Dear Jeff, I add my voice to greeharper, wendydavis and others above. THANK YOU! I have taken quite a long break, but it feels as if I’m already sunk as deep as ever. [Among other things, page 7 of this report]

Following on to what greenharper says about lack of adjectives: I’ve spent the last dozen years ever more frequenly saying “We live in an inhumane society.” Just this morning I decided that the final “e” in that adjective was no longer necessary.

But then sometimes I wonder why the word which means marked by compassion, sympathy, or consideration for humans or animals [humane] is related to the word “human” at all.

Coincidence?:

[…] Libyans interviewed for this report were rendered back to Libya within about year of the date when Libya, the United States and the United Kingdom had formally mended their relations, seven within the five months. The mending of relations was very publically marked by a visit from British Prime Minister at the time, Tony Blair, to Libya on March 25, 2004.
[…]
Belhadj’s transfer occurred just weeks before UK Prime Minister Tony Blair flew to Tripoli on March 25 for a very public rapprochement with Gaddafi. The same day, Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell announced it had signed a deal worth up to £550 million (approximately $1 billion US) for gas exploration rights off the Libyan coast. […]

It probably comes down to how one defines “finacial elite”. Clearly, people in Geithner, Bernake and Greenspan’s league [the policy makers] don’t have to worry much about losing their jobs and not being able to find another one. [Even John Yoo got a pretty good job, after all.]

o/t [from Glenn Greenwald's Twitter feed]:

Does Obama camp see upside in pissing off the left?; Greg Sargent; 8/17/11

The story exploding on the left right now is that the Obama campaign’s state director in New Mexico sent out an email containing a blog post mocking Paul Krugman and the “firebagger liberal blogosphere”for criticizing the debt ceiling deal negotiated by the White House. Liberal bloggers are asking whether this is the latest sign that the Obama team sees percentage in dumping on the left — or “hippie punching,” as the blogospheric parlance has it.

The Obama official, Ray Sandoval, circulated the email just after the debt ceiling deal passed Congress, hammering lefty critics for deriding the deal as a surrender. Sandoval’s email included a blog post that derided Krugman as a “political rookie” and decried critics for “pure, fanatic, indomitable hysteria.”

The term “firebagger” appears to be a reference to Firedoglake, whose bloggers frequently hammer the White House for giving too much ground to Republicans. [...]

Related:

The Constitution Project joined the ACLU in
Urging Congress to Rein in Excessive Government Secrecy [pdf]; 7/28/11

On August 4, they wrote:

Department of Defense Proposed Rule, “Defense Federal Acquisition
Regulation Supplement; Safeguarding Unclassified DoD Information
(DFARS Case 2011-D039)” [pdf]
[Footnote 4 is a link to their 2009 Report on this topic.]

[...] The NPRM essentially constitutes an end run around the new controlled unclassified information registration process outlined in E.O. 13556, and contains objectionable provisions that treat unclassified information as if it were classified in direct contravention of the
presumption of openness established by E.O. 13556. Such a proposed rule is inconsistent with the Executive Order and should be abandoned. [...]

bmaz has a problem with my comment like this on an emptywheel thread, here. I responded immediately after.

It is likely that Dozier did not “manipulate” alone, so it’s not fair for me to single her out.

Well, today Dozier has a “scoop” about dead SEALs in Afghanistan.

Do we believe her?

Well, transcribing that in itself was a mighty job [I know, I've done it] and I am very pleased that you had the foresight make it available.

Thanks.

Andy Worthington covers Jeff‘s TruthOut article:

New Revelations About The Use of Water Torture at Guantánamo; 8/6/11

[Sorry...don't know how else I might get in touch with selise...]

Selise‘s August 1st post about James Galbraith has been linked to by Yves Smith at Naked Capitalism:

James Galbraith on How Fraud and Bad Economic Thinking Got Us in This Mess; Yves Smith; Naked Capitalism; 8/7/11

Nice!

That’s great about being on Savage’s radar, Kevin! Congratulations!

Savage mentions Steven Aftergood’s discussion about Brinkema’s mention of “felony”, but here is the link to the piece:

Is Unauthorized Receipt of Classified Information a Felony?; Steven Aftergood; Secrecy News; 8/4/11

Could the unauthorized receipt of classified information be a felony? Judge Leonie M. Brinkema made that startling claim in passing in a July 29 memorandum opinion (pdf) in the case of suspected leaker Jeffrey Sterling that was unsealed yesterday. But her statement is almost certainly a misunderstanding and a misrepresentation of the law. […]

[…] In Camp Cropper, he was subjected to “enhanced interrogation techniques” — torture — like food manipulation and walling. And, in his appearance on “Countdown,” he suggests “there may have been other Americans being held at Camp Cropper.” […]

Here’s another case: an Army vet [John Doe] imprisoned at Camp Cropper:

U.S. citizen and Army vet claims U.S. tortured him in Iraq; Michael Doyle; McClatchy; 8/3/11

A U.S. citizen and Army veteran with a horrific tale of abuse in Iraq can keep pursuing his case against former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and others, a federal judge has ruled.

In a pointedly detailed 47-page opinion, U.S. District Judge James Gwinn declined the Justice Department’s bid to dismiss the complaint filed by a man known only as John Doe. Though the facts have not been tried, the alleged abuses are serious enough to overcome Rumsfeld’s invocation of qualified immunity. […]

New from Andy Worthington:
Britain’s Secret Post-9/11 Torture Policy Revealed: Was Tony Blair’s Government Guilty of “Developing Something Close to a Criminal Policy”?; Andy Worthington; 8/5/11

That doesn’t change my opinion about what Olberman did.