with all the serious challenges facing the United States...

...it's good to know we're focussing on the real dangers.

US tightens Cuba trade sanctions

The US government has announced that it will aggressively pursue those who violate the decades-old US trade embargo with Cuba.

A new task force has been set up to police the sanctions and those breaking them will face large fines.

The chief federal prosecutor in Florida said anyone who travelled illegally or traded with Cuba would be punished.

Is this really a big threat?

But critics say the move is an attempt to strengthen the Republican Party's vote ahead of congressional elections.

Oh, now I understand what the threat is.

All of this, of course, while the US applies it's extraordinary double standard of what constitutes terrorism. Attacking foreign troops who are occupying your country is terrorism; blowing up an airliner full of women, children, and an Olympic athlete is apparently not. It's OK to send an Arab Muslim back to his home country for trial, even though he may be tortured, but it's not OK to send a Venezuelan home to face trial for terrorism. It's a very selective Global War on Terror.

is it October?

from CNN: American al Qaeda faces treason

American al Qaeda spokesman Adam Yahiye Gadahn is to face treason charges, federal sources told CNN on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old California native who has appeared in five al Qaeda videos will also be charged with offering material support for terrorism, the two sources said.

His indictment was to be returned in Los Angeles and will be announced at 4 p.m. ET in Washington by the Justice Department, one of the sources said.

Wow! A public announcement of a treason trial! This is important news. Did they just capture him? Did they just find new evidence? Did they only just now find out who he was?

No.

According to the story, the FBI has been looking for this guy since 2004. Yes, looking. He's not in custody. They have no idea where he is. He appeared about a month ago in an al Qa'ida video, calling on Americans to become Muslims, but he's appeared on AQ videos before, so this is nothing new.

So...they don't have the guy; they have no new information on him; they have no new charges to bring. Why announce an indictment now?

Oh, right. It's October.

(no subject)

I am assured by my searches that Heraclitus is the chap to whom the aphorism "You can't step in the same river twice," is generally attributed. But I will always think of redactrice when I think of it, partly because she's said it many times to me (and probably will say it a few more), but also partly because I can't think of it without thinking of the rivers around Williamstown, where we went to college and met. Especially I think of the Green River, which I spent time staring into on more than one occasion, wondering where life was going to lead me.