Kurt Nimmo Infowars.com.

Bush signs the Patriot Act

Obama waited until Saturday night to renew the Bill of Rights busting Patriot Act. It was set to expire today. Both the Senate and the House signed off on the extension last week. So called “privacy protections” were dumped when Senate Democrats failed to raise a 60-vote supermajority to pass them. Cast aside were restrictions and greater scrutiny on the government’s authority to spy on Americans and seize their records, the Associated Press reports.

Feingold told a Senate Judiciary Committee in September of 2009 that 65 percent of the cases for which sneak-and-peek warrants were used were drug investigations.

The Patriot Act was not designed to be used against supposed terrorists. “It’s not meant for intelligence, it’s for criminal cases,” Assistant Attorney General David Kris told the Senate Judiciary Committee. “So I guess it’s not surprising to me that it applies in drug cases.”

­The Patriot Act allows the government to search and seize Americans’ papers and effects without probable cause to assist “terror” (drug and other victimless crime) investigations. It prevents a right to a speedy and public trial (ask American Jose Padilla about this one). It discourages freedom of association, freedom of speech (the government may prosecute librarians or keepers of any other records if they tell anyone the government subpoenaed information related to a terror investigation), and the right to legal representation (the government may monitor conversations between attorneys and clients in federal prisons and deny lawyers to Americans accused of crimes).

The act allows the government to abduct citizens and jail them without charge or the ability to confront witnesses against them. It allows the government to hold anybody deemed an “unlawful combatant” incommunicado forever. It effectively turns America into East Germany or Stalin’s Russia.

Democrats and moonstruck liberals should be held directly responsible for turning America into a police state. After all, they bought into Obama’s “yes we can” mantra and packed Congress with Democrats who voted last week to extend the Patriot Act.

They should have voted for Ron Paul.

“The Obama administration wanted to extend the measure because of provisions it says are important in tracking suspected terrorists, including roving wiretaps to track multiple communications devices,” Reuters reported on Thursday.

“Disappointingly, the government’s dangerously broad authority to conduct roving wiretaps of unspecified or ‘John Doe’ targets, to secretly wiretap of persons without any connection to terrorists or spies under the so-called ‘lone wolf’ provision, and to secretly access a wide range of private business records without warrants under PATRIOT Section 215 were all renewed without any new checks and balances to prevent abuse,” Kevin Bankston wrote last week after the act sailed through Congress.

Instead of tracking terrorists, the bill has been used to track the American people. In 2008, for instance, the Justice Department made 763 requests for “sneak-and-peek” warrants, but only three of those had to do with terrorism investigations, according to senator Russ Feingold. This article was first Infowars.com.

by the University of Michigan

ANN ARBOR, Mich.-— Conventional wisdom among many ecologists is that industrial-scale agriculture is the best way to produce lots of food while preserving biodiversity in the world’s remaining tropical forests. But two University of Michigan researchers reject that idea and argue that small, family-owned farms may provide a better way to meet both goals.

In many tropical zones around the world, small family farms can match or exceed the productivity of industrial-scale operations, according to U-M researchers Ivette Perfecto and John Vandermeer. At the same time, smaller diversified farms are more likely to help preserve biodiversity in tropical regions undergoing massive amounts of deforestation, Perfecto and Vandermeer conclude in a paper to be published online Feb. 22 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). “Most of the tropical forest that’s left is fragmented, and what you have are patches of forest surrounded by agriculture,” said Perfecto, a professor at the School of Natural Resources and Environment.

“If you want to maintain biodiversity in those patches of forest, then the key is to allow organisms to migrate between the patches. And small-scale family farms that adopt sustainable agricultural technologies are more likely to favor migration of species than a huge, monocultural plantation of soybeans or sugar cane or some other crop.”

Some ecologists have suggested that the history of eastern North American forests provides a preview of what’s likely to happen in the tropics. European colonization of eastern North America led to massive deforestation that accompanied the expansion of agriculture. Later, industrialization drew people to cities from the rural areas, and the forests recovered.

This scenario is known as the forest transition model. It has been argued that if a similar progression occurs in the tropics, then the decline in rural populations would make more land potentially available for conservation. A corollary of the forest transition model states that if you consolidate agriculture into large, high-tech farms, productivity increases and more land is freed up for conservation. But after reviewing case studies from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, Perfecto and Vandermeer conclude “there is little to suggest that the forest transition model is useful for the tropics” ­and that it “projects an overly optimistic vision.” Instead, the U-M researchers propose an alternative model, which they call the matrix quality model. They say it provides a solid foundation for conservation planning in tropical regions.

If you think of the fragments of remaining tropical forest as islands in an ocean of agriculture, the ocean is what Perfecto and Vandermeer call the matrix—it’s the area between the patches of undisturbed natural habitat. A high-quality matrix is one that enables plants and animals to migrate between the remaining patches of forest,increasing the likelihood that a given species will be able to survive, helping to preserve biodiversity.

Small, family-owned farms that use agroecological techniques come closest to mimicking natural forest habitat, thereby creating corridors that allow plants and animals to migrate between forest fragments. Agroecological techniques can include the use of biological controls instead of pesticides, the use of compost or other organic matter instead of chemical fertilizers, and the use of agroforestry methods, which involve growing crops beneath a canopy of trees or growing crops mixed with fruit trees such as mangoes or avocados.

“If you’re really interested in conserving species, you should not just concentrate on preserving the fragments of natural habitat that remain, even though that’s where many species are,” said Vandermeer, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and a professor at the School of Natural Resources and Environment. “You also need to concentrate on the areas between the fragments, because those are the places that species have to migrate through.”

Vandermeer said he advocates the break-up of large-scale farms in the tropics, as well as incentives to encourage “a large number of small-scale farmers, each managing the land to the best of his or her ability, using agroecological techniques.” Perfecto said these goals are in line with the findings of the 2009 International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development synthesis report. The report concluded that small-scale, sustainable farms are the best way to alleviate world hunger while promoting sustainable development. Perfecto was one of the report’s authors.

The PNAS article by Perfecto and Vandermeer is part of a special report in the journal about solutions to the world food crisis. Perfecto, Vandermeer and Angus Wright discuss the links between agricult

by El Reportero’s news services

­Orlando Zapata Tamayo

On the evening of Feb. 23 Orlando Zapata Tamayo, a 42-year old political prisoner, died in hospital following an 83-day hunger strike. It is the first time in nearly 40 years that a dissident has died of hunger strike, prompting immediate condemnation from leading opponents of the Cuban government on the island and in the Miami–based exile community. His distraught mother, Reina Luisa Tamayo, accused the authorities of assassination. The timing is very awkward for Brazil’s President Lula da Silva, who arrived in Havana last night on his final official visit to Cuba before leaving office at the end of this year.

The changing pattern of oil investment in the region

International oil companies are once again interested in the Andean region’s oil. Colombia and Venezuela, for different reasons, are attracting most interest, and Ecuador least. Colombia, which had endured something of an exploration drought after BP made its major discoveries in Cupiagua and Cusiana in the 1990s, is now very firmly back in the game. Colombia’s two great attractions are its government’s enthusiasm for foreign investment and its oil, which tends to be light (and low sulphur) crude. Venezuela’s oil is generally heavy and sour, but the country has almost 100 times more of the stuff than Colombia.

A decisive year for Brazil
da Silva, Brasil

This year, 2010, is a busy year for elections in the region. Brazil’s presidential and congressional elections dominate the calendar and the big question is whether President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva can transfer his popularity to his preferred successor, Dilma Rousseff. The example of what has happened in Chile shows how difficult this is. Chile elected Sebastián Piñera as its first democratically-chosen, rightwing president for 52 years in January. This was despite the 80 percent plus opinion poll approval ratings of the leftwing incumbent, Michelle Bachelet.

Argentina’s presidential couple face big political test

Cristina Fernández

Argentina’s President Cristina Fernández, and her husband and predecessor, Néstor Kirchner are battling to preserve their political credibility amid dwindling approval ratings, persistent allegations of illicit enrichment, savage criticism of their economic policymaking, damaging disputes with the judiciary, and the impending return from recess of an-opposition controlled congress. All of this coincides with fresh protests planned by the country’s four powerful farming unions.

­Venezuela Election Council ready for primaries

Venezuela’s National Electoral Council announced on Wednesday to be ready to organize primary elections for the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and opposition organizations that are interested in holding internal elections to nominate deputy candidates. The institution said in a press release the PSUV leaders had already requested technical support, while a so-called opposition Unity Table asked for information on technical and logistic support, if automated primaries are held. The PSUV, led by President Hugo Chavez, announced that it would hold primary elections on May 6, at the 87 constituencies set up for the parliamentary elections on September 26. The PSUV leaders said this is in line with the organization’s principles of internal democracy. With over seven million registered members, the party hopes to win two thirds of the 165 parliamentary seats. Meanwhile, the opposition is trying hard to reach agreements for a unified front, but has decided to hold primaries at only 28 constituencies.

by Luis Carlos López

Schwarzenegger at CPAC

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Feb. 18-20 Conservative Political Action Conference ushered in some of the nation’s top leaders in the movement, media personalities and frustrated taxpayers to talk about a wave of resurgence for the Republican Party and conservative values.

With sights, sounds and seminars calling for limited government and a halt on federal spending came hints of a GOP effort to win a larger share the growing Latino vote.

Ex-Vice President Dick Cheney, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, former Attorney General John Ashcroft and commentators Leslie Sánchez and Glenn Beck were among the high-profile conservatives in attendance.

Columnist and political pundit Ann Coulter tapped the mood and sentiment of the crowd by sharing, “For the first time in my life I am sometimes not proud of my country,” mocking First Lady Michelle Obama’s one-time comment, “For the first time in my adult lifetime,

I am really proud of my country.”

The 37th annual CPAC event attracted a record turnout of nearly 10,000 to the Marriott Wardman Hotel in northwest Washington. It emphasized the movement’s influence as the GOP builds momentum for a congressional comeback in November.

Although Latinos and other persons of color were sparse in the crowd, the program did touch on ethnic involvement and empowerment, as well as immigration — issues of concern to a Latino constituency.

“The Rise of Latino Conservatism,” a onehour seminar sponsored by the American Principle Project along with Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, cited the strong connection between the Hispanic culture and conservative values.

Partnership senior fellow Alfonso Aguilar said the Obama administration is promoting a “policy of entitlement,” countering that Latinos believe in a “policy of aspiration.”

Ron Paul at CPAC.

He said his organization has half a million dollars to help conservative candidates who are for immigration reform.“For the conservative movement to grow, want us to work together. If they are working to defeat radical Islam, they want us to work together. However, if the goal is to abandon our free enterprise economy… if the goal is to convert America into a submissive member of the international community… if the goal is not to fix America, but rather to “change” America… the American people are looking for leaders that will fight those efforts.”

Economy: “This severe economic downturn is a perfect time to reinvigorate, not abandon, America’s free enterprise system.”

Jobs: “Jobs aren’t created by politicians. They are created by people willing to use their money to start a business or expand an existing one.”

National Debt: “The expansion of government at home has implications for America’s interests abroad. This growth is being funded with borrowed money. Almost half of our debt is now held in foreign countries. And one of them, China, reminds us of this every time the U.S. says or does something they do not like… [Voters] are looking for clear signs that Washington is serious about creating growth, controlling spending and ending the monetization of our budget shortfalls… let’s show we are serious about getting control of our national debt.”

Taxes: “Let’s reform the tax code and reduce tax rates. Let’s eliminate double taxation by abolishing the taxes on capital gains, on dividends, on interest, and, yes, on death. Let’s significantly lower the corporate tax rate to a rate that makes us competitive with the rest of the world.

Alternative Energy: “Let’s stop big government energy mandates like cap and trade, and instead rely on the American innovatorto make us energy independent.”

Health Care: “Instead of having the federal government open up a new health insurance company, let’s make some simple changes that put the consumer in charge of health care spending. And while we are at it, let’s pass lawsuit abuse reform.”

National Security: “There is no greater risk to our security than radical Islamic terrorists… They attack us because they want to impose their world view on others. We will do whatever we have to do to defeat terrorism. We will punish their allies like Iran and stand with our allies like Israel. We will destroy terrorist cells and their leaders. We will capture the terrorists that survive and, after we get useful information from them, bring them to justice by trying them before military tribunals in Guantanamo, not in civilian courts in Manhattan.

Role of Government: “Almost every other country in the world chose to have the government control the economy. They chose to decide which companies should survive, 1which industries should be rewarded… Americans have chosen differently. America chose individual liberty instead of the false security of government. America chose a limited government – one that exists to protect our rights, not to grant them. And America chose a free enterprise system – one that aims to provide equality of opportunity, not compel equality of results… But now some of our leaders are asking us to choose something very different.”­