Death penalty

We've had vets kill two of our dogs over the years when they became old and ill. The vet injected them. Both went down like a ton of bricks, took a breath or two and were gone -eyes rolled back and motionless except for a final sigh a little while later. Leaving aside ethical questions, why does not such a simple exit appear available to those condemned to be executed? Because the drugs are not available to those doing executions as the article points out In addition the lines are put in the condemned person's veins by 'technicians' not nurses, doctors, paramedics or any other medical professional with a professional association as all of them in the US will disbar and strike off anyone who participates in an execution. Not having medical qualifications or the ability to practice regularly they regularly botch the needle insertion, for eg putting the needle right through the vein so the substances introduced go into the arm instead of the blood. The rest of the civilised world, the pharmaceutical companies, ALL the medical and paramedical societies and much of their population including some of the relatives of the murdered are against this barbaric activity. Yet all this penetrates their thick skulls not at all? This is one of the sickest things I've ever read. The fact that those who put other human beings to death probably consider themselves good Christians is just beyond comprehension to me. "Thou shalt not kill". Ring a bell?

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/30/death-row-inmates-longer-deaths-scramble-drugs

Immigration

Frankly, I don't get all this "undocumented immigration reform" stuff!! If an immigrant came to to U.S. undocumented, then, this immigrant came to the U.S. illegally, broke the law, therefore, should face the consequences of breaking the law. That's what laws are for!! The government spends so much money and resources to try to stop the illegal immigrants and, now before mid-term elections, pushing for legalizing illegals!! What a joke!! I think that the real reason there are so many illegals is: U.S. needs them to perform jobs that legals don't want, basically, importing slave labor!! If it wasn't for the illegals, cost of goods would skyrocket (minimum wage, unions, etc). It's basic economics!! The U.S. has the technical expertise to totally close the border, if it wishes to. I guess you don't know that there's a specific reason why being undocumented in the US isn't actually crime. The government has the right to send undocumented aliens back to their place of origin, and nobody has a problem with that.

However, if they make it a crime, then under the Constitution, the accused have the right to a trial, an attorney, right of appeal, and all other rights that pertain to the accused in a criminal trial. Oh, and they can't be deported while this is going on. Starting to see the problem? Imagine if, instead of being deported, you had several million aliens awaiting trial. Sure would keep the lawyers and courts busy, and probably wouldn't cost more than a few hundred billion dollars.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/30/house-republicans-principles-immigration-reform

Vodka, the reason behind Russian death rate

Vodka is a major cause of early death in Russia and partly to blame for the high mortality rates among men in the country, research has revealed. Vodka, or "little water" as it is sometimes called, has become more available over the last 30 years, which is reflected in premature death statistics, say scientists.A new forward-looking study has now found that Russian men who drink three or more bottles of vodka a week are far more likely to go to an early grave than those who consume less than one.The premature death rate in men who consumed less than a bottle of vodka a week was 16%.
Excess deaths among heavy drinkers were caused by alcohol poisoning, accidents, violence and suicide. Deaths from throat and liver cancer, tuberculosis, pneumonia and pancreatitis were also thought to be caused by Russia's systemic drinking problem. Researchers spoke to 57,361 men in three different Russian cities and found more of a third of male smokers drinking three half-litre bottles every week could expect to make it to the ages of 35 and 54.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25961063

Ukraine, the next Egypt

Americans want another NATO base in the Ukraine and just to make protests even worse the puppies of EU - Lithuanian and Polish prime ministers went to Kiev and Publicly told the protesters to go on and fight for "freedom" and told them not to worry, because they will support them- they can not even support themselves and their own people nevermind the Ukrainians. Ukraine's dilemma is that the eastern half is a benighted priest ridden backwater of groveling orthodoxy and worship of Moscow the people are mostly brutish, bovine, resentfull, and superstitious locked way in an isolated corner of the world where the Enlightenment never saw the dawn. Western Ukraine is european looking & progressive yearning to be part of the civilized world. It is high time for the Ukrainian army to move in defense of the people against the Yanukovych Russian dictatorship. Just as the army in Egypt removed Morsi and outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood so should the army arrest Yanukovych and his gang for treason and conspiracy outlawing the Communist party responsible for the genocide of 1932-33. Is a Nazi party allowed in the Israeli Knesset? No!

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25966962

NSA Still Spying

Now, given the revelations that individuals in the NSA and security services were using NSA tools for their own personal reasons, and the private contractor hired to do their background checks has been accused by the DoJ of faking over 600,000 vettings, this makes me wonder if the hacker 'FOIA' who stole and released the Climategate emails has a job at Fort Meade? Of course it was the US Gov what done it. That's basically the point of the whole article. Equally damning is that The Guardian published the leaked Danish document. Funny, we don't read about an in-depth investigation into who knew what when about that, because then we'd have to face the unpalatable truth that The Guardian has been used for its entire history as a mouthpiece of the Establishment.I doubt if any future negotiation with the US will ever be done where there is mutual trust and respect. This and the G20/G8 spying has put an end to real negotiations where serious US engagement results in constructive ends. Gaming these talks is an insult to those involved in negotiations and everyone else on this planet who takes climate change seriously. Grow up America!

Source information

NSA makes final push to retain most mass surveillance powers

The NSA has the White House, Congress and the Judiciary by the balls. This has been going on for decades. Snowden said that he could read Obama's emails if he had his email address.
So do not expect any treason trials in the US - the criminals are in charge of this fascist, police state as American citizens naively put hand on their hearts and sing "land of the free." That is the closest they will ever come to freedom. That's turned out to be handy, because any US Congressperson or Senator seeking to scrutinise the NSA has known that the simple fact of their interest makes them 'persons of interest' to the CIA, FBI and, of course, the NSA. Plus being watched by State and County Police Officers as a potential enemy of the USA. For white members of the US Congress, that's probably as close as they'll have ever got to the routine experience of being an unwhite person in the USA. Except, at least in the US the government is making a show of considering public opinion on this and there is fairly wide-ranging media debate - I'm sure one of our American friends on here can tell us more about that coverage. Here in the UK the press is all but silent on the issue and our own government remains locked in a 'you don't need to know, you can trust us, it is essential to ward off our evil enemies' monologue, participate in some pretty shoddy treatment of David Miranda and The Guardian, and to top it all off the majority of the UK public don't actually seem to give a shit. I despair.

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