Moving to a New Domain
We are in the process of moving the Behind the Chairman’s Door blog to a new domain. As we upgrading the blog from WordPress 2.7 to 2.8, we thought that we would move the blog from here to its own domain.
The new name and domain for this blog is btchd. Once you get there, please make sure that you sign up as a user so that we can keep you informed of new posts, comments, polls, surveys and many other items.
If you have us listed in your aggregator, please update the links to following RSS feed:
Thanks for your continued readership and we look forward to bringing more information and analysis to your desktops in the coming months.
Sphere: Related ContentUnited States of Amnesia
As Gore Vidal said once, “we are the United States of Amnesia.” We are. We don’t read. We don’t know other languages. We don’t study our own history. Our history is the history of an idea – an imperfect idea.
Al Jazeera’s Fault Lines hosted a fantastic debate of various experts discussing the Bush legacy of torture.
The panel includes:
Michael Scheuer – Former CIA Analyst
Jumana Musa – Human Rights Lawyer
Larry Wilkerson – former Chief of Staff to Colin Powell
Jim Moran – US Congressman
While the discussion does cover many of the things covered in the media, some of comments made by the panelists are fantastic, including Wilkerson’s explanation in response to an audience question about the implications of not doing anything:
They’re serious in terms of diminishment of our real power in the world, because our real power is as much wrapped around an idea as it is around the military, nuclear weapons or whatever. We’re unique in that respect in the world and so many Americans seem not realize that, because they don’t know our history.
As Gore Vidal said once, “we are the United States of Amnesia.” We are. We don’t read. We don’t know other languages. We don’t study our own history. Our history is the history of an idea – an imperfect idea. Our constitution made people like you slaves, made them three fifths of a person. Our constitution has changed.
We’ve grown. We’ve moved towards that more perfect union. We ain’t there yet. We never will be there. But that idea is our most powerful weapon in the world and we have done consequential damage to that idea in the world. Our power has been diminished by doing that.
Or Michael Scheuer: Read more…
Sphere: Related ContentUS Planning Green Zones in Islamabad, Peshawar, and Lahore
With Anti-American sentiment high in Pakistan from the continued drone strikes and the war on terror, a recent news report disclosed that the United States is planning a massive expansion of its diplomatic missions in Pakistan. While the State Department continues to claim that the expansion is to replace an already overcrowded, dilapidated and unsafe facilities and to support the “surge” of diplomatic officials in line with President Obama and Secretary Clinton’s strategy for South Asia, you have to wonder whether there is a deeper plan.
According to the report, the White House has asked Congress for $736 million for a new embassy in Islamabad, along with permanent housing and office space for US government civilians. The project is on the same scale as the US embassy in Baghdad at a cost of $740 million.
Additional expansions are planned for Peshawar, Lahore and Kabul. The plan for Peshawar includes the purchase of the Pearl Continental Hotel, Peshawar’s only 5 star hotel. Oddly, the Pearl Continental Hotel is owned by Sadruddin Hashwani – the same person that owns the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, which was the target of a massive terrorist attack. Read more…
Sphere: Related ContentPML Doesn’t Believe in Feeding the Poor
In a shocking story published in this morning’s Nation, the PML (Nawaz) and PML (Quaid) have chosen to NOT distribute the application forms for the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), which would provide the foundations of a welfare system to the poor of Pakistan.
Sadly, the “party of the people (as the PML-N likes to call itself)” is not interested in providing this facility to the people of the Punjab. According to the report, all the leaders of the PML-N and PML-Q have decided that the poor of the Punjab don’t need access to this programme because they have the Sharifs to feed them.
Sources in BISP revealed that PML-N MNAs, Javed Hashmi, Memoona Hashmi and Hamza Shahbaz Sharif received their quota of BISP forms for distribution among the deserving persons, but did not return these back to the concerned department for further investigation and payment of money, thereby depriving them of the financial assistance to be given by the govt on their recommendation.
Neither of the three legislators was available when this scribe tried to contact them to seek their version. Data collected from BISP’s regional office in Lahore has revealed that 61 Punjab Assembly members mostly belonging to PML-N and PML-Q, and also including son of PM Gilani, Abdul Qadir Gilani, did not even bother to receive the BISP forms for onward distribution among the poor of their respective constituencies.
According to the break up, out of these 61 legislators, 40 belong to PML-N, 19 to PML-Q, while two have their affiliation with PPP. Punjab Assembly members who did not receive the forms include:
PML-N: Raja Fiaz Sarwar, Sheharyar Riaz, Yasir Raza Malik, Tahir Ahmed Sindhu, Khalid Imtiaz Khan Baloch, Mian Muhammad Rafique, Rai Nasir Mehmood, Ch Irfan-ud-Din, Rana Muhammad Iqbal, Imran Ashraf, Rana Shamim Ahmed Khan, Munnawar Ahmed Gill, Jamil Ashraf, Yahya Gul Nawaz, Khawaja Salman Rafique, Allah 
Rakha, Mehr Ishtiaq Ahmed, Ijaz Ahmed Khan, Saeed Ilahi, Syed Zaeem Hussain Qadri, Mian Naseer Ahmed, Rana Mubashir Iqbal, Peer Muhammad Ashraf Rasool, Rai Farooq Umer Khan Kharal, Mian Yawar Zaman, Malik Ali Abbas Khokhar, Muhammad Moeen Wattoo, Karam Dad Wahla, Ch Javed Ahmed Advocate, Sardar Wajid Hussain Dogar, Sardar Meer Badshah Khan Qaisrani, Sardar Atif Hussain Khan Mazari, Sardar Sher Ali Khan Gorchani, Syed Haroon Ahmed Sultan Bokhari, Asif Manzoor Mohal, Ch Muhammad Shafique, Arifa Khalid Pervaiz, Fariha Nayab, Mrs Laila Muqaddas and Ms Rehana Hadees. Read more…
Craig Ferguson Does Britney – Or So To Speak
Absolutely hilarious!
We Want To Hear You Scream
First, it was Christopher Hitchens that took the challenge to prove that waterboarding was not torture. His view changed after 15 seconds being waterboarded.
Then, Sean Hannity said on his show that he would be waterboarded for charity taking the debate about torture to a sick level -- as if it was a comedy.
Now, Eric Mancow has taken the challenge and learned in 6 seconds that it is definately torture. Read more…
Sphere: Related ContentWhy Bush Must Be Prosecuted for Torture
With the debate about the prosecution of torture gaining steam in the United States, and the release of the classified documents, I thought this video provides a great argument for the why Bush and his administration must be prosecuted for torture.
Think about it.
Sphere: Related ContentJohn Cleese Analysis of America
John Cleese, one of my favorite actors since his days in Monty Python films, gives a great analysis of the United States.
