Open Thread 02-04-15

Final EPA Review Makes It Clear: 'Keystone a Climate Disaster'
Agency analysis is further evidence that KXL is 'absolutely not in our national interest,' environmentalist says

In a letter to the State Department released Tuesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the Keystone XL pipeline would "significantly increase" greenhouse gas emissions from tar sands—a declaration environmentalists hope will serve as a final nail in the project's coffin.

"The EPA's assessment is spot-on," said Danielle Droitsch, Canada project director at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "There should be no more doubt that President Obama must reject the proposed pipeline once and for all. If built, it would transport Canadian tar sands oil—the dirtiest fuel on the planet—through America’s heartland, only to be refined and then shipped abroad. The pipeline would threaten our waters, our lands and turbo-charge climate pollution. It’s absolutely not in our national interest."

In the letter (pdf), EPA said the recent drop in oil prices means that building Keystone XL would promote further expansion of Canadian tar sands, unleashing more greenhouse gas emissions and exacerbating climate change.

"[A]t sustained oil prices within this range, construction of the pipeline is projected to change the economics of oil sands development and result in increased oil sands production, and the accompanying greenhouse gas emissions, over what would otherwise occur," reads the letter signed by EPA official Cynthia Giles.

“The truth is unspeakable”: A real American sniper unloads on “American Sniper”
"The truth is unspeakable," says real-life American sniper who wants nothing to do with a dangerous propaganda film

Hearing Garett Reppenhagen describe how he felt the first time he shot someone is like listening to an addict talk about his first time injecting heroin. “I leveled my M-4, put him in my iron sights, and took three shots. One of them hit him center mass and he went down in the middle of the road. I had this instant sense of satisfaction, overwhelming excitement and pride. It was really kind of an ecstatic feeling that I had.”

I had just seen the film “American Sniper,” the revisionist propaganda piece of myth-making and nationalistic war porn being sold to us by Bradley Cooper, Clint Eastwood and screenwriter Jason Hall as an apolitical character study. I wanted to talk with an actual American sniper, and Garett was generous enough to pick up the phone. (He’s also written for Salon.)

Garett has a lot in common with Chris Kyle. Both entered the military at an older age; both spent endless hours on rooftops, in windows or in trash piles in Iraq, “doing their job”; both were in Iraq in 2004 hunting al-Qaida leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi; and both spent time after active duty trying to help veterans.

The similarities end there.

I’ll admit, listening to Garett talk about his first kill, taking place when he was ambushed and life presented him a clear choice — kill or be killed — I’m a touch envious. Life rarely offers us such moments of clarity. As haunted as Garett and others who struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder are because of events like this one, he was describing a moment so simple and so heightened because of that simplicity.

The Chieftains with Imelda May - Carolina Rua Reel - The Ladies Pantalettes

Dan Tyminski & The Chieftains - The Boy Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn

Van Morrison and the Chieftains - Star Of The County Down

The Chieftains - O'Sullivan's March

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Contact by email is now enabled, and also the ability to delete your own diary has been enabled. Also enabled, anyone can view user profiles. If anyone has a problem with any of these let me know.

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Big Al's picture

"I had just seen the film “American Sniper,” the revisionist propaganda piece of myth-making and nationalistic war porn being sold to us by Bradley Cooper, Clint Eastwood and screenwriter Jason Hall. . "

Which brings up the question of what responsibility do Bradley Cooper, Clint Eastwood and Jason Hall have in this situation.

See, what I tend to do is to begin by own personal boycott of people when I see really they're working for and helping the other side. I long ago stopped listening to Ted Nugent songs. I no longer watch John Wayne, Charleton Heston of any of the movie and TV stars that I find out are working for (or did work for) the state. I put them on my shit list.

So now Bradley Cooper, Clint Eastwood, and Jason Hall are on my shit list. Probably won't be too long before I'll no longer be able to watch the TV
or movies at all.

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MarilynW's picture

Box office smash hit but not everyone who saw it liked it. Why would anyone want to see this parade of killings?

I wrote a comment on DKos a few days ago how soldiers hate snipers on both sides. I got the information from WWII vets I have talked with but DKos people wanted links. In WWI, sniper duty was offered instead of a court marshall, this is from my family history, there are no links. Recently there was a good diary How Snipers are Viewed by Soldiers reiterating how soldiers hate snipers. It got some backlash too from authoritarians who defend authority. Some people don't want to learn about it - they love the image of sniper as a brave talented hero.
Quote from the book Armaggedon by Max Hastings, p. 88 on which the diary is based:

"Almost every soldier on both sides shared a hatred of snipers, which frequently caused them to be shot out of hand if captured. There was no logic or provision of the Geneva Convention to justify such action. Sniping merely represented the highest refinement of the infantry soldier's art. Its exercise required courage and skill. Yet, sniping made the random business of killing, in which they were all engaged. become somehow personal and thus unacceptable to ordinary footsoldiers."

The sniper is perceived as a different sort of person, even by fellow soldiers. That difference is not one which is admired, but produces a revulsion that crosses national boundaries.

Not only were enemy snipers killed on sight but many of them were not killed before being tortured. No links for that, it's a war story from a soldier. I'm pretty sure our side didn't keep any records of this. Fast forward to 2014, now snipers are heroes.

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To thine own self be true.

NCTim's picture

I will not pay to see American Sniper.

I can't wait for Bradley Cooper to whine about a fatwa or people wanting to get him, so I can call him a whining moron.

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The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -

Lady Libertine's picture

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Big Al's picture

One of my old time favorites.

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Everyday we wake up to more goodies. Thanks, JtC. This place is getting pretty snazzy. First time on the video url. [[xxoo]] Sweet.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Lady Libertine's picture

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/02/03/omar-khadr-applies-for-bai...

He's 28 now, been detained since age 15. Sure hope its granted.

Khadr’s bail application on March 24 relates to his U.S. appeal of his Guantanamo conviction.
The Toronto-born Khadr pleaded guilty in 2010 in a military court in return for an eight-year sentence and chance to return to Canada, which he did in 2012.
He later recanted, saying he believed the plea deal was his only way out of Guantanamo, but had no memory of the firefight in which he was shot and then detained at age 15.
Meanwhile, his U.S. military lawyers launched an appeal of the conviction in Washington, challenging the legality of the Pentagon’s charges against Khadr — including a murder charge for the fatal wounding of U.S. Delta Force soldier Christopher Speer.
Before attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, only the killing of what is known as “a protected person of war” such as a medic or civilian — not a soldier — was considered a war crime.
Guantanamo’s trials, however, are governed by a new U.S. legal process known as military commissions, which introduced not only “murder in violation of the laws of war” but also war crime charges such as “conspiracy.”
Other Guantanamo convictions have already been quashed by the U.S. courts.
Khadr’s lawyers are arguing that he should be entitled to bail while his appeal is being heard, a process that could drag on longer than Khadr’s entire sentence.
In addition to applying for bail, Khadr will also apply for parole in June.

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This one is under the Straights of Mackinac or is that a w? Why oh why did they have to create two! Anyway, it is missing struts and a whole bunch of other stuff; and they just increased the volume flowing through. In some places, it doesn't even lay on the lake bed. There are big gullies under it. Another gift from Canada.

diver photo pipeline-diver_zpsc2174d8f.jpg

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon