The 2008 primary of the reds started to heat up this week with Senator John McCain's neo-AuH2O (Bull Moose's term) power play over the Senate's red leader frist. 14 moderates, from both teams, united behind McCain in the name of sanity in the Senate. In doing so, Senators distanced themselves from the anti-filibuster circus the public neither likes, cares about, nor understands. A distance that might look good in the 2006 and/or 2008 elections. The Democrats, though lacking a leader outside of the elderly Senator Robert Byrd, seem to have found some unity, at least so far as john bolton is concerned. The recent decision to delay the vote on the UN Ambassador nominee, until the documents asked for are made available, is evidence of that.
More news that must have chaffed this president and his posse like a cheap pair of chaps, and it's starting to show.
In an attempt to brighten foreign policy headlines, the president sent the first lady to see if she could smile and praise her way through the Middle East. Maybe she would be met with the flowers and sweets we've all been waiting for. Nope. Unfortunately, she was "mobbed" by angry protesters. This is what we've become. Our image so tarnished, so infuriating that even our first lady is met with animosity. Not to worry though, we'll still have all of Our nuClear weapons to meet that animosity with, if the administration has anything to say about it. It's no surprise that the month long conference on the Non-Proliferation Treaty ended with little positive results. A lot of 'do as I say not as I do' policy going on there, with the US trying to keep the pressure on North Korea and Iran's nuClear prospects while avoiding it's own obligations when it comes to stockpiles of nuClear weapons and the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty that President Clinton signed in 1996, but president bush has refused to since taking office. The real nuclear option is a far scarier prospect than the Senate's version is.
“They were immoral, illegal, militarily unnecessary, very, very dangerous in terms of accidental or inadvertent use, and destructive of the non-proliferation regime”.
-Robert McNamara on the US and NATO policy on their nuclear weapons policies
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Unbelievable!
The story of the brutal deaths of two inmates in US custody in Afghanistan should help to quell the Newsweek feeding frenzy, much like Galloway's testimony should silence the reds' lust for the UN oil for food scandal. At this point, even the first lady admits "you can't blame it all on" the infamously flawed report. After all, the Red Cross had warned the Pentagon of the disrespect shown the Quran at Guantanamo Bay after gathering "credible" reports from as far back as 2002. The images of saddam in his underpants certainly aren't helping the "coalition's" image as it pertains to the Geneva Conventions, and the US military knows it. That's why the Pentagon has condemned the publishing of the images. Like it or not, he is a prisoner of war and should be treated the same way we would want our generals treated should they ever be put on trial for crimes against humanity.
At least here at home Our "leaders" are operating in good, rational, democratic fashion. In the debate to end free and unlimited speech in the Senate, Senator Rick Santorum has been comparing Democrats to hitler. No, he couldn't be. Didn't he come out strongly against Senator Byrd when he referenced nazi Germany? It's no wonder Senator Lautenberg is comparing red leaders to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. It's just friggin' unbelievable! Maybe it's time we had a real protest. Screw your permits! Let's march on the White House lawn, the Pentagon, the steps of the Capitol, camp out and demand a government for the people. It worked to depose and replace the president of Ecuador, much to junior and the boys’ dismay. On the other hand, look at how our allies in Uzbekistan reacted to protestors, firing on the crowd and killing hundreds.
To be even handed, the president has become more tolerant of those of "questionable morals". He is having porn star Mary Carey and Kick Ass Pictures president Mark Kulkisover over for dinner. Unbelievable!
"So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause"
-Padmé from Star Wars Episode III (6)
At least here at home Our "leaders" are operating in good, rational, democratic fashion. In the debate to end free and unlimited speech in the Senate, Senator Rick Santorum has been comparing Democrats to hitler. No, he couldn't be. Didn't he come out strongly against Senator Byrd when he referenced nazi Germany? It's no wonder Senator Lautenberg is comparing red leaders to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. It's just friggin' unbelievable! Maybe it's time we had a real protest. Screw your permits! Let's march on the White House lawn, the Pentagon, the steps of the Capitol, camp out and demand a government for the people. It worked to depose and replace the president of Ecuador, much to junior and the boys’ dismay. On the other hand, look at how our allies in Uzbekistan reacted to protestors, firing on the crowd and killing hundreds.
To be even handed, the president has become more tolerant of those of "questionable morals". He is having porn star Mary Carey and Kick Ass Pictures president Mark Kulkisover over for dinner. Unbelievable!
"So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause"
-Padmé from Star Wars Episode III (6)
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
It's all Newsweek's fault.
No really, it's that paragraph in Newsweek that made Afghanistan explode into the anti-US protests that claimed the lives of sixteen people. It wasn't Abu Ghraib. It wasn't the Downing Street Memo on fixing intelligence that lead to the invasion of Iraq. It wasn't the appointing of president Karzai, leaving all those outside of Kabul to govern themselves, not to mention fight Our battles (see bin Laden). It wasn't the hundreds kept in Guantanamo Bay for years without even being charged with a crime. It wasn't the other paragraphs in Newsweek that didn't use the word "flushed". It wasn't the "news" media's earlier reports alleging the same or similar desecrations.
No, this certainly isn't an attempt to stifle a news item a la the president's "service" record, by discrediting one of its messengers. This is not an attempt to pressure or force a news media outlet to write stories the administration likes without having to pay the journalist directly. And it certainly isn't a diversionary tactic to distract us from the fact that not only is Iraq getting more violent, but so is Afghanistan.
Ah sweet sarcasm...... eases the pain.
Sure some of the protesters in Afghanistan were waving copies of the Newsweek story. Maybe it was the straw that broke the camels back. Maybe it was used to further enrage and rally supporters of protests that were already beginning to occur. We got into this war, because of the use of forged documents, undocumented evidence, and minimally sourced Intel from the likes of Chalabi and Curveball. When will someone be held responsible for the damages this war has caused to their country and Ours?
QUESTION: Does it concern the President that the primary source for the intelligence on the mobile biological weapons labs was a guy that U.S. intelligence never every interviewed?
MCCLELLAN: Well, again, all these issues will be looked at as part of a broad review by the independent commission that the President appointed… But it’s important that we look at what we learn on the ground and compare that with what we believed prior to going into Iraq.
[White House Press Gaggle, 4/5/04]
QUESTION: He’s the president of the United States. This thing he told the country on the verge of taking the nation to war has turned out to be, by your own account, not reliable. That’s his fault, isn’t it?
MCCLELLAN: No.
[White House Press Briefing, 7/17/03]
No, this certainly isn't an attempt to stifle a news item a la the president's "service" record, by discrediting one of its messengers. This is not an attempt to pressure or force a news media outlet to write stories the administration likes without having to pay the journalist directly. And it certainly isn't a diversionary tactic to distract us from the fact that not only is Iraq getting more violent, but so is Afghanistan.
Ah sweet sarcasm...... eases the pain.
Sure some of the protesters in Afghanistan were waving copies of the Newsweek story. Maybe it was the straw that broke the camels back. Maybe it was used to further enrage and rally supporters of protests that were already beginning to occur. We got into this war, because of the use of forged documents, undocumented evidence, and minimally sourced Intel from the likes of Chalabi and Curveball. When will someone be held responsible for the damages this war has caused to their country and Ours?
QUESTION: Does it concern the President that the primary source for the intelligence on the mobile biological weapons labs was a guy that U.S. intelligence never every interviewed?
MCCLELLAN: Well, again, all these issues will be looked at as part of a broad review by the independent commission that the President appointed… But it’s important that we look at what we learn on the ground and compare that with what we believed prior to going into Iraq.
[White House Press Gaggle, 4/5/04]
QUESTION: He’s the president of the United States. This thing he told the country on the verge of taking the nation to war has turned out to be, by your own account, not reliable. That’s his fault, isn’t it?
MCCLELLAN: No.
[White House Press Briefing, 7/17/03]
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Hey George, How's it going?
Over 400 liberated Iraqis have been killed in the past two weeks by an increasing number of car bombers, who are now targeting civilians as well as US and Iraqi police forces and recruits. That number does not include the casualties from the on-going US offensive along the Syrian border that recently brought about the demise of a squad of United States Marines. Even so the carnage seems to have barely interrupted the major networks "news" coverage of Michael Jackson's trial or the shop lifting charges of a "runaway bride's" past. You don't need go any further than ABC's The Note from May 12th to see that yes "the death and carnage is staggering" but "the biggest story every day in the world will get almost no coverage." Maybe the latest, paid for by the administration, "journalist" will put it in future articles while he trumpets the benefits of the Natural Resources Conservation Service programs on behalf of the Department of Agriculture. At least Halliburton and Ahmed Chalabi are profitting from the neo-con War on Iraq. Halliburton with a bonus, despite their over charging scandals, and Ahmed Chalabi by having the King Jordan pardon his $300,000,000.00 bank fraud.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan's deadly protests against the United States, though downplayed by president Karzai as a product of democracy, doesn't bode well for that other war we are still fighting across the Atlantic. All this while the president pats Putin on the back,just before going to Georgia to flip him the bird.
Then, with hatred towards America still on the rise, a plane gets within 3 miles of the White House. If that doesn't make you scratch your head, how about the fact that the panic (a code red that even Tom Ridge would have agreed with) that wisked the first lady and the vice president to undisclosed bunkers wasn't important enough to interrupt the president's bike ride. Protocol or not, a "Mr. President we have a situation" or a "don't worry, your wife is fine" seems to have been in order.
Of course this isn't what Our government is focusing on right now, there are more important things on their mind. For instance, there's a social security program that won't be in crisis until 2042. There's the changing of the Senate rules to end free and unlimited debate so the reds can get 10 judges through that the president has seen fit to send back for a second time. The Senate has approved 205 of 215 judges already. And lastly, of course, there's John Bolton. My problem with Mr. Bolton isn't so much his gruff nature with others as it is his stretching of intelligence and his distaste for diplomacy and the US State Department. Do the reds really believe that this chad counter from 2000 is the best candidate for the "scandal ridden" UN. Will he in any way help the world's view of the "scandal ridden" bush administration for that matter? I don't think I need Larry Flynt to answer that one.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan's deadly protests against the United States, though downplayed by president Karzai as a product of democracy, doesn't bode well for that other war we are still fighting across the Atlantic. All this while the president pats Putin on the back,just before going to Georgia to flip him the bird.
Then, with hatred towards America still on the rise, a plane gets within 3 miles of the White House. If that doesn't make you scratch your head, how about the fact that the panic (a code red that even Tom Ridge would have agreed with) that wisked the first lady and the vice president to undisclosed bunkers wasn't important enough to interrupt the president's bike ride. Protocol or not, a "Mr. President we have a situation" or a "don't worry, your wife is fine" seems to have been in order.
Of course this isn't what Our government is focusing on right now, there are more important things on their mind. For instance, there's a social security program that won't be in crisis until 2042. There's the changing of the Senate rules to end free and unlimited debate so the reds can get 10 judges through that the president has seen fit to send back for a second time. The Senate has approved 205 of 215 judges already. And lastly, of course, there's John Bolton. My problem with Mr. Bolton isn't so much his gruff nature with others as it is his stretching of intelligence and his distaste for diplomacy and the US State Department. Do the reds really believe that this chad counter from 2000 is the best candidate for the "scandal ridden" UN. Will he in any way help the world's view of the "scandal ridden" bush administration for that matter? I don't think I need Larry Flynt to answer that one.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Arianna Online
Arianna's new blog/news site is up and running. It's a somewhat strange mix of celebrities, talking heads, and political leaders. The site's "bloggers" range from Walter Kronkite to Bill Maher, Rob Reiner to Larry David, Jon Corzine to Jerry Brown. The only real problem I have with the "Huffington Post" is the inability of it's reader to comment on the blogs of the stars. It would serve as further evidence of Tom Friedman's "flattening" to be able to have a dialogue with the stars on politics, a subject which neither they nor I have much professional experience in. Here's what I had to say via her "scoop" space. "Is there a particular reason that I can't comment on the 'Blogs of the stars'? I just wanted to tell Larry David that it's Bolton's handling of intel on Syria that makes me nervous about his nomination. I wanted to tell Joe Scarborough that he should come down on the "axis of evil" president as hard as he does on the UN for Darfur, and Mr. Kronkite, I agree a forum is needed in which the Democratic Party can form the policy base from which campaigns could be launched.
The Huffington Post could be a high profile non-Drudge political/news site that could find it's way into more servers than say, Raw Story. It certainly has some real growing pains to go through before doing that though.
Friday, April 29, 2005
When not as I do starts to take over for do as I say.
The latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll shows that 57% of the 1008 people polled think that the War on Iraq is/was NOT worthwhile. It's not surprising when even the mainstream news seems to be reporting increased violence there. The 360 photos of flag draped coffins the Pentagon has recently been forced to release make any decline in the percentage of dissent doubtful. The capture of what is said to be al Qaeda's #3 man in Pakistan further typifies where Our War on Terrorism should be, if anywhere. Imagine if we took the $200,000,000,000.00 we've spent in Iraq and maintained our forces in Afghanistan (the Pakistani border in particular). Imagine Our eyes trained on the hunt for al Qaeda and its leaders and not distracted by the "evil" dictator no one thought was a threat worthy of invasion, except for the neo-conmen in charge of Our government. Unlike a coalition that seems to be forming in Venezuela, Our "coalition" is so strained that the struggling Italian government is using discrepancies in the story about Our troops killing their agent to showcase their ability to disagree with the current US administration. Reports of "fake interrogations" at Guatanamo Bay certainly haven't helped confidence. Lynndie England can't even plead guilty to the crimes committed at Abu Ghraib prison without a fight.
Maybe international relations will improve after the UN's month long conference on the Nonproliferation Treaty. I doubt it. We, especially this administration, like Our nucLEar options, literally and figuratively, intact. Don't believe me? Take it from President Jimmy Carter or better yet the current secretary of defense. The conference has been given about thirty more seconds of coverage than the "thousands" of anti-nuke, anti-war protestors that marched on the UN just prior to the meeting. So don’t worry about something interrupting the coverage of some cold footed bribe faking her own abduction or Macaulay Culkin’s testimony. After all, we do live in a place and time where the President of the United States gets cut off for Paris Hilton and Donald Trump.
Maybe international relations will improve after the UN's month long conference on the Nonproliferation Treaty. I doubt it. We, especially this administration, like Our nucLEar options, literally and figuratively, intact. Don't believe me? Take it from President Jimmy Carter or better yet the current secretary of defense. The conference has been given about thirty more seconds of coverage than the "thousands" of anti-nuke, anti-war protestors that marched on the UN just prior to the meeting. So don’t worry about something interrupting the coverage of some cold footed bribe faking her own abduction or Macaulay Culkin’s testimony. After all, we do live in a place and time where the President of the United States gets cut off for Paris Hilton and Donald Trump.
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Acting Minister of Oil
Ladies and Gentlemen!
One of the new Deputy Prime Ministers of Iraq and Acting Minister of Oil, the criminal friend of the neo-cons that was essential to the misleading of America to War and stands accused of giving US secrets to Iran,
Ahmed Chalabi
Iraq and Options of Governmental Destruction
With "elected" Iraqi's finding it hard to agree on a cabinet, there's is little hope of Iraqi oil barrels rolling in to help the supply driven side of our fuel price predicament any time soon. And even if drilling in ANWR was passed today (one of the keys to this administration's "energy policy"), it wouldn't provide its 3% of our oil needs for another 10 years. So its no wonder the president had the Saudi prince over for ribs at the "Western White House" (their words not mine). Maybe the fact that they're eating ribs and dogs at Camp Crawford will be enough to calm oil markets that reached record highs in April ($58.28 per gallon). Or maybe, just maybe, we should all start buying hybrids, a trend that seems to be taking off.
There seems to be no help from Iraq on the reasons we invaded, either. US inspectors, aka The Iraq Survey Group, found "no evidence" the weapons of mass destruction, that there was no evidence saddam had possession of, were moved into Syria. So much for that reason to invade Syria, which is a good thing considering the Syria national army's numbers will no doubt increase with the removal of troops from Lebanon. Once again, the search for Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq has been declared over. Will the people responsible for the misleading Us into this horrible mistake of a war ever be held responsible for their deeds or will they just continue to be allowed to make more mistakes? $300,000,000,000.00 invested and soldiers still have to complain, in public, for more armor. To quote Senator Robert Byrd "Shame.... What a shame."
What Lott, Delay, Frist and the boys have found, in lieu of WMD, are OGD (Options of Governmental Destruction). Going against public opinion, the red army continues its threats to destroy the last check a minority party has against a president whose party is in the majority. At issue, currently, the 10 judicial nominees out of 215 that have not been approved by the Senate. 205 judges have been approved already. Seven of the ten are being sent back to the Senate for a second time. There was the fleeting hope of a compromise between Senators Reid and Frist, but the president's deputy chief of staff was the first righteous red to set that record straight. The "nuCLEar option" could turn future judicial nominees into presidential appointments. With an ailing and aging Supreme Court, the anti-choice, anti-gay, pro gun reds see this as a real opportunity to stack the life term courts. Maybe that's what gannon/guckert has been working on during his visits to Our White House when no press events were scheduled, the president wasn't home and without the knowledge of the Secret Service. We may never know the truth, but we should never stop asking for it.
"if they insist on persisting with these filibusters, I'm perfectly prepared to blow the place up. No problem."
- Senator Trent Lott
Sounds like a threat to a Federal Building to me. Book 'em Homeland Security.
There seems to be no help from Iraq on the reasons we invaded, either. US inspectors, aka The Iraq Survey Group, found "no evidence" the weapons of mass destruction, that there was no evidence saddam had possession of, were moved into Syria. So much for that reason to invade Syria, which is a good thing considering the Syria national army's numbers will no doubt increase with the removal of troops from Lebanon. Once again, the search for Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq has been declared over. Will the people responsible for the misleading Us into this horrible mistake of a war ever be held responsible for their deeds or will they just continue to be allowed to make more mistakes? $300,000,000,000.00 invested and soldiers still have to complain, in public, for more armor. To quote Senator Robert Byrd "Shame.... What a shame."
What Lott, Delay, Frist and the boys have found, in lieu of WMD, are OGD (Options of Governmental Destruction). Going against public opinion, the red army continues its threats to destroy the last check a minority party has against a president whose party is in the majority. At issue, currently, the 10 judicial nominees out of 215 that have not been approved by the Senate. 205 judges have been approved already. Seven of the ten are being sent back to the Senate for a second time. There was the fleeting hope of a compromise between Senators Reid and Frist, but the president's deputy chief of staff was the first righteous red to set that record straight. The "nuCLEar option" could turn future judicial nominees into presidential appointments. With an ailing and aging Supreme Court, the anti-choice, anti-gay, pro gun reds see this as a real opportunity to stack the life term courts. Maybe that's what gannon/guckert has been working on during his visits to Our White House when no press events were scheduled, the president wasn't home and without the knowledge of the Secret Service. We may never know the truth, but we should never stop asking for it.
"if they insist on persisting with these filibusters, I'm perfectly prepared to blow the place up. No problem."
- Senator Trent Lott
Sounds like a threat to a Federal Building to me. Book 'em Homeland Security.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Boycott of the Week: Microsoft
Whether it's for Microsoft's recent change of stance on the rights of homosexual Americans or the $20,000.00 a month Microsoft is paying righteous red Ralph Reed's consulting group, consequences should be felt by the mega-company. Now I know switching from windows is a lot to ask, but changing from Internet Explorer to Mozilla Firefox is a snap, and worth it.
Monday, April 25, 2005
Ideology not theology!
Tell senator frist what you think of preaching politics in church. One wonders if this is how the mullahs and iyatollahs do it.
Saturday, April 23, 2005
Hypocrisy, Earth Day and Tom Delay
In yet another "THE FACT THAT HE RELIES ON FACTS..." policy move, the administration has eliminated a 19 year old annual international terrorism report after the top terrorism center found that there were more terrorist attacks in 2004 than any year since the report's inception back in 1985. Maybe it was those wacko lefty groups, like the Environmental Liberation Front, who have recently been added to the Homeland Security's terrorist watch list. It certainly couldn't be the right wingnut "domestic terrorists" that the Department of Homeland Secutrity have left off. Anyone remember timothy mcveigh's? Ah the hypocrisy of it all, or as Mikhail Gorbachev put it recently "I think the United States is sick." A comment that probably got about as warm a reception from the administration as current Russian President Vladimir Putin received from it's Secretary of State. Poor Vlad, I hope he didn't think that truck rides and hot dogs at Camp Crawford would last. Governor Ahnold changed his mind about people this week as well. After stating that California borders should be closed (if only they were before he got there), Ahnold came back with this retraction "Yesterday was a total screw-up in the words I used," "Because instead of closing, I meant securing. I think maybe my English, I need to go back to school and study a little bit." Uh, you're the Governor now Ahnold. You damn well better know the difference between close and secure. Who am I kidding? The man who so elequently stated "Our children is learning" is the president.
Today is Earth Day. This year it has been marked/marred by yet another ridiculous "energy policy", which includes drilling in ANWR, tax breaks for energy companies whose profits are rising as I type, and protections for the polluters by weakening things like the Clean Air Act, just to name a few provisions. Why be surprised? These are the "folks" who continue to argue the existence of global warming, despite news that continues to surface from scientists around the globe. It has gotten to the point that legislators in California are thinking about having a gas tax by the mile instead of the gallon, giving hybrids more of a tax burden (per gallon) because of their better mileage. Maybe we all should get up, leave our computers, go outside, take a deep breath, plant a tree and reconnect to a planet we seem to be in a constant battle for. If you can't make it away from your monitor there are some ways you can do something for Mother Earth. Give an elected official a call, email, or fax thanking for the work he/she has done on behalf of the Earth or curse him/her out for working against her. Me, I'm gonna go plant some basil.
"The time has come that the American people know exactly what their representatives are doing here in Washington. Are they feeding at the public trough, taking lobbyist-paid vacations, getting wined and dined by special-interest groups? Or are they working hard to represent their constituents? The people, the American people, have a right to know. I say the best disinfectant is full disclosure."
The scandal plagued Tom Delay (R)- Floor of the House November 1995
Just relax congressman, this probe won't hurt a bit.
Today is Earth Day. This year it has been marked/marred by yet another ridiculous "energy policy", which includes drilling in ANWR, tax breaks for energy companies whose profits are rising as I type, and protections for the polluters by weakening things like the Clean Air Act, just to name a few provisions. Why be surprised? These are the "folks" who continue to argue the existence of global warming, despite news that continues to surface from scientists around the globe. It has gotten to the point that legislators in California are thinking about having a gas tax by the mile instead of the gallon, giving hybrids more of a tax burden (per gallon) because of their better mileage. Maybe we all should get up, leave our computers, go outside, take a deep breath, plant a tree and reconnect to a planet we seem to be in a constant battle for. If you can't make it away from your monitor there are some ways you can do something for Mother Earth. Give an elected official a call, email, or fax thanking for the work he/she has done on behalf of the Earth or curse him/her out for working against her. Me, I'm gonna go plant some basil.
"The time has come that the American people know exactly what their representatives are doing here in Washington. Are they feeding at the public trough, taking lobbyist-paid vacations, getting wined and dined by special-interest groups? Or are they working hard to represent their constituents? The people, the American people, have a right to know. I say the best disinfectant is full disclosure."
The scandal plagued Tom Delay (R)- Floor of the House November 1995
Just relax congressman, this probe won't hurt a bit.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Holy Crap! Is that republican dissent I smell?
I watched a good chunk of this last night on C-Span, but turned it off before the surprise ending. Go Senator George V. Voinovich of Ohio Go! A republican politician actually listened to what Democratic Senators Biden and Dodd had to say, and voted to postpone the sending of the nomination of John Bolton to the full Senate, while we all watched Senators Hagel and Chafee for their possible defection from the president's wishes.
"I don't know if I've ever seen, in a setting like this, a senator changing his mind as a result of what other senators said," Mr. Chafee said. "The process worked. It's kind of refreshing."
In other dissent news the republican-dominated Utah legislature passed a bill Tuesday that orders state officials to ignore provisions of the federal "No Child Left Behind" law. This in addition to the ethically challenged Congressman Delay attacking Reagan appointed Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy and other republican appointed "judicial activists". Are the walls of the red fortress starting to crack?
"I don't know if I've ever seen, in a setting like this, a senator changing his mind as a result of what other senators said," Mr. Chafee said. "The process worked. It's kind of refreshing."
In other dissent news the republican-dominated Utah legislature passed a bill Tuesday that orders state officials to ignore provisions of the federal "No Child Left Behind" law. This in addition to the ethically challenged Congressman Delay attacking Reagan appointed Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy and other republican appointed "judicial activists". Are the walls of the red fortress starting to crack?
DAS POPE
Not to come down on the pope on his first day, but after reading some of the initial reaction to Pope Benedict XVI, one may be inclined to think that he may make Pope John Paul II look liberal. He did, after all, intervene in the 2004 United States presidential election by ordering that no communion be given to pro-choice supporters, including Senator John Kerry.
Heaven help us.
Note from the Squid: I have deleted the "hitler youth" portion of this entry after considering the period of time that the now Pope was a child and teen in Germany. It is unfair to blame him for doing what was required of him at the time. His stance on gays, women, other faiths, and priests that screw little boys is definitely troubling enough.
Monday, April 18, 2005
A possible connection???
I caught this over at Knight Ridder, maybe I just missed it everywhere else.
The vice president and his wife reported $1,328,678 in earnings last year, which produced a $393,518 tax bill. These earnings included his $203,000 government salary, as well as $194,852 in deferred compensation from the good ol' boys at Halliburton, he Dallas-based company that may have overcharged the U.S. government by $212 million under contracts to help rebuild Iraq's oil industry and supply fuel to Iraqi citizens. I mean that's if you believe portions of audits recently released by those left wing wackos at the Pentagon.
I wonder why Halliburton is still getting contracts??????
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little."
President Franklin Delanore Roosevelt
The vice president and his wife reported $1,328,678 in earnings last year, which produced a $393,518 tax bill. These earnings included his $203,000 government salary, as well as $194,852 in deferred compensation from the good ol' boys at Halliburton, he Dallas-based company that may have overcharged the U.S. government by $212 million under contracts to help rebuild Iraq's oil industry and supply fuel to Iraqi citizens. I mean that's if you believe portions of audits recently released by those left wing wackos at the Pentagon.
I wonder why Halliburton is still getting contracts??????
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little."
President Franklin Delanore Roosevelt
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Reds, Hope and Howitzers
So the reds in Congress show us once again that corporations (credit cards, in particular) are more important than the citizens they screw. The "culture of life" scripture continues to read the rich beget the rich, and the latter shouldn't be taxed for it. The United States Senate majority leader is preaching that the "liberal" Democrats are "against people of faith". Well Senator, it's hard to have faith in anything while you and the good ol' boys try to run rough shot over the seperation of powers in the United States government, while simultaneously lowering the ethical standards of two of its branches.
There are a few points of light (not the thousand that George I saw) coming from the abyss. T.A. Barron offers some of us tree huggers "Reasons for Hope", and comedian turned radio news man Harry Shearer joins the fray once again catching a fox "news" anchor telling his guests what to say. This as scientists turned comedians(?) name slime mold beetles after administration officials. Take that you technologically backwards, budget cutting bastards.
It's nice to see the "vast left wing conspiracy" branching out. AmericaBLOG makes a great point about the ineffective old groups failing, leaving it up to us neo-liberals to attack and attack with the same "howitzers" the reds seem to. But which new group should we focus Our guns through CREW, Democracy for America, Center for American Progress, America! Coalition, Progressive Bloggers Union (PBU)?
And just to lighten the mood, here's a video of the president of the United States of America.
There are a few points of light (not the thousand that George I saw) coming from the abyss. T.A. Barron offers some of us tree huggers "Reasons for Hope", and comedian turned radio news man Harry Shearer joins the fray once again catching a fox "news" anchor telling his guests what to say. This as scientists turned comedians(?) name slime mold beetles after administration officials. Take that you technologically backwards, budget cutting bastards.
It's nice to see the "vast left wing conspiracy" branching out. AmericaBLOG makes a great point about the ineffective old groups failing, leaving it up to us neo-liberals to attack and attack with the same "howitzers" the reds seem to. But which new group should we focus Our guns through CREW, Democracy for America, Center for American Progress, America! Coalition, Progressive Bloggers Union (PBU)?
And just to lighten the mood, here's a video of the president of the United States of America.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
And now for something completely different?
Eric Idle's "FCC Song" is a triumph, as is "Let them eat bombs" by his mate Terry Jones.
Python is re-releasing the Life of Brian and Spamelot is on Broadway. Buy tickets. They deserve our money.
"Always look on the Bright side of life"
Python is re-releasing the Life of Brian and Spamelot is on Broadway. Buy tickets. They deserve our money.
"Always look on the Bright side of life"
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Who they are and why I fight them.
They sent us to war on information they did not "know" (despite the assertions of the vice president, et al). They are the pro-death penalty "culture of life" . A "culture" whose operatives see one family's struggle over a dying loved one as "a great political issue" and turn a blind eye to a child and her defiant mother's "life and death struggle" in Texas. A "culture of life" who has presided over the most environmentally destructive four years since the industrial revolution. A "culture" where lobbyists and corporations buy off majority leaders with Russian vacations and baby showers. With control of two of Our three branches of government, they threaten and bash the third, in an attempt to circumvent Our Constitution. Their rhetoric calls for changes in Our Constitution that would discriminate against a portion of Our population, whose crime is love. They are the intolerant, hypocritical, righteous "religious" right. They are the money changers in Our temple.
I may not be alone in this. Of course there are other "liberals", but when you see the Senate majority leader opposing the House majority leader's view on the United States judiciary, that often stifled feeling that republicans are starting to see the monster they've created starts to creep in. Stories of the US judiciary holding strong against legislative attacks, as well as the sentencing of a white supremacist, plotting against her judges, to 40 years in prison, demonstrate that the foundations set by the Constitutional Convention are strong. The nomination of a man, involved in Iran Contra, to head US intelligence, and another man, who worked to dismantle the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, renounced the International Criminal Court, and blocked the efforts to add a verification clause to the bioweapons convention, to represent the United States of America at the United Nations, bring back that feeling of dread. It's like having a lobbyist for the extreme trophy hunting Safari Club as the Head of Fish & Wildlife (oh wait). Our president's poll numbers are falling, as are Congress's, as he continues his multi-million tax dollar tour touting his Social Security plan/not plan. I wonder why? Can it be said that as Our soldiers fight and die in Afghanistan and Iraq, at least they can be assured that Our commander in chief and his administration is making the poor, hungry, huddled masses feel welcome in this land of Liberty. Is he keeping Our Constitution strong, leaving no child behind, bringing accountability back to the White House, and ending Our nation building policies? More promises broken, and you can be sure there are more to come.
But who am I to judge? I am just a citizen who pays attention a little too much. A person who works and volunteers for his community. So I don't have cable, a car, or a cell phone. I shop at mom and pop stores, cook most of my meals using as much in the way of organics as I can afford on a civil service salary. So I make my own pasta, so what? Well, if We shop a little less at the big chains and fast "food" domains they might change their low wage, no benefits, crush small town business ways. Maybe if We all paid a little more attention to a number of different news sources it wouldn't be quite as easy for the powers that be to feed us misinformation or distract us with tabloid news. Maybe if more of Us thought more about others instead of simply ourselves and our pocketbooks, one day we could regain the idea and dream of America that is now the stuff of legend.
What am I high?
The only way to support a revolution is to make your own.
-Abbie Hoffman
I may not be alone in this. Of course there are other "liberals", but when you see the Senate majority leader opposing the House majority leader's view on the United States judiciary, that often stifled feeling that republicans are starting to see the monster they've created starts to creep in. Stories of the US judiciary holding strong against legislative attacks, as well as the sentencing of a white supremacist, plotting against her judges, to 40 years in prison, demonstrate that the foundations set by the Constitutional Convention are strong. The nomination of a man, involved in Iran Contra, to head US intelligence, and another man, who worked to dismantle the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, renounced the International Criminal Court, and blocked the efforts to add a verification clause to the bioweapons convention, to represent the United States of America at the United Nations, bring back that feeling of dread. It's like having a lobbyist for the extreme trophy hunting Safari Club as the Head of Fish & Wildlife (oh wait). Our president's poll numbers are falling, as are Congress's, as he continues his multi-million tax dollar tour touting his Social Security plan/not plan. I wonder why? Can it be said that as Our soldiers fight and die in Afghanistan and Iraq, at least they can be assured that Our commander in chief and his administration is making the poor, hungry, huddled masses feel welcome in this land of Liberty. Is he keeping Our Constitution strong, leaving no child behind, bringing accountability back to the White House, and ending Our nation building policies? More promises broken, and you can be sure there are more to come.
But who am I to judge? I am just a citizen who pays attention a little too much. A person who works and volunteers for his community. So I don't have cable, a car, or a cell phone. I shop at mom and pop stores, cook most of my meals using as much in the way of organics as I can afford on a civil service salary. So I make my own pasta, so what? Well, if We shop a little less at the big chains and fast "food" domains they might change their low wage, no benefits, crush small town business ways. Maybe if We all paid a little more attention to a number of different news sources it wouldn't be quite as easy for the powers that be to feed us misinformation or distract us with tabloid news. Maybe if more of Us thought more about others instead of simply ourselves and our pocketbooks, one day we could regain the idea and dream of America that is now the stuff of legend.
What am I high?
The only way to support a revolution is to make your own.
-Abbie Hoffman
Monday, April 04, 2005
1920-2005
"When war threatens humanity's destiny, as it does today in Iraq, it is even more urgent for us to proclaim with a loud and decisive voice that peace is the only way to build a more just and caring society. Violence and arms can never solve human problems."
-- Pope condemns Bush's invasion of Iraq, March 22, 2003
Friday, April 01, 2005
A quick review
In case you missed them here are some recent "news" stories of interest, at least to me.
By now I am sure you've heard that Terri Schiavo has passed away. She died thirteen days after her feeding tube was removed at her husband's request. A request that was upheld by any and all courts that were willing to review the case. Her condition almost unanimously agreed upon by the doctors that evaluated her. The big story of this media frenzied case may turn out to be the federal judiciary, with the US Constitution in hand, standing up to both Congress and the president of the United States. Leaving the likes of scandal ridden Congressman Tom Delay to threaten judges that upheld the law and did their job.
Meanwhile the presidentially appointed the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction (like the ones recently destroyed in Arkansas) found massive failures in US intelligence (well duh). They also made strong reference to the damage those failures have done to US credibilty. Also revealed was the fact that the administration, Powell included, used information given to them by exile, codename Curveball, after being warned that he was "crazy". Of course, the commission's "mandate" did not include the "policy" made based on that intelligence. It's about time a "commission" takes that on. In other Iraq news it seems that double the amount of children are "starving" (from 4% - 8%) than were before we liberated them from saddam. This according to a UN report. A UN headed by Kofi Annan who was recently found to have no part or knowledge of the oil for food program scandal, except for not having investigated into it hard enough. I hope all those that call for Kofi's head on this matter ask for the same thorough investigations from Our president on any one of the scandals of the past four+ years. Also from the United Nations news desk, 62 former diplomats (republicans and democrats) have come out against the man the president wants to appoint to be Our UN representative, Mr. John Bolton. Another great choice by Our fearless leader.
So as we try and figure out how to change the world, hopefully for the better, we can go the route of Former Senator Bill Bradley and examine and restructure the democratic party the way the republicans have since the 70's or take to action like the William Kristol pie man and the Pat Buchanan Salad Dresser. Maybe Timothy Leary's "Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out" is the way to go. As my friend so eloquently puts it "Choose your own illusion." According to the latest report on Our natural resources we may not have that much time to worry about anyway.
By now I am sure you've heard that Terri Schiavo has passed away. She died thirteen days after her feeding tube was removed at her husband's request. A request that was upheld by any and all courts that were willing to review the case. Her condition almost unanimously agreed upon by the doctors that evaluated her. The big story of this media frenzied case may turn out to be the federal judiciary, with the US Constitution in hand, standing up to both Congress and the president of the United States. Leaving the likes of scandal ridden Congressman Tom Delay to threaten judges that upheld the law and did their job.
Meanwhile the presidentially appointed the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction (like the ones recently destroyed in Arkansas) found massive failures in US intelligence (well duh). They also made strong reference to the damage those failures have done to US credibilty. Also revealed was the fact that the administration, Powell included, used information given to them by exile, codename Curveball, after being warned that he was "crazy". Of course, the commission's "mandate" did not include the "policy" made based on that intelligence. It's about time a "commission" takes that on. In other Iraq news it seems that double the amount of children are "starving" (from 4% - 8%) than were before we liberated them from saddam. This according to a UN report. A UN headed by Kofi Annan who was recently found to have no part or knowledge of the oil for food program scandal, except for not having investigated into it hard enough. I hope all those that call for Kofi's head on this matter ask for the same thorough investigations from Our president on any one of the scandals of the past four+ years. Also from the United Nations news desk, 62 former diplomats (republicans and democrats) have come out against the man the president wants to appoint to be Our UN representative, Mr. John Bolton. Another great choice by Our fearless leader.
So as we try and figure out how to change the world, hopefully for the better, we can go the route of Former Senator Bill Bradley and examine and restructure the democratic party the way the republicans have since the 70's or take to action like the William Kristol pie man and the Pat Buchanan Salad Dresser. Maybe Timothy Leary's "Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out" is the way to go. As my friend so eloquently puts it "Choose your own illusion." According to the latest report on Our natural resources we may not have that much time to worry about anyway.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
"intelligence" capabilities
"we simply cannot afford failures of this magnitude."
"The harm done to American credibility by our all too public intelligence failures in Iraq will take years to undo."
This from a report released today by the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction that was appointed by President Bush a year ago. The commission is led by Laurence H. Silberman, a retired federal judge, and Charles S. Robb, a former Democratic governor and senator from Virginia.
The report also concludes that while many other nations believed Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, "in the end, it was the United States that put its credibility on the line, making this one of the most public - and most damaging - intelligence failures in recent American history."
Who will accept responsibility for this? Where does the buck stop?
Maybe a better question is, when will one of these "commissions" include "policy" in their mandate?
This just in from the Wall Street journal Op/Ed page "In any event, whether under the influence of hope or fear, the buck stops not with the intelligence community but with the policy makers."
"The harm done to American credibility by our all too public intelligence failures in Iraq will take years to undo."
This from a report released today by the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction that was appointed by President Bush a year ago. The commission is led by Laurence H. Silberman, a retired federal judge, and Charles S. Robb, a former Democratic governor and senator from Virginia.
The report also concludes that while many other nations believed Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, "in the end, it was the United States that put its credibility on the line, making this one of the most public - and most damaging - intelligence failures in recent American history."
Who will accept responsibility for this? Where does the buck stop?
Maybe a better question is, when will one of these "commissions" include "policy" in their mandate?
This just in from the Wall Street journal Op/Ed page "In any event, whether under the influence of hope or fear, the buck stops not with the intelligence community but with the policy makers."
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
I know it's distracting....
A private, family matter concerning the life and/or death of a wife, daughter, and sister that has been locked in a vegetative state for the past 15 years with an atrophied cortex most of which is filled with spinal fluid. It's distracting to have the executive, legislative, and judiciary (with the sage exception of the Supreme Court) branches of the federal government trying to overturn state government and law by interjection of "political capital". The "culture of life", who supports killing thousands of human beings in Iraq, as well as hundreds on death row, saw fit to have an emergency Sunday session of congress. The president left his vacation early (Is that a first?). The urgent and hastily signed legislation was not for the genocide in Sudan, not for Our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, not for the Columbine-like killings in Red Lake High School in Minnesota, but for a case like thousands of others (including Delay's father in 1988) where a family is divided on the final outcome of a loved one's life. If the Schindlers and Schiavos lived in Texas this may have all played out differently. In 1999 George W. Bush signed the Texas Futile Care Law. This law gives hospitals the right to remove life support regardless of the family' wishes. A baby (Sun Hudson) was removed from life support against his mother's wishes this week (Thursday) in Texas. I normally don't link to blogs, but the Houston Chronicle has scrubbed the story.
On March 30, 2005 Terri Schiavo died. May her final rest be more peaceful than her final days.
There's been rumors of war and wars that have been
The meaning of the life has been lost in the wind
And some people thinkin' that the end is close by
"Stead of learnin' to live they are learning to die.
Let me die in my footsteps
Before I go down under the ground.
-Bob Dylan
On March 30, 2005 Terri Schiavo died. May her final rest be more peaceful than her final days.
There's been rumors of war and wars that have been
The meaning of the life has been lost in the wind
And some people thinkin' that the end is close by
"Stead of learnin' to live they are learning to die.
Let me die in my footsteps
Before I go down under the ground.
-Bob Dylan
Friday, March 25, 2005
NYC 03/19/05
ny 03:05
Originally uploaded by the squid.
No, this isn't the latest prayer vigil "for" Terri Schiavo. It's not Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Lebanon, or Kuwait. It's right here in the US (New York to be exact), not that you would have known by the "liberal media" reaction. March 19, 2005 was the second anniversary of Our invasian of Iraq and people came out in numbers once again to say they do not approve of the war in Iraq, including military and military families of Fort Bragg. Thousands protested in cities throughout the Country. It's hard to find accurate numbers, because so few news agencies covered them. The crowds certainly seem larger than those I've seen coverage of lately in front of a hospice in Florida, and there are 150,000 American lives at stake it what they protest.
"While this Republican administration has spoken strongly about promoting democracy around the world, the House Republican leadership is working feverishly to undermine democracy here at home,"
-Pat Buchanan
I don't think he was talking about the silencing of the protests, but if the shoe fits.
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Homecoming
The shock of homecoming hit like a brick when i got out of the cab in front of home.. Back from the sun of 70 degrees. Back from the land of the beats, the yippies and hippies. The place that Kerauoc, Ginsberg, Kesey, Garcia, Joplin, Hendrix, Thompson, Miller and Steinbeck have all called home. The beautiful sunsets and blue skies of the big sur coast, the power, strength and majesty of the Pacific and the Redwoods. The dread locked, hippied, punked, skaters and surfers homelessed and housed from Haight St to Santa Crauz. The upscale uptown dining in bayside sausalito and the 4.95 mission burrito on mission and 23rd. Elephant seals, sea otters, a heron and a whale. California was very cool!
A nice way to get away.
On my first day back to work (3/22/05) most of my co-workers and I were placed on Unpaid "hiatus" until further notice. The city council minority had voted against an Emergency Appropriations resolution the night before that would have allowed the city funding for the salaries of all, including us "non-essential", city employees with additional funding for operating expenses. The resolution, at least the salary portion, has been passing monthly since September. These votes are necessary because an agreement can not be reached on the municipal budget. The mayor's plan is to fill the $7-$9 million budget deficit with the sale (and lease) of the municipal garage. Councilwomen Marsh and Castellano, and councilmen Russo and Soares say "No More One Shot" budget fixes. That is where the "debate" has stagnated since September. Neither side has budged. The mayor doesn't seem to want to change his policies or his decision to sell another piece of public land to fix a budget "gap" and the councilpeople have not offered a suggestion on how to do fix it, except for whispers of layoffs. Unless, of course, your Councilwoman Marsh's most disliked employee. I won't type his name here for fear of being sued. There is no real easy solution here. Something's gonna have to give. My guess is they'll sell the garage when the crisis Actually hits and the city is Actually running out of money, after the election. I don't much like being a pawn in some amateur game of risk. I don't think anyone thought the city would Actually Shut Down. Michael Russo was on the corner doing "Collateral Damage" control as we were being notified of our hiatus. Carol Marsh was seen a few hours later frantically cell phoning in the street with Michael Lenz. There is a real face to this. Real people who depend on their salaries caught in the middle of the political challenges of fixing a budget with a $7-9 million dollar deficit. It is kinda nice to be forced to play hookie, though, at least for now.
Arms folded
to the moon,
Among the cows.
- Jack Kerouac
On Thursday, March 24, 2005 the city council of Hoboken voted unanimously to put the City back to work and pay all employees for the time they missed.
A nice way to get away.
On my first day back to work (3/22/05) most of my co-workers and I were placed on Unpaid "hiatus" until further notice. The city council minority had voted against an Emergency Appropriations resolution the night before that would have allowed the city funding for the salaries of all, including us "non-essential", city employees with additional funding for operating expenses. The resolution, at least the salary portion, has been passing monthly since September. These votes are necessary because an agreement can not be reached on the municipal budget. The mayor's plan is to fill the $7-$9 million budget deficit with the sale (and lease) of the municipal garage. Councilwomen Marsh and Castellano, and councilmen Russo and Soares say "No More One Shot" budget fixes. That is where the "debate" has stagnated since September. Neither side has budged. The mayor doesn't seem to want to change his policies or his decision to sell another piece of public land to fix a budget "gap" and the councilpeople have not offered a suggestion on how to do fix it, except for whispers of layoffs. Unless, of course, your Councilwoman Marsh's most disliked employee. I won't type his name here for fear of being sued. There is no real easy solution here. Something's gonna have to give. My guess is they'll sell the garage when the crisis Actually hits and the city is Actually running out of money, after the election. I don't much like being a pawn in some amateur game of risk. I don't think anyone thought the city would Actually Shut Down. Michael Russo was on the corner doing "Collateral Damage" control as we were being notified of our hiatus. Carol Marsh was seen a few hours later frantically cell phoning in the street with Michael Lenz. There is a real face to this. Real people who depend on their salaries caught in the middle of the political challenges of fixing a budget with a $7-9 million dollar deficit. It is kinda nice to be forced to play hookie, though, at least for now.
Arms folded
to the moon,
Among the cows.
- Jack Kerouac
On Thursday, March 24, 2005 the city council of Hoboken voted unanimously to put the City back to work and pay all employees for the time they missed.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
The Spread of Democracy
The protestors in the Ukraine, some weeks ago, were not met with the fire hoses of pepper spray that were turned on American protestors during Inauguration 2005. They were met with a second election. The tens of thousands of protestors in Lebanon, unlike the hundreds of thousands that have protested the current US administration, received the resignation of the protested government. Those protestors have been outnumbered by the latest pro-Syria protests in Lebanon. I wonder if the administration is still for the majority's right to choose there. Saudi "elections", which of course excluded women, a practice that is currently being protested in Kuwait combine with what seems to be a growing will to change in Egypt, and last, but certainly not least, the ink fingered election in Iraq have all sent a signal to the world that people want to run (elect) their own government.
So the question is do the ends justify the means. It appears the boulder that this administration launched into the Persian Gulf has positive ripples forming from it, along with the negative. This is not to say that any one of these "movements" has a favorable view of the United States. It is most likely quite the opposite. We are having enough trouble keeping European allies let alone swaying "Arab" nations. After incidents like last week's killing of Italy's top intelligence officer in Iraq and BBC 4's new show, Guantanamo Guidebook, where willing participants are put through allowable "interrogation procedures" documentary style, we haven't been looking so hot. But can it be said that invading a nation to overthrow a leader whose methods we do not approve of, based on "intelligence" that others throughout the world may have agreed with, but certainly did not see as actionable, is the right course of action. Is the loss of life, culture, and economy there acceptable? Our current presence in Iraq, the largest US embassy in the world included (but not completed), has helped to bolster the strength of those that want their voices heard. They have found that their leaders are merely mortal. Our presence has also spread a fear of US Military invasion against any leader who is seen and/or portrayed as "against us". We have seen the power of the people rise (foreign more than domestic). What this new found power will bring to the table, aside from ahmed chalabi, has yet to be seen. Populations all over the world are against Us and Our current occupational forces in Iraq. Will we hear their call to leave? More Lebanese have now yelled for Syria to stay, should Our president continue with his ultimatum that Syria must leave. Will his ultimatum goad the Iranian-Syrian coalition into attacking our 150,000 troops sandwiched between them? Or does it simply mean... Syria, we don't care if you gave us saddam's brother in law and agreed to begin a pullout in Lebanon. You are next.
The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
So the question is do the ends justify the means. It appears the boulder that this administration launched into the Persian Gulf has positive ripples forming from it, along with the negative. This is not to say that any one of these "movements" has a favorable view of the United States. It is most likely quite the opposite. We are having enough trouble keeping European allies let alone swaying "Arab" nations. After incidents like last week's killing of Italy's top intelligence officer in Iraq and BBC 4's new show, Guantanamo Guidebook, where willing participants are put through allowable "interrogation procedures" documentary style, we haven't been looking so hot. But can it be said that invading a nation to overthrow a leader whose methods we do not approve of, based on "intelligence" that others throughout the world may have agreed with, but certainly did not see as actionable, is the right course of action. Is the loss of life, culture, and economy there acceptable? Our current presence in Iraq, the largest US embassy in the world included (but not completed), has helped to bolster the strength of those that want their voices heard. They have found that their leaders are merely mortal. Our presence has also spread a fear of US Military invasion against any leader who is seen and/or portrayed as "against us". We have seen the power of the people rise (foreign more than domestic). What this new found power will bring to the table, aside from ahmed chalabi, has yet to be seen. Populations all over the world are against Us and Our current occupational forces in Iraq. Will we hear their call to leave? More Lebanese have now yelled for Syria to stay, should Our president continue with his ultimatum that Syria must leave. Will his ultimatum goad the Iranian-Syrian coalition into attacking our 150,000 troops sandwiched between them? Or does it simply mean... Syria, we don't care if you gave us saddam's brother in law and agreed to begin a pullout in Lebanon. You are next.
The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Friday, February 25, 2005
"Coalition" forces
A President's Day sale on Liberty and Freedom
"Patriotic" sales week is here, and you know what that means........ The selling of Our icons and heroes for corporate profit!The Statue of Liberty shown here smiling and giving her image to the Norwegian Cruise Liner as it passes by. Former presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln reduced to cartoon car salesmen selling the latest Honda. Liberty has become an airport in Newark, NJ and a WNBA team, and freedom.... Freedom is just another Jeep Grand Cherokee. Freedom is a side order to a hamburger for those stuck in the ignorance of early 2003. Not to mention the countless advertisements using Our flag, a disrespect far greater than burning, in my opinion. How can we maintain respect for the institutions and ideals Our "fore-fathers" and the countrymen before and after them "brought forth", when their images and ideas are used by corporations to sell products and make profits with no respect for the historic significance of the words and images they use? Isn't it enough that our stadiums, events, and streets have the names of corporations plastered all over them? Do we really have to yield everything we believe in for the bottom line of some company, foreign or domestic?
"Disillusioned words like bullets bark, to flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark, that not much is really sacred. Advertising signs that con you. You suddenly find you got nothing to fear when a trembling distant voice, unclear, they really found you." -Bob Dylan from It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
"Disillusioned words like bullets bark, to flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark, that not much is really sacred. Advertising signs that con you. You suddenly find you got nothing to fear when a trembling distant voice, unclear, they really found you." -Bob Dylan from It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Hunter S. Thompson
The world has lost another visionary. A once drug addled "sports" writer for Rolling Stone magazine, whose ramblings tore at the fabric of our culture instead of the sheets of scores and statistics. A poet who wrote and lived (way) outside of the box. Not worried about politically correct wording or what is deemed appropriate for mass consumption by some governmental automaton . Hunter S. Thompson was one of the last in a dying breed. Grown, if not born, out of the sixties counter culture and the beatnik scene before that, Thompson, continued to throw his fists at the establishment. Destroying those that bet against him, like so many gas canisters on his Colorado estate, using the many weapons in his arsenal. He believed and professed freedom. Freedom from those who dampen, curtail, surpress, numb and dumb down a public willing to eat whatever it is fed as long as it's cheaper, more convenient and comes in a new, fresh flavor. We may never know what lead to the bullet that killed him. It's as though we've lost a collosal bet. A wager where the stakes were way to high. The world will miss you Dr. Gonzo. Well, at the very least, i will. So long and Mahalo, Hunter.
"Myths and legends die hard in America. We love them for the extra dimension they provide, the illusion of near-infinite possibility to erase the narrow confines of most men's reality. Weird heroes and mould-breaking champions exist as living proof to those who need it that the tyranny of ''the rat race'' is not yet final."
- Hunter S. Thompson
"Myths and legends die hard in America. We love them for the extra dimension they provide, the illusion of near-infinite possibility to erase the narrow confines of most men's reality. Weird heroes and mould-breaking champions exist as living proof to those who need it that the tyranny of ''the rat race'' is not yet final."
- Hunter S. Thompson
Thursday, February 17, 2005
The Kyoto Treaty
On February 16, 2005 the Kyoto Protocol went into effect for the 141 countries that signed it. The coalition of the willing to ratify the protocol agreed reduce greenhouse gases 5.2% below their 1990 levels over the next decade. The coalition does not include the world's largest consumer of energy from fossil fuels and worst polluter, Us. Australian Prime Minister John Howard put it this way in Canberra. "Until such time as the major polluters of the world including the United States and China are made part of the Kyoto regime, it is next to useless and indeed harmful for a country such as Australia to sign up," I'm not sure which we should be ashamed of more, being called one of the "major polluters in the world" or being lumped in with China in our un-environmental stance.
Aside from the fact that this is yet another blemish on the United States's image in the world because of this administration's "you're either with us or against" foriegn policy (see also Human Rights), it may also set back some of the very industries that opponents of the "treaty" say it would negatively affect. Remember the jump that the Japanese auto industry had on US auto makers when it came to fuel efficient cars during and right after the oil embargo of 1973? Well, the same thing may happen now (despite Bill Ford's efforts) when it comes to new technologies in the automotive industry necessary to comply with the emmission reductions of the protocol.
I understand that the protocol is not a sole solution to global warming. I personally don't see how China and India are considered developing nations and Botswana is not. But the administration saying that the Kyoto Protocal would cost "millions of jobs" sounds a little grave, unless of course we are so stuck in our ways that we can not progress at the same rate as most of the rest of the industrialized world. Maybe this "loss" could be more of a change in millions of jobs from the assembly lines of the fossil fuel dependent to those of alternative energy and/or hybrid technologies. It will have to happen someday, even if the United States occupies the entire "Middle East". Why turn our nose on yet another International agreement?
Funny that this picture of Our Secretary of the Interior riding a snow mobilein Yellowstone National Park made it to the NY Times home page the day after the Protocol was enacted.
Aside from the fact that this is yet another blemish on the United States's image in the world because of this administration's "you're either with us or against" foriegn policy (see also Human Rights), it may also set back some of the very industries that opponents of the "treaty" say it would negatively affect. Remember the jump that the Japanese auto industry had on US auto makers when it came to fuel efficient cars during and right after the oil embargo of 1973? Well, the same thing may happen now (despite Bill Ford's efforts) when it comes to new technologies in the automotive industry necessary to comply with the emmission reductions of the protocol.
I understand that the protocol is not a sole solution to global warming. I personally don't see how China and India are considered developing nations and Botswana is not. But the administration saying that the Kyoto Protocal would cost "millions of jobs" sounds a little grave, unless of course we are so stuck in our ways that we can not progress at the same rate as most of the rest of the industrialized world. Maybe this "loss" could be more of a change in millions of jobs from the assembly lines of the fossil fuel dependent to those of alternative energy and/or hybrid technologies. It will have to happen someday, even if the United States occupies the entire "Middle East". Why turn our nose on yet another International agreement?
Funny that this picture of Our Secretary of the Interior riding a snow mobilein Yellowstone National Park made it to the NY Times home page the day after the Protocol was enacted.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Star Wars fails.... again.
On February 7, 2005, the president said ""The taxpayers of America don't want us spending our money into something that's not achieving results." when speaking about his budget. I wonder if Star Wars: the national missile defense system is on the chopping block for failing to achieve results yet again.
As reported by the New York Times February 15, 2005:
"The nation's fledgling missile defense system suffered its third straight test failure when an interceptor rocket failed to launch Sunday night from its base on an island, leaving the target rocket to splash into the Pacific Ocean, the Pentagon said Monday."
"Uh, we had a slight weapons malfunction, but uh... everything's perfectly all right now. We're fine. We're all fine here now, thank you. How are you?" Han Solo 1977
As reported by the New York Times February 15, 2005:
"The nation's fledgling missile defense system suffered its third straight test failure when an interceptor rocket failed to launch Sunday night from its base on an island, leaving the target rocket to splash into the Pacific Ocean, the Pentagon said Monday."
"Uh, we had a slight weapons malfunction, but uh... everything's perfectly all right now. We're fine. We're all fine here now, thank you. How are you?" Han Solo 1977
Congratulations Dr. Dean.
Once again i find myself nodding my head to Paul Krugman. In his latest, Krugman ends with the lines "For a while, Mr. Dean will be the public face of the Democrats, and the Republicans will try to portray him as the leftist he isn't. But Deanism isn't about turning to the left: it's about making a stand." Howard Dean has been pegged a "leftist", because of the stand he took against the president's rush to war in Iraq. Gay marriage being allowed in Vermont may have also helped this image along, though i find that more Libertarian (but that's for another day). It was Governor Dean that balanced his state's budget without being required to. Where's the liberal spending we've all heard so much about?
Dr. Dean is not afraid of taking a stand and holding firm to it. He is the first nationally publicized Democrat with teeth that we have seen in a long time. Our only examples, since the death of Senator Paul Wellstone, have been men old enough not to worry about repricussions or re-elections and officials in a House of Representatives that was sadly neglected by the previous leader of the DNC . The republicans have their "attack dogs" and those that tout their "contract with (on) america". It's about time a leader was elected in the Democratic Party that had some fight in him.
Go Dean Go!
Dr. Dean is not afraid of taking a stand and holding firm to it. He is the first nationally publicized Democrat with teeth that we have seen in a long time. Our only examples, since the death of Senator Paul Wellstone, have been men old enough not to worry about repricussions or re-elections and officials in a House of Representatives that was sadly neglected by the previous leader of the DNC . The republicans have their "attack dogs" and those that tout their "contract with (on) america". It's about time a leader was elected in the Democratic Party that had some fight in him.
Go Dean Go!
Friday, February 11, 2005
The Power of the Blog
The mounting power of the "blog-o-sphere" has been demonstrated by world o crap, americablog, and dailykos's investigation and subsequent outing of Jeff Gannon/James Guckert, a "GOPUSA"-er that got into the White House press room and actually asked questions of the president and his press secretary under a fake name. How he received press passes with a fake name and a "news" organization that has zero distribution we may never know. Even the administration's press secretary scott mcclellan played along calling the "reporter" by his pseudonym "Jeff". This latest propagandist/softball pitcher has quit his position with the made up news agency talon, after wiping its website and gopusa's clean (the paper shredder truly is dead). Gannon/guckert and karl rove shared a mentor in morton blackwell. Blackwell was the one handing out the purple heart band aids at the rnc. He holds two day seminars on "journalism" that gannon/guckert and rove have both attended. But this scandal doesn't stop there. Turns out gannon/guckert may have been in on the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame, one of this administration's many scandals (all of which concern national affairs as opposed to extra-marital). In addition, gannon/guckert was very involved in the gop's 2004 campaign against former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle in South Dakota under the same fake name. All this news making headlines as karl rove is made an official policy advisor with an appointment to deputy chief of staff, in addition to his advisor status of course. The gannon/guckert scandal is just the latest in a list of people spouting the administration's talking points under the guise of credentialed journalism (some "journalists" were even paid for these services). All the more reason to help Senators Kennedy and Lautenberg get their Stop Government Propaganda Act passed through the Senate.
The breaking of this story shows the focus of web loggers that seem to be uniting in a variety of different forms and forums on the net. A meshing and consolidating of ideas, ideals, and message seems to be occurring. This is a very positive step in the right (as opposed to wrong) direction. It seems that those of us who find ourselves in the "sphere" and overwhelmed with interest tend to do more or at least don't mind doing the research that seems to be sadly lacking in the mainstream media and the mainstream populace for that matter. It's always good to get information through multiple sources and to know the history and possible biases of those sources. When the story breaks and two to three days later the subject resigns and websites are scrubbed clean and/or shut down you know you have something.
McClellan's defense:
"I don't think it's the role of the press secretary to get into being a media critic or to get into the role of picking or choosing who gets press credentials."
I guess the press secretary of the United States doesn't care who is asking questions of the greatest office in all the land. I didn't realize the press room was open to anyone with a website.
"In this day and age, when you have a changing media, it's not an easy issue to decide or try to pick and choose who is a journalist. It gets into the issue of advocacy journalism," McClellan said.
"Where do you draw the line? There are a number of people who cross that line in the briefing room.
"There are a number of people in that room that express their points of view, and there are people in that room that represent traditional media, they represent talk radio, they're columnists, and they represent online news organizations."
Hey scott, when i go to a bar they check my ID at the door. Maybe you guys should start checking ID of people that will be in the same room as the president of the United States of America. Or did you just let this one slide, because of what he was asking and saying.
The breaking of this story shows the focus of web loggers that seem to be uniting in a variety of different forms and forums on the net. A meshing and consolidating of ideas, ideals, and message seems to be occurring. This is a very positive step in the right (as opposed to wrong) direction. It seems that those of us who find ourselves in the "sphere" and overwhelmed with interest tend to do more or at least don't mind doing the research that seems to be sadly lacking in the mainstream media and the mainstream populace for that matter. It's always good to get information through multiple sources and to know the history and possible biases of those sources. When the story breaks and two to three days later the subject resigns and websites are scrubbed clean and/or shut down you know you have something.
McClellan's defense:
"I don't think it's the role of the press secretary to get into being a media critic or to get into the role of picking or choosing who gets press credentials."
I guess the press secretary of the United States doesn't care who is asking questions of the greatest office in all the land. I didn't realize the press room was open to anyone with a website.
"In this day and age, when you have a changing media, it's not an easy issue to decide or try to pick and choose who is a journalist. It gets into the issue of advocacy journalism," McClellan said.
"Where do you draw the line? There are a number of people who cross that line in the briefing room.
"There are a number of people in that room that express their points of view, and there are people in that room that represent traditional media, they represent talk radio, they're columnists, and they represent online news organizations."
Hey scott, when i go to a bar they check my ID at the door. Maybe you guys should start checking ID of people that will be in the same room as the president of the United States of America. Or did you just let this one slide, because of what he was asking and saying.
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
The right's race card.
The "debate" in the Senate concerning the appointment of alberto gonzales to top defender and enforcer of law (Attorney General) in the United States of America despite his work legitimizing the circumvention of international law while White House legal counsel has shown that the president's "mandate" has brought out the teeth in what has been a quiet, bush-lite Senate minority. Though a filibuster is not likely, it would be nice if alberto gonzales beat john ashcroft's record number of "No" votes (42).
The republican defense of gonzales's appointment seems to be that he is "hispanic", and would be the first of his ethnicity to hold the position. This is an interesting defense from the opponents of affirmative action (except when it pertains to colin powell). A position from former friends and allies of strom thurmond, the man that holds the record for the longest filibuster (against a civil rights law, of course). Cheney and friends, who voted against Martin Luther King Jr. Day, now can't seem to stop talking about the "races" of their appointments.
First they take fiscal irreponsibility from the democrats, now they're taking the race cards. What will the "reds" pigeonhole democrats as in two years?
"Every Hispanic American is watching," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah
"Mr. Gonzales is at the center of a torture policy that has run roughshod over the values that Americans hold so dear," Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.)
The republican defense of gonzales's appointment seems to be that he is "hispanic", and would be the first of his ethnicity to hold the position. This is an interesting defense from the opponents of affirmative action (except when it pertains to colin powell). A position from former friends and allies of strom thurmond, the man that holds the record for the longest filibuster (against a civil rights law, of course). Cheney and friends, who voted against Martin Luther King Jr. Day, now can't seem to stop talking about the "races" of their appointments.
First they take fiscal irreponsibility from the democrats, now they're taking the race cards. What will the "reds" pigeonhole democrats as in two years?
"Every Hispanic American is watching," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah
"Mr. Gonzales is at the center of a torture policy that has run roughshod over the values that Americans hold so dear," Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.)
Friday, January 28, 2005
The Iraqi election
The fall of Baghdad didn't do it. Killing saddam's sons didn't do it. The capture of saddam hussein didn't do it. The hand over of "authority" to an "interim Iraqi government" didn't do it. Maybe the election of a 275 member National Assembly, to select a president and committee to then draft a constitution will see us finally "turn the corner" on Operation Iraqi Freedom, bringing "stability", "democracy" and "liberty" to "the region".
The election we heard so much about during, prior to, and since the presidential campaign is finally here. It's funny how many people thought (and still think) it is an election to directly select a president in Iraq. Details weren't that important during the last presidential campaign. This Sunday brave Iraqi citizens, some outside the country, will go to the cardboard voting booth and select 275 leaders out of a field of 7,471 candidates from 111 different parties. One candidate is the former friend of the neo-cons, ahmed chalabi. Will the man who helped CONvince the administration and their closest friends of saddam's weapons of mass destruction, as well as saddam's connection to al qaeda for $300,000 a month be part of the government we've spent so much blood and treasure building?
Eight candidates have been murdered, polling places have been bombed, and foes of this election(and anything else the United States is a part of in Iraq) have threatened more intense violence leading up to and on election day. The intimidation involved in this election makes what happened in the Ukraine look like a Board of Education election. The world's standards on legitimacy for this election will have to be minimized, if not waived all together. The fact that there are no neutral foreign observers monitoring the vote is, in itself, proof of this.
One can only hope that somehow a civil war doesn't break out, and our troops can be brought home the way the Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Portugal, and Denmark are planning to.
There was a great speech given at the Johns' Hopkins School of International Studies by Senator Edward Kennedy on America's future in Iraq. In it he describes how "We need a serious course correction, and we need it now." He also addresses the possibilty that "We have reached the point that a prolonged American military presence in Iraq is no longer productive for either Iraq or the United States. The U.S. military presence has become part of the problem, not part of the solution."
The election we heard so much about during, prior to, and since the presidential campaign is finally here. It's funny how many people thought (and still think) it is an election to directly select a president in Iraq. Details weren't that important during the last presidential campaign. This Sunday brave Iraqi citizens, some outside the country, will go to the cardboard voting booth and select 275 leaders out of a field of 7,471 candidates from 111 different parties. One candidate is the former friend of the neo-cons, ahmed chalabi. Will the man who helped CONvince the administration and their closest friends of saddam's weapons of mass destruction, as well as saddam's connection to al qaeda for $300,000 a month be part of the government we've spent so much blood and treasure building?
Eight candidates have been murdered, polling places have been bombed, and foes of this election(and anything else the United States is a part of in Iraq) have threatened more intense violence leading up to and on election day. The intimidation involved in this election makes what happened in the Ukraine look like a Board of Education election. The world's standards on legitimacy for this election will have to be minimized, if not waived all together. The fact that there are no neutral foreign observers monitoring the vote is, in itself, proof of this.
One can only hope that somehow a civil war doesn't break out, and our troops can be brought home the way the Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Portugal, and Denmark are planning to.
There was a great speech given at the Johns' Hopkins School of International Studies by Senator Edward Kennedy on America's future in Iraq. In it he describes how "We need a serious course correction, and we need it now." He also addresses the possibilty that "We have reached the point that a prolonged American military presence in Iraq is no longer productive for either Iraq or the United States. The U.S. military presence has become part of the problem, not part of the solution."
Friday, January 21, 2005
Inauguration 2005
With Washington D.C. as secure as it has ever been, yesterday's ceremonies went, for the most part, as expected. The heavily guarded parade route and audience were filled with more supporters than dissenters. According to various reports, the number of dissenters reached between 500 and 10,000+. Some were so "aggressive" that police sprayed them with pepper spray shot through a fire hose.
The president's speech was of ideal's not details (inaugural addresses usually are). The "ultimate goal" he said was "ending tyranny in our world". Mr. President, does that include our tyrannical allies (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Uzbekistan to name a few)? The people of Sudan, Haiti, and China were probably excited to hear that "the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors." Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a world (or even a country) where each citizen has an equal voice in the election of their government and to have that elected government be answerable to the public that put it there. The left doesn't have a monopoly on dreamers after all. Well, I guess we'll just have to see if this "calling of our time" gets better results than "bring 'em on" and "dead or alive". All and all, Inauguration 2005 was well worth the $40,000,00.00 it cost, lucky the US government has some rich friends (just ask Secretary of Transportation Mineta about his friends at GM's party).
The president's speech was of ideal's not details (inaugural addresses usually are). The "ultimate goal" he said was "ending tyranny in our world". Mr. President, does that include our tyrannical allies (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Uzbekistan to name a few)? The people of Sudan, Haiti, and China were probably excited to hear that "the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors." Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a world (or even a country) where each citizen has an equal voice in the election of their government and to have that elected government be answerable to the public that put it there. The left doesn't have a monopoly on dreamers after all. Well, I guess we'll just have to see if this "calling of our time" gets better results than "bring 'em on" and "dead or alive". All and all, Inauguration 2005 was well worth the $40,000,00.00 it cost, lucky the US government has some rich friends (just ask Secretary of Transportation Mineta about his friends at GM's party).
Saturday, January 15, 2005
We're supposed to be the "good" guy.
The remaining "official" reasons for the War in Iraq seem to be the removal of saddam hussein from power based on his noncompliance with international law. His most egregious offense (since the Gulf War) being his lack of accounting for weapons of mass destruction. The weapons were not found by United Nations weapons inspectors in the time allotted them by this administration, nor were they found by the two consecutive United States weapons inspection teams appointed by this administration. In fact, the most recent team does not think there have been weapons of mass destruction produced in Iraq in a decade. The point of this web log entry is not to argue the merit of these inspections or discuss whether or not the former dictator "wanted" weapons of mass destruction, like the ones We possess (What leader wouldn't?). The idea that has struck me lately is that the War in Iraq is a war based on international law enforcement. Doesn't it follow that enforcers of international law must also abide by it?
Specialist Charles Graner was sentenced to 10 years in military prison for his role in the abuses and violations of international law that took place at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Defense of these criminal offenses seems to be three fold. The first defense minimizes the abuses that were committed in the name of "intelligence" gathering. The second compares the actions of Our soldiers with the actions of barbaric kidnappers. Last, but not least, there is the "following orders" defense that didn't work in the war crime tribunals at Nuremberg following World War II and doesn't work now.
Defenses like attorney Guy Womack's "Don't cheerleaders all over America make pyramids every day?" are attempts at minimizing the fact that the specialist and others forced men of faith, albeit misguided but surely extreme, to sin against their religion by having them strip naked, masturbate, simulate oral sex on one another, and stack in pyramids while guards and other inmates watched and were forced to watch. Analogies like Mr. Womack's fail for obvious reasons. And I can't remember any cheerleaders being attacked by German Shepards, hooked up to electrodes, or beaten to death at any pep rally I've ever attended.
The brutal beheadings that have taken place in Iraq are some of the most disturbing acts we've seen in this war. These acts were absolutely atrocious. They were criminal acts committed by terrorists. Are we not in Iraq to put an end to such atrocities? We are supposed to be the "good" guy. Actions like those at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay tarnish Our image as the world's good guy. As an American, I am insulted by the "they're beheading people" excuse. We are to bring enemies to justice through means within the laws of war, however difficult that may be. We can not lower Our standards, morals, and adherence to international law while simutaneously fighting for them.
Specialist Graner and others have testified that they were following orders. This does not dismiss the fact that they committed these crimes against the oath they are sworn to when enlisted. Offenses were committed by their hands and their boots. This defense does beg the question of how far up the chain of command approval of such methods went (and goes). The investigation conitunes. Attorney General nominee Alberto Gonzales's memo on why the Geneva Convention does not apply to some of those detained by the United States of America is just a glimpse of who may have been involved. The details of specific procedures that were approved of, and by whom, has yet to be made public.
With 202 people killed in the first two weeks of January, one wonders what "intelligence" these tactics produces. "Insurgent" numbers are rising, a suicide bomber killing 22 people at a "coalition" mess hall, and the slaying of the governor of baghdad are just a few of the recent stories coming out of Iraq. Are Our tactics working? Are we seen as "liberators"? I wonder what the "liberated" think of the sentence that Specialist Graner received?
Thursday is Inauguration Day. If you are making the trek to Washington D.C., good luck and thank you. There will be "Anti-war bleachers" set up at 4th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. Let 'em know we're here!
Specialist Charles Graner was sentenced to 10 years in military prison for his role in the abuses and violations of international law that took place at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Defense of these criminal offenses seems to be three fold. The first defense minimizes the abuses that were committed in the name of "intelligence" gathering. The second compares the actions of Our soldiers with the actions of barbaric kidnappers. Last, but not least, there is the "following orders" defense that didn't work in the war crime tribunals at Nuremberg following World War II and doesn't work now.
Defenses like attorney Guy Womack's "Don't cheerleaders all over America make pyramids every day?" are attempts at minimizing the fact that the specialist and others forced men of faith, albeit misguided but surely extreme, to sin against their religion by having them strip naked, masturbate, simulate oral sex on one another, and stack in pyramids while guards and other inmates watched and were forced to watch. Analogies like Mr. Womack's fail for obvious reasons. And I can't remember any cheerleaders being attacked by German Shepards, hooked up to electrodes, or beaten to death at any pep rally I've ever attended.
The brutal beheadings that have taken place in Iraq are some of the most disturbing acts we've seen in this war. These acts were absolutely atrocious. They were criminal acts committed by terrorists. Are we not in Iraq to put an end to such atrocities? We are supposed to be the "good" guy. Actions like those at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay tarnish Our image as the world's good guy. As an American, I am insulted by the "they're beheading people" excuse. We are to bring enemies to justice through means within the laws of war, however difficult that may be. We can not lower Our standards, morals, and adherence to international law while simutaneously fighting for them.
Specialist Graner and others have testified that they were following orders. This does not dismiss the fact that they committed these crimes against the oath they are sworn to when enlisted. Offenses were committed by their hands and their boots. This defense does beg the question of how far up the chain of command approval of such methods went (and goes). The investigation conitunes. Attorney General nominee Alberto Gonzales's memo on why the Geneva Convention does not apply to some of those detained by the United States of America is just a glimpse of who may have been involved. The details of specific procedures that were approved of, and by whom, has yet to be made public.
With 202 people killed in the first two weeks of January, one wonders what "intelligence" these tactics produces. "Insurgent" numbers are rising, a suicide bomber killing 22 people at a "coalition" mess hall, and the slaying of the governor of baghdad are just a few of the recent stories coming out of Iraq. Are Our tactics working? Are we seen as "liberators"? I wonder what the "liberated" think of the sentence that Specialist Graner received?
Thursday is Inauguration Day. If you are making the trek to Washington D.C., good luck and thank you. There will be "Anti-war bleachers" set up at 4th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. Let 'em know we're here!
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
2004... Let's Recap.
Well, homophobia and the fear of all things sexual (aka moral values) tried to "save" marriage and swayed an election, while the hetero teen queen, Brittany, got married twice. Amazing images of Mars from rovers Spirit and Opportunity mixed with abominable images from abu ghraib prison. Martha stewart, kobe bryant, and the red sox all made headlines, as the only world "superpower" spent $100 BILLION in treasure and 1,000 troops in blood not to stop the genocide in Sudan, not to aid the victims of the greatest catastrophe in Human history (though i am proud to say little george has upped Our government's donation from the "stingy" intitial offering of $15 million), but instead these sums were and are being used to force a country into "democracy" through the war that little george and little dick started to protect Us from the arms of a WMD-less dictator. Meanwhile osama bin laden has been left to flex his political muscles via tapes, both audio and video.
The 9/11 report hit the best seller list, Fahrenheit 9/11 passionately showed another side of the argument, and 9/11 echoed off the walls of the Republican convention (inside the building, of course). The war on drugs was dealt a hard blow by both rush limbaugh and jason giambi and we all now know who to turn to for advice on how to name our vibrators. Thank you bill o'reilly
Thank you Ray Charles. Thank you Marlon Brando. Thank you Rodney Dangerfield. Thank you Spalding Grey. Thank you Tony Randall. Thank you Christopher Reeve. Thank you Scott Muni. Thank you Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangaroo). Thank you Jack Parr. Thank you Julia Child. Thank you Rick James. Thank you Old Dirty Bastard. Thank you Isabelle Sanford. And thank you yankees organist Eddie Layton. You each made a lasting impression on me.
I'm sure i've missed some big stories and moments from the year 2004. Some i ommitted on purpose. This is a blog after all, it's bound to have some bias, isn't it?
So, watch out for those wardrobe malfunctions and don't take no jive in 2005.
peace.
dave
If you haven't already done your good deed for 2005, PLEASE make a donation to the tsunami relief effort. Money is the best thing you can send right now. Groups on the ground there know what to do with it.
The 9/11 report hit the best seller list, Fahrenheit 9/11 passionately showed another side of the argument, and 9/11 echoed off the walls of the Republican convention (inside the building, of course). The war on drugs was dealt a hard blow by both rush limbaugh and jason giambi and we all now know who to turn to for advice on how to name our vibrators. Thank you bill o'reilly
Thank you Ray Charles. Thank you Marlon Brando. Thank you Rodney Dangerfield. Thank you Spalding Grey. Thank you Tony Randall. Thank you Christopher Reeve. Thank you Scott Muni. Thank you Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangaroo). Thank you Jack Parr. Thank you Julia Child. Thank you Rick James. Thank you Old Dirty Bastard. Thank you Isabelle Sanford. And thank you yankees organist Eddie Layton. You each made a lasting impression on me.
I'm sure i've missed some big stories and moments from the year 2004. Some i ommitted on purpose. This is a blog after all, it's bound to have some bias, isn't it?
So, watch out for those wardrobe malfunctions and don't take no jive in 2005.
peace.
dave
If you haven't already done your good deed for 2005, PLEASE make a donation to the tsunami relief effort. Money is the best thing you can send right now. Groups on the ground there know what to do with it.
Saturday, December 11, 2004
The news hasn't been so hot for Us.
The news hasn't been so hot for Us lately (and by Us i mean them). Retesting rumsfeld in the public waters seems to have been about as successful as Our multi-billion dollar missile defense system. Seems Ol' rummy has more than just the left pissed off. Our soldiers (with a little help from a local journalist) asked him questions about their "hilly billy armor" and when their over extended National Guard duty will finally suffice at a photo op town hall meeting with the soldiers in kuwait. To which donald replied "You go to war with the Army you have, not the Army you might want or wish to have." Administration foe/ally/foe john mccain reiterated that he has "no confidence" in the vice president's once mentor, don rumsfeld. It's not like cabinet appointment mistakes haven't been made over the past four years. Why, just a couple of weeks ago the boys were rallyin around New York's own bernie kerik. We all know by this point what happened to him. Ah New Yorkers, they really can get the dirt out quick on their own. I wonder if their are any Texan reporters out there that have any stories from say the early to mid 90's on the dimwit in chief.
Foreign news hasn't been to friendly either. Our only Arab ally Pakistani president pervez musharraf told Tony Blair the world is "less safe" since the invasion of Iraq. And remember when the wiseacre in chief "looked in the eye" of vladimir putin and got a "sense of his soul" , finding putin to be "very straight forward and trustworthy". Well now junior's Camp David pal is out there saying the United States of America seeks a "dictatorship of international affairs". Not good. Well at least he, pervez, and vlad still have the death penalty in common.
And now a new bin laden tape comes out. Bin laden, probably still celebrating pakistan's decision to withdraw from the search we left them to continue, has come out to praise the American embassy bombing in Saudi Arabia. Re-enforcing one of his main agendas, to disconnect his homeland, Saudi Arabia, from Ours.
So as we ride this monstrous wave of "political capital" that seems to get less and less support at home or abroad, all we can do is hope that Santa or Yo La Tengo can bring us enough cheer during this holiday season. Shop responsibly.
dave
Foreign news hasn't been to friendly either. Our only Arab ally Pakistani president pervez musharraf told Tony Blair the world is "less safe" since the invasion of Iraq. And remember when the wiseacre in chief "looked in the eye" of vladimir putin and got a "sense of his soul" , finding putin to be "very straight forward and trustworthy". Well now junior's Camp David pal is out there saying the United States of America seeks a "dictatorship of international affairs". Not good. Well at least he, pervez, and vlad still have the death penalty in common.
And now a new bin laden tape comes out. Bin laden, probably still celebrating pakistan's decision to withdraw from the search we left them to continue, has come out to praise the American embassy bombing in Saudi Arabia. Re-enforcing one of his main agendas, to disconnect his homeland, Saudi Arabia, from Ours.
So as we ride this monstrous wave of "political capital" that seems to get less and less support at home or abroad, all we can do is hope that Santa or Yo La Tengo can bring us enough cheer during this holiday season. Shop responsibly.
dave
Thursday, December 02, 2004
Show me what democracy looks like
The Ukraine has shown us what democracy looks like. A questionable election day outcome, where only 1-3% of the popular vote separated the candidates, and the results were at odds with exit polling, has brought tens of thousands of citizens out to protest. The protestors have been camped out in the capital of the Ukraine, Kiev, for some 10+ days. I wonder if they got the appropriate permits. Influenced by the public outcry, the Ukrainian Parliament has voted "no confidence" in the election of Viktor Yanukovych, the man backed by eastern Europe and Russia, over the EU backed "liberal reformist" Viktor Yushchenko, who is seeking a new election. Mr. Yushchenko is also backed by the US, though it's getting harder and harder to follow who Our allies are when even the "American" success story wal-mart is getting 70% of their commodities made in communist China. Not to mention Our newest ally, Afghanistan, overtaking Columbia as drug producer #1. Can you really blame our old friends for being stand off-ish? With the NY Times piece on a report issued back in July by the International Red Cross to Our government saying our abuse of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay was "tantamount to torture". I guess we don't need to lease Gulfstream 5 for flights to torture friendly nations anymore.
In other news hidden beneath the peterson trial, on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, the Pentagon released a report saying our enemies "hate our policies, not our freedom". Really?!?! Then there was the appropriations bill the republicans in Congress pushed through attaching riders having nothing to do with the budget and allowing no time for debate or review before the vote which of course passed. We are talking about riders affecting policies from Yellowstone National Park to abortion! Not to mention the eye witness reports saying the We used "unusual weapons" in Falluja, weapons resembling napalm. It's no wonder the people of Canada protested the man clear channel(the ministry of propaganda) billboards in Florida refer to as "our leader". It makes you want to abstain from the whole discussion. Otherwise leaving myself open to contracting AIDS from sweat and tears. Isn’t that right federally funded faith based teachers of abstinence?
It's no wonder 40% of Us are on prescription drugs.
dave
"We... owe it to mankind as well as to ourselves to restrain wrong by resistance and to defeat those calculations of which justice is not the basis." --Thomas Jefferson: 7th Annual Message, 1807
In other news hidden beneath the peterson trial, on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, the Pentagon released a report saying our enemies "hate our policies, not our freedom". Really?!?! Then there was the appropriations bill the republicans in Congress pushed through attaching riders having nothing to do with the budget and allowing no time for debate or review before the vote which of course passed. We are talking about riders affecting policies from Yellowstone National Park to abortion! Not to mention the eye witness reports saying the We used "unusual weapons" in Falluja, weapons resembling napalm. It's no wonder the people of Canada protested the man clear channel(the ministry of propaganda) billboards in Florida refer to as "our leader". It makes you want to abstain from the whole discussion. Otherwise leaving myself open to contracting AIDS from sweat and tears. Isn’t that right federally funded faith based teachers of abstinence?
It's no wonder 40% of Us are on prescription drugs.
dave
"We... owe it to mankind as well as to ourselves to restrain wrong by resistance and to defeat those calculations of which justice is not the basis." --Thomas Jefferson: 7th Annual Message, 1807
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