Stump Lane
in the dirt since history began

In a battle that has apparently been going on since we first learned about it, [click and scroll to bottom of post,] more than fourteen months ago, the administration continues to insist that more than 99% of cows NOT be tested for Mad Cow Disease.

Creekstone Farms Premium Beef wants to test all of their cows, but the administration says no:

Larger meat companies feared that move because, if Creekstone tested its meat and advertised it as safe, they might have to perform the expensive test, too.

The Agriculture Department regulates the test and argued that widespread testing could lead to a false positive that would harm the meat industry. [New York Times: US on Mad Cow: Don't Test All Cattle]

An undetected positive where contaminated meat reaches the food supply would harm people. By which I mean: here is another example of the triumph of financial power over human dignity. Creekstone’s efforts might prove to be an example of ‘The Invisible Hand’ actually functioning in the interests of The People, if not for the administration’s intervention. Yet intervention in the market is frowned upon in cases where it would protect the interests of The People.

It’s what Dad of Montag might call, “Ass Backwards.”

Does anybody know what happened to Neil Shakespeare? [We've paid homage in this space before.] His website is gone, and his blog has been replaced with something in a language that I do not recognize. He hasn’t responded to an email inquiry, which out of respect, I will not repeat.

Have the nature of his work, and the nature of the proposed Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2007 perhaps compelled him to take his work down? If so: a travesty!

I sincerely hope you are ok, Neil. Your bright commentary and the biting satire of your artwork will be missed. Here’s hoping everything is ok, and that [a lucrative publishing contract/top secret government commission] stipulates that your work be exclusively available in their series of [collectible coffee table books/'Winning the Hearts and Minds' propaganda posters.] I’d [pre-order that at my local independent bookstore/like to get my hands on some of those prints!]

OFFAL:

See, that’s the kind of attitude — he says, okay, [we should have just] let [the Iraqis] live under a tyrant [Saddam], and I just don’t agree. I obviously thought he had weapons, he didn’t have weapons; the world thought he had weapons. It was a surprise to me that he didn’t have the weapons of mass destruction everybody thought he had, but he had the capacity at some point in time to make weapons. It would have been a really dangerous world if we had the Iranians trying to develop a nuclear weapon, and Saddam Hussein competing for a nuclear weapon. You can imagine what the mentality of the Middle East would have been like. [White House: Press Conference by the President]

First of all: Depends on how you look at it, I suppose— what your definitions of the world and everybody are —but, “the world thought he had weapons,” and, “everybody thought,” are plainly false. Your Montag won’t say it’s a lie, because I fear this man is fucking delusional.

Second of all: Bwuh… wha… ba… Uhhh… What?

“Shut up, Montag. I’m on a roll. Remember when I looked into Putin’s eyes and saw his soul? Well, I also saw the future. (He’s got the crystal eye balls.) It was a ferocious, scary future. And the Middle East was totally mental! They all had the nuke-u-lar madness. That was some crazy shit, right there. Trust me, we’re better off with Saddam gone. Even a thousand al-Quaedas would be better than having some delusional sycophant to fascism… with nukes… gettin mental in the Middle East.”

Hold me. I’m scared.

ABC News’ The Blotter reports that an OFFAL authorization of covert operations aimed at the Iranian government marks a defeat for the vice president who favors military action:

“Vice President Cheney helped to lead the side favoring a military strike,” said former CIA official Riedel, “but I think they have come to the conclusion that a military strike has more downsides than upsides.” [This and all subsequent quotations, ABC News: Bush Authorizes New Covert Action Against Iran]

However, Your Montag might ask, which is more provocative:

• a covert, top secret, “nonlethal” black operation of intelligence collection, non-proliferation activity and a “coordinated campaign of propaganda, disinformation and manipulation of Iran’s currency and international financial transactions.”? or…
• the revelation of such a (“covert,” “top secret,”) operation.

Hmmm…

Let’s play Find the Leak!

Who are these ‘anonymous sources’ of whom ABC News’ The Blotter speaks?

Possible suspects:

• The CIA — No way. — A CIA spokesperson said, “As a matter of course, we do not comment on allegations of covert activity.”
• The Administration — Of course not! — A National Security Council spokesperson, Gordon Johndroe, said, “The White House does not comment on intelligence matters.”
• The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and other key congressional leaders — Guilty! — Congress members occasionally disagree with the president. Therefore, they want the terrorists to win. Therefore, they undermine this peaceful, nonlethal, plan to defeat terrorism in all of it’s forms!

And what consequence will this irresponsible love of terror bring?

“And this covert action is now being escalated by the new U.S. directive, and that can very quickly lead to Iranian retaliation and a cycle of escalation can follow,” Nasr said.

Looks like we may need the VP’s military strike plans after all!

Animal Farm — George Orwell

I have read this book three times maybe, and each time I read it all at once. Sat down after supper to read, and didn’t go to bed until I finished it. If only everything else was so engaging. I wish more people “got it” though, and by “it” I mean Orwell’s message.

Though I loathe counterproductive political witch hunts, it would seem that the need to discover and understand the extent of this administration’s actions of the past several years, and to seek justice, clearly rises above the level of witch hunting. I write you to urge you to investigate the administration’s criminal activities. I am especially concerned with the dual issues emerging from recent testimony before congress.

First is the evidence— arising from the ongoing investigation into the firing of several US attorneys —of obstruction of justice, with ‘electoral’ motives: pressuring prosecutors to pursue bogus voter fraud cases, which could be used to bolster Republican voter suppression efforts.

Second, and more importantly, is James Comey’s testimony regarding the Terrorist Surveillance Program, which the justice department under John Ashcroft couldn’t support. What was the true extent of that unlawful program? How bad must it have been that John Ashcroft’s justice department couldn’t get behind it? It seems the administration has thus far successfully concealed what was going on. It is long past time to uncover it.

Furthermore, what both of these examples reveal, is evidence that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales the chief law enforcement officer of the nation is actively involved in concealing the administration’s (and the party’s) extralegal activities. These extralegal activities are crimes against democracy; by which I mean The People you represent.

Glen Greenwald says Comey’s testimony describes “…the behavior of a government completely unmoored from any constraints of law, operating only by the rules of thuggery, intimidation, and pure lawlessness.” There is an urgent need for justice that only continues to grow with time. It is past time to lay aside concerns of political expediency and for congress to aggressively seek justice in these cases.

Thank you for your time. I look forward to your response on these two matters.

Sincerely,
Your Constituent Montag

PS: Click here for Friday music.

It’s Montag’s Myspace Music MFriday.

WHEREBY Your Montag traverses the myspace music scene, follows the trail of comments from one page to the next and picks out the song I like best from each artist. Because the internets are made out of tubes, the links vacuum you— or more accurately, an electronic representation of yourself —up and over to the artist’s myspace music page. Kinda like that canister at the bank drive-through.

1. Gum — Emit (London) — Polite guitar driven English alterna-rock. Thanks to TNG for the recommendation. He was right about Emit.
2. Attack Attack Attack — EJECTORSEAT (Derby, UK) — Polite guitar driven English alterna-rock with added electronic keyboard.
3. All Runways remix — Computerman (UK) — Polite English alterna-rock, verging on electronica, though still with some guitar.
4. DESTROY EVERYTHING — Ladytron (Liverpool, UK) — The trend noted above continues.
5. Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above — CSS (Brazil) — I honestly thought, “Ladytron reminds me a little of CSS,” before I noticed that CSS were in Ladytron’s ‘friend space.’ And, though I was already well-aware of how CSS are the reigning sovereign rulers of all music, and therefore not “new to me,” I nonetheless jumped at the chance to click over to their myspace.
6. Loud Pipes — RATATAT (BROOKLYN, New York) — [Pictured.] They’ve got themselves down for “Rock / Electronica / Hip Hop” I’d call it “Really cool rock/electronica/Hip Hop.” Or, “Possibly the best thing since CSS.” (IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE TODAY, check out the Biggie Smalls remix while you’re over there!)
7. Death Perception — We Must Be Stopped (Dayton, OH) — At first, I thought I was being let in on a (somewhat entertaining) joke; but the track entitled Sabina gave me pause. Now I suspect the band name is apt. Still not sure, though, so let’s go with [see title of post.]
8. Music is Happiness — The Octopus Project (Austin, TX) — Something nice you haven’t quite heard the likes of before.
9. Manga Man — PEELANDER-Z (New York, NY) — From their site: “Japanese Action Comic Punk.” Indeed. (If you listen to the recommended selection, be sure to give it a chance to get going, after the cumbersome intro.)

Your Montag’s top four* picks, for those who don’t have ‘that kind of time’: 6, 5, 4 and 9.

Suggestions? If you know of, (or are,) a myspace music artist that might value the exposure that a glancing mention on a D-list blog can bring, leave a comment here or correspond with me via electronic mail.

* In the past, it’s been an disappointingly easy process of elimination to ascertain the top four. This time it was really hard!

Remember back when Stump Lane was good? Or at least better than of late? When we could say all that needed saying within a single long-winded post title? (As opposed to long-winded post titles that say nothing really at all.) Well that once upon a time post title didn’t say all that it might have said, as we now learn. Thanks, The Carpetbagger Report. (And Glen Greenwald whom they quote.)

Greenwald:

What James Comey described on Tuesday is the behavior of a government completely unmoored from any constraints of law, operating only by the rules of thuggery, intimidation, and pure lawlessness.

It’s time for letters to leaders on this. Coming tomorrow, maybe.

…but forgot.

Just kidding.

To quote a jet-lagged Clive Owen character in Closer:

Time. What a tricky little fucker. My head’s in two places. My brain actually hurts.

Though not exactly jet-lagged, once again, Your Montag is busy. So no new Semi Random Friday Music. Consult the archives to get caught up on past editions of that fun.

Wednesday was the latest edition of Carnival of the Liberals (#38) — though I hadn’t written anything over the past two weeks that would merit inclusion this time.

There is some new stuff at I Miss Fafblog, Spot!

I’m spent.

UPDATE: Yesterday’s Speed Bump was classic.