US-Run "Black Jails" in Afghanistan Continue to Violate Human Rights

The New York Times has revealed today that US-run jails in Afghanistan continue to violate international humanitarian conventions by refusing to allow the International Red Cross access to detainees. The jail - and another like it in Iraq - are run by US Special Forces to detain and interrogate high-value detainees. US officials say they have no plans to close the facilities. Detainees can be held for weeks without external contact or without their families knowing if they are alive or dead. The US says it now hands over names of all detainees to the International Red Cross within two weeks of capture, but it does not allow direct contact.

Obviously, such a policy runs in direct contradiction to President Obama's stated policy of improving US detention and interrogation procedures to be in line with international human rights norms. Holding prisoners incommunicado was a highly criticized policy of the Bush Administration, one that many hoped would be overturned. Obama's decision to give his commanders high flexibility on the battlefield is one factor leading to the continuation of the "black jails."

One can only hope that President Obama will see the light and reverse the continuation of Bush Administration abominations. Preventing Red Cross access has no use as an interrogation tool and can only serve to heighten suspicion of American intentions. If the Obama Administration is serious about improving relations with the rest of the world, improving America's image, and making real changes for the better regarding the human rights of those in our detention facilities, then he must allow detainees access to the Red Cross. Absolutely no ifs, ands, or buts, as my grandma used to say. Just do it.

Brain Damage?

Just a note... Is there something wrong with my kids?

Here is a classic example of daily life with my kids: I was driving home from an out-of-town Thanksgiving gathering yesterday, snoozing in the passenger seat, when I hear my 10-year-old son pipe up, "Mom?"

I don't answer. I try to go back to sleep. My eyes are closed, head resting on the window. I should look asleep.

He says again, "Mom?"  

I guess he didn't get the message. Body language is not his forte.

My husband says to my son, "mom is sleeping." Pretty self-explanatory, right? No dice.

"Mom?"  Grrr. I'm not giving in. I AM SLEEPING, DAMMIT. Or at least I was.

My husband comes to the rescue. "She is SLEEPING! That means BE QUIET!"

Ah, finally, silence.  But I'm awake now. I'll never show it, though.


I am told this is a sign of "impulsivity" inherent in ADHD, but to me it is just simply idiotic. I'll never say that to my kids, of course. I remember all too well my dad's frustrated outbursts of "What's wrong with you? Are you retarded?" I must have made just as much (or little) sense to him as my kids do to me.  I'll just continue to pray for patience, something I don't have in great abundance.

(illustration: Family on a car trip by Sharon Watts)

US Debt A 'Phantom Menace,' Krugman Argues

In the debate over stimulus vs. deficit, both Paul Krugman and the Times are right. The major short-term threat to our economy is contraction caused by unemployment, shrinking credit, and reduced spending and production. This is what stimulus is supposed to fix, and in the short run, deficit spending is necessary. Undermining this effort by budget-balancing moves will only make it harder for the economy to recover. The deficit hawks are right, however, to keep an eye on the growing red ink, especially in light of our government's tendency towards deficit spending even in good economic times. If deficit hawks get too concerned too early, their loud voices could undermine confidence in the economy. What is needed is adequate spending now, but with an "exit strategy" meant to get us back in the black when the economy is back on track, but not before. That way investors and others will understand that the huge deficits are not a long-term trend, which would likely be unsustainable. This would allow short-term and long-term confidence to be maintained. Given that this would involve some austerity, a bipartisan commission might be the way to go, with its recommendations given the "fast track" in Congress - simple thumbs up or down, no amendments. (Kudos to the Economist magazine for suggesting much of this - it's a great idea!)
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

On Veteran's Day

Thinking about all the veterans who have served our country... veterans of all colors, religions, shapes and sizes. The work they do is the hardest work there is - putting their life on the line for the rest of us. They are simply amazing. I hope we always think hard before we send them into harm's way. They are soldiers, but also someone's son, daughter, sister, mother, or father.

Here's hoping for a safe and happy Veteran's Day for everyone!

More on the Global Cooling Myth

Now I know where the myth of global cooling is coming from. When I saw Laura Ingraham on Fox News simply dismissing reputable experts asserting that global temperatures are rising, I figured she was simply nuts. But the currently popular book Freakanomics and just plain and simple fun with statistics seems to be feeding this notion that global temperatures are declining. Luckily, we have Al Gore. He has pointed out the work done by statisticians showing how easy it is to creatively show a global cooling trend, if you simply pick and choose your data carefully. Yes, 1998 was a particularly hot year, and since then, temperatures have been cooling, relatively speaking. That is, until 2005, another very hot year. And, of course, if you take a broader look, you'll see that this decline from 1998 to 2005 is really just a blip in a long-term overall rise in temperatures that has been occurring for the last 30 years, if not the last century. Just to be sure, the AP gave raw temperature data to various scientists and asked them to look for "trends," without telling them what kind of trends to look for. None of the scientists found cooling trends.

So, if you are looking for cooling trends, you can find them, though it appears it requires a little bit of creativity. Most scientists would apparently not see a cooling trend without massaging the data.

In this super-charged atmosphere of partisan polarization, what used to be reasonable is now a battering ram against Obama. I thought Republicans were actually coming around to the idea of doing something about climate change? Apparently that was simply a blip in the Republican trend to drive us into corporate-controlled oblivion and tear down President Obama as much as possible.

I guess I can always that someday we will have "change we can believe in." Just not yet.

LASTING LEGACIES: Chapel bell rings of history - News

LASTING LEGACIES: Chapel bell rings of history - News (UGA Red and Black Newspaper)

Ah, the bane of my existence. UGA's historic chapel bell. Many legends surround this symbol of tradition. But my office sits right across Herty field from the bell, which is rung not just on special occasions, but when people are taking tours of the campus or when they get drunk downtown and want to make some noise. So even though I have great respect for this great symbol of UGA's tradition, my patience for its loud, resounding peals grows short when reveling drunkards our eager tourists loudly express their zeal outside my office window.

Yes, there it is again! (Ding, ding) The sound of distraction once again.