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April 30, 2003
The Tim Robbins Affair
So Tim Robbins WASN'T censored on the Today Show after all? According to THIS he definitely wasn't. Let's hope others who have said/written otherwise read this and maybe rescind their comments.
You're in Control.
So, You STILL Don't Think Bush Is Out To #?%&! You?
Think about it. You work overtime and take home one-and-a-half times your normal wages. The Republicans want to take that guaranteed income away from you. In a new proposal by the Bush Administration (and strongly supported by business), the overtime becomes "comp" time, meaning you get to convert the overtime into paid time off at some future date. Problem? The time off is at the discretion of the employer, and the employer is allowed to make you wait up to more than a year to reap the time. Plus, business won't have to pay its taxes on the otherwise additional wages. The proposal is currently making rounds in Congress as the Family Time and Workplace Flexibility Act (Senate version) and the Family Time Flexibility Act (House version). Do I smell a scam? Is the Pope Polish? Molly Ivins has the scoop. Also read HERE and HERE. If you are paid hourly, read this and start spreading the word. If you haven't figured out by now that anything the Republicans toss your way that sounds too good to be true is really just good for the deep pockets of big business, then you deserve what you get from them. Remember the famous words of Sister Mary Elephant: "Class, class... WAKE UP!"
April 29, 2003
Coach of the Year
THIS story will bring tears to your eyes.
New Blog for a Dry But Important Subject
It's Still The Economy, Stupid is a new blog that covers the U.S. economy and Bush's economic policies. Strongly recommended.
Payback and a Mad Senator
According to The Guardian, Bush is starting his reprisals against friendly states that did not support his immoral invasion, including Chile, Canada, Mexico, France and Germany. Hillary rants about Bush.
April 28, 2003
Following is a comment to a post at SmirkingChimp by either a right-winger or a really pissed-off Democrat: "My suggestion? Crawl out from your basement apartments and do something other than whine and cower before the GOP onslaught that proceeds almost entirely unchecked by Democratic leaders. GOPers fight. GOPers back up their views with $$$. GOPers unite behind simple messages that resonate with voters. GOPers kick the crap outta Democrats on a regular basis all too often. Fantasies are a poor substitute for reality." Since I agree, then I must be either a conservative or really pissed-off.
There are two faces to Americans
Here is the REAL STORY about the saving of Private Jessica Ryan. Don't read it unless you are willing to chuck the original "heroic" story out the window.
A Matter of Emphasis
HERE is a must-read article from Daily KOS about the WMD lies Bush used in order to start the Iraq War.
Welcome to our newest addition to the Political Opinions links page: Disturbing Trends.
"As soon as men decide that all means are permitted to fight an evil then their good becomes indistinguishable from the evil that they set out to destroy." __Christopher Dawson
"Success is the sole earthly judge of right and wrong."__Adolph Hitler
 (I'm posting this mainly for my youngest son who is a Star Wars and SciFi enthusiast.)
Bulletin: Iraq Has WMD and Links to al-Qaeda
Haven't I heard this somewhere before? Let me think... Oh, yeah, about a gazillion times from Bush and Blair since last summer. "Blair: No Doubt Saddam Had Banned Weapons
LONDON 4.28.03, 8:20a --
Prime Minister Tony Blair said Monday he had no doubt that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and predicted that evidence would emerge linking Saddam Hussein to terrorist groups. Blair told reporters that coalition forces had identified about 1,000 suspicious Iraqi weapons sites but rebuilding the country was a bigger priority than finding illegal arms. "There isn't any doubt that Iraq has had weapons of mass destruction," the British prime minister said at his monthly news conference. "That is not in dispute, not by anybody. I remain confident they will be found."
Saddam's alleged program to develop biological, chemical and nuclear arms was the main justification for U.S.-led war that ousted the Iraqi dictator. But no such weapons were used against coalition forces, and Blair's critics say the failure so far to find illicit arms proves war was unnecessary. No weapons of mass destruction have been found by coalition troops. Blair suggested Saddam hid his banned weapons before the arrival of U.N. inspectors."
April 27, 2003
How Does It Happen?
How does the Bush Administration reach the point where it is now walking over any nation it desires, and dragging the downtrodden and the powerless middle class of the U.S. into this rapidly forming hellhole they are deceptively calling a "mild recession"? It's happening in small, tolerable steps, not large enough to enrage, only large enough to keep us confused, fearful and indecisive. Milton Mayer wrote the definitive work on this subject, and it sounds, almost word-for-word, like a history of the past 2+ years and a forecast of the next ?+. Excerpts: "Each act, each occasion, is worse than the last, but only a little worse. You wait for the next and the next. You wait for the one great shocking occasion, thinking that others, when such a shock comes, will join with you in resisting somehow.
"What happened here was the gradual habituation of the people, little by little, to being governed by surprise; to receiving decisions deliberated in secret; to believing that the situation was so complicated that the government had to act on information which the people could not understand, or so dangerous that, even if he people could understand it, it could not be released because of national security. And their sense of identification with Hitler, their trust in him, made it easier to widen this gap and reassured those who would otherwise have worried about it.
"This separation of government from people, this widening of the gap, took place so gradually and so insensibly, each step disguised (perhaps not even intentionally) as a temporary emergency measure or associated with true patriotic allegiance or with real social purposes. And all the crises and reforms (real reforms, too) so occupied the people that they did not see the slow motion underneath, of the whole process of government growing remoter and remoter.
"And one day, too late, your principles, if you were ever sensible of them, all rush in upon you. The burden of self deception has grown too heavy.......
"You see what you are, what you have done, or, more accurately, what you haven't done (for that was all that was required of most of us: that we do nothing)." These are from his book, They Thought They Were Free. The most intriguing section is not terribly long reading (maybe 4 minutes) and is posted HERE. Oh, you say, another comparison of Bush to Hitler. Another extreme-leftist whack at the government. You know what, he who does not learn from history IS doomed to repeat it. We are, today, all passengers of this Christian Fundamentalist-piloted speedtrain to Hell. Before December, 2000, Armageddon was a fascinating concept and a study of doomsdayers. Never before has it seemed so real. Never before has world war and political instability existed to such a degree in conjuction with so many nations (stable or otherwise) each armed with enough power to destroy the world. PLEASE read it and pass it on. It's what's happening in America now.
THIS is not in the least surprising, yet you had always hoped it would never become true. Damn it, Bush.
4-Year Vacation of the News Media
Mary Lynn F. Jones in TAP analyzes the retreat of the news media from straight, unbiased reporting of the Bush Administration. Snippet: "Unfortunately there is no indication that the media will provide a check on power by offering more thoughtful or critical coverage anytime soon. The growing popularity of conservative news outlets, such as talk radio and cable news, make for friendlier audiences for Bush and fatter profits for media CEOs. A press defensive about being labeled liberal, especially in wartime, will bend over backward to prove that it's not. An administration famous for being tight-lipped will only become more so as it wages war. As Naureckas says, "The default mode of U.S. journalists is an over-regard for people in authority." The role of the press is to give the public the information it needs in a nonbiased way so that citizens can make informed decisions. There's never a more important need for that than at a time of war." I couldn't agree more.
April 26, 2003
"The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." � Albert Einstein
SARS SOS
If you have doubted up to this point the severity of SARS, then this article from the NY Times should more than convince you. And this article discusses the chance of containment. If your time is limited, read the first one. (You'll need to do a one-time registration, but it's worth it).
More Liberal Than Today's Democrats
"As a matter of general principle, I believe there can be no doubt that criticism in time of war is essential to the maintenance of any kind of democratic government. Perhaps nothing today distinguishes democratic government in England so greatly from the totalitarianism of Germany as the freedom of criticism which has existed continuously in the House of Commons and elsewhere in England. Of course that criticism should not give any information to the enemy. But too many people desire to suppress criticism simply because they think that it will give some comfort to the enemy to know that there is such criticism. If that comfort makes the enemy feel better for a few moments, they are welcome to it as far as I am concerned, because the maintenance of the right of criticism in the long run will do the country maintaining it a great deal more good that it will do the enemy, and will prevent mistakes which might otherwise occur." Robert Taft, Conservative Republican Senator (Ohio) This statement made shortly after the Pearl Harbor Attack, 1941 ( emphasis added)
Bush: "We Don't Count Civilians Killed"
If you've been following IraqiBodyCount on the side bar, you'll get a better understanding why this group of volunteers set up the site in the first place. Read it HERE.
Can't remember where I found this - it's not mine - couldn't pass it up. 
April 25, 2003
Target: Bush
Bush To Stay On USS Abraham Lincoln As It Returns To California
WASHINGTON 4.25.03, 8:51a -
President Bush will travel to California next week to talk about the economy and national security and spend the night on an aircraft carrier as it returns from the war in Iraq, the White House announced Friday. Bush will fly to San Diego and make a speech Thursday aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been at sea for nearly nine months, longer than any U.S. carrier group now on duty. On Friday, he will leave the ship and travel to Santa Clara, where he will make remarks on the economy and national security. "He will depart the ship Friday morning prior to its pulling into port," said White House press secretary Ari Fleischer. "That way the families can be reunited as quickly as possible without delay." I kinda wish the press wouldn't announce stuff like this to the world, so that some terrorist group can then target the carrier. No, no, I'm not concerned about Bush; I'm concerned about Cheney getting full control of the Administration once Bush is vaporized. No, no, I know Cheney "really" runs things, but there is currently that protracted delay in implementation while Bush must listen to Cheney's orders, find his way around the West Wing corridors (or around the telephone speed-dial buttons) to "give his" orders, and then remember what to say. There is always the chance that Cheney's pacemaker could short out during one of those delays.
Hysterical Liberal Magic Eight Ball
Try THIS SOURCE for answers to questions for Liberals.
Rules for Voicemail
I wish everyone would follow these simple rules for setting up their voicemail.
Those Crazy Germans
From Harper's April 22, 2003, Weekly Review: "A wild boar charged into an elderly German couple's house and leapt into bed with them, waking them from their afternoon nap. Police in Berlin confiscated an air-raid siren from a 73-year-old man who had been using it to stun his talkative wife into submission. Tony Blair's wife pointed out that the prime minister was not doing enough housework." Read the entire article HERE.
Welcome Balkinization to the POLITICAL OPINIONS blogroll.
Still Waiting, Mr. pResident
From SIVACRACY.Net: NYTimes columnist Nick Kristof reminds us:
President Bush, in his State of the Union address, described a vast Iraqi weapons program and talked about several mobile labs, 30,000 munitions, 500 tons of chemical weapons, 25,000 liters of anthrax and 38,000 liters of botulinum toxin. These weapons were supposedly deployed in the war and controlled by field commands that we have long since overrun - so where are they?
US to Tehran: Hands Off
From Reuters: Iran Denies Promoting Shi'ite Role in Iraq
Thu April 24, 2003 10:47 AM ET
By Parisa Hafezi
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran rejected U.S. suggestions that Tehran was interfering in Iraq and said on Thursday it was not seeking to promote the political role of fellow Shi'ite Muslims in its western neighbor. Washington on Wednesday said Tehran should stay out of Iraqi politics amid concerns that Shi'ite Iran was seeking to encourage the creation of a fellow Islamic republic there. Okay, let me get this straight... the U.S. is accusing Iran of interfering in Iraq? Whaaaaa? God only knows WE would never do such a thing.
Man-on-Dog?
In case you haven't followed this story over the past few days, here are excerpts of the AP interview with Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania on Tuesday. In my opinion, this guy is just moonstruck and shouldn't be allowed anywhere near children or pets.
Can't Even Find a Peashooter
In England, pressure increases on the British government to justify their claims that Iraq had massive amounts of WMD ready to go at 45 minutes notice. HERE'S the article from The Guardian.
April 24, 2003
Fall of the Empire
Jason sends along this apt quote: "The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life."
-- Theodore Roosevelt
(1858-1919) 26th US President
Source: letter 01/10/1917
To Halliburton and Bechtel Go the Spoils of Invasion
Arriana Huffington uses quite colorful language in her latest rant. Read the entire column. Snippet: "Talk about cozy. Sneaking a peek through the blackout curtains the Bush administration has used to cloak the awarding of contracts to rebuild Iraq is like catching a glimpse of a very special incest episode of "ElimiDate": a bunch of muscular, cash-drunk, hand-picked corporate Lotharios vying for the affection of their governmental kissing cousins. The relationship between those doling out these fantastically valuable deals and those receiving them is so intimate taxpayers should demand that the participants be checked for STDs before the first mega-buck check is left on the dresser. An orgy of unsafe corporate intercourse has been going on. For full impact, this column should be a flow-chart. Like the ones the FBI uses to show the inner workings of a mafia crime family. But instead of illustrating the interrelationships of the Soprano crew, this chart would lay out the connections that guaranteed that the big winners in the post-Saddam sweepstakes would be those two ultimate Washington insiders, Halliburton and Bechtel Group."
Free Porn Britney Spears
I just put these words into the post title to increase the number of hits on this site.
Staying One Step Ahead of the Enemy
Nuclear Bunker BustersAlso, just wanted to let my massive blog readership know that I've been very sick the past couple of days, but starting to feel better.
April 22, 2003
How Your Government Works
HOW YOUR GOVERNMENT WORKS. (Courtesy Quiddity)
Prius
Check out the new 2004 Toyota Prius. I've owned a Prius for 8 months and think it's the greatest passenger car ever made. I get around 70-100 mpg in rush-hour traffic. If you want to ask me specific questions about my experiences with it, e-mail me (see side-bar).
Just and Unnecessary War
Geoffrey Wheatcroft in The Guardian discusses why the liberal hawks' reasons for the war don't hold water. Snippet: "And so the difference is this: with Bush and Blair, the conclusion might be right, but the premises are wrong; with the liberal hawks, the premises are right, but the conclusion is wrong. Most of us accept - as Blair concludes - that force is sometimes necessary. And yet, while there might be good arguments for any war, including this one, the arguments he used could not be good, because they weren't true. Saddam Hussein did not pose a threat to this country's security, he did not possess atomic weapons, and he did not back Islamic terrorists."
April 21, 2003
Bless Jon Stewart
In our household " The Daily Show" is hands-down required viewing. It allows us to go to sleep with at least a semblance of sanity after a day full of interacting with the endless stream of flag-waving, pro-war, pro-Bush populace at work and in our town. Jon Stewart is "the medically prescribed antidote to CNN and Fox" as described by Susan J. Douglas in this enjoyable article in The Nation. Also, Frank Rich gives a dead-on review in the NY Times (you'll need to do a one-time registration, but it's worth it).
Are They Serious?
Israel seeks pipeline for Iraqi oil
US discusses plan to pump fuel to its regional ally and solve energy headache at a stroke
Ed Vuillamy in Washington
Sunday April 20, 2003
The Observer
Plans to build a pipeline to siphon oil from newly conquered Iraq to Israel are being discussed between Washington, Tel Aviv and potential future government figures in Baghdad. The plan envisages the reconstruction of an old pipeline, inactive since the end of the British mandate in Palestine in 1948, when the flow from Iraq's northern oilfields to Palestine was re-directed to Syria. Now, its resurrection would transform economic power in the region, bringing revenue to the new US-dominated Iraq, cutting out Syria and solving Israel's energy crisis at a stroke. It would also create an end less and easily accessible source of cheap Iraqi oil for the US guaranteed by reliable allies other than Saudi Arabia - a keystone of US foreign policy for decades and especially since 11 September 2001. If you haven't already reached the conclusion that the Bush Administration is going to continue doing more and more bad, stupid and insideous things until someone finally stops them, then maybe this will convince you. Entire article HERE. And THIS is the icing on the cake.
Where Do I Sign Up?
Raelians Celebrate The Cloning Of Jesus Monday, 21 April 2003, 11:02 am Press Release: Raelian Movement Raelians Celebrate The Cloning Of Jesus Raelians around the world will gather this coming Sunday in all the cities in the world to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus through cloning achieved by the Elohim 2000 years ago. His Holiness RAEL will himself be attending the gathering that will take place at the Gesu room in Montreal. He will emphasize the current scientific project of the artificial womb which will one day enable us to reach the next step in the human cloning process: accelerated growth process. This technique was used for cloning Jesus and will allow us to clone an adult directly in a few hours followed by the transfer of memory from one brain to another. In the end, once waking up in our clone, we are still ourselves i.e. with personality and memories intact but in a brand new body. From: SCOOP MEDIA
April 19, 2003
Remember the Real Victims of the Iraqi War
Our "Colossal Military Force"
Victor Hanson of The New Republic gives us his skewed view of US military domination. Snippet (emphasis added): "The United States military is now evolving geometrically as it gains experience from near-constant fighting and grafts new technology daily. Indeed, it seems to be doubling, tripling, and even quadrupling its lethality every few years. And the result is that we are outdistancing not merely the capabilities of our enemies but our allies as well � many of whom who have not fought in decades � at such a dizzying pace that our sheer destructive power makes it hard to work with others in joint operations. In that context, we might reassess the need to take technology to its theoretical -nth degree: How many new sophisticated stealthy $1.5 billion bombers do we need, when the equivalent expenditure would pay for a more mundane but vital mechanized Division for an entire year?
Such unprecedented military power brings with it enormous moral responsibility as the world � its utopians especially � in the decades ahead will vie for a hand in the decisions on how to use it and for what purposes. There quite literally has never been a single nation that has exercised such colossal military force to change almost instantly the status quo, and used it under the auspices of a consensual government to free � Grenada, Panama, Serbia, Afghanistan, and Iraq � rather than to enslave peoples. How long it will last, we do not know, but we should at least realize that we are living in one of the most anomalous periods in recorded history." Honestly, is he serious? Equating Grenada, Panama, Serbia, Afghanistan, and Iraq with real military powers? I'd like to see the same army divisions currently in Iraq try to take over, oh, I don't know, maybe South Central L.A.?
The End of Republican Crony Capitalism?
Here is a heartening essay on the upcoming demise of Bush et al. by Dr. Gerry Lower.
Bush Gives the Finger to USA
Ericf Alterman in The Nation: "This is an eerie moment in American political history. George W. Bush was defeated in the popular vote by his more liberal opponent but rules from the most extreme wing of his party. He campaigned as a fiscal conservative but has pushed tax cuts that will create a deficit larger than any in US history. As a candidate, he articulated the need for a "humble" foreign policy but now conducts it with a degree of hubris that makes Lyndon Johnson look like the Dalai Lama. His hypocrisy, in other words, is so great as to be almost unfathomable, and yet he has somehow managed to convince the media to admire him for his "moral clarity."
Thanks to Bush & Co., America is hated the world over as never before. Deficits are exploding, unemployment remains high, the stock market is still in the tank and interest rates are poised to take off. The country is headed to hell in a handbasket from so many directions one can barely keep track. And yet the increasingly Foxified media tell a story only of heroism: of the US military, of the American people and of the President of the United States, who has so far managed to avoid service to either one." Read the entire article HERE. Plus: more on the looting of the Baghdad Museum, Mark Fiore on looting, and just where are those WMD?
April 18, 2003
Colon Hysteria
You know you've always wanted to look inside a colon. Well, your chance is coming up!
Bunny Business
In honor of Easter, here is a lovely and true story.
Wow
HONDA ADAfter seeing this amazing film, check out the story behind its production. And yes, everything you see is real (no CGI), and it took 606 takes to get it.
I Had A Dream...
 "U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, former President Ronald Reagan, Cuban leader Fidel Castro, Pope John Paul II and South African political icon Nelson Mandela were among the world figures mistakenly reported dead yesterday when CNN accidentally made mockups of their obituaries publicly available." (Thanks, GMSV)
The Bush Touch
Bush's Successes: Invasion of a third-rate military dictatorship (Afghanistan). Invasion and decimation of a fourth-rate dictatorship (Iraq). Higher rates of poverty. Higher rates of homelessness. Higher unemployment. Higher crime rate. Higher rates of un(der)-educated minorities Higher pollution levels. Higher gas (and other energy) prices. Higher levels of public fear of terrorism. Higher levels of corporate fraud and tax evasion. Higher health care costs. And last-but-not-least... LOWER taxes for the very, very wealthy. Have I left anything out?
WMD and Freedom
Mr. Bush, we're still waiting. Oh, and how's your "liberation" going?
LEST WE FORGET:
The 96,837 votes that Nader received in Florida resulted in Al Gore's defeat. In New Hampshire, Nader won a mere 22,156 votes and tipped the balance toward George W. Bush. It is because of these Green Party votes that George W. Bush is our President today. Despite the havoc that votes for Nader caused in the Presidential election, the Green Party failed to receive the 5% of the vote required to receive federal funding for the 2004 election. Votes for Nader served no other purpose than to defeat Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore. ( Source) UPDATE: HERE is a critique (a bit tough at times) by Daily KOS on why Ralph and the Greens must get serious if they want to become a viable political influence.
April 17, 2003
The Real Liberation of Iraq - Is It Just Beginning?
Read Robert Fisk's commentary on how the Iraqis must now rise up and liberate themselves from the army of occupation. Snippet: It's going wrong, faster than anyone could have imagined. The army of "liberation" has already turned into the army of occupation. The Shias are threatening to fight the Americans, to create their own war of "liberation".
The Americans have now issued a "Message to the Citizens of Baghdad", a document as colonial in spirit as it is insensitive in tone. "Please avoid leaving your homes during the night hours after evening prayers and before the call to morning prayers," it tells the people of the city. "During this time, terrorist forces associated with the former regime of Saddam Hussein, as well as various criminal elements, are known to move through the area ... please do not leave your homes during this time. During all hours, please approach Coalition military positions with extreme caution ..."
So now � with neither electricity nor running water � the millions of Iraqis here are ordered to stay in their homes from dusk to dawn. Lockdown. It's a form of imprisonment. In their own country. Written by the command of the 1st US Marine Division, it's a curfew in all but name.
"If I was an Iraqi and I read that," an Arab woman shouted at me, "I would become a suicide bomber." And all across Baghdad you hear the same thing, from Shia Muslim clerics to Sunni businessmen, that the Americans have come only for oil, and that soon � very soon � a guerrilla resistance must start. No doubt the Americans will claim that these attacks are "remnants" of Saddam's regime or "criminal elements". But that will not be the case. As I've said many times, It's really only begun. Look out, Bush; look out, America.
Good News/Bad News
Good News from The Washington Post: Citing "the wanton and preventable destruction" of Iraq's National Museum of Antiquities, the chairman of the President's Advisory Committee on Cultural Property has submitted his resignation to President Bush. Another of the committee's nine members is also resigning over the issue.The bad news: Fewer and fewer people with even a modicum of ethics and good values are still in government.
Letter to Anti-War Activists
Gilbert Achcar asks the anti-war movement to not become depressed. Excerpt: "The project of building a global empire dominated by the US by means of brute force is inexorably doomed to failure. In this respect Washington has at this early stage already suffered major political reverses, contrary to the impression that its military victory in Iraq might temporarily give. Never since the end of the Cold War has US hegemony been so widely challenged in the world; never has the consensus around this hegemony been so lacking. This is the case at the level of international relations: the grumbling and fractiousness of countries that Washington considered its loyal allies have never been so widespread. Even the Turkish government refused to let US troops pass through its territory. Washington failed to buy it, just as it failed to buy enough members of the UN Security Council to get nine measly votes for its war on Iraq!" Read the entire essay HERE.
Republican-Sponsored Apocalypse is Near. Rise Up and Fight.............SPAM?
It's good to see our Democratic Leadership Council tackling such important issues as SPAM. With all the truly world-changing events and decisions being made by our fearless Republican Administration, you'd think the primary opposition party would have more important things on its mind. Oh well...
Photos
Here are some wonderful photos depicting the overwhelming joy and elation of the Iraqi people as "Operation Iraqi Freedom" is spread across their land. If that wasn't enough, here's some more. Enjoy!
April 16, 2003
Planned Chaos
Joshua Micah Marshall has a good column in the Washington Monthly Online that analyzes the current Bush doctrine of Middle East domination and compares it to the many potential scenarios that may follow the current Iraq war. Snippet: "This cavalier call for regime change, however, runs into a rather obvious problem. When the communist regimes of Eastern and Central Europe fell after 1989, the people of those nations felt grateful to the United States because we helped liberate them from their Russian colonial masters. They went on to create pro-Western democracies. The same is unlikely to happen, however, if we help "liberate" Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The tyrannies in these countries are home grown, and the U.S. government has supported them, rightly or wrongly, for decades, even as we've ignored (in the eyes of Arabs) the plight of the Palestinians. Consequently, the citizens of these countries generally hate the United States, and show strong sympathy for Islamic radicals. If free elections were held in Saudi Arabia today, Osama bin Laden would probably win more votes than Crown Prince Abdullah. Topple the pro-Western autocracies in these countries, in other words, and you won't get pro-Western democracies but anti-Western tyrannies." If you are looking for a good read on what is going on in the heads of our administration these days, this column is a good starting point.
April 15, 2003
New World Order
HERE is a fun video...
Funny!
My Endless Love
"10 Iraqi Civilians Killed In Mosul By U.S. Troops"
Here is our peacekeeper force hard at work.
Statue
HERE is the real story, in photos, of the toppling of Hussein's statue in Baghdad.
Today
Steve Gilliard summarizes today well: "Good morning, today is tax day, where your money leaves your wallet and goes to make the wealthiest one percent that much richer. Remember that as working class Americans dodge car bombs in our new possession of Baghdad, rich Americans are dodging millions in taxes with Bermuda shell companies. Just another day in Bush's America. Can't you smell Operation Iraqi Freedom in the air as yet another Baghdad cultural institution is looted and burns to the ground? Yesterday the library, today who knows?
Steve Gilliard"
April 14, 2003
Boycott
Great article by Matt Taibbi about what we should be doing now. Snippet: "After a while, it�s simply not dignified to freak out over each of these things individually. The dignified thing to do is to recognize once and for all the essential nature of what we�re up against, and then fight it. Don�t write petitions or make appeals, don�t sing songs, don�t wait for someone up there to change their "minds." Just fight it. And make it hurt.
Wall Street supports this war. How do you think it would react if all 30 percent of the country that opposes the war decided one day to dump all of its stock? A self-defeating gesture, to be sure, but we didn�t get to drink the British tea, either. CNN and FOX are making a killing waving a flag for the Pentagon. Why not start boycotting their advertisers one at a time until they pull their spots? Does Dell really want that "Dude, you�re getting a Dell" kid to be turned into a symbol of the war machine on college campuses? Hell, forget about boycotting just Dell. Boycott everything. If even this minority of the population could go a month without over-consuming, it would give corporate America an aneurysm. Just one month of no new cars, no new hoop shoes, no Atlantic records, no Kellogg�s Fruit Harvest, no nothing but the bare minimum.
For years, corporate America and the media have tried to convince us that buying things is a political act, a way of expressing our individuality (Fruitopia instead of flower power, Nikes sold to the tune of "Revolution," peace signs on the walls of Starbucks). Well, let�s call their bluff. Let�s non-participate. Let�s go on consumer strike. Pull a slowdown. We don�t have a lot of choices when it comes to voting for politicians, but when it comes to buying, where our existence is actually necessary, we have a thousand choices a day. It might be the only method we have of making the decision-making class pay attention to our concerns.
Hell, let�s try something, anyway. Because what we�re doing now is just what they expected�nothing."
Died for Their Country, or for Their Government?
Howard Zinn defines patriotism. Snippet: "I suggest that patriotic Americans who care for their country might act on behalf of a different vision. Do we want to be feared for our military might or respected for our dedication to human rights? With the war in Iraq over, if indeed it is really over, we need to ask what kind of a country will we be. Is it important that we be a military superpower? Is it not exactly that that makes us a target for terrorism? Perhaps we could become instead a humanitarian superpower."
How do They Feel?
Published on Sunday, April 13, 2003 by the Toronto Star
I'll Stay Off Bandwagon of Conquering Army
by Linda McQuaig
The sudden U.S. victory in Iraq illustrates what has long been obvious: Military spending of $350 billion a year buys a lot of firepower. I'm not sure last week's events have clarified anything much beyond that. But the pro-war lobby, strutting and preening in its bloodstained moment of glory, would have us believe that this conquest proves the rightness of its cause. The justification repeatedly put forward by Washington in the months leading up to this war � removing the threat of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction � is now little more than a curious footnote. Even so, as Iraq tumbles into chaos and lawlessness � with the only really well-protected sites being U.S. military stations and the offices of Iraq's former oil ministry � opponents of the war are being told to admit they were wrong and get on the bandwagon of the conquering army.
That's one bandwagon I'll gladly take a pass on. Certainly, the notion that military conquest is proof of a war's legitimacy would be questioned by anyone but those happy to embrace whatever army parades through town with the biggest cannon. Beyond that, the claim that the American war effort has been vindicated seems to rest on what we're now told this war was all about � liberating the Iraqi people. Of course, there has been some jubilation among Iraqis thrilled to see the end of a brutal tyrant; no one doubted that would be the case. But how most Iraqis feel about having U.S. troops occupying their country and controlling their foreseeable future can hardly be determined from snippets of TV footage showing some celebrations. Among the millions not filmed celebrating are probably many sitting home sullen or scared, or off looting, planning suicide attacks, searching desperately for food or water, burying loved ones, lying injured in hospitals or simply unavailable for comment.
The notion that we have some clear indication of how Iraqis feel about the American "liberation" is absurd. Read the entire article HERE.
This article from the L.A. Times is very comforting. Nice job, Bush. Nuclear Site Stood Unguarded for Days
The lapse points to the larger concern over finding potentially dangerous materials before they land in the hands of terrorists.
By Bob Drogin
Times Staff Writer
April 11, 2003
WASHINGTON -- Three Iraqi warehouses filled with 2,500 barrels of uranium that could be enriched for nuclear weapons -- plus radioactive isotopes that could be used for deadly "dirty bombs" -- lay unguarded for several days this week as Iraqi mobs swirled around. The facility, known as Location C, was Iraq's only internationally sanctioned storage site for nuclear material. It thus was a potential prize for U.S. forces -- or for anyone seeking to steal radioactive material for sale to other countries or to terrorists. Iraqi Republican Guard troops abandoned the site late last week as U.S. armored columns approached the nearby Tuwaitha nuclear research center south of Baghdad. Hordes of looters soon cut Tuwaitha's electric fences and began ransacking homes and offices in the complex, hauling off TVs and carpets in stolen luxury cars. U.S. officials said Marine combat engineers secured Location C on Wednesday after a State Department counter-terrorism task force warned Central Command of the danger.
Experts, though, say the lapse points to a larger concern: the immediate need to find and secure Iraq's nuclear weapons components, ballistic missile manuals, precursor chemicals for nerve gases, microbe feeder stocks for germ weapons, and countless other potentially dangerous materials that could aid terrorists or illegal weapons programs around the world. "There's a tremendous danger now that materials could slip out of the country," warned Rolf Ekeus, who headed United Nations weapons teams in Iraq during most of the 1990s. "It's very important that these sites be taken under control immediately." Entire article is HERE. Thanks to Jeanne d'Arc for pointing this article out.
Red Cross: 33 of 35 Hospitals in Baghdad are No Longer Functioning
The lack of medical help for the sick and injured Iraqi civilians just keeps worsening. Read the awful details.
Wouldn't Put it Past Bush
Cilina Nasser wonders if the U.S. will now fabricate evidence of WMD since it has yet to prove the existence of any. Snippet: "With the US-led war to change the government of Iraq all but over there is still little sign of the weapons of mass destruction for which this campaign was fought. Daily reports of suspected finds have all so far turned out to be false alarms and with every false trail the temptation grows for the United States to produce a the smoking gun. �The United States is now embarrassed because it could not confirm the presence of WMD in Iraq,� said Dr. Hassan Krayyim, a professor of political science at the American University of Beirut. �The concern lies in the possibility that the United States would present false evidence to prove that its decision to go to war was right,� he said. Dr. Imad Jadd, international relations specialist at the Egypt-based Al-Ahram Centre for Studies, agreed. �What will stop the United States from bringing chemical weapons from outside Iraq and moving them into the country to prove their longstanding claims?� he said. �They can do it because they are the authority now that is conducting the search.� Jadd called on the United Nations to send delegations to Iraq to monitor any finds of suspected chemical agents. �International inspectors should be present in Iraq,� he said. �They are the ones who should announce any findings,� he said."
Next Up: Syria's WMD
U.S. promises not to invade Syria if Syria shows its WMD. See also HERE and HERE.
US Troops Encourage Looting
Some of the residents of Baghdad seem not too happy with the new American/British invaders.
Sorry for the lack of posts these past few days. Been doin' taxes (my patriotic duty).
April 10, 2003
Show us, Mr. Bush
Dear Mr. Bush: As much as I didn't want my country to invade another country unprovoked, I figured you were at least privy to intelligence that undoubtedly proved the existence of massive amounts of weapons of mass destruction, which was the ONLY reason you gave for this military action. Forget the "liberation" reason; you only started using that LONG AFTER the invasion began. I also figured that you would go out of your way to prove that you were right, by showing us all these horrible weapons because you knew they existed and where they were. Remember? Okay, so it's past the right time for you to show us, but it's not too late for you to show the rest of the world. So show them. Now.
THIS is what we feared. This is what we tried to tell people would happen, and it's only the tip of the iceberg. It's bad enough that thousands of Iraqi's have been massacred, would still be alive today if the United States had let the inspections continue. But the massacre has really only begun. Now there is massive civil unrest as a tremendously outnumbered occupational force tries to gain control, so far with little success. Don't believe that the celebrating in the streets in Iraq has anything to do with the Iraqis' expectations that things are now going to get better (heck, people will party for almost any reason, right?). Probably before summer Iran, Syria, the Kurds and maybe Turkey, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia will become enmeshed in a multi-front, multi-national regional civil war that will result in so many more deaths and injuries and hate and corruption... It will be impossible for the U.S. to adequately control this and we will end up retreating a la Vietnam. What was this war good for? Absolutely nothing. Say it again.
Only Thing Missing is Raping
Cynthia Cotts of The Village Voice gives us press clippings of the war that the news media forgot to censor.
Michael Moore Speaks Out About Dissent
HERE is a snippet of an essay by Michael Moore describing what has happened to him since his Oscar speech: "What I am most concerned about right now is that all of you -- the majority of Americans who did not support this war in the first place -- not go silent or be intimidated by what will be touted as some great military victory. Now, more than ever, the voices of peace and truth must be heard. I have received a lot of mail from people who are feeling a profound sense of despair and believe that their voices have been drowned out by the drums and bombs of false patriotism.
Some are afraid of retaliation at work or at school or in their neighborhoods because they have been vocal proponents of peace. They have been told over and over that it is not "appropriate" to protest once the country is at war, and that your only duty now is to "support the troops."
Can I share with you what it's been like for me since I used my time on the Oscar stage two weeks ago to speak out against Bush and this war? I hope that, in reading what I'm about to tell you, you'll feel a bit more emboldened to make your voice heard in whatever way or forum that is open to you." Read the rest HERE
Still Waiting to See All Those WMD....
Britain admits there may be no WMD's in Iraq
Ruben Bannerjee
Al Jazeera
April 10, 2003
Well into the war that was supposed to rid Iraq of its alleged stockpile of weapons of mass destruction, a senior British official admitted on Saturday that no chemical, biological or nuclear weapons of mass destruction may after all be found. Making the startling confession in a radio interview, British Home Secretary, David Blunkett, added in the same breath that he would in any case rejoice the �fall� of Saddam Hussein and his regime � regardless of whether any weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq or not. The confession reconfirms the worst fears of opponents of the war that �weapons of mass destruction� is only a ruse for the US and the British to go to war against Iraq. At the very least the admission certainly deals a serious blow to the moral legitimacy that the US and the British have been seeking in prosecuting the war. Critics of the war across the world have been accusing the US and the British of aiming for regime change in Baghdad under the guise of �unearthing and dismantling weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.� There have been constant accusations that the US and the British are eyeing Iraq�s huge oil wealth, promoting Israeli interests, and that its campaign against �weapons of mass destruction� is only a convenient cover-up. Even countries like Germany, Russia and France had been less than impressed with the US-led war against Iraq saying all along that the task of unearthing weapons of mass destruction, if any, is better left to UN weapons' inspectors. In making the confession in an interview with BBC radio, the British Home Secretary however admitted that the non-discovery of any weapons of mass destruction would �lead to a very interesting debate� about the war. �We will obviously have a very interesting debate if there are no biological, chemical, radiological or nuclear weapons or facilities to produce them found anywhere in Iraq once Iraq is free,� the home secretary added. The US-led forces stand to face a huge global uproar if no weapons of mass destruction are found in Iraq. US-led forces moving across the Iraqi deserts have been under pressure since the start of the war to find evidence of Iraq�s weapons of mass destruction. But instead of solid evidence, the they have so far raised only false alarms. From time to time, the US-forces have claimed to have unearthed �suspicious� substances. And each time, the claim has turned out to be without substance. Today Saturday 5 April, US Marines were reported to be digging up a suspected chemical weapons hiding place in the courtyard of a school in the southeast of Baghdad. Western media reported that the US Marines were digging after being tipped off by an Iraqi informer. �We don�t have a clue now but we are going to dig it up and check,� said General James Mattis, the commander of the Marine division at the scene. Iraq has always insisted that it does not possess any weapons of mass destruction. UN weapons inspectors, who scoured the country for several months until the US asked them to leave last month, had repeatedly certified that they had found no credible evidence of Iraq possessing any weapons of mass destruction. -- Al Jazeera
No Celebration at Scoop
The editor of Scoop gives his reasons for not celebrating the reported fall of Baghdad "I personally am not celebrating today because:
1. This was an illegal war founded in deceit and fought in deceit;
2. This was a war which, superficially at least, cements in the place of the Bush Administration as global hegemon, and this is good for noone. All this victory really signals is the beginning in a new and more dangerous phase in the clash of civilisations that the Bush Administration appears hell bent on pursuing against the counsel of every sane person on this planet;
3. I notice that Donald Rumsfeld is already singling out Syria for what would appear to be phase two of the Neoconservative's total war intentions;
4. While ridding Iraq of Saddam is a good thing, the US is yet to own up to being significantly responsible for him being there in the first place; for providing him with the weapons of mass destruction that he used on his own people; and for imposing a clearly comparable amount of harm on the Iraqi people through their sanctions regime as that which derives from Saddam.
Alastair Thompson
Scoop Editor" Scoop also has a photo essay contrasting the U.S. view of the "liberation" with the real view. Be sure to click the "Flashback" links to get the contrasting, non-propaganda photos.
April 8, 2003
Next
Daily KOS has an excellent, EXCELLENT analysis predicting what will probably happen next in Iraq. It is objective and I recommend that you read it.
US Tank Blasts Journalists' Hotel
The US tanks have apparently run out of military targets in Baghdad, so they're now taking down other pesky groups.
"Now is not the time for silent acquiescence."
Here is an essay by James O. Goldsborough on why opposition to the war is even more important than ever. Snippets: "What is the point of protest, people ask? The war has begun. It won't be over until it's over. Why continue opposition now? The obvious answer to "why bother?" comes from Vietnam. We know protest can stop a bad war, Vietnam was the precedent. But deserts are easier for tanks and planes than jungles, and few believe this war will last long enough or casualties mount high enough for protest to stop it. So what is the point?
I have talked to enough Americans in recent weeks to report that indeed there is a point. A great many people feel this war is a violation of American principles. They don't have to be told by church leaders or newspaper columnists that this war � the destruction of an ancient nation in the pursuit of one man � is an evil war. They feel it in their bones. They feel violated and they are angry. Unlike Vietnam, this war won't be stopped by protest. But as Baghdad is destroyed and people around the world recoil at the sight of dead civilians and B-52s dropping bombs on cities again, as Arab and Muslim opinion is enflamed and terrorism draws a new breath, Americans who oppose this war cannot remain silent. We support our troops but oppose the politicians who sent them on this fool's mission. We must bear witness.
How does bearing witness help, I am asked? How can it not help, is my answer. Neither history nor collective conscience will ever excuse this war. Now is not the time for silent acquiescence."
Just a Reminder Regarding WMD...
BEFORE THE WAR:Washington, 8 October 2002 (RFE/RL) -- President George W. Bush addressed the American people last night in an effort to convince them of what he believes is the urgency to confront Iraq about its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, and to go to war over the issue if necessary. Speaking from Cincinnati, Bush said Iraq's president, Saddam Hussein, poses a unique threat to the Middle East, to the United States, and to the world. "While there are many dangers in the world, the threat from Iraq stands alone because it gathers the most serious dangers of our age in one place. Iraq's weapons of mass destruction are controlled by a murderous tyrant [Hussein] who has already used chemical weapons to kill thousands of people," Bush said. 21 DAYS INTO THE WAR:Al Jazeera with agency inputs, 4/8/03--The war on Iraq entered day 20 and still no evidence has been presented so far of the country�s possession of weapons of mass destruction, the purported reason for the attack. A US military official said on Tuesday more testing and analysis was required before determining whether substances found at sites in central Iraq were banned chemical weapons agents. "Initial reports were 'yes, it could potentially be'," said Brigadier General Vincent Brooks. "We do not know enough at this point to say it should be discounted or that we have found some weapons of mass destruction for use." That contradicted an earlier remark on Tuesday by a US military source near the predominantly Shia city of Karbala in Iraq who said tests indicated the substances were not chemical weapons agents. "The latest tests turned out negative," the source said. �The United States is now embarrassed because it could not confirm the presence of WMD in Iraq,� said Dr. Hassan Krayyim, a professor of political science at the American University of Beirut. And I'm sure the Iraqi kids who've had arms and legs blown off and have lost their families feel satisfied and compensated now that the U.S. might feel "embarrassed".
From the NY Times: By DEXTER FILKINS
AGHDAD, Iraq, April 7 � The scene at the foot of the bridge over the Diyala River was one of utter desolation, with the ground littered with smoldering Iraqi bodies. Burning vehicles sent plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky. The air stank from the smell of so much afire. Only the stray dogs, nosing around the flesh and flames, seemed alive.
Thousands of American marines poured into the Iraqi capital today after capturing the bridge in a daylong firefight, and crossing at two other points as well. Battling tenacious opposition, the marines moved about a mile into the southeastern corner of the city, securing a foothold and silencing most Iraqi opposition by nightfall.
"It's a little sobering," said Capt. Sal Aguilar, standing in a field with dead Iraqis all around him. "When you're training for this, you joke about it, you can't wait for the real thing. Then when you see it, when you see the real thing, you never want to see it again."
April 7, 2003
Bomb For Saddam
If they can really drop this bomb on top of Saddam's head, then they should do it. Now. However, the whole concept of this party is just disgusting and I will never visit this casino again.
George McGovern, although getting a bit sentimental in his advanced years, still says it like it is. Snippet: "During the long years of my opposition to that [Vietnam] war, including a presidential campaign dedicated to ending the American involvement, I said in a moment of disgust: "I'm sick and tired of old men dreaming up wars in which young men do the dying." That terrible American blunder, in which 58,000 of our bravest young men died, and many times that number were crippled physically or psychologically, also cost the lives of some 2 million Vietnamese as well as a similar number of Cambodians and Laotians, in addition to laying waste most of Indochina--its villages, fields, trees and waterways; its schools, churches, markets and hospitals.
I had thought after that horrible tragedy--sold to the American people by our policy-makers as a mission of freedom and mercy--that we never again would carry out a needless, ill-conceived invasion of another country that had done us no harm and posed no threat to our security. I was wrong in that assumption.
The President and his team, building on the trauma of 9/11, have falsely linked Saddam Hussein's Iraq to that tragedy and then falsely built him up as a deadly threat to America and to world peace. These falsehoods are rejected by the UN and nearly all of the world's people. We will, of course, win the war with Iraq. But what of the question raised in the Bible that both George Bush and I read: "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul," or the soul of his nation?"
The Other Side
Just in case you've been perusing only leftie blogs lately, visit this one just to remind yourself that there are still a whole lot of racist, insensitive, gun-loving, (closet gay?) testosterone-fueled, right-wing "people" who honestly think this war is a great thing. Oh, and just where are all those massive amounts of weapons of mass destruction, the reason we invaded this third-world nation in the first place?
April 6, 2003
It's the Children, Stupid
Ali Ismail Abbas, 12, who says he was wounded during an airstrike, lies in a hospital bed in Baghdad, April 6, 2003. Abbas was fast asleep when war shattered his life. A missile obliterated his home and most of his family, leaving him orphaned, badly burned and blowing off both his arms.
Photo by Faleh Kheiber/ReutersCongratulations, George Bush. Now this little Iraqi boy won't be able to wave hello when you pay a visit to your new kingdom. But I'm sure in about 6 years he'll be volunteering to join the local chapter of Suicide Bombers for the Destruction of the Satan West. HERE is a site with photos of the war that the U.S. government most definitely doesn't want you to see.
April 5, 2003
In case you haven't had the pleasure of reading the poetry of Donald Rumsfeld:  The Unknown
As we know,
There are known knowns.
There are things we know we know.
We also know
There are known unknowns.
That is to say
We know there are some things
We do not know.
But there are also unknown unknowns,
The ones we don't know
We don't know.
�Feb. 12, 2002, Department of Defense news briefing
"little boxes"
The otherworldly hideousness of cluster bombs.
Nadia Khalaf
Here is a story, and here's another one probably two of a countless number, of the tragedies of war. Won't see these on the evening news; instead you'll see another one about Jessica Lynch sneezing, or Jessica Lynch smiling, or Jessica L....
April 4, 2003
Uh Oh, Do I Smell Abortion Hypocracy?
From MWO: "Where are all the so-called "pro-lifers" who tell us pregnant women considering abortion and the public considering abortion rights must view images of aborted fetuses if they are to make a fully informed judgment, since witnessing the gruesome realities is important in determining whether abortion or abortion rights are moral - a perfectly reasonable position?
Why aren't they demanding for these images of wounded or slaughtered children to be featured in every newspaper and on every TV network, so that Americans can make an informed decision about the justification and morality of this war?
They might say the slaughter is taking place for a "greater good," the "liberation of Iraq," so we needn't bother ourselves with the gory, demoralizing details.
But an argument is made frequently and effectively that the greatest obstacle to the liberation of people in many of the poorest, most oppressed countries in the world is a lack of reproductive freedom of any kind for women (a condition strongly supported by both the most radical Islamic fundamentalists and their American counterparts - the theocratic Bush regime and its "Christian" fundie constituency), and that women in any country cannot become or remain liberated if the state controls their reproductive rights. For those reasons, some say abortion rights and access to birth control are crucial in "liberation" of all populations.
Strangely, though, that position doesn't seem to move those who claim to support the slaughter of Iraqi children in the name of a greater "liberation," and they don't believe we should be spared the gory, demoralizing details of abortion.
It couldn't be that the views of rabid "pro-lifers" on the issue of abortion are based not in concern for "protecting the unborn" but in a belief that the right of the state to force citizens to remain pregnant and give birth against their will must be preserved as a punishment for women who engage in sex. Could it?
Until the likes of Bill Bennett begin clamoring for networks to show images of wounded or killed civilians and soldiers in the name of informing our views on the war, intelligent people must conclude their motives regarding abortion are in fact quite suspect. Or quite obvious."
"...they've picked a fight with the wrong guy"
All right! Let's hear it for John Kerry and hope that the floodgates are finally open. Joshua Marshall gets it exactly right when he says how the Democrats need to fight back: "For the purposes of our present discussion, the particulars of Kerry's remark are almost beside the point. This is no better than cheap bullying practiced by the president's hacks. And, in political life as in personal life, there is only one way to deal with bullies: you must fight back against them with at least the ferocity and intensity that they use against you. They understand nothing else and deserve nothing better. There's no reasoning with them, no apologizing to them, no hashing out the particulars of remarks you've made." Thank you, Mr. Marshall!
"If They Were Smart, They'd Be Rich"
Now that you've been bludgeoned over the head with the images in the posts below, go read the article "Images of a Kindler, Gentler War" by Jeanne d'Arc at Body and Soul. (Sorry, but her direct link to the article doesn't work; you'll have to scroll down for it.) And when you're done there, come back and read THIS.
From Digital Journalist:   U.S. marines gather around a wounded Iraqi girl as they try to treat her in central Iraq March 29, 2003. Confused front line crossfire ripped apart an Iraqi family on Saturday after local soldiers appeared to force civilians towards U.S. marines positions. The four-year old girl, blood streaming from an eye wound, was screaming for her mother while her father, shot in a leg, begged to be freed from the plastic wrist cuffs slapped on him by U.S. marines so he could hug his other terrified daughter. The girl's mother died in the crossfire. |
