, whenn he came across the men shot. An act of human decency.
This goes on in Iraq, all the time.
The only reason we even know about it is because the men shot in the initial “engagement” are Reuther photographers.
This shooting is murder, plain and simple.
The kids are alive and you can be damned well sure that they and their friends will hate the US even more after this.
They hate us for our freedom, right?
Don Lake, the Green Party idiot is irrelevant at this point.
Oh and the soldiers who were involved in this now know they killed innocent civilians and shot kids.
When they do return, if they have a soul at all they will have to face this.
This what all those who have seen the horror of wars (chickenshits who tough tough but have never fired in anger do not count) know what causes the 1,000 yard stare. You eventually come to grips with what you have done. With out your CO to tell you that you did good.
you know the fucking truth..
Green Party sets standard for clean elections..
Scottish Greens take and call for Clean Campaign Pledge
newsroom published this on 5:20 pm, Tuesday, 6th April, 2010
The Scottish Green Party has greeted the news that the General Election is on the long expected date of 6th May with a Clean Campaign Pledge to which the candidate for Argyll and Bute was quick to sign up.
http://forargyll.com/2010/04/scottish-greens-take-and-call-for-clean-campaign-pledge/
Jill Stein announces that her GREEN effort is co ordinated by an Obama [my Yokohama Momma] operative. [What next, a Patricia LaMarshe call to ‘Don’t Vote For Me!’ ??????]
Also at Green Party Watch tonight…
Northern Michigan University students start College Greens chapter
April 6th, 2010 by Dave Schwab · No Comments
Students at Northern Michigan University in Marquette have started a College Greens chapter. Their stated mission is to “promote Green Party ideas on campus including social justice, grassroots democracy and the dissatisfaction with the amount of influence corporations have in the political process.” To find out more and get in contact, check out NMU College Greens on facebook.
For more about College Greens and how to start a chapter at your college or university, check out the College Greens page on gp.org.
http://www.greenpartywatch.org/2010/04/06/northern-michigan-university-students-start-college-greens-chapter/
The single Pirate elected to European Parlament is part of the Green Party group.
Green Party Watch reports tonight
http://www.greenpartywatch.org/2010/04/06/green-party-of-pennsylvania-needs-your-help-to-get-on-the-ballot/
Jill Stein announces running mate, sets goal for public matching funds
April 6th, 2010 by Dave Schwab · No Comments
From the Jill Stein for Governor of Massachusetts campaign:
Please join me in welcoming Rick Purcell as my Lieutenant Governor running mate! As my lieutenant governor, Rick will mobilize grassroots support across the state for our campaign for a healthy, secure green future. He’ll also galvanize opposition to the corrupt status quo at the root of the many crises we currently face. We’ll be joining Rick in his hometown of Holyoke this Saturday for an official announcement. See below for biographical information on Rick. Saturday’s event will also mark the kickoff of our signature gathering campaign. For those who have been anxious to get involved, now is the time! See below for details on the lieutenant Governor/signature drive kickoff event, including ways to get involved in signature collection if you can’t come on Saturday.
http://www.greenpartywatch.org/2010/04/06/jill-stein-announces-running-mate-sets-goal-for-public-matching-funds/
the Pirate Party is all about freedom and freedom of information!
The Pirate Party takes a strong stance on the freedom of information, government transparency etc. From the US Pirate Party Platform:
“Right to Government Transparency. The population should at all times understand what a governing body is doing, with or to whom it is doing these things, and for what reasons. Though there is a need for national security for so long as there are enemies outside of our borders, there should never be any issue with ordinary citizens who need information. Likewise, the responsibility of citizens is to ensure that information which is of a sensitive nature is handled in a sensitive manner, so that it does not fall into the hands of those who would misuse such information to harm human life.”