DL Open Thread: Sunday, December 19, 2021

‘Bloodless’ Air Strikes Were Anything But Bloodless.  ‘The promise was a war waged by all-seeing drones and precision bombs.  Documents show flawed intelligence, faulty targeting, years of civilian deaths–and scant accountability.’  This is a report that must be read:

The trove of documents — the military’s own confidential assessments of more than 1,300 reports of civilian casualties, obtained by The New York Times — lays bare how the air war has been marked by deeply flawed intelligence, rushed and often imprecise targeting, and the deaths of thousands of civilians, many of them children, a sharp contrast to the American government’s image of war waged by all-seeing drones and precision bombs.

The documents show, too, that despite the Pentagon’s highly codified system for examining civilian casualties, pledges of transparency and accountability have given way to opacity and impunity. In only a handful of cases were the assessments made public. Not a single record provided includes a finding of wrongdoing or disciplinary action. Fewer than a dozen condolence payments were made, even though many survivors were left with disabilities requiring expensive medical care. Documented efforts to identify root causes or lessons learned are rare.

REPORT: Trump To Be Indicted For Racketeering In New York.  From likely the best, and most accurate, reporter covering All Things Trump:

“Oh, yeah,” Johnston responded. “They would not have done all of this and know how much they know … if they weren’t going to do this. Yeah, they will indict him. Exactly when? I don’t know. I don’t expect it will be on a straight tax charge. I think there will be a tax charge, but the key charge will be racketeering.”

Freedumb Fighter Wins His Battle To Be Free Of Vaccinations, Loses His Life.  A total asshole:

OLYMPIA — State Sen. Doug Ericksen, a stalwart conservative voice in the Legislature, former leader of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in Washington and an outspoken critic of COVID-19 emergency orders, has died, his family said Saturday. He was 52.

One of the longest-serving members in the current Legislature, the Ferndale Republican earned a reputation as a fierce and unrelenting foe of Democratic policies and Gov. Jay Inslee. When a GOP coalition controlled the Senate several years ago, Ericksen used his perch as chair of the Senate’s environment committee to help foil the governor’s ambitions on climate change. He went on to become an early backer of Trump’s first presidential campaign.

Ericksen fought, through protest and legislation, Inslee’s orders and mandates intended to fight the spread of the virus. Public health officials have strongly endorsed vaccination and masks as the best tools for fighting the pandemic. Ericksen had introduced legislation that he said was intended to protect the rights of people who won’t get vaccinated, and had repeatedly called on Inslee to resign.

He was also a registered foreign lobbyist on behalf of the Government of Cambodia. Why?:

Ericksen in 2019 registered with the U.S. Department of Justice as a foreign agent to conduct lobbying work on behalf of the Cambodian government, scoring a $500,000 contract for his new firm.

That contract came after Ericksen traveled to Cambodia to observe — and ultimately praise — the country’s widely condemned 2018 elections. Those elections took place as a government crackdown shuttered independent media organizations and dissolved a key opposition party.

Robert Reich: Saving American Democracy Means Stopping The Big Lie, Big Anger, And Big Money.  As usual, he provides a roadmap. Essential reading.

Ready For A Dog-Bites-Man Non-News Story?  Here Ya Go.

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