buckdata – news and views for an unquiet age

There is heated debate in Washington these days over what to do about our country’s recent unsavory dabbling in torture as an information-gathering strategy.
As with many other instances during the George W. Bush administration in which legitimate duties of government (such as statesmanship) became conflated with and ultimately displaced by punishment, pure and simple, we [...]

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Friends, family, and acquaintances are raising questions about whether President Obama  can accomplish  what we helped elect him to do. Will the wars end in Iraq and Afghanistan? Will clean energy really be funded? Will Bush-era wiretap and other privacy violations be sufficiently curtailed?  Will single payer health care get endorsed or merely sidelined? Will [...]

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On July 17, President George W. Bush visited California to view damage from the recent wildfires in the state. Speaking in Redding, California, the president said: “One, I always come to make sure that the federal government is coordinating closely with the state government. I know Governor Schwarzenegger well enough to tell you [...]

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