Protect all whistleblowers, especially Assange and Snowden

I find it a tad ironic, and terribly destructive to America's mission that our government is going to great lengths to protect the whistleblower whose complaint ignored the Trump impeachment, but that same government is trying to imprison Julian Assange and Ed Snowden for revealing truths about our immoral, failed wars and illegal surveillance of our citizenry. There is even more reason for celebrating and protecting the latter two than the former. The Trump whistleblower would most likely only face a smear campaign by dead ender Trump supporters. Assange and Snowden are targets of utter destruction by a renegade government bent on covering up the failure and criminality of its perpetual wars, and willingness to spy on all of us. Dropping the Assange and Snowden prosecutions will acknowledge their contribution in attempting to turn around the Titanic like voyage of the United States from the iceberg of endless war and surveillance. They serve the hero medal ... not prison stripes.

Good day for presidential accountability; bad day for peace

While Trump's impeachment by the House sucked all the oxygen from the news cycle, the Senate, quietly lavished an additional $22 billion on the Defense Department in passing the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This brings Defense Department increases in Trump's three years to $130 billion. Additionally, House provisions to end US support of Saudi Arabia's murderous, immoral war against Yemen, and requirement for Trump to obtain congressional approval before launching any attack on Iran were stripped out. The overwhelming 86 - 8 vote was not surprising as runaway military spending to fund perpetual US war around the Middle East and Africa is bi-partisan. To his credit, presidential contender Bernie Sanders (I- VT) had this to say about the bill: “The 2020 NDAA is a bill of astonishing moral cowardice, There is no pressing reason for Congress to shower Trump, his Saudi friends, and the Pentagon contractors of the military-industrial complex with this $738 billion taxpayer giveaway right now. We owe it to the American people to go back to the drawing board.” Back to the drawing board, indeed. Congress should be required to go back for moral training in the Constitution which requires them to authorize any US military action currently killing untold thousands in numerous countries.

New moniker for Boeing jet?

In light of 2 horrific crashes caused by malfunctioning computer software that struggling pilots couldn't override, killing 346, a new name for the now shuttered Boeing jet might more appropriately be...737 MIN

  

Upcoming GOP Senate Impeachment trial reminds me of 1950's Southern racial justice.

Up through the 1950's, Southern state trials of white racist killers followed a predicable formula. The presiding judge would gavel open the trial, prosecutors would present a little evidence regarding the killing of an 'uppity' black man by a local white, the all white jury would retire for an hour or two; just enough time to have lunch, than report back with their verdict: NOT GUILTY.