Here's What Bush Was Doing While Dead Bodies Floated Down The Streets Of New Orleans

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"Wars throughout history have been waged for conquest and plunder.... the working class who fight all the battles, the working class who make the supreme sacrifices, the working class who freely shed their blood and furnish their corpses, have never yet had a voice in either declaring war or making peace. It is the ruling class that invariably does both. They alone declare war and they alone make peace....They are continually talking about their patriotic duty. It is not their but your patriotic duty that they are concerned about. There is a decided difference. Their patriotic duty never takes them to the firing line or chucks them into the trenches." - - - Eugene V. Debs

Attention Opera Fans

If you've always wanted to try Opera browser but didn't want to pay the $39 price, the company is giving away free licenses for a short while at: http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?QTaDHwzOcQsEJ.HqdlXxgg

Stirring the Pot

Although rarely if ever covered in this blog, the hypocritical laws and staggering enforcement costs associated with medical marijuana have made a mockery of our medical and legal systems. Here's one physician's thoughts (subscription required):

For many decades, marijuana has been the American poster child for how not to deal with a troubling psychoactive substance. By US law, a Schedule I substance is one with no recognized medical use and great potential harm to the user. Marijuana has been classified as a Schedule I substance for many decades, along with heroin and LSD. Judging from its easy availability, low cost, and widespread current use, such a restrictive classification has failed to retard its use. In fact, enforcement of unrealistic laws regarding marijuana has probably caused more harm than marijuana itself. Although far from harmless by toxicologic or pathologic criteria, marijuana is much less dangerous than many other substances in less restrictive schedules, like morphine and cocaine, not to mention the unscheduled legal mass killers tobacco and alcohol. Of course, marijuana does have proven medical usefulness for some conditions. People obey laws they believe to be just; they do not obey the marijuana laws because they know they are unjust, even absurd. Kids quickly see through lies. Many kids may discount the proper scare tactics about really dangerous drugs, like heroin and PCP, because the dangers of marijuana have been so overstated. Ninety percent of Americans believe that the federal government should not prosecute medical users of marijuana, despite the newest "federal foolishness" of the recent Supreme Court decision against it. This commonsense position of the people should give pause to any overzealous prosecutors who might have real trouble finding a jury that would convict a seriously ill user of medical marijuana. The court decision now provides the Congress and the Drug Enforcement Administration with a sterling opportunity to join with the population they are supposed to be serving and with the good science of the 10 states that have authorized the controlled use of medical marijuana and reclassify it at some level other than Schedule I. That's my opinion. I'm Dr. George Lundberg, Editor of MedGenMed.

"The DC Democrats, hapless dupes that so many of them are, fail to understand that politics is blood sport, and they are coming to fight with those pillow bats that therapists give to patients in group therapy." - - - Liberal Street Fighter

Signs from Crawford

Here are some homemade signs I saw at Camp Casey II the previous weekend (click image for a larger version):

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“I will reject it because it shows that women’s rights have been forgotten and they want to divide Iraq between groups and territories which are unacceptable. The constitution is the future of the country and should be prepared step by step and not just rushed to meet a deadline.” - - - Salwa Ibrahim, a Sunni woman in Baghdad

"...it will be all too apparent -- even to American voters -- that any U.S. troop withdrawal is an abject retreat, nothing more. That will make it all the harder for Shrubya to abandon his "we will stay and win" rhetorical fantasies. It's like someone who refuses to stop drinking because he doesn't want to face the hangover -- but the longer the bender continues, the more painful the hangover will be when it finally ends." - - - Needlenose

Monday Bits

MP George Galloway, who undressed U.S. Senators in a hearing about Iraq pre-war intelligence failures a few months back, will be on a speaking tour of the U.S. shortly, terminating with the Sept. 24 anti-war rally in Washington DC.

Juan Cole summarizes the current reactions in Iraq to the faulty process of releasing the unfinished draft constitution to public referendum. The Sunnis have been excluded from the final amendment process, setting the stage for a bloody revolt.

Paul Krugman explains how Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan is partly to blame for the pending real estate market collapse and 2006 recession.

The Attorney General of California sued 39 drug companies on Thursday, accusing them of bilking the state of hundreds of millions of dollars by overcharging for medicines.

Katrina

Here is a good live news feed from Louisiana covering Hurricane Katrina. If you are anywhere near New Orleans you need to get out of the area now or you will die. This is possibly the most destructive and deadly storm in history to hit the United States. Besides the nearly total destruction of the city and surrounding communities, the hurricane's impact on offshore oil facilites will likely create a short-term oil production shortage, causing a temporary spike in oil, then gas, prices in this country. Here is a current animated infrared video of the hurricane as it approaches and makes landfall.

Here is a current NOAA visible satellite loop, and here is a page with links to all types of storm-related maps.

"If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy." - - - James Madison

"I have been silent on the Gold Star Moms who still support this man and his war by saying that they deserve the right to their opinions because they are in as much pain as I am. I would challenge them, though, at this point to start thinking for themselves. Iraq DID NOT have WMD; Iraq WAS NOT linked to Al Qaeda and 9/11; Iraq WAS NOT a threat or danger to America. How can these moms who still support George Bush and his insane war in Iraq want more innocent blood shed just because their sons or daughters have been killed? I don't understand it. I don't understand how any mother could want another mother to feel the pain we feel. I am starting to lose a little compassion for them. I know they have been as brainwashed as the rest of America, but they know the pain and heartache and they should not wish it on another. However, I still feel their pain so acutely and pray for these "continue the murder and mayhem" moms to see the light." - - - Cindy Sheehan

LEFT is RIGHT goes international!

LEFT is RIGHT's posting about Camp Casey (recent posts below) has had the privilege of being referenced and reproduced across the pond in the United Kingdom at these two well-read social/political web sites:

IndyMediaUK

Fight Back (look for August 26)

I invite you to visit these sites and see how similarly our international neighbors perceive the inhumanity and injustice of the Iraq War and other globally-related issues. For some strange reason I suddenly have a strong urge for tea and crumpets...

I thought that I had seen pretty much all the popular, progressive blogs around, but I just came across THIS HILARIOUS ONE tonight. Check it out.

Also, for the past two years I've faithfully posted a Friday Fun every single week. I never know if anyone checks them out or not, but if you do, I apologize for not putting one up this week. Between getting back from Crawford Monday, trying to catch up at work, and posting the comments and photos from Texas, I put zero time this week in assembling fun stuff. I'll try getting back on track next week. Cheers.

Camp Casey II Photos from Saturday and Sunday

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Camp Casey I Photos From Sunday

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Unseen War

From Salon.com:


Injured U.S. soldiers sit on a cargo plane,
its interior lights red because of an attack,
before taking off to Germany from an air
force base in Balad, Iraq, Nov. 13, 2004.
Photo by Lynsey Addario/Corbis

After much thought and research, LEFT is RIGHT is releasing its official post-Iraq War Plan:

LEAVE NOW.

Wife of recruit headed to Iraq voices frustrations with government and media on Randi Rhodes show. (audio)

Pic o' the Week

Bill Moyer, 73, wears a "Bullshit Protector" flap
over his ear while President George W. Bush
addresses the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
(AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac)

More on Camp Casey II

Continuing with info about our trip to Crawford, TX last weekend. The single most profoundly impressive person we encountered throughout our stay was Lance Cpl. Jeff Key. He is currently awaiting discharge from the Marines after acting against the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Here's a photo of him that I did not take:


Lance Cpl. Jeff Key, USMC
We first met Jeff Friday evening after arriving in Crawford. He had given a nice speech and then later came and sat down with us after I snagged him. I had wanted to find out if he knew our neighbor, a marine who was stationed at the same camp, Camp Pendleton. Our neighbor, while stationed in Iraq, had spearheaded a "Toys for Iraqi Orphans" drive which I extensively pushed and advertised last year on this blog. He talked to my wife and me for a while and we found him to be terribly charming.

During our conversation a recently discharged, very young and very shy Marine sat down at our table. He had served in Iraq and visibly was emotionally troubled. As soon as Jeff noticed him he ignored us (thankfully) and started to talk quietly to him and obviously console him for a long time in a very compassionate manner. We were just blown away.

The next night, on Saturday, Jeff performed a one-man play which he has done numerous times across the country (he has an acting background). The 90-minute play was composed of scenes recreated from excerpts of a personal journal he maintained while in Iraq, which he said helped him keep his sanity. It was deeply moving and gave us a keen insight into his personal thoughts and the decisions he made both before the war (enlistment) and while traveling throughout Iraq as a tank driver. His descriptions of his interactions with the Iraqi children and adults were priceless, as were his recreations of events involving fellow Marines including one of several from his unit who were killed. My wife said it was the best one-person performance she had ever seen.

Here's a photo I took on Saturday when he took the podium to deliver one of many speeches. He had been on the phone speaking to a new friend he had made in Utah and started telling us about his conversation:


Lance Cpl. Jeff Key (8/20/05)
Each night that we were at Camp Casey II he played taps (one of his Marine duties) at sunset to honor the dead soldiers Bush had sent off to protect the President's buddies' oil. On our last two nights he played taps in front of the "memorial crosses" (see photos in an earlier post below). As you can imagine, it was deeply emotional. In the crowd of 500+ people you could hear a pin drop.

At 6'5" Jeff is a towering individual and it was never a problem finding him in a crowd that, at peak times, reached around 1,000.

Irrespective of Key's political, sexual or religious inclinations, I found the man to be someone who makes me realize that, in our world today, we can have a military to protect us and be composed of service-men and -women who are compassionate towards foreigners. This in spite of being led today by a ruthless Administration in Washington D.C. whose only objective is to use the military for strictly person financial gain. I pray that someday, if not in my lifetime then hopefully in those of my children, there will no longer be armies on this planet. Until that time, I hope that the U.S. military will evolve such that it is composed mostly of caring and dedicated individuals like Jeff Key.

Liberals in the workplace

I think one issue that liberals/progressives think they must segregate into two parts is the relationship between their personal politics and their work environment. My personal feelings are as follows.

The most important things we can do on our job are to be honest, set high standards of work ethics and conduct for ourselves and our co-workers, and do as good a job as we can, always trying to improve our work skills and knowledge. That is the way we earn the respect of the people around us. When our co-workers then find out that we are flaming liberals who run anti-Bush blogs and attend peace marches and send money to groups advocating progressive causes, then it will be very hard for them to suddenly change their minds.

People by nature easily form judgments from initial impressions and then find it difficult for many reasons to change those impressions, whether it's because they don't want to admit to themselves that maybe they were wrong, or they have already told others how they initially felt about us and don't want to "lose face" at the water cooler, or whatever. So psychologically they have set themselves up to realize that some people who don't necessarily agree with them maybe have views and beliefs that bear consideration.

Of course there are the die-hard evangelical bible-thumpers who never learned how to think for themselves and just spout the safe, fanatical rantings of their religious leaders, but they have always been around (for our amusement, I think) and will always be there to firmly anchor the right end of the social spectrum.

It's the more recent, ill-informed converts to the Right that are susceptible to changing their views and beliefs as they are exposed more to the real world and to people like us who see the inhumanity around us and actually know the difference between good and evil. I think we're seeing that happening right now as we watch Bush's poll ratings sink into the sewer.

So I say to you, be honest and hard-working at your job, especially when times are as chaotic as they are right now. Always respect the opinions and beliefs of your co-workers, and always be proud of who you are, no matter what others may say to you or about you. No two people on this planet will ever agree on everything, and sometimes two people might never agree on just about anything, but we all have the same right to be here.

Extremist? So be it.

People protesting as I have recently have been labeled "Anti-War Extremists". Well, if I was ever to become an extremist in my life, I couldn't have thought of a better cause. So I hereby proudly announce that I am a friggin' blue-blooded, tax-paying, troop-supporting, gay-marriage advocating, hybrid car-owning, wife-loving, Social Security-supporting, environment-caring, women's rights-backing, flaming Progressive who is as extremely anti-war as a person can be.

I AM AN ANTI-WAR EXTREMIST!!

In 2008 I want a leader who is willing now to say: "I made a mistake, and for my mistake I am going to Iraq and accompanying the next planeload of flag-draped coffins back to Dover Air Force Base. And I am going to ask forgiveness for my mistake from every parent who will talk to me."... The real defeatists today are not those protesting the war. The real defeatists are those in power and their silent supporters in the opposition party who are reduced to repeating "Stay the course" even when the course, whatever it now is, is light years away from the one originally undertaken. The truth is we're way off course. We've stumbled into a hornet's nest. We've weakened ourselves at home and in the world. We are less secure today than before this war began. Who now has the courage to say this? - - - Gary Hart

"In the First Amendment, the Founding Fathers gave the free press the protection it must have to fulfill its essential role in our democracy. The press was to serve the governed, not the governors. The Government's power to censor the press was abolished so that the press would remain forever free to censure the Government. The press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of government and inform the people. Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government. And paramount among the responsibilities of a free press is the duty to prevent any part of the government from deceiving the people and sending them off to distant lands to die of foreign fevers and foreign shot and shell." - - - Justice Black. NYT v. US. 403 US 713

Camp Casey Photos

When you enter "downtown" Crawford, TX on Hwy 185 you will pass the Peace House. This is the focal point of operations for the two Camp Caseys. Until a few weeks ago the House was operating on a shoestring budget, and couldn't even afford phone service. When Cindy Sheehan came to Crawford to lodge her protest she paid the $200+ bill. Since then the flood of donations has given the House a financial foundation to support all the necessary resources for running the two camps. If you decide to park near the Peace House you can take a shuttle to either of the Camps.


Crawford Peace House (8/21/05)
About 5 miles down some country roads lies the first location that Cindy set up to invite and then wait for Bush to visit and discuss the reasons he sent her son to Iraq:


Camp Casey I (8/21/05)
Continuing a few miles northwest on Canaan Church Rd. you will find the current hub of activity, Camp Casey II. The crosses were set up Saturday and represent all of the approximately 200 Texan soldiers Bush sent to die in Iraq. The tent itself was used a few weeks earlier for a fundraising event on the Bush compound:


Camp Casey II (8/21/05)
Casey II is adjacent to the western entrance to Bush's compound and is barricaded and protected by the Secret Service and state police:


Western entrance to Bush Compound and corner of Camp Casey II (8/21/05)

Upon entering the Camp II tent you immediately notice a mock coffin covered with photos and descriptions of all 1,860+ U.S. soldiers whom Bush sent to their death:


Memorial Coffin (8/21/05)


Memorial Coffin closeup
My next Crawford posts will contain more detailed photos of the two camps.

UPDATE: I came across THIS MUSIC VIDEO about Camp Casey I (found at THIS SITE).

Thoughts on Crawford

Until I have some free time to sit down and assimilate notes and photos, I would like to mention a few observations about what we witnessed in Crawford, TX over the weekend.

First and foremost, the organization of Camp Casey II was a marvel to witness. In only a week's time a group of dedicated people who came purely because of their convictions set up an efficient, well-run operation (in the friggin' middle of nowhere). The food is first-rate, the grounds are clean and well-kept, the shuttle service to "downtown" Crawford is continuous, and presentations, speeches and entertainment are well-coordinated (in spite of the ad-lib nature of the planning due to unscheduled and unexpected appearances of so many famous peace activists and entertainers).

What impressed me the most was the degree to which so many volunteered their time and resources to help. Nearly the entire operation is run by donations and individuals who just showed up and asked, "Tell me what I can do to help." Mrs. LEFT is RIGHT and I spent most of Sunday assisting with the food services.

Despite the 100+ degree days there is plenty of shelter and a plethora of cold drinks. The only thing missing was air conditioning, but hey, Progressives are not wimps, unless you're like me (from a temperate climate - Los Angeles) and at one point nearly passed out from heat stress due to not properly pacing myself while helping out.

The location of Camp Casey II, where we were, is literally next to the driveway that enters Bush's ranch. During our 3-day stay around two-to-three thousand or so people came and left, with a core group of probably 100-200 staying and running the entire operation. I understand that yesterday, the day we flew home, wireless internet was set up... just incredible.

They do need more volunteers. Even if you donate just an hour or two of your time, even if you just pick up a couple of people in your car as you pass through Crawford on your way to Camps I or II, every little bit of help makes a big difference.

I cannot tell you how uplifting it was to be around such a large group of people who care about exactly the same things as you and who are from literally every state in the nation and even other countries. It was mind-boggling. The Mrs. and I did not want to leave. But we both have kids and jobs back home and are fortunate to have had the opportunity to do this.

Although Cindy Sheehan is the seed and symbol of this movement, she is no longer the driving force. The driving force now belongs to you and me, people who have finally found a way to express their outrage against, and resolve to stop, this group of thugs who have stolen our government and wasted the once-promising lives of thousands of young Americans and tens-of-thousands of peaceful Iraqis. Folks, this IS the genesis of the people's anti-Iraq-War movement.

More to come...

Still not convinced that we are gradually descending into a fascist state??? Check out this INCREDIBLE FOOTAGE of police raiding a legal party in Utah. Wow...

Pat Robertson Suggests A Way to Save $200B

"You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war." - - - Pat Robertson on why we should murder Venezuelan Leftist President Hugo Chavez

Crawford Cindy

Just returned from Camp Casey today. Very tired from the heat in Crawford Texas all weekend and the traveling back and forth from Calif. to Texas. Will start posting about Camp Casey tomorrow, incl. lots of pics.

Eastward, Ho!

Downtown Crawford, TX
This weekend LEFT is RIGHT will be traveling from his cozy home in Cerritos, California to join the protest in Crawford, Texas. I hope to see other Southern Californians there, helping out and making our voices heard.

Hotel/motel rooms in the surrounding areas, such as Waco and Dallas/Fort Worth, are going fast, so get online now and start searching if you're headed that way.

I must be careful when protesting, or I'll end up here:

Crawford City Jail
I probably won't be blogging while I'm gone, but I promise to all readers of LEFT is RIGHT that I will post some pics of Camp Casey next week.

Friday Fun

Early recorded sounds
Elvis the Robo Cat (video)
Speak n' Spell Emulator
Hillbilly Tribute (video)
English Nouns in Color
Serious Coin Flipping (video)
Modern Ruins
Do-it-yourself security inspections
"Hello. Technical Support. May I help you?" (video)
Useless Office Skills

Yet Another Blunder by Bush-war in Iraq

What a sorry, major fuckup this is (emphasis added):

BAGHDAD, 18 August (IRIN) - A serious rise in food poisoning cases caused by expired and contaminated food in Iraq has been reported by the Ministry of Health. “Government hospital directors have alerted our ministry that there is an increase in cases on a daily basis, especially in children, caused by poor food quality in the markets,” to Mustafa al-Aani, a senior official at the ministry said. Muhammad Shambar, a Baghdad doctor, said initial symptoms for the food poisoning are characterised by intense diarrhoea and constant vomiting. He added that urgent action should be taken by the patient before dehydration sets in. “We have at least three cases of food poisoning every day in our hospital and when you analyse the patient’s history you find that they ate food that had passed the sell by date or that it was prepared in unhygienic conditions,” Shambar added. Expired food had been sold in northern Iraq, which was considered to have the best food monitoring system in Iraq, officials said. During Saddam Hussein’s regime all food stuff entering the country was monitored for quality control and sell by dates were checked rigorously before entering shops. One of the main reasons for this recent increase in tainted food in the market is due to the removal of border customs check points, officials said. Dr Salah Hassan, a food quality control expert at the Ministry of Health, further explained that shopkeepers were being duped into buying such goods as the sellers were changing the date of expiry by sticking new labels on products. “I am sick now because I ate cheese which was supposed to be good quality. My son found that the label had been changed giving a longer expiry date. But you can see on the old label that it expired more than a year ago,” Saluwa Ali, a patient at Yarmouk hospital, said. The food sold is full of bacteria and harmful, doctors say. “We have found very dangerous bacteria or fungi on the expired products that we tested from local markets,” said Hassan. “Consumers are not aware of the bacteria because it is not visible in the food and subsequently find themselves inside an emergency hospital room.” Government health workers said they were working to stop the illegal trade and called on shopkeepers to be more vigilant when purchasing.

Yes, but the Iraqis now have "democracy"! Saddam wouldn't let them eat expired food, but now the Americans have given them the freedom to eat any food they want, no matter how toxic. Praise the lord for Bush and his invasion/occupation forces.

Today's Global Warming Reports

Drought-hit Spain and Portugal battle blazes in searing heat

Sens. McCain, Clinton probe melting Arctic

Climate change a 'blind spot' for U.S. insurers

Midweek Bits

Bush-war's latest Disapproval Ratings (Mr. Prez: It ain't lookin' good. Your political capital has collapsed.)

The Chickenhawk Argument

"Instead of Saddam we now have thousands of Saddams."

The National Do Not Call Registry has topped 100 million phone numbers

An Analysis of Tom Hayden's Proposal to Withdraw U.S. Troops from Iraq

Trent Lott disses Bill Frist

Some "kiss" advice for Cindy Sheehan

"I mean, Cindy Sheehan is just Bill Burkett. Her story is nothing more than forged documents. There's nothing about it that's real, including the mainstream media's glomming onto it. It's not real. It's nothing more than an attempt. It's the latest effort made by the coordinated left." - - - Rush Limbaugh

Hey, did you hear that? The Left is COORDINATED!

Which unfortunately means that everything R.L. said was a lie.

On Sheehan

"The silence of the anti-war movement has been deafening. There hasn't been a national protest since the war started (unless you count the RNC protests as anti-war, which I don't.) That should change on 9/24, though it appears UFPJ and ANSWER are doing their sectarian thing and organizing separate marches. Again. But the demobilization of the anti-war movement is a tragedy. "Right now it's completely awesome that Cindy Sheehan is doing what she's doing. And it's completely terrible that at a time when 60 percent of people in this country oppose the war that it almost seems like Sheehan is standing alone. And it's completely terrible that the right-wing is going into full caricature mode on both Sheehan and the other military families and anti-war folks that have now joined the protest." - - - Zagg at RandomWalks "The purity of Sheehan's protest has lately been diluted by her association with the far Left, the extravagance of her language and the arrival of political operatives to manipulate and manage her. But in a slow news month, Cindy Sheehan has helped turn the focus of national debate back to the war, at a moment of special vulnerability for the president. "According to Newsweek, support for Bush's handling of the war has fallen for the first time below 40 percent – to 34 percent, with 61 percent now disapproving of his war leadership. Compare these numbers to the 68 percent support Nixon commanded on Vietnam after that Nov. 3 address, and the gravity of Bush's condition becomes evident. "Put bluntly, the bottom is falling out of support for the commander in chief. What is remarkable is that no Democrat has stepped forward, as Gene McCarthy did, to lead an anti-war crusade and call for a date certain for withdrawal of U.S. troops. Cindy Sheehan is filling that vacuum." - - - Pat Buchanan (yes, THAT Pat Buchanan) "To make crystals, a single pure crystal is entered into a saturated solution. This is called the seed crystal. Other crystals then begin to form around the seed crystal, building themselves into the crystal lattice structure. Cindy is the seed crystal of the renewed antiwar movement. We are crystallizing about her, it is our job to build the lattice, the enduring structure that facilitates continued growth and emerges from the solution. "Let the lattice-building begin, we need to form organized, active grassroots antiwar structures everywhere we are. Don’t be afraid if your little town or conservative suburb has few against the war--now. Look at what one person, our seed crystal, has accomplished. We don’t need to be national heroes. But even a few voices, if everywhere, will grow together into a rising national chorus. "This is how we build the lattice, with a thousand small crystals all over the country, bringing the message to each and every community in America, and uniting for the big pushes such as supporting Cindy and the big marches. Bushco has made it clear that they intend to continue playing the same lying imperialist game that got us into this mess. The Democrats are still fearful, still under the sway of the Peter Beinarts telling them they must out-hawk the Republicans. But if the people lead, the leaders will follow. Cindy has opened the door, in her way not unlike the stand of Rosa Parks so long ago. Come together all you crystals, let us be the rock on which the warship of the regime is broken. Shine on, you crazy diamonds, shine on." - - - Dancing Larry

Daily Kos posted the following quotes:

1. "You can support the troops but not the president." 2. "Well, I just think it's a bad idea. What's going to happen is they're going to be over there for 10, 15, maybe 20 years." 3. "Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may come home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their life?" 4. "[The] President . . . is once again releasing American military might on a foreign country with an ill-defined objective and no exit strategy. He has yet to tell the Congress how much this operation will cost. And he has not informed our nation's armed forces about how long they will be away from home. These strikes do not make for a sound foreign policy." 5. "American foreign policy is now one huge big mystery. Simply put, the administration is trying to lead the world with a feel-good foreign policy." 6. "If we are going to commit American troops, we must be certain they have a clear mission, an achievable goal and an exit strategy." 7. "I had doubts about the bombing campaign from the beginning . . I didn't think we had done enough in the diplomatic area." 8. "I cannot support a failed foreign policy. History teaches us that it is often easier to make war than peace. This administration is just learning that lesson right now. The President began this mission with very vague objectives and lots of unanswered questions. A month later, these questions are still unanswered. There are no clarified rules of engagement. There is no timetable. There is no legitimate definition of victory. There is no contingency plan for mission creep. There is no clear funding program. There is no agenda to bolster our over-extended military. There is no explanation defining what vital national interests are at stake. There was no strategic plan for war when the President started this thing, and there still is no plan today" 9. "Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is."

And just who said these bold statements?

1. Rep Tom Delay (R-TX) 2. Joe Scarborough (R-FL) 3. Sean Hannity, Fox News, 4/6/99 4. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) 5. Rep Tom Delay (R-TX) 6. Karen Hughes, speaking on behalf of George W Bush 7. Senator Trent Lott (R-MS) 8. Rep Tom Delay (R-TX) 9. Governor George W. Bush (R-TX)

These are all quotes made when Clinton sent troops to Bosnia! The same people who now label as unpatriotic America-haters those people who say the same things today about Iraq. Oh my, the hypocracy on the Right is thicker than the cold-blooded grey matter behind Bush-war's eyes.

"I think it's important for me to be thoughtful and sensitive to those who have got something to say. But I think it's also important for me to go on with my life, to keep a balanced life ... I think the people want the president to be in a position to make good, crisp decisions and to stay healthy. And part of my being is to be outside exercising. So I'm mindful of what goes on around me. On the other hand, I'm also mindful that I've got a life to live and will do so." - - - Alcoholic and cocaine user President George W. Bush, while vacationing in Texas

Hugo Threatens Bush

Hugo Chavez (President of Venezuela) threatened to cut off his nation's oil exports to the U.S. if Bush doesn't back off.

Well, damn it, I just started pumping Citgo Gas into my Prius this year (in protest of the obscenely greedy American oil companies). What is a good Progressive supposed to do now?

(Thanks to Michael Miller at Public Domain Progress for the leads.)

"Psychologically, it [Iraq] may be the worst affected country in the world. What's going on is really a catastrophe from a psychological and a societal point of view.” - - - Dr. Harith Hassan, the former head of Baghdad's Psychological Research Center

Best Blog Post Title of the Day

Debate over .xxx domain slowly builds toward climax

Constitution Shmonstitution

Juan Cole reports that the new Iraqi draft constitution is MIA:

Every indication is that a final text of Iraq's permanent constitution just won't be reported out of the drafting committee in time to have parliament vote on it on Monday. Now Iraqi politicians are talking about having parliament amend the interim constitution to allow a delay of say, two weeks. In fact, according to the Transitional Administrative Law, if the committee did not ask for an extension by August 1 (which it was pressured not to do by the Bush administration); and if the parliament did not approve the new constitution by August 15; then parliament should be dissolved... ...Thus, according to the existing interim constitution, the plan of extending the deadline at this late date is clearly unconstitutional, and parliament should instead be dissolved and new elections held. (They have to be held no later than December, but could be held, e.g., in September or October in principle). In fact, holding new elections will require another lockdown of the whole country, perhaps the addition of a division or 20,000 American troops to what is there now, another 3-day curfew on all vehicle traffic, and all the logistics these steps would entail. In other words, even if they interim constitution was followed, new elections probably could not be held before November at the earliest. In the meantime, with no parliament Ibrahim Jaafari and his Shiite-dominated cabinet would become an executive unchecked by a legislature, and so a sort of elected dictatorship (there is no supreme court yet) for two to four months....

My high school Civics class could have, as a project, set up a better transitional government and constitution than the Bush-war Administration has shown that they are capable of doing. I guess Bush should have been paying better attention in his Poli Sci classes.

***UPDATE*** They've tacked one week onto the deadline.

Today's Global Warming Reports

Record Alaskan Heat
Drought Threatens Crops and Shuts River in Midwest
Deadly wildfires in parched Portugal worsen as temperatures soar
Drought is spreading, study finds
New sea wall may fall short as water rises, report says

Christopher Walken 2008

"Our great country is in a terrible downward spiral. We're outsourcing jobs, bankrupting social security, and losing lives at war. We need to focus on what's important-- paying attention to our children, our citizens, our future. We need to think about improving our failing educational system, making better use of our resources, and helping to promote a stable, safe, and tolerant global society. It's time to be smart about our politics. It's time to get America back on track." The Official Homepage of the Walken 2008 Campaign: http://www.walken2008.com

I know nothing about this man other than I've always enjoyed his acting. I hope he's a good liberal.

Monday Bits

"Marine of the Year", an Iraqi veteran, opens fire at nightclub patrons in Massachusetts (subscr. req.)

The Republican Nemisis, or Why Democrats No Longer Can Win Big Elections

Weekend Bits

Sheehan updates

The Who's Who of the Valerie Plame Leak

U.S. Democratic Senators: So terribly out of touch with Americans

About Sheehan: The Conservatives get it wrong

Hey, California Prius Owners!

You can now drive in carpool lanes without passengers! The permit costs $8.00 and is available HERE. Woohoo!

50K

Today LEFT is RIGHT will reach the artificially significant milestone of 50,000 hits.


Thank you, everyone, for allowing me to express my political and social opinions, rants and occasional prejudices to you for your skeptical or inquisitive consideration. It's been a fun ride and I have no plans to get off (the ride, that is...)

FRIDAY FUN

Anticlimactic Twilight Zone Episodes
Looking for my leopard (music video)
Our tenth planet
Edward Burtynsky, Photographer
Politicians Gone Wild (to 10 funny video clips of politicians)
Lesser-Known Movie Prequels
Unusually appropriate ad placement
Wasting Time
Where's the coyote? (video)
Boob Clouds
Loose Head (video)
Toothpaste for dinner (quirky drawings/cartoons for today's culturally challenged)
Best of History
50 Word Fiction

If you're out and about before dawn tomorrow morning, look up into the sky and you'll see:

2005 Perseid Meteor Shower!

Will This Woman Represent the Turning Point?

Cindy Sheehan

The Republican Party: Of, By, and For the Criminal

From Common Dreams (snippet):

GOP Paying Legal Bills of Bush Official - - - By John Solomon Despite a zero-tolerance policy on tampering with voters, the Republican Party has quietly paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide private defense lawyers for a former Bush campaign official charged with conspiring to keep Democrats from voting in New Hampshire. James Tobin, the president's 2004 campaign chairman for New England, is charged in New Hampshire federal court with four felonies accusing him of conspiring with a state GOP official and a GOP consultant in Virginia to jam Democratic and labor union get-out-the-vote phone banks in November 2002. A telephone firm was paid to make repeated hang-up phone calls to overwhelm the phone banks in New Hampshire and prevent them from getting Democratic voters to the polls on Election Day 2002, prosecutors allege. Republican John Sununu won a close race that day to be New Hampshire's newest senator. At the time, Tobin was the RNC's New England regional director, before moving to President Bush's 2004 re-election campaign. A top New Hampshire Party official and a GOP consultant already have pleaded guilty and cooperated with prosecutors. Tobin's indictment accuses him of specifically calling the GOP consultant to get a telephone firm to help in the scheme. "The object of the conspiracy was to deprive inhabitants of New Hampshire and more particularly qualified voters ... of their federally secured right to vote," states the latest indictment issued by a federal grand jury on May 18....

Keep moving on, folks.... Nothing new to see here. Same old same old.

Good vs. Evil

On this 60th year anniversary of the atomic bombs dropped onto Japan, and as nuclear proliferation once again (thanks to the policies of the Bush-war Administration) spreads across the planet, now might be a good time to read the first-hand accounts of survivors of Hiroshima. While reading these stories, remember that these were just tiny, tiny bombs compared to today's nuclear weapons.

I think that someday nuclear energy as a fuel source will become safe and practical, and that we should continue to research the potential applications, especially for something like space tavel. However, nuclear energy's evil twin, nuclear weapons, must be abolished from the face of the planet. It is nothing but pure evil.

Midweek Bits

Methane release from Siberian tundra is the latest product of global warming

My Life Living With Depleted Uranium

One Iraqi's synopsis of today's Iraq

Information on upcoming clean energy related conferences, fairs and workshops

How to Prevent Homosexuality (Yep, many people are still living in the dark ages, mentally.)

Why suicide attackers haven't hit U.S. again

Venezuela to U.S.: Don't even think about invading us.

Eriposte at The Left Coaster does an email interview with Ambassador Joseph Wilson.

Iraq: The Greatest Prize of All (or: Why we're spending hundreds of billions of $ on that desert)

Latest EPA appointments are anti-environmentalists

What's Wrong With America - In One Picture

"No matter how paranoid or conspiracy-minded you are, what the government is actually doing is worse than you imagine." - - - William Blum

That was so good I'm putting it permanently at the top of the page.

...“Support our troops”, despite its benign-sounding inclusiveness, is not a neutral statement. As our new, federal slogan, it makes “our troops” inseparable from the government that commands them, leading to high cynicism; the near impossibility of our troops not being supported should they be doing rescue work, or genuine humanitarian protection, or genuinely defending the people of this country; and the deflection of valid criticisms, such as the war’s blatant manufacture, its illegality and immorality, a crime of the highest order – by keeping the focus on our troops who are doing the sacrificing – in effect, the government hiding behind the skirts of the troops while sacrificing them. The “War on Terror” is not really a war, and it’s certainly not on terror. It’s a brand. If the government was selling it for $$ it would have a logo. Instead they’re pitching it for obedience. Do what we say, and we’ll keep on keeping you safe from those terrorists. Only we know where a lot of terrorists are, and we know where they cash their checks. This is unofficial. Officially, we cannot commit terrorism because our State Department restricts it, by definition, to the sub-national level. Anyway, as I write this the brand is getting a little worn so the “War on Terror” is in the shop for a nomenclature change. ...If we live in a country with the widest disparity between rich and poor of any country in the world, with large numbers from both classes behind bars – the poor in their prisons and the rich in their gated communities – and national economic policy is to accelerate the pace of that widening gap; if we commit the “supreme international crime” of waging aggressive war, pretending we are freeing a people whose dead and mutilated we can’t be bothered to count; if we bomb Iraqi hospitals with children in them while prosecuting Americans who dare sneak vital medicines into Iraq; if our government plants fake “news” stories here at home while killing real journalists elsewhere; if our biggest problem with prison torture is the damn digital camera that revealed it, if this is what our republic is “standing for”, then what’s the difference if it’s under God or not? - - - James Rothenberg

Don't Say You Weren't Warned

Herr Regler Groperzenegger
Teachers, Schools Superintendent Sue Governor Over School Funding Yep, the only "special interest" group in the state of California with members whose balls are larger than the governor's (kids, steroids DOES shrink your testicles), have followed through on their threat.

"A Look Into the Mirror"

Here is a terrific opinion piece by Manuel Valenzuela. Much too long to repost, but here is a sample:

...We outside the hallowed halls of power are rightfully quick to place blame for our nation’s ills on those prostitutes, shills, lackeys and traveling salesmen who without fault descend like vultures onto the mechanisms of governance, quickly gorging themselves on the bones and crumbs the Establishment and corporate world throw their way. Having transformed all three branches of government into swinging door bordellos, making mockeries of democracy and noble governance, eroding representation of constituents and forever burying the once eminent principle of a government of the People, by the People and for the People, the parasites holding the nation hostage, in essence betraying what we once held dear, by their actions committing unforgivable acts of treason against the republic, are nonetheless granted this power, this permission to rape and plunder and sabotage our lives, by none other than tens of millions of American citizens. It is us, one and all, who grant this scum of the earth, the greatest miscreants a nation can produce, the ability and permission to betray a nation of 300 million into the malfeasant claws of the Establishment and the corporate world, a small minority whose control of America grows stronger with each passing day. It is us, one and all, who cast ballots and grant the keys to the nation to malignant vermin and unscrupulous leeches who use our unenlightened vote to enrich their bank accounts, enhance their power and further their interests, in the process gifting our nation over to those whose interests lie in controlling America and its citizens....

Street-Taking 101A

Here's a new website, Take To The Streets. As the press release on Common Dreams says:

August 8 - Two students have launched a new website called "take to the streets.com". Its sole purpose is to list progressive activities taking place nationwide, with emphasis on demonstrations and rallies. Instead of announcements of rallies being scattered over literally hundreds of websites, these students see the need for such a list to be compiled in one place for several reasons. They believe that such information has power only if it has focus. They also believe and hope that just seeing such a list will have a positive psychological effect on large numbers of people. They believe that it will excite enthusiasm and motivate open-minded and fair-minded people all over this country to take part, and take responsibility in helping America live up to its full promise.

It just started, so let's give it some time to ferment. There are already listings into October. Good luck to some true American patriots!

NARAL accused of being gnarly

FactCheck.org bashes NARAL:

NARAL Falsely Accuses Supreme Court Nominee Roberts Attack ad says he supported an abortion-clinic bomber and excused violence. In fact, Roberts called clinic bombers “criminals” who should be prosecuted fully. August 9, 2005 - Summary An abortion-rights group is running an attack ad accusing Supreme Court nominee John Roberts of filing legal papers "supporting . . . a convicted clinic bomber" and of having an ideology that "leads him to excuse violence against other Americans" It shows images of a bombed clinic in Birmingham , Alabama . The ad is false. And the ad misleads when it says Roberts supported a clinic bomber. It is true that Roberts sided with the bomber and many other defendants in a civil case, but the case didn't deal with bombing at all. Roberts argued that abortion clinics who brought the suit had no right use an 1871 federal anti-discrimination statute against anti-abortion protesters who tried to blockade clinics. Eventually a 6-3 majority of the Supreme Court agreed, too. Roberts argued that blockades were already illegal under state law. The images used in the ad are especially misleading. The pictures are of a clinic bombing that happened nearly seven years after Roberts signed the legal brief in question.

Okay, Progressives. We're at a crossroads here. Do we continue to be righteous and moral and better-than-the-Republicans by making sure (through organizations like FactCheck) we continue telling the truth?

Results so far: We are getting bashed/crushed/steamrolled year-after-year-after-year by the smears and lies and "Swifties" spewed incessantly by the Right-wing Attack Machine.

Or do we bite the bullet and start doing what NARAL did, which was to viciosly attack back using the Right's own weapons?

What do you do at this point when your survival is at stake?

***UPDATE*** 8/10/05: FactCheck.org accused of being less than factual in their checking.

"It has been a tough couple of years but we are doing our best to insulate our children from any stress we might be feeling. The idea that the republican party believes it appropriate to go after two career public servants because of lies told by republicans to justify a war is beyond the pale and I think the American people are beginning to realize that." - - - Ambassador Joseph Wilson

N.A.R.A.L.: Is it self-defeating?

Daily Kos raises an interesting complaint about many of the single-issue progressive groups such as NARAL:

Problem is, politics can't be divorced from the issue. So NARAL goes around endorsing Republicans like Chafee because they talk a good game about choice. But then, Republicans like Chafee vote for people like Trent Lott and Bill Frist as majority leaders. And then they vote to confirm reactionary anti-privacy, anti-choice judges like Janice Brown. Meanwhile, anti-abortion Democrats like Harry Reid don't vote for Frist or Lott, and they don't vote to confirm reactionary anti-choice judges like Janice Brown. There's no doubt Chafee will vote to confirm Roberts, regardless his record on choice, and yet NARAL would still rather endorse Chafee? You know, nothing says they have to endorse an anti-abortion Democrat, but clearly they don't understand that good politics -- turning the Senate Democratic is far more beneficial for their issue (women rights) than anything the Republicans can muster. Until NARAL (and the rest of the single-issue groups) understand that building a movement is more beneficial to their causes than singular devotion to their pet causes, I can't take them seriously. Divided those groups are being picked off, one by one. Trial lawyers, you're next up. United, the Republicans stand. The groups I take seriously? MoveOn, Democracy for America, National Political Hip Hop Conference, the bloggers -- groups that are working to build an effective progressive movement, not a single issue. Because when Democrats regain power, choice, the environment, worker's rights -- the whole gamut -- will be protected.

Wow. That's a tough one, since often it's a six-of-one-half-dozen-of-the-other when it comes to throwing your support (incl. financially) behind a political action group that really has one of our best interests in mind. Things just seem to get more complicated every day.

Hating Partisanship

By DOUG THOMPSON

Aug 8, 2005, 06:41 “Why,” the email writer wanted to know, “do you hate President Bush.” I don’t. “And,” the email continued, “you obviously hate Republicans and conservatives. Why?” Again, I don’t. I don’t hate anybody. Hate is not part of how I feel about people. I do, however, have problems with the blind partisanship of the President, the Republicans and the so-called conservative movement in this country. There is a big difference between hate and concern, between patriotism and partisanship, between love of country and blind, destructive allegiance to a political party, belief or ideological position. But I do hate partisanship, be it Republican or Democratic, conservative or liberal, right or left. I hate it with every fiber of my soul, with every beat of my heart, with every conscious thought my beleaguered brain can generate. Partisanship brings out the ugliness in people. It cannot exist without the inane belief that one group of people are better than others, that only one ideal can exist in a society or that only one philosophy can determine a country’s fate or future. Partisanship runs counter to the very concept of democracy. It disallows the notion that a free people can co-exist with differing philosophies, different religious beliefs (or no religious belief) or opposing positions on an issue. Partisanship demands lockstep conformity, a unified acceptance of one, narrow point-of-view in a country where freedom of choice, individual rights and diverse opinions are supposed to be the norm. Partisanship tries to stamp out debate by declaring opposing points of view unpatriotic. It ridicules the lifestyles of others who do not adopt the structure of those who control the government. In other words, partisanship stifles freedom and without freedom there cannot be a United States of America. Until we restore freedom to our own country, it is hypocritical to think we can “export democracy” to other parts of the world. How can we teach others to embrace a form of government that no longer exists in our own country?

You can replace the word "partisanship" with "patriotism" in just about every case above (in spite of the author's differentiation between the two) and you'll hit the target of what's so terribly wrong with our world today.

"They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it's worked for over 200 years and we're not using it anymore." - - - posted at Informed Consent Comment

Weekend Bits

Juba, the Baghdad Sniper

An Obscene Silence

FRIDAY FUN

Track the Shuttle
Landmark Google (game)
CoolHunting (what's new and cool)
125 big questions that face scientific inquiry over the next quarter-century
Just Curious (answer someone else's question, then get your question answered)
Let's Save Our Environment (possibly the most god-awful video ever made)
NY Times Review of 15,000 movies (one-time registration required)
Obscure TV Shows
Planarity (game)
Random Stuff (mostly video files)
The Sleep-Retardant Properties of My Ex-Girlfriend
Bathtub Art
Genetics 101A for "Intelligent Design" Dummies
Physics Lab Report with an Attitude
Encyclopedia Mythica (mythology, folklore, and religion)

"This president does not know what death is. He hasn't the mind for it. You see him joking with the press, peering under the table for the WMDs he can't seem to find, you see him at rallies strutting up to the stage in shirt sleeves to the roar of the carefully screened crowd, smiling and waving, triumphal, a he-man. He does not mourn. He doesn't understand why he should mourn. He is satisfied during the course of a speech written for him to look solemn for a moment and speak of the brave young Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. But you study him, you look into his eyes and know he dissembles an emotion which he does not feel in the depths of his being because he has no capacity for it. He does not feel a personal responsibility for the thousand dead young men and women who wanted to be what they could be. They come to his desk not as youngsters with mothers and fathers or wives and children who will suffer to the end of their days a terribly torn fabric of familial relationships and the inconsolable remembrance of aborted life. They come to his desk as a political liability which is why the press is not permitted to photograph the arrival of their coffins from Iraq. How then can he mourn? To mourn is to express regret and he regrets nothing." - - - novelist E.L. Doctorow

No Breaks in the Breaks

Bush poised to set vacationing record visits to Crawford outpacing Reagan (snippets)

By Jim VandeHei and Peter Baker, Washington Post - August 3, 2005 WACO, Texas -- President Bush is getting the kind of break most Americans can only dream of -- 33 days away from the office, loaded with vacation time. The president departed yesterday for his longest stretch away from the White House, arriving at his Crawford ranch in the evening for five weeks of clearing brush, visiting with family and friends, and tending to some outside-the-Beltway politics. By historical standards, it is the longest presidential retreat in at least 36 years. The August getaway is Bush's 49th trip to his cherished ranch since taking office and the 319th day that Bush has spent, entirely or partially, in Crawford -- nearly 20 percent of his presidency to date, according to Mark Knoller, a CBS Radio reporter known for keeping better records of the president's travel than the White House itself. Weekends at Camp David or at his parents' compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, bump up the proportion of Bush's time away from Washington even further. ....Until now, probably no modern president was a more famous vacationer than Ronald Reagan. According to an Associated Press count, Reagan spent all or part of 335 days at his Santa Barbara ranch over his eight-year presidency -- a total that Bush will surpass this month in Crawford with 3 1/2 years left in his second term.

I don't know whether to be thankful that he's not in D.C. fucking things up even more for us all, or angered that he'll end up spending more than 1 year of his Presidency on vacation.

Thursday Bits

Housing Costs Calculator (compares renting to owning)

When Iceland invades the U.S.

"It would work only if ..." (How the impending deadly asian bird flu pandemic could be stopped)

Constant Gardener (movie preview about international pharmaceutical corruption; opens in August)

People infected with Mad Cow Disease may take years or decades to show symptoms while still contageous

"As the Plamegate case goes forward, and the evidence against Rove in the real world mounts, it is likely that Bush will, to his ruin, continue to cling to his belief even as the tsunami of contrary facts engulfs him. If we are lucky, those who are so blind that shall not see will decide that following Bush lemming-like into that abyss might not be such a good idea after all. And maybe, just maybe, after the deluge we will finally have a meaningful confrontation between the "reality-based community" in which facts matter and actions have consequences, and the fairy-tale world where Neocons and fundamentalists know things because, well, just because." - - - John Steinberg

“If a baseball player slides into home plate and, right before the umpire rules if he is safe or out, the player says to the umpire — ‘Here is $1,000.’ What would we call that? We would call that a bribe. If a lawyer was arguing a case before a judge and said, ‘Your honor before you decide on the guilt or innocence of my client, here is $1,000.’ What would we call that? We would call that a bribe. But if an industry lobbyist walks into the office of a key legislator and hands her or him a check for $1,000, we call that a campaign contribution. We should call it a bribe.” - - - Janice Fine

Who's Really the Hypocrite?

Here is Bush's war: being the ultimate in "no big deal". The schedule? Late March 2003, invade Iraq and hold flower parade in Baghdad; May 1st, 2003, Mission Accomplished. It was to be a very short war with no one in American inconvenienced much. Such a simple little war that it is okay to cut taxes for the rich. And because everything was going so swimmingly, no one needed to pay for the fun affair according to Bush. And even now when the situation is immeasurably worse and no one could in their right mind could believe "Mission Accomplished" today, no one is being asked to pony up some extra bucks to pay for this war. Yet, Bush still expects to make the temporary tax cuts permanent, because he believes that no one today should pay for the war. So who is paying? The troops. And those suckers who still expect to be paying taxes because that is what citizens do, except when we can sluff those payments off to our children and grandchildren because, after all, someone has to pay. Obviously, our descendents forgot to get a lobbyist to make their case when Bush was handing out the goodies. And too bad people are still dying in Bush's war. Our soldiers are still paying for Bush's war, and the people of Iraq are still paying for his incompetence in running this war. But never fear, someone, somewhere is getting immeasurably rich from Bush's war and they will be eternally grateful to Bush." - - - Mary in The Left Coaster

We and our decendents will pay those higher taxes because we will never learn, as a nation, how to force our government to do a real budget based on real costs and real needs. We just really don't care enough.

As the Bush-war Administration carelessly, and I mean carelessly, throws OUR money and lives out the window, financing the very wealthy corporations with tax breaks and outright giveaways, aggressively reducing the taxes on the wealthy and shoving the exploding deficit and religious terror onto the rest of us and our kids, we just lay down trance-like on our beds of nails, legs spread w-i-d-e open, begging Bush-war to shove even more of his vile, corrupt essence up our sore and bleeding asses.

What on earth is wrong with us? We get pissed when the overworked $5/hr clerk at the 99 Cent Store is less than delightfully friendly with us, yet here is a group of beyond-corrupt gang of very wealthy criminals doing everything they possibly can to ruin nearly everyone's lives, apparently with our blessings, and we just shrug our shoulders and say, "Hey, that's wrong! Oh well..."??

Make no bones about it. We know how to complain. We know how to point out the same wrong-doings of our government a thousand different, charming and entertaining ways. We know how to march and demonstrate and point out the fallacies of our christian-right-wing acquaintances and adversaries. We know right from wrong. And we know that we are right and they are wrong.

And yet, we do nothing about it. And that is wrong. We are the hypocrites, not those we put into power.

“The enormous gap between what US leaders do in the world and what Americans think their leaders are doing is one of the great propaganda accomplishments of the dominant political mythology.” - - - Michael Parenti

Look Out For Iran! They're Going To Kill Us All!

(Snippet):

Iran Is Judged 10 Years From Nuclear Bomb U.S. Intelligence Review Contrasts With Administration Statements By Dafna Linzer - Washington Post Staff Writer - Tuesday, August 2, 2005; A01 A major U.S. intelligence review has projected that Iran is about a decade away from manufacturing the key ingredient for a nuclear weapon, roughly doubling the previous estimate of five years, according to government sources with firsthand knowledge of the new analysis. The carefully hedged assessments, which represent consensus among U.S. intelligence agencies, contrast with forceful public statements by the White House. Administration officials have asserted, but have not offered proof, that Tehran is moving determinedly toward a nuclear arsenal. The new estimate could provide more time for diplomacy with Iran over its nuclear ambitions. President Bush has said that he wants the crisis resolved diplomatically but that "all options are on the table." The new National Intelligence Estimate includes what the intelligence community views as credible indicators that Iran's military is conducting clandestine work. But the sources said there is no information linking those projects directly to a nuclear weapons program. What is clear is that Iran, mostly through its energy program, is acquiring and mastering technologies that could be diverted to bombmaking. The estimate expresses uncertainty about whether Iran's ruling clerics have made a decision to build a nuclear arsenal, three U.S. sources said. Still, a senior intelligence official familiar with the findings said that "it is the judgment of the intelligence community that, left to its own devices, Iran is determined to build nuclear weapons." At no time in the past three years has the White House attributed its assertions about Iran to U.S. intelligence, as it did about Iraq in the run-up to the March 2003 invasion. Instead, it has pointed to years of Iranian concealment and questioned why a country with as much oil as Iran would require a large-scale nuclear energy program....

A couple of points. First, Iran's pursuit of nuclear energy. Do they know something about their real reserves of oil that makes the acquisition of nuclear energy more urgent than it would otherwise appear?

Second... What is Bush-war waiting for? In only ten years Iran might have the ability to make nukes. Why wait? Attack them now, before they have a chance to start a research project that might look into the feasability of setting up a study to investigate the worthiness of possibly talking about initiating a program to consider the consequences of building a nuclear weapon.

The policy worked so well in Iraq, it's time to expand its use. It's time to nuke Iran back to the stone age. Hell, may as well nuke the rest of the bleeding-heart liberal/Islam-loving, hence America-hating, ungrateful world while we're at it. No one else likes our obesity-enveloped, American-Idol Empire, so let them all go to hell, no?

Praise to Bush-war and his christian god-appointed political/corporate money-changers. May they all save us from our righteous selves.

Pelosi, Just Shut Up For A Change

I received this message today from our congressional minority leader, Pelosi (snippet):

Dear Michael, Yesterday we saw the spectacle that is Republican abuse of power in all its glory. The White House brushed aside the Senate once again, along with its duty to advise and consent, using a recess appointment to make John Bolton our U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. It is only fitting that John Bolton, a man who arguably personifies the arrogance and abuse of power that has become so typical of Republican rule, be appointed in such a stubborn and shameless manner. President Bush did so--not because there was a compelling case that Mr. Bolton was the best person for the job--but merely because as President, he had the power to do it....

Well, no, Ms. Pelosi.

The reason that Bush continues abusing his power is because you goddam wimp-ass elected faux Democrats continue to try to please those whom you think you need: moderate Republicans and corporations. I and the rest of the Democratic voters in America have watched, year-after-year, as you put up your token opposition to the Republican policies, only to step aside each time at the last minute to let the Neocon Steamroller continue on it's merry way. My pet rock has more balls than you Congressional Democrats.

Stop bending over backwards trying to please this wealthy, but ultimately irrelevant, group. Start standing up for the rest of us Americans who value morals and ethics and accountability and responsibility and justice, and maybe you'll start seeing our support and money. Until then, please shut the fuck up and try representing our interests for a change. You can leave the complaining to us, the ones actually adversely affected by the bad voting decisions you and your "Democratic" colleagues CONTINUE to make.

In a Nutshell

"Let’s hear it for George W. Bush’s recess appointment of John Bolton to the United Nations. Bolton hates the UN, misled the Senate, can’t get confirmed, may have been involved in outing the identity of a CIA agent and therefore committing a felony (and quite possibly to Judy Miller, though that part is confusing—see Arianna--) and won't reveal just who he was spying on during the UN debates, though it may have been his superiors. No wonder Condi is fighting so hard to get him out of the State Department. No wonder Bush and Cheney want him so desperately to represent them before rest of the world. They are as one. This is the true face of the Bush Administration, and I hope all of its fans can deal with that." - - - Eric Alterman

Forget Criminals. Look Out For Transgenders!

Dennis Prager, on the horror of transgenders (snippet):

...."God created the human being, male and female He created them" is how Genesis describes the creation of man and woman. Blurring that distinction is playing God, and doing so in a highly destructive manner. If a man gets a sexual thrill out of wearing women's undergarments in the privacy of his bedroom, that is not society's concern. It may be his religion's concern, and, religious or not, it may be his female partner's concern (one wonders how many women married to cross dressing men are pleased by the sight of their man in a bra and panties). But it is not society's concern, which is why anyone who cares about protecting the right to privacy should have been horrified by the American news media's reporting about the private cross-dressing habits of a nationally known sportscaster. However, when a man does this in public, he has publicly blurred the man-woman distinction, and society has the right -- and the duty, if it cares about Judeo-Christian values or simply cares about not confusing children as to sexual identity -- to say this violates a norm that society does not wish violated. The war waged by cultural radicals at universities, in state legislatures and in courtrooms against the very distinction between male and female is one of their most significant attempts to undo the Judeo-Christian foundations of American and Western culture. And they know it. That's why fighting to blur gender distinctions is so important to them. Now the rest of society needs to understand why not allowing that to happen is so important.

Let me check my calender.... Yup, we ARE living in the 21st century. Hard to tell when you come across this medieval idiocy.