LEFT is RIGHT (blogging against The Bush-war) |
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| A survey by the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges reports tuition hikes at state colleges and universities in at least 37 states -- almost all as a result of state budget cuts. Increases in in-state tuition range from 4.6 percent at the University of Illinois to nearly 40 percent for the schools in the University of California system. The State University of New York, which includes 64 campuses throughout the Empire State, is typical. After the state legislature cut the budget 20 percent for the school system, SUNY raised annual tuition 28 percent -- from $3,400 to $4,350. "We did not do it lightly," said Shirley Strom Kenny, the president of Stony Brook University, a SUNY school. "But if we didn't raise tuition, we would have to limit what we offer to our students." The $950 increase has hit SUNY students hard: Most are from middle-class and working-class families. "We have been inundated by phone calls from parents and students, asking what are we going to do about this increase," said Jacqueline Pascariello, interim director of financial aid at Stony Brook. The tuition hike means most students must take out more loans and add to their debt burden -- which for state college and university graduates nationwide already averages between $16,000 and $20,000. |
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Okay, Maybe My Parents Weren't That Bad
From CNN:
| Toddler 'doing well' after nearly 3 weeks alone Tuesday, September 30, 2003 Posted: 11:38 AM EDT (1538 GMT) JACKSONVILLE, Florida (CNN) -- After spending nearly three weeks alone and surviving on raw pasta, mustard and ketchup, a 2-year-old Jacksonville, Florida, girl was in good spirits Tuesday morning at a hospital, officials told CNN. |
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Bush: "...extend the promise of prosperity to every forgotten corner of this country."
NDOL has actually a pretty good essay on Bush's failure to continue the reduction in poverty, which he promised in 2000, and has, instead, made things much worse for the lower economic class of this nation. Snippet:
| In 2000, George W. Bush ran for president on a platform that claimed the Clinton administration had done too little to help less-fortunate Americans share in the national prosperity of the 1990s. In his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, he said that Bill Clinton and Al Gore had "coasted through prosperity," and that he would "extend the promise of prosperity to every forgotten corner of this country." Of all his broken promises, this was perhaps the cruelest. The prosperity he pledged to spread has vanished, and as always, a poor economy hurts poor people the most. But it gets worse: Bush also promised an aggressive agenda of "compassionate conservatism" to harness civil society to the task of addressing entrenched poverty and other social ills. This agenda has never really materialized, and the president seems to have lost interest in developing it. Instead, the administration has perversely and obsessively focused on improving the after-tax incomes of the wealthiest Americans, shifting the tax burden from those who earn income from inheritance and investment to those who earn income from work. Far from worrying about the plight of those in "every forgotten corner of this country," George W. Bush is deliberately engineering a more unequal society as his top domestic priority. |
Well, yeah. Unless you've kept your head in the sand the past 2-1/2 years, this is not news. What would be news is if the Democratic candidates started mentioning it, because this is the type of simple message with which voters can identify.
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Impact of Plame's Exposure by Bush's Staff
Josh Marshall hypothesizes the impact of the exposure of Valerie Plame on the safety of America. Snippet:
| Plame's beat, if we can use that word, was weapons of mass destruction. And, of course, WMD is the big issue. It's why Iraq, why Joe Wilson, why Niger, why CIA referrals. That's what's at the bottom of all this stuff. Keeping WMD out of the wrong hands is, or was, Plame's job. If that's her job you can figure that over the years she's been involved in various operations aimed at tracking proliferation, worked with various human sources, all sorts of stuff like that. Now Plame's name has been splashed across papers all over the world. And the folks that leaked her name made sure that they used her maiden name, Plame -- the one she did most of her work under -- rather than Wilson, the name which I'm told she now goes by. So now her name's out. You couldn't unlock everything just knowing her name -- covers are used and so forth. But once you know Plame is CIA, and what she looks like and so forth, you unravel most if not everything. And now every bad-actor and bad-acting government knows that anything that Plame was involved with, any operation, any company she was supposed to be working for, any people she worked closely with, are probably also CIA or at least work with CIA. WMD bad-guys now know to steer clear of them. Let's say there's some operation Plame hasn't been involved with for a decade -- but it's still on-going. People will remember she used to be in on that operation and thus it's tagged as an Agency operation and it's useless. Everyone will know to steer clear. Now, I have no knowledge of any operations Plame was involved in or covers she used. These are hypotheticals. But it gives you a sense of the sort of work she was involved in and the potential collateral damage of exposing her cover. And consider what her work was: protecting Americans from weapons of mass destruction. Chew on that irony. |
UPDATE: CalPundit has an excellent summary of this whole, sordid affair.
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September 29, 2003
The witty, cantankerous REVIEWOLOGY is back, with fresh reviews of Once Upon a Time in Mexico along with Matchstick Men.
Watch Paul Krugman's lecture at UC Berkeley on Friday, September 26, 2003 (approx 1 hour).
CNN.com has an interesting graph showing "how much money each of the 2004 presidential contenders owes to creditors, based on the latest Federal Election Commission figures." Kucinich is the only candidate (including Bush) who owes $0.00. Check out the other graphs, including total raised, total spent and total on-hand.
The Christian Ultra Right is not terribly concerned whether or not Bush is re-elected. They've used Bush as the front man the past three years shoving our nation to the right, increasing the Republican death-grip on industry and the economy, assuming control of elections through voting manipulation (electronic and other), and plunging us into an intractable quagmire in the Middle East. Even if Democrats somehow regain the White House, it will take many times the number of years Bush was in charge to reverse course and return to some semblance of the Clinton years, giving the Christian Ultra Right endless opportunities to regain control. Face it, only a revolution will work. The only question is, is Bush smart enough to understand how he's being used (and if so, does he even give a damn)?
Where are the grownups of the Republican Party?
ReviewOlogy is Back!
The witty, cantankerous REVIEWOLOGY is back, with fresh reviews of Once Upon a Time in Mexico along with Matchstick Men.
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Watch Paul Krugman's lecture at UC Berkeley on Friday, September 26, 2003 (approx 1 hour).
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Kucinich Owes Nothing
CNN.com has an interesting graph showing "how much money each of the 2004 presidential contenders owes to creditors, based on the latest Federal Election Commission figures." Kucinich is the only candidate (including Bush) who owes $0.00. Check out the other graphs, including total raised, total spent and total on-hand.
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Bush is Just the Sacrificial Lamb
The Christian Ultra Right is not terribly concerned whether or not Bush is re-elected. They've used Bush as the front man the past three years shoving our nation to the right, increasing the Republican death-grip on industry and the economy, assuming control of elections through voting manipulation (electronic and other), and plunging us into an intractable quagmire in the Middle East. Even if Democrats somehow regain the White House, it will take many times the number of years Bush was in charge to reverse course and return to some semblance of the Clinton years, giving the Christian Ultra Right endless opportunities to regain control. Face it, only a revolution will work. The only question is, is Bush smart enough to understand how he's being used (and if so, does he even give a damn)?
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Question of the Month
Where are the grownups of the Republican Party?
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September 28, 2003
--- Martin Luther King Jr. |
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September 27, 2003
Josh Marshall has an incredible story about how Florida's state employee pension fund just bought out Edison Schools, a company that gets "contracts to run public schools on a for-profit basis and to do it better and more cheaply."
I feel sorry for the helpless Florida folks who have their hard-earned funds in the state pension, but, if Florida hasn't figured out by now that their government is corrupt ant that they need to look out for themselves until Democrats regain political power, then they deserve what they get. After all, they gave Bush to the rest of us, so screw 'em.
The CIA has asked the Justice Department to "investigate allegations that the White House broke federal laws by revealing the identity of one of its undercover employees in retaliation against the woman�s husband, a former ambassador who publicly criticized President Bush�s since-discredited claim that Iraq had sought weapons-grade uranium from Africa, NBC News has learned":
However, as CalPundit says:
Everyone who is naive enough to believe that Ashcroft is going to pusue this as required by his job description, please step forward and receive your lashings, because you are, well, naive.
Florida Gets Bitch-Slapped
Josh Marshall has an incredible story about how Florida's state employee pension fund just bought out Edison Schools, a company that gets "contracts to run public schools on a for-profit basis and to do it better and more cheaply."
| ... Things looked awfully bad until last week when Florida's state employee pension fund announced it was buying up all of Edison's stock and taking the company private --- for a cool $174 million. That's got to be the shrewdest investment the fund has made since it bought millions of shares of Enron just as the company entered its death spiral --- including 1.3 million shares just two weeks before the company declared bankruptcy. As the St. Pete Times aptly noted yesterday, this gives "Florida the distinction of being essentially the sole owner of the nation's largest and perhaps most financially imperiled school management business." The three member board of trustees of the fund is chaired by Florida Governor Jeb Bush, a big supporter of privatized schools and a big supporter of Edison. So, you start a company to privatize education and take on the teachers unions. Your company fails miserably both in terms of the market and academic success. Then after you've hollowed the company out to cover your other bad debts friendly pols come along to bail you out with a couple hundred million from the teachers (and other public employees') pension fund. I love symmetry. |
I feel sorry for the helpless Florida folks who have their hard-earned funds in the state pension, but, if Florida hasn't figured out by now that their government is corrupt ant that they need to look out for themselves until Democrats regain political power, then they deserve what they get. After all, they gave Bush to the rest of us, so screw 'em.
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White House Under Investigation? Yeah, Right...
The CIA has asked the Justice Department to "investigate allegations that the White House broke federal laws by revealing the identity of one of its undercover employees in retaliation against the woman�s husband, a former ambassador who publicly criticized President Bush�s since-discredited claim that Iraq had sought weapons-grade uranium from Africa, NBC News has learned":
| NBC News� Andrea Mitchell reported Friday night that the CIA has asked the Justice Department to investigate whether White House officials blew Plame�s [Wilson's wife] cover in retaliation against Wilson. Revealing the identities of covert officials is a violation of two laws, the National Agents� Identity Act and the Unauthorized Release of Classified Information Act. |
However, as CalPundit says:
| Stay tuned. I have my doubts that this investigation will go anywhere � after all, as long as Novak doesn't squeal, the folks in the White House just have to deny everything and let the investigation die. And with Republicans in control of Congress, the special prosecutor act dead, and John Ashcroft running the Justice Department, investigatory zeal is likely to be somewhat below Ken Starrish proportions. Still, you never know. The CIA must have come up with something or else they would have just dropped the whole thing. |
Everyone who is naive enough to believe that Ashcroft is going to pusue this as required by his job description, please step forward and receive your lashings, because you are, well, naive.
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September 26, 2003
Mental exhaustion day today. Check out Media Whores Online, Daily Kos, Steve Gilliard, and Talking Points Memo for some really good late news and commentary. Just click "DAILY READINGS" in the Pages of Links on the sidebar. While you're over on the left (no pun intended) visit my photos from New Zealand that I snapped last month; what a beautiful country (and people!).
New Optical Illusions
Fartful (the meanings for names of Ikea furniture)
Smallville Home Page
Confusing Instructions
How to Cook an Alien
Find the Differences
Larry Carlson's Flash Movies
Friday Blahs
Mental exhaustion day today. Check out Media Whores Online, Daily Kos, Steve Gilliard, and Talking Points Memo for some really good late news and commentary. Just click "DAILY READINGS" in the Pages of Links on the sidebar. While you're over on the left (no pun intended) visit my photos from New Zealand that I snapped last month; what a beautiful country (and people!).
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FRIDAY FUN
New Optical Illusions
Fartful (the meanings for names of Ikea furniture)
Smallville Home Page
Confusing Instructions
How to Cook an Alien
Find the Differences
Larry Carlson's Flash Movies
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September 25, 2003
Citizens for Tax Justice has released a soberingly grim report on the effect of Bush's tax cuts on the average family of four. The report is in PDF format. Highlights:
- The study calculates the net effects of Bush's tax cuts and massive borrowing over six years on a state-by-state basis.
- Current projections from the CBO show that Bush's policies are likely to add $3.8 trillion to the U.S. debt.
- Over the next six years each family will have an additional debt burden of over $52,000. After subtracting the 6-year tax savings from the tax cuts, the burden will still be nearly $38,000 per family.
- The burden to California will be $342.5 billion.
- After the first six years, the debt is expected to skyrocket by another $5.8 trillion between 2008 and 2013.
Oh my.
This is serious, folks.
From Reuters:
From the Guardian (intro):
A SAIC report evaluating Diebold software (used in electronic voting machines) was released yesterday and it is a scathing evaluation. Read an evaluation of some of the more important conclusions HERE. Deibold says this about the report:
The report, on the other hand, notes this:
Read the whole mess and draw your own conclusions. The web site, Blackboxvoting.com, was temporarily shut down yesterday when Diebold threatened the ISP hosting BBV. The site is back up and stronger than ever. Check it out.
The debate last night was a circus. Left is Right nearly turned it off several times when it appeared to be getting out of control, with 3 or more people speaking/shouting in unison. Arianna seems hell-bent on singling out Arnold on most every issue, which may not be the best strategy; it makes her appear petty and vindictive. She has a lot of great things to say otherwise, and these personal attacks on Arnold detract from the impetus of her ideas and policies. McClintock was definitely the most polished speaker; his points were clear and understandable; too bad he's a conservative. Cruz was very unimpressive and needs to show a hint of emotion when he speaks; his ideas are pretty good, but unless he shows some feeling towards his own concepts, many voters are not going to take him seriously. Camejo made points with his promise to reverse the trend of reducing taxes on the wealthy, but his appearance and demeanor were not polished enough for television. Arnold? What an underinformed, sexist dweeb.
The ultra-right media has been jumping all over Wesley Clark regarding a couple of phone calls he allegedly had, one from Canada and one to Rove. Spinsanity corrects the false impressions.
On a related note, Clark has apparently allowed his campaign to strike a blow at his online grassroots supporters, not a good way to kick off a presidential campaign. DailyKOS has the story.
Put Out an APB on Scrooge McDuck Now!
Citizens for Tax Justice has released a soberingly grim report on the effect of Bush's tax cuts on the average family of four. The report is in PDF format. Highlights:
- The study calculates the net effects of Bush's tax cuts and massive borrowing over six years on a state-by-state basis.
- Current projections from the CBO show that Bush's policies are likely to add $3.8 trillion to the U.S. debt.
- Over the next six years each family will have an additional debt burden of over $52,000. After subtracting the 6-year tax savings from the tax cuts, the burden will still be nearly $38,000 per family.
- The burden to California will be $342.5 billion.
- After the first six years, the debt is expected to skyrocket by another $5.8 trillion between 2008 and 2013.
Oh my.
This is serious, folks.
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Does This Mean That Store-Bought Is Better?
From Reuters:
| Flame retardant found in breast milk Last Updated: 2003-09-24 11:34:06 -0400 (Reuters Health) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Several American mothers nursing their infants had high levels of potentially toxic flame retardant chemicals in their breastmilk, a U.S. environmental group said on Tuesday. While the study by the Environmental Working Group was small and did not show any health effects in the babies, the group said it showed just how widespread the chemicals are. The chemicals are bromine-based fire retardants and are used in a wide range of products including furniture, computers, television sets, automobiles, copy machines and hair dryers to make them less likely to catch fire. They can build up in the body over years. "Brominated fire retardants impair attention, learning, memory, and behavior in laboratory animals at surprisingly low levels," the EWG report reads. |
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No WMD - Still
From the Guardian (intro):
| The hunt for weapons of mass destruction yields - nothing Intelligence claims of huge Iraqi stockpiles were wrong, says report Julian Borger in Washington, Ewen MacAskill and Patrick Wintour Thursday September 25, 2003 The Guardian An intensive six-month search of Iraq for weapons of mass destruction has failed to discover a single trace of an illegal arsenal, according to accounts of a report circulating in Washington and London. The interim report, compiled by the CIA-led Iraq Survey Group (ISG) of 1,400 weapons experts and support staff, will instead focus on Saddam Hussein's capacity and intentions to build banned weapons. A draft of the report has been sent to the White House, the Pentagon and Downing Street, a US intelligence source said. It has caused such disappointment that there is now a debate over whether it should be released to Congress over the next fortnight, as had been widely expected. "It will mainly be an accounting of programmes and dual-use technologies," said one US intelligence source. "It demonstrates that the main judgments of the national intelligence estimate (NIE) in October 2002, that Saddam had hundreds of tonnes of chemical and biological agents ready, are false." A BBC report yesterday said that the survey group, which includes British and Australian investigators, had come across no banned weapons, or delivery systems, or laboratories involved in developing such weapons. |
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Diebold Scandal
A SAIC report evaluating Diebold software (used in electronic voting machines) was released yesterday and it is a scathing evaluation. Read an evaluation of some of the more important conclusions HERE. Deibold says this about the report:
| We are pleased to be moving forward," said Thomas W. Swidarski, president of Diebold Election Systems. "The thorough system assessment conducted by SAIC verifies that the Diebold voting station provides an unprecedented level of election security." |
The report, on the other hand, notes this:
| This Risk Assessment has identified several high-risk vulnerabilities in the implementation of the managerial, operational, and technical controls for AccuVote-TS voting system. If these vulnerabilities are exploited, significant impact could occur on the accuracy, integrity, and availability of election results. In addition, successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities could also damage the reputation and interests of the SBE and the LBEs. This Risk Assessment also identified numerous vulnerabilities with a risk rating of medium and low that may have an impact upon AccuVote-TS voting if exploited. |
Read the whole mess and draw your own conclusions. The web site, Blackboxvoting.com, was temporarily shut down yesterday when Diebold threatened the ISP hosting BBV. The site is back up and stronger than ever. Check it out.
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No-win Situation
The debate last night was a circus. Left is Right nearly turned it off several times when it appeared to be getting out of control, with 3 or more people speaking/shouting in unison. Arianna seems hell-bent on singling out Arnold on most every issue, which may not be the best strategy; it makes her appear petty and vindictive. She has a lot of great things to say otherwise, and these personal attacks on Arnold detract from the impetus of her ideas and policies. McClintock was definitely the most polished speaker; his points were clear and understandable; too bad he's a conservative. Cruz was very unimpressive and needs to show a hint of emotion when he speaks; his ideas are pretty good, but unless he shows some feeling towards his own concepts, many voters are not going to take him seriously. Camejo made points with his promise to reverse the trend of reducing taxes on the wealthy, but his appearance and demeanor were not polished enough for television. Arnold? What an underinformed, sexist dweeb.
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One Ringy Dingy, Two Ringy Dingies
The ultra-right media has been jumping all over Wesley Clark regarding a couple of phone calls he allegedly had, one from Canada and one to Rove. Spinsanity corrects the false impressions.
On a related note, Clark has apparently allowed his campaign to strike a blow at his online grassroots supporters, not a good way to kick off a presidential campaign. DailyKOS has the story.
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September 24, 2003
Court Rules Against Do-Not-Call Registry
If you've got the stomach for it, HERE is the full text of President Bush's exclusive interview with Fox News' Brit Hume aired Monday night. Here is just one tiny snippet:
Left I sez:
Via the Left Coaster:
Well, Senator Edward Kennedy is taking notes. Watch his speech in the Senate yesterday, as he rips apart Bush's foreign policy for Iraq. (Realplayer required.)
Kevin Drum has a conclusive opinion regarding the conflicting claims of WMD by Powell and Rice and the eventual failure to find any.
Andrea Buffa wonders if the anti-war movement was right. Snippet:
Recipient of the 2003 Ghandi Peace Award? None other than...
Shaking a stick at 50 million Americans
Court Rules Against Do-Not-Call Registry
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Brit Hume: Unfair and Unobjective
If you've got the stomach for it, HERE is the full text of President Bush's exclusive interview with Fox News' Brit Hume aired Monday night. Here is just one tiny snippet:
| HUME: What is your theory about what Saddam Hussein did with his weapons of mass destruction? BUSH: I think he hid them, I think he dispersed them. I think he is so adapted at deceiving the civilized world for a long period of time that it's going to take a while for the troops to unravel. But I firmly believe he had weapons of mass destruction. I know he used them at one time, and I'm confident he had programs that would enable him to have a weapon of mass destruction at his disposal. HUME: What do you say to the notion -- you're beginning to hear it more and more now -- that actually he got rid of them but he didn't want his neighbors to know that, you see, because he wanted to be able to continue to intimidate them? What do you say to that? BUSH: I think, like I said, be patient. The truth will be out. I told David Kay to go find the truth and to bring back reports based upon his own timetable that are solid reports about what he has found. We're analyzing miles and miles of documentation, we're interviewing all kinds of people in Iraq. Some of the famous cards in the deck of cards, and just average citizens who are bringing information. We've been there for about four months. And David is spending a great deal of time learning the truth. And the truth -- we'll find out the truth. |
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Left I sez:
| Just a reminder to George Bush on the subject of prisons and torture - the U.S. is now holding thousands of people "extraterritorially" in at least three different countries (Iraq, Afghanistan, and Cuba) that we know of, in some cases torturing them, and in all cases outside any legal jurisdiction and subject to no laws other than the law of the jungle. Also just a simple observation on terrorism which Bush wants us to view as the #1 scourge of humanity: just in the lastest invasion of Iraq, the U.S. killed more innocent civilians than terrorists have in the entire history of the world (of course some might argue that the invasion of Iraq was a terrorist act). |
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Via the Left Coaster:
| Howard Dean ramped up the rhetoric against Bush today, with his harshest language yet. Dean's prepared text included some of the harshest language he has used against the administration. He charged that the Bush team has "capitalized on domestic fears of terrorism for political gain," given "handouts" to industries that are "causing irreparable harm to our environment" and "shackled our children and grandchildren" with record budget deficits to enact his "reckless tax cuts." Those tax cuts, he said, "are "bankrupting the states and starving Social Security, Medicare and our public schools" and have gone to "the largest political contributors at the expense of today's middle class." That is how you go after Bush. Are the rest of you Dems taking notes? |
Well, Senator Edward Kennedy is taking notes. Watch his speech in the Senate yesterday, as he rips apart Bush's foreign policy for Iraq. (Realplayer required.)
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| September 5, 2003 Dear Members of Congress: My father's name is Staff Sgt. Charles Pollard with the 307th Military Police Reservist Company out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is a 22-year veteran and has been serving his country in Iraq for almost a year now. Ever since he went over there, I live in fear for his life. He writes to me every chance he gets and we try to send letters to him once or twice a week. I understand when he enlisted there would be a chance that he would have to go to war. He's done that and President Bush has called an end to the war in Iraq some months ago. When the tragedy of 9-11 happened I was scared, but I am more afraid now than ever. I am afraid that my dad will not come home on his own two feet but in a body bag. I'm afraid that he will not live to see me grow up, see me graduate from middle school, high school, and college and see my dreams and his hopes for me come to pass. Allow me to tell you a little about our relationship. When I'm with my dad, he makes me laugh. We talk about what I want to be when I grow up. He gives me advise about boys and life. We talk about what we want to do and we spend a lot of time together just enjoying each other's company. He's a loving and caring father that is very attentive to my needs. What makes him unique to me is that, he is interested in every part of my life. I prayed that he would get a closer relationship with God and a few months before he was called to active duty he began to go to church more and got baptized. I was so proud of him. We need each other for strength and support as we learn the Word of God. Since the beginning of the war President Bush has told the American people that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. He sent inspectors to investigate but they came up with nothing. President Bush stated that Iraq had links with terrorists like those who bombed the World Trade Center. But no proof has been found. President Bush had Americans afraid that we would have to protect ourselves from chemical warfare. My mom bought first aid kits and flashlights. She planned and drilled with us escapes routes and safe spots in our home. But, no chemical warfare. President Bush stated that Saddam Hussein lied about these weapons, but now that my dad, and other children's dads, moms, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters have died, were injured, and are over in Iraq, we find out that President Bush didn't tell the truth during his State of the Union Address and on other occasions as well. What this is telling me is that my dad may lose his life for a lie. Many other children like myself, across our great nation, want their parents and family members home. When our forefathers developed this nation they stated that all people had a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I feel that my right to pursue happiness has been taken away from me, because having my dad in my life and with me brings me happiness. Please send our troops home to their families so they can be happy. Sincerely, Robin Tamara Ponton, Age 13 |
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Powell in 2001: "[Saddam] has not developed any significant capability with respect to weapons of mass destruction."
Kevin Drum has a conclusive opinion regarding the conflicting claims of WMD by Powell and Rice and the eventual failure to find any.
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6-month review
Andrea Buffa wonders if the anti-war movement was right. Snippet:
| Six months after the attack on Iraq, no chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons have been found. The Iraqi army could not even defend its own capital, much less pose a threat to Western civilization. And it's looking more and more like the Bush Administration lied about or at least exaggerated the Iraqi threat to get support for the war. Isn't it about time for a public evaluation of the pre-emptive strike policy that has the U.S. invading countries that are alleged threats, and an investigation into whether the allegations about the Iraqi threat leading up to the war were really lies? The Iraq war has made the world less safe from terrorism, not more safe. The other primary justification for the war was a purported link between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda. "Evidence from intelligence sources, secret communications and statements by people now in custody reveal that Saddam Hussein aids and protects terrorists, including members of Al Qaeda," President Bush said in his January 2003 State of the Union speech. But intelligence experts and top Bush administration officials now acknowledge that no link was ever established between Al Qaeda and the Saddam Hussein regime. Just this week Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz admitted that his continued claims about an Iraq-Al Qaeda connection "should have been more precise." Even President Bush finally admitted on Wednesday there is no evidence linking Saddam Hussein to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The peace movement argued that war against Iraq was a bad way to fight terrorism � not only because of the nonexistent link between Iraq and Al Qaeda, but also because war would destabilize the world rather than making its people more safe. Unfortunately, this prediction seems to have become a reality. The United States angered and inflamed people all over the world by conducting a unilateral, unprovoked war against Iraq that killed thousands of innocent Iraqi people. And stability in the Middle East seems more precarious than ever as car bombings in Iraq and guerrilla attacks are making some experts argue that Iraq is literally becoming a terrorist haven before our very eyes. |
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Recipient of the 2003 Ghandi Peace Award? None other than...
And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war any more. (excerpted from "In Gandhi's Footsteps: The Gandhi Peace Awards" by James van Pelt, 1997-2002.) |
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September 23, 2003
Saw this when I unwrapped Sunday's paper. Almost puked my waffles.
Great piece on Kucinich. Check it out. Snippets:
THIS will make your skin crawl...
Salon has a very good review on electronic voting fraud. (Unfortunately you need to be a subscriber to view the entire article.) Snippett:
From Reuters:
So add this to the growing list of casualties from the careless exposure of servicemen to depleted uranium and various chemicals during Gulf War I. Other than the recurring outbreaks of "mysterious" respiratory illnesses which have resulted in several deaths, it will take years to ascertain the effects of exposure on our current boys/girls in Iraq. Bush will be long gone by then.
Here is a very favorable review of Clark by a former critic. Snippet:
Issa, who started recall, now tells voters to reject it - Risk of GOP vote being split prompts call to retain Davis
Saw this when I unwrapped Sunday's paper. Almost puked my waffles.
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Why Kucinich?
Great piece on Kucinich. Check it out. Snippets:
| America is in a dangerous place right now. Economic and governmental power is divided among fewer and fewer entities. While in office, George Bush has consolidated these gains in ways unthinkable just three years ago. With the tragedies surrounding 9/11, he's solidified the conservative party line, and made it safe to fear again in America. In my judgment, the antidote to this should be profound, radical change. Not necessarily in terms of policy--I'm not advocating Communism--but rather seizing back from conservatives the very definitions of politics. We need someone who advances a positive, hopeful agenda for Americans. Someone who will remind Americans of the enlightened values on which this country was founded, not the narrow, fearful, hate-fueled politics of the Republican party. Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate with this vision. A great example is his view on terrorism. His solution? International cooperation and a policy position that begins with peace. At the end of the day, most people are more impressed with a candidate's character than they are with his policies. When I first looked through the candidates, I was of course attracted to Kucinich's views. But it wasn't until I saw Dennis in Portland that I became really enthusiastic about him. He seems enormously credible to me. He's engaging and bright, but mostly, he seems authentic. That bit about peace comes from his website; it's not in the third person, and it wasn't written by a staffer--he wrote it. |
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3 Days in Jail
THIS will make your skin crawl...
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Salon has a very good review on electronic voting fraud. (Unfortunately you need to be a subscriber to view the entire article.) Snippett:
| [Bev] Harris has discovered that Diebold's voting software is so flawed that anyone with access to the system's computer can change the votes without leaving any record. On top of that, she's uncovered internal Diebold memos in which employees seem to suggest that the vulnerabilities are no big deal. The memos appear to be authentic -- Diebold even sent Harris a notice warning her that by posting the documents on the Web, she was infringing upon the company's intellectual property. Diebold did not return several calls for comment. The problems Harris uncovered are not all that surprising; technologists have been warning of the potential for serious flaws in electronic voting systems -- especially touch-screen systems -- for years. In July, scientists at Johns Hopkins and Rice found that security in Diebold's voting software fell "far below even the most minimal security standards applicable in other contexts." The report prompted Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich to order a review of the Diebold systems used in his state. Many of the world's most highly regarded computer scientists have called on voting companies to build touch-screen systems that print a paper ballot -- a "paper trail" -- in order to reduce the risk of electronic tampering. |
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Gulf War service linked to Lou Gehrig's disease
From Reuters:
| Gulf War service linked to Lou Gehrig's disease Last Updated: 2003-09-23 10:57:07 -0400 (Reuters Health) NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New research provides further evidence that military service in the 1991 Gulf War raised the risk of Lou Gehrig's disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS is a degenerative nerve condition that results in paralysis and eventually death. At present, there is no cure for the disease. In the new study, the rate of ALS in Gulf War veterans younger than 45 years of age was more than twice the rate expected in the general population. "ALS is extremely rare in young age groups," study author Dr. Robert W. Haley, from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, said in a statement. "Our findings suggest that some environmental exposure that these veterans had in the Gulf War greatly accelerated the ALS process so that it occurred at a much younger age." The new findings are in agreement with a Veterans Affairs report that showed a nearly twofold increased risk of ALS among Gulf War veterans compared with other veterans. Although an elevated risk was seen among all military branches, Air Force and Army personnel appeared to be at the highest risk. However, not all evidence points to a link between Gulf War service and ALS. In 2000, researchers reported no excess hospitalization for ALS, lupus, or fibromyalgia among Gulf War veterans. In the current study, reported in the medical journal Neurology, Haley reviewed military registries to identify ALS cases that were diagnosed between 1991 and 1998. During the study period, 20 ALS cases were confirmed in about 690,000 Gulf War veterans. All but three of these cases were diagnosed before 45 years of age. So far, eleven of the patients have died. As the 8-year period progressed, the excess ALS cases among Gulf War veterans rose. By 1998, the rate of ALS among veterans was three times higher than that expected in the general population. Still, not everyone is convinced that Gulf War service is a risk factor for ALS. "Although these researchers are to be congratulated for their thorough and painstaking work, there is still concern that this degree of excess risk is not convincing, especially given the small number of ALS cases and a number of potential (study design) flaws," Dr. Michael R. Rose, from King's College Hospital in London, notes in a related editorial. "The issue of ALS as a Gulf War-related illness will probably remain under scrutiny until the passage of time and accumulation of further evidence allows a firmer conclusion," he adds. SOURCE: Neurology, September 23, 2003. |
So add this to the growing list of casualties from the careless exposure of servicemen to depleted uranium and various chemicals during Gulf War I. Other than the recurring outbreaks of "mysterious" respiratory illnesses which have resulted in several deaths, it will take years to ascertain the effects of exposure on our current boys/girls in Iraq. Bush will be long gone by then.
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Another Clark Eval
Here is a very favorable review of Clark by a former critic. Snippet:
| He says he now wants to lead America out of the darkness, shorten what promises to be the longest and nastiest war in our history and restore our eroding prestige around the world. For sure, he�ll be strong on defense. But with his high moral standards and because he knows where and how the game�s played, there will probably be zero tolerance for either Pentagon porking or two-bit shenanigans. No doubt he�s made his share of enemies. He doesn�t suffer fools easily and wouldn�t have allowed the dilettantes who convinced Dubya to do Iraq to even cut the White House lawn. So he should prepare for a fair amount of dart-throwing from detractors he�s ripped into during the past three decades. Hey, I am one of those: I took a swing at Clark during the Kosovo campaign when I thought he screwed up the operation, and I called him a �Perfumed Prince.� Only years later did I discover from his book and other research that I was wrong � the blame should have been worn by British timidity and William Cohen, U.S. SecDef at the time. |
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WHAAAAAA?
Issa, who started recall, now tells voters to reject it - Risk of GOP vote being split prompts call to retain Davis
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September 22, 2003
Arianna Huffington has been putting out some very corny online campaign video ads, like this latest one in game format. We wonder which segment of the voting public she is trying to attract, or if she is just flat out trying to have fun.
UPDATE: Arianna has a new video promoting her campaign reform initiative. Funny!
From Left i:
Picked up by TalkLeft (snippet):
As TalkLeft explains:
How do we stop this madness? Try not voting for Bush next year.
Eric Alterman, why are you the only one asking these questions?
Proof that there is no god.
Verifiedvoting.org is an excellent resource of all things electronic-voting. Left is Right recommends subscribing to their periodic Voter Verification Newsletter. Go HERE to register and choose "Please add me to the low-volume verifiedvoting.org email list" near the bottom.
As victims of identity theft, Left is Right and millions of others can understand the importance of this story. Snippet:
Read the entire article HERE.
Citizen Lehew reminds us of this famous quote, never more appropriate than today:
Arianna's Latest Game (Literally)
Arianna Huffington has been putting out some very corny online campaign video ads, like this latest one in game format. We wonder which segment of the voting public she is trying to attract, or if she is just flat out trying to have fun.
UPDATE: Arianna has a new video promoting her campaign reform initiative. Funny!
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From Left i:
| Congratulations Jon Stewart! Two Emmys last night - one for "Best music, variety, or comedy series," and one for "Best writing for a music, variety, or comedy series." Well deserved awards indeed for someone whose idea of political humor does not need to involve the weight of Bill Clinton's girlfriends in order to get a laugh. Under the cover of humor, "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" does some of the best political analysis and critique being done today, on a par with Tom Tomorrow's This Modern World but for 30 minutes, four days a week. What is happening in the world today is serious - innocent people killed, others out of work, homeless, and on and on. In the face of that, a good laugh every day is practically a requirement for sanity. If you haven't watched the Daily Show before (it's on the Comedy Central channel, so you need to have cable), do yourself a favor - do so immediately. If it's on too late for you (it's on at 11 pm here), do what I do - make use of the "record" function of your VCR and watch it over breakfast. But watch it. |
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Picked up by TalkLeft (snippet):
| Ashcroft Directs Prosecutors To File Most Serious Charges Update: The Wall Street Journal is carrying this article about Ashcroft's new memo to federal prosecutors: WASHINGTON -- Attorney General John Ashcroft, in a move that would further centralize prosecutorial power to Justice Department headquarters, is considering an order to U.S. attorneys to cut back significantly on plea bargaining with criminal defendants. The order, which could be issued as early as today, would require federal prosecutors to "charge and pursue the facts" of the cases they file, and notes that charges shouldn't be filed simply to exert leverage to induce a plea... |
As TalkLeft explains:
| Attorney General John Ashcroft is delivering a memo to every federal proseuctor tomorrow demanding that they file the most serious charges possible in every case, beginning immediately. "Most serious charges" are those bringing the heaviest sentence under the sentencing guidelines. |
How do we stop this madness? Try not voting for Bush next year.
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Where's George?
Eric Alterman, why are you the only one asking these questions?
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Proof that there is no god.
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Get Informed About Electronic Voting Fraud
Verifiedvoting.org is an excellent resource of all things electronic-voting. Left is Right recommends subscribing to their periodic Voter Verification Newsletter. Go HERE to register and choose "Please add me to the low-volume verifiedvoting.org email list" near the bottom.
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I.D. Theft - A Personal Story
As victims of identity theft, Left is Right and millions of others can understand the importance of this story. Snippet:
| How to Steal $65 Billion - Why Identity Theft is a Growth Industry - By Robert X. Cringely Recently my mail was stolen. It wasn't supposed to be stolen, which is a given, but it also wasn't supposed to be able to be stolen because I was out of town for two weeks and had the Post Office hold my mail. Only it turns out that in Santa Rosa, California at least, holding mail means different things to different mail carriers. Someone -- a substitute carrier I'm told -- saw that big old pile of mail down at the post office (the pile with the big "vacation hold" sign above it) and thought what the heck I'll just deliver that mail anyway. And so they did. That big old pile of mail sat in my big old mail box on my little old country road under a walnut tree and across from a pond and sometime in the next few days it was stolen. The only reason I know any of this is because a neighbor eventually found some of my mail and some of a lot of other people's mail strewn along the road like errant unmarked bills after a bank heist. Here is something you probably didn't know. If you have the Post Office hold your mail and they do something stupid like NOT hold it for some reason, as happened to me, you have no recourse. They start an "investigation" of course, but since no investigator ever calls and certainly nobody reports back to me, the victim, I think this is pretty much of a ruse. They sure don't replace any of the mail. |
Read the entire article HERE.
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141 Years Later, Still a Work in Progress
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Citizen Lehew reminds us of this famous quote, never more appropriate than today:
| "Why of course the people don't want war. Why should some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally the common people don't want war neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country." - Hermann Goering [Commander of the Luftwaffe, President of the Reichstag, Hitler's designated successor in the Third Reich] at the Nuremberg Trials |
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September 20, 2003
Yesterday The Yin Blog presented a relatively detailed informal interview with Gen. Clark. The questions and Clark's responses are the best Left is Right has seen yet. Check it out.
From Reuters: Syria Won't Bow to U.S. Pressure, Vows Iraq Support
Steve Gilliard is trying to shame us into stopping our complaining about electronic voting fraud and actually do something about it:
So, one commentor at Steve's post decided to whine anyway:
Steve's response:
Is Steve G. correct? What do you think?
Clark Opens Up a Bit
Yesterday The Yin Blog presented a relatively detailed informal interview with Gen. Clark. The questions and Clark's responses are the best Left is Right has seen yet. Check it out.
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Fanning the Flames
From Reuters: Syria Won't Bow to U.S. Pressure, Vows Iraq Support
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Electronic Voting Fraud: Time to Get Off Our Collective Butts?
Steve Gilliard is trying to shame us into stopping our complaining about electronic voting fraud and actually do something about it:
| The voting machine thing Occasionally, you'll read an ominous article on the new electronic voting machines. That the GOP will steal elections because the machines are not sound. I have a novel and unique idea, which doesn't involve handwringing. It's called activism. Simply put, you demand that the machines leave a paper trail. How do you do this? Well, we have this thing called a lawsuit. What you do is file and claim that the state must provide a verifiable, non-electronic printout of every vote. That this printout must also correlate to any signature or Id mark made by a voter. See, you can sit on your hands, whine and claim that the nasty Bushies and their corporate masters will keep him in office, or you can whisper into the ears of the NAACP and other groups and demand there be external accountability for electronic machine voting. The voters rights act is a nice catchall. If you think the other side may cheat, why in the hell would you sit around and wait until after the election for them to complain? Preemptive action is now the motto of the Bush Administration, let it be yours. Why in God's name, if you think the machines may be rigged, would you not do a meetup or something and file papers. Each state consititution is different and if there is fraud, you can bring it to heel. Personally, I think the elections they cite had reasons for the last minute swings, but if you genuinely believe these machines can be used for voter fraud, filing a legal action, with at least six months to go before a vote, might make sense. Or you can join the tin of hat brigade and claim Bush will rig the election no matter what. You may not win, but you can raise a stink. Which is better than staring into space and plotting your emigration to Canada or Holland. Some of us like democracy in America and plan on keeping it. Thereis no law that says you have to be a vicitm. People sue and beat large corporations every day. Stop whining and start doing. Sometimes, that actually works. |
So, one commentor at Steve's post decided to whine anyway:
| That would be great except I dont have an in with the NAACP or any other group, and thier sure as hell not going to listen to me. Demand people listen to me, please. File a lawsuit, I'm not a lawyer, and I can't afford one. Yours solutions all require money and/or influence. All I can do is tell other people about this problem and inform the populace. This is something which Rebpublicans often call complaining or harping on the issue. Sure many people could do something about this issue, but most can't. Please, don't mistake getting the word out for education. Chris Dub |
Steve's response:
| Chris Dub, You know, excuses are like assholes, everybody has one. A: Ever hear of public interest law? What you do is contact your local ACLU or NAACP Chapter and ask them about this. Believe me, if there's a case, they will be interested and it won't cost you a dime. B: Meetups are free. You don't have to do this alone. C: Your argument is, to be blunt, a crock of shit. You don't need influence to raise a stink. You just have to decide to act over complain. They won't listen to me is so fucking whiny. You have to make them listen to you. Which means calling people, writing letters, sending faxes, talking to reporters. In short, it means being a pain in the ass until someone listens. Now, they may choose to ignore you. But don't give me excuses for not trying. Because that's all they are, excuses. Oh, they're going to steal the election, but I can't do anything because I'm such a victim.. Jesus Christ, there are countries where they boil people alive for even ssying the word vote. The worst that happens is that you're ignored. But at least you tried. And that matters. steve_gilliard |
Is Steve G. correct? What do you think?
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September 19, 2003
Believe it or not, it's back-to-school time in Iraq, too. Jason passes along this LA Times article which describes the starting-from-scratch conditions of the "Iraqi Unified School District" and the added burden of the U.S. trying to "add" their own revisionist history of Iraq to the textbooks. (One-time registration required. Go ahead, get it over with.)
Jason writes a follow-up to this article:
Too Funny for Words!
Four-word Film Reviews
Deadly Vacuum Cleaners (See Deathray Commercial; you'll need Quicktime)
Deadly Drills
Worst Jobs in Science (or anywhere, for that matter)
English-to-American Dictionary (esp. for our son, Will)
World's First Man-Cow (no, seriously!)
And finally, another Good Reason to Move to Canada
<<<<<<<< NOTE: Due to overwhelming demand by no one, Left is Right has archived all FRIDAY FUN posts in a separate links page. See sidebar for "Friday Fun Archives" >>>>>>>>>>
If you haven't seen American Splendor, you are missing the definitive movie of this year. Here's a review to whet your appetite.
The Washington Post talks about the latest reaction of the top recall candidates to the repeated absence of Arnold from the debates:
Daily KOS gives the first analysis, of Gen. Clark's candidacy, supported by Left is Right. Snippet:
And there's also THIS critical analysis.
Kucinich is looking better every day.
On a much more sobering note, here is a Bushflash video about depleted uranium and its use in Yugoslavia and Iraq (twice). (It's about a 1 MB download, so broadband connection is probably best. Also, some scenes of deformed children, so first send the kids out to play.)
If you're still in the mood after the above, try figuring out the point of THIS video. (Warning: fast-moving and entertaining, and crank up the volume for full effect.)
Aw, heck, may as well add this video to the mix. It's probably the best one, anyway. And don't forget THIS one.
Class, Don't Forget Your Bookcovers
Believe it or not, it's back-to-school time in Iraq, too. Jason passes along this LA Times article which describes the starting-from-scratch conditions of the "Iraqi Unified School District" and the added burden of the U.S. trying to "add" their own revisionist history of Iraq to the textbooks. (One-time registration required. Go ahead, get it over with.)
Jason writes a follow-up to this article:
| I sent this article to Left is Right because I couldn�t believe the stupidity and bias it contained. The main parts that bugged me were these: �Saddam Hussein's exploitation of the Iraqi education system was impressive. He was embedded in the curriculum," said Leslye Arsht, a Texas education consultant advising the ministry.� Why does Leslye seemed so shocked? Should we be shocked too? No duh he was embedded in their curriculum; he was the leader of the country for 30 years. Most political leaders are imbedded in their country�s history books. I�m sure GW has more than a few paragraphs written about him in Texas� history books. �Hussein's picture appeared in every textbook, and entire courses were devoted to his life.� Oh my, no! Every US History book has a picture of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington in them, both of whom are responsible for starting wars. George Washington in particular is known for stockpiling weapons of destruction, and for committing acts of terrorism against the British. And yet his face appears on our currency, and we have a holiday celebrating him. The �Framers� also committed such atrocities and we still have college classes devoted to their lives and ideals. �Initial activity has focused on weeding out the most objectionable elements � the ubiquitous praising of Saddam Hussein, statements of Iraqi superiority and the like.� If we did that to our text books there would be nothing left of them except maybe the cover. �Distracted by the 1980-88 war with Iran � and the 1991 Persian Gulf War � Iraq stopped building and repairing schools in 1985, officials said.� Nowhere in this paragraph or even in the article do they mention the sanctions placed on Iraq which, if not caused, then contributed to the shabby state of the schools. Iraq could not import materials (and there aren�t a lot of trees in Iraq to build desks out of), and every time they tried to build a factory it was bombed by Israel or the US. Also not mentioned is that before the Gulf War Iraq had an 80% literacy rate. {http://www.michaelparenti.org/DefyingSanctions.html} |
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FRIDAY FUN (because we all deserve a break)
Too Funny for Words!
Four-word Film Reviews
Deadly Vacuum Cleaners (See Deathray Commercial; you'll need Quicktime)
Deadly Drills
Worst Jobs in Science (or anywhere, for that matter)
English-to-American Dictionary (esp. for our son, Will)
World's First Man-Cow (no, seriously!)
And finally, another Good Reason to Move to Canada
<<<<<<<< NOTE: Due to overwhelming demand by no one, Left is Right has archived all FRIDAY FUN posts in a separate links page. See sidebar for "Friday Fun Archives" >>>>>>>>>>
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Splendid Cinema
If you haven't seen American Splendor, you are missing the definitive movie of this year. Here's a review to whet your appetite.
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Where's Arnold?
The Washington Post talks about the latest reaction of the top recall candidates to the repeated absence of Arnold from the debates:
| The latest ambush came at a candidate debate here Wednesday that featured four prominent candidates sitting next to an empty chair that had been reserved for Schwarzenegger, who has shown no interest in attending any forum but one scheduled for next week in which he and his rivals will know the questions in advance. After asking repeatedly, "Where's Arnold?" Lt. Gov. Cruz M. Bustamante, the only major Democrat on the recall ballot, proposed that all the leading candidates in the election skip next week's debate and instead try to embarrass Schwarzenegger by holding their own unscripted session outside of the site where the forum will be held. The three other candidates on stage with Bustamante -- columnist and political independent Arianna Huffington, Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock and Green Party candidate Peter Camejo -- each expressed interest in the idea. |
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Clark Analysis
Daily KOS gives the first analysis, of Gen. Clark's candidacy, supported by Left is Right. Snippet:
| But now Clark states that he did, in fact, back a war against Iraq. Clark, a retired army general, said his views on the war resemble those of Sens. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., and John Kerry, D-Mass., both of whom voted for the war but now question Bush's stewardship of the Iraqi occupation. "That having been said, I was against the war as it emerged because there was no reason to start it when we did. We could have waited," Clark said during a 75-minute media session. Waited for what? Either Iraq was an imminent threat, and Bush needed Congressional approval to wage war, or it wasn't. Sen. Graham knew the real score and voted against the resolution. So did a great deal other Democrats. I blame the deaths of every servicemember not just on Bush, but on every congressman and senator who enabled Bush to wage war. I'm surprised that in the current climate, with public opinion souring on the war, Clark would align himself with those under fire for supporting the war. Not to mention such statements are clearly at odds with what the Draft movement (myself included) were selling. |
And there's also THIS critical analysis.
Kucinich is looking better every day.
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Friday UN-Fun (because we definitely deserve a break from Bush)
On a much more sobering note, here is a Bushflash video about depleted uranium and its use in Yugoslavia and Iraq (twice). (It's about a 1 MB download, so broadband connection is probably best. Also, some scenes of deformed children, so first send the kids out to play.)
If you're still in the mood after the above, try figuring out the point of THIS video. (Warning: fast-moving and entertaining, and crank up the volume for full effect.)
Aw, heck, may as well add this video to the mix. It's probably the best one, anyway. And don't forget THIS one.
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September 18, 2003
Wow! The DLC must be on vacation, because some progressive liberal has apparently hijacked their web site and published an editorial in today's New Dem Daily that has balls! We mean, HERE is their usual product.
Also, be sure to check out a new progressive blog sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Progressive Network.
Finally, Max Cleland ROCKS.
One more reason to not get injured in Iraq.
Thank god Bush invaded Iraq and destabilized the Middle East a lot more. Now Saudi Arabia is considering adding nuclear weapons to its arsenal. However, Kevin Drum hypothesizes that this is really an attempt by S.A. to force the U.N. to take a look at Isael's nuclear arsenal (finally).
Here's an interesting chart that shows the highest military rank achieved by all U.S. Presidents. Observation # 1: Only 1 general in the past century. Observation # 2: George W. Bush was a CAPTAIN??
Eric Alterman really, and we mean REALLY, takes it to Ralph Nader:
In tribute to Sheb Wooley, here are the instructions for building your own one-eyed, one-horned, flying, purple people-eater.
Wow! The DLC must be on vacation, because some progressive liberal has apparently hijacked their web site and published an editorial in today's New Dem Daily that has balls! We mean, HERE is their usual product.
Also, be sure to check out a new progressive blog sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Progressive Network.
Finally, Max Cleland ROCKS.
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Sorry For the Wound. Now Pay Your Bill.
One more reason to not get injured in Iraq.
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Bush, the Action President
Thank god Bush invaded Iraq and destabilized the Middle East a lot more. Now Saudi Arabia is considering adding nuclear weapons to its arsenal. However, Kevin Drum hypothesizes that this is really an attempt by S.A. to force the U.N. to take a look at Isael's nuclear arsenal (finally).
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Captain George
Here's an interesting chart that shows the highest military rank achieved by all U.S. Presidents. Observation # 1: Only 1 general in the past century. Observation # 2: George W. Bush was a CAPTAIN??
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Ouch
Eric Alterman really, and we mean REALLY, takes it to Ralph Nader:
| Speaking of people who need their (metaphorical) butts kicked, but good, Ralph Nader whines, �Old-timers years ago would have wondered what the Mayor means by marketing NYC. Cities were viewed more benignly when they were more livable, more employable at good wages, more replete with public institutions like good libraries, good public transit, good schools, good hospitals and clinics and good recreational facilities in the neighborhoods. New York City is crumbling on these measurements.� Hey Ralph, no one, and I mean no one on the planet, is more responsible for the deterioration in the quality of life of my city than you are, bud. All you had to do was say, �I ran a great race and thanks for your support but this guy Bush is scary. Vote for Al, not me and we�ll we what we can get at the bargaining table�.� But no, you wanted to elect Bush. And you did. Congrats. All U.S. cities are struggling under the weight of the president�s malign neglect and the costs of his fiscal policies and needless war. And with all the damage you�ve caused the country, you�re worried about Snapple in New York schools. So shut up about my city, fella, and go get some help for that martyr complex of yours. You call yourself a progressive and yet you even tried to defeat Paul Wellstone. Sure, you�ll get your millionaire�s tax cut, but poor and working people in this city have enough burdens to bear without another hypocritical pro-Bush intervention this time around. Get lost, Ralph. In fact, check with your buddy Dick Cheney. I hear he knows some really comfy out-of the-way, millionaire-only spots to get loose. And boy does that guy owe you a favor� |
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Purple Will Never Be the Same
In tribute to Sheb Wooley, here are the instructions for building your own one-eyed, one-horned, flying, purple people-eater.
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September 17, 2003
I just received this personal letter from MoveOn:
Star Tribune editorial on Cheney's lies Sunday on MTP about 9-11. Snippet:
Blix is convinced that Iraq destroyed all of its WMD.
Rumsfeld denies tie between Hussein and 9-11.
The new DNC blog site really "Kicks Ass".
Skippy has some thoughtful discourse regarding the current disposition of the recall hold now being reviewed in the California courts. Most interesting is how the U.S. Supreme Court will rule if it reaches its desk.
"Democracy is a process by which the people are free to choose the man who will get the blame." --- Laurence J. Peter
Dan Gillmor suggests that the delay in the recall election gives California a chance to "get it right":
I just received this personal letter from MoveOn:
Dear MoveOn member,Okay, okay. It was a form letter by email. But still, this organization has done amazing things just in the past few months, such as the online primary and the petition to the Senate about the FCC rules. If you haven't already joined, you should give it serious consideration. Go check out MoveOn.
The US occupation in Iraq has left American soldiers unprepared and vulnerable, the country degenerating into chaos, and the Iraqi people embittered and hostile. Now the President is asking Congress for a staggering $87 billion blank check to fund more of the same. Until he takes strong steps to correct this failure, Congress shouldn't give him a cent. President Bush needs to fire the team responsible -- starting with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld -- and transfer authority to the United Nations. Please join us in telling Congress to hold on to our money until President Bush changes his team and changes his course in Iraq. You can send an email to your Member of Congress and sign our petition at:
http://www.moveon.org/firerumsfeld/
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Bush Knew (Clinton Told Him Everything) But Didn't Act
Star Tribune editorial on Cheney's lies Sunday on MTP about 9-11. Snippet:
Because Clinton was to leave office in a few weeks, he decided against handing Bush a war in progress as he worked to put a new administration together.
Instead, Clarke briefed national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, Cheney and others. He emphasized that time was short and action was urgent. The Bush administration sat on the report for months and months. The first high-level discussion took place on Sept. 4, 2001, just a week before the attacks. The actions taken by the Bush administration following Sept. 11 closely parallel actions recommended in Clarke's nine-month-old plan. Who ignored the threat?
Cheney said that "we don't know" if there is a connection between Iraq and the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. He's right only in the sense that "we don't know" if the sun will come up tomorrow. But all the evidence available says it will -- and that Iraq was not involved in Sept. 11.
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Briefs
Blix is convinced that Iraq destroyed all of its WMD.
Rumsfeld denies tie between Hussein and 9-11.
The new DNC blog site really "Kicks Ass".
Skippy has some thoughtful discourse regarding the current disposition of the recall hold now being reviewed in the California courts. Most interesting is how the U.S. Supreme Court will rule if it reaches its desk.
"Democracy is a process by which the people are free to choose the man who will get the blame." --- Laurence J. Peter
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Will Your Vote Count?
Dan Gillmor suggests that the delay in the recall election gives California a chance to "get it right":
So, if the Appeals Court ruling delaying the California recall holds up, it'll likely ensure the installation of more modern voting machines throughout California. So far, so good.For good background reading on the subject of electronic voting, visit http://www.verifiedvoting.org/ This site is founded by David L. Dill, a Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. It's a good enough link to add to your permanent blogroll.
But if the result is the use of touch-screen machines that have no verifiable audit trail -- a paper printout of the ballot so the voter can verify his or her choices -- then we'll have created a monster. Unfortunately, local and state voting officials have been almost totally tone-deaf to the danger, and many of the machines already installed are demonstrably open to doubt. (See the Verified Voting website, operated by Stanford University's David Dill, a computer scientist who has blown the whistle -- and is finally being heard to some degree - on this scandal.)
Nothing is more important to our trust in democracy than a verifiable ballot. Yet we're rushing headlong toward a system where we can't be sure that our votes are being counted at all. This is nuts. Let's use the delay, assuming it happens, to make these electronic machines believable. There's a lot at stake.
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September 16, 2003
If the Democrats do not win the 2004 election, the end of life as we know it will be close at hand. In just the past two years you've seen the rampant destruction of our lives and planet brought on by the Christian Right. It is becoming impossible to remember how secure life felt on the last day of Clinton's Administration. Each year the Christian Right remains in office throws us out one decade of progressive advancements. We are now reliving the 1970's with respect to freedom of the press, social programs, quality of health and education, and world order. Before Bush finishes his first stolen term we will be in the early 1960's.
We have nearly irreparably damaged federally funded social programs (Social Security, Medicare, education), environmental programs, States assistance, and a myriad of other government-supported programs by cutting taxes to the wealthiest, massively increasing military spending, and locking us into the costly repair of two (so far) countries (Iraq and Afghanistan. The economy is spiralling out of control. Homelessness and joblessness are dramatically increasing. Our children's education is getting worse yearly as we replace learning with testing. The cost of health care is increasing at a double-digit rate. Our environment (air, ozone, global warming, water) is suddenly and dramatically worsening. World chaos is rapidly escalating.
Our elected representatives no longer listen to us - they only respond to the wallets of business. The media has stopped being independent and instead is a sounding board of the government. Top elected government officials are no longer procesuted for stealing from, lying to and deceiving the public which it is paid to serve. The public no longer holds its elected officials accountable for their actions. And finally, the process by which officials are elected, the voting system, is being replaced by a new electronic system that is controlled by the political power in control, the Christian Right.
The damage cannot be repaired with another Clinton. This already requires a much larger fix. If it continues much past 2004, the fix will become unreachable in our (and our children's) lifetimes. The 2004 election is truly our last chance to save ourselves.
Here it is. EVERYTHING you want to know about tax cuts but are afraid to ask. It's the whole enchilada. (registration required w/ NY Times - it's worth it)
Senate Votes to Block New FCC Rules! Now the House is under pressure to follow the Senate's lead.
From The Emerging Democratic Majority:
Courtesy of Michael Moore, HERE are three facts you can use to convince your conservative friends or family members of the fallacy of Bush's rule over America.
The End May Be Near
If the Democrats do not win the 2004 election, the end of life as we know it will be close at hand. In just the past two years you've seen the rampant destruction of our lives and planet brought on by the Christian Right. It is becoming impossible to remember how secure life felt on the last day of Clinton's Administration. Each year the Christian Right remains in office throws us out one decade of progressive advancements. We are now reliving the 1970's with respect to freedom of the press, social programs, quality of health and education, and world order. Before Bush finishes his first stolen term we will be in the early 1960's.
We have nearly irreparably damaged federally funded social programs (Social Security, Medicare, education), environmental programs, States assistance, and a myriad of other government-supported programs by cutting taxes to the wealthiest, massively increasing military spending, and locking us into the costly repair of two (so far) countries (Iraq and Afghanistan. The economy is spiralling out of control. Homelessness and joblessness are dramatically increasing. Our children's education is getting worse yearly as we replace learning with testing. The cost of health care is increasing at a double-digit rate. Our environment (air, ozone, global warming, water) is suddenly and dramatically worsening. World chaos is rapidly escalating.
Our elected representatives no longer listen to us - they only respond to the wallets of business. The media has stopped being independent and instead is a sounding board of the government. Top elected government officials are no longer procesuted for stealing from, lying to and deceiving the public which it is paid to serve. The public no longer holds its elected officials accountable for their actions. And finally, the process by which officials are elected, the voting system, is being replaced by a new electronic system that is controlled by the political power in control, the Christian Right.
The damage cannot be repaired with another Clinton. This already requires a much larger fix. If it continues much past 2004, the fix will become unreachable in our (and our children's) lifetimes. The 2004 election is truly our last chance to save ourselves.
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Krugman Explains Tax Cuts
Here it is. EVERYTHING you want to know about tax cuts but are afraid to ask. It's the whole enchilada. (registration required w/ NY Times - it's worth it)
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Victory!
Senate Votes to Block New FCC Rules! Now the House is under pressure to follow the Senate's lead.
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Maybe 69% Was a Bit High, But Still...
From The Emerging Democratic Majority:
So Does the Public Really Think Saddam Was Behind 9/11?
Depends on how you ask the question. As reported in a recent Washington Post story, when asked whether it was likely Saddam "was personally involved in the September 11 terrorist attacks", 69 percent said it was very or somewhat likely.
But that figure�s pretty soft. A much better question fielded by the Program on International Policy Attitudes asked for the "best description of the relationship between the Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein and the terrorist group al-Qaeda". Here are the responses: 7 percent said there was no connection at all; 31 percent said a few al-Quada individuals visited Iraq or had contact with Iraqi officials; 35 percent said Iraq gave substantial support to al-Qaeda but was not involved in the 9/11 attacks; and just 21 percent endorsed the idea that Iraq was directly involved in carrying out the 9/11 attacks.
In other words, only about a fifth of Americans really seem to believe that Saddam was involved in 9/11. That level of belief is bad enough, Lord knows, since there�s zero evidence that he was, despite the pronouncements of the apparently completely mad Dick Cheney. But it�s better than 7 in 10.
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Three Easy Pieces
Courtesy of Michael Moore, HERE are three facts you can use to convince your conservative friends or family members of the fallacy of Bush's rule over America.
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September 15, 2003
Step up and get your refill of lies from last week and weekend right here. Believe Left is Right, they are whoppers!
HERE is a bone-chilling report by By Hannah Allam of Knight Ridder. She was given access to, and then interviewed, Iraqi guerrillas. "The interviews, conducted nine days apart in late August and early September, were the most extensive to date granted by the fighters who are killing Americans, and the visit to the camp was the first by journalists covering the war in Iraq." Reading this article, you should gain a deeper understanding of the determination of the Iraqis and the hopelessness facing the American troops.
(Note: Left is Right thanks Left i for the leads to the articles cited in this and the previous posts.)
Joseph Wilson of Niger uranium fame has written a scathing editorial in the San Jose Mercury News. It is an absolute-must-read. Snippet:
Now that the California recall will be delayed, everyone can breathe a sigh of relief and restore some sanity to California politics. In the meantime, as the placement of electronic voting machines continues unabated across the land, we should start organizing a massive campaign to increase the interest and subsequent usage of absentee ballots, which apparently will be the only hedge available to counter the "fixing" of election results through electronic voting.
MoveOn is sponsoring a daily e-mail for you that will discuss Bush's misstatements. Give it a try!
HERE is yet more advice on how the $87 Billion demanded by Bush for Halliraqburton could be better spent. Snippet:
The Newest Bush Administration Lies
Step up and get your refill of lies from last week and weekend right here. Believe Left is Right, they are whoppers!
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Iraqi Guerrillas: Terrorists or Freedom Fighters?
HERE is a bone-chilling report by By Hannah Allam of Knight Ridder. She was given access to, and then interviewed, Iraqi guerrillas. "The interviews, conducted nine days apart in late August and early September, were the most extensive to date granted by the fighters who are killing Americans, and the visit to the camp was the first by journalists covering the war in Iraq." Reading this article, you should gain a deeper understanding of the determination of the Iraqis and the hopelessness facing the American troops.
(Note: Left is Right thanks Left i for the leads to the articles cited in this and the previous posts.)
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Wilson Decries Bush; "Alice in Wonderland" Re-emerges
Joseph Wilson of Niger uranium fame has written a scathing editorial in the San Jose Mercury News. It is an absolute-must-read. Snippet:
One way the administration stopped the debate [re: invasion of Iraq] was to oversell its intelligence. I know, because I was in the middle of the efforts to determine whether Iraq had attempted to purchase uranium "yellowcake'' -- a form of lightly processed ore -- from Africa.
At the request of the administration I traveled to the West African nation of Niger in February 2002 to check out the allegation. I reported that such a sale was highly unlikely, but my conclusions -- as well as the same conclusions from our ambassador on the scene and from a four-star Marine Corps general -- were ignored by the White House. Instead, the president relied upon an unsubstantiated reference in a British white paper to underpin his argument in the State of the Union address that Saddam was reconstituting his nuclear weapons programs. How many times did we hear the president, vice president and others speak of the looming threat of an Iraqi mushroom cloud?
Until several months ago, when it came out that the country was Niger, I assumed that the president had been referring to another African country. After I learned, belatedly to be sure, I came forward to insist that the administration correct the misstatements of fact. But the damage had already been done. The overblown rhetoric about nuclear weapons inspired fear and drowned out the many warnings that invasion would create its own formidable dangers.
Middle East experts warned over and over again that Iraq's many religious and ethnic factions could start battling each other in a bloody struggle for power. Former British foreign secretary Douglas Hurd fretted that we would unleash a terrorist-recruiting bonanza, and former U.S. national security adviser Brent Scowcroft warned of a security meltdown in the region. The U.S. army's top general at the time, Eric Shinseki, meanwhile, questioned the cakewalk scenario. He told Congress that we would need several hundred thousand soldiers in Iraq to put an end to the violence against our troops and against each other. His testimony was quickly repudiated by both Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz. As we now know, he was close to the mark. Our 130,000 soldiers are failing to stem the violence. Even as Rumsfeld says jauntily that all is going well, Secretary of State Colin Powell is running to the United Nations to try to get more foreign boots on the ground. One of the administration's staunchest supporters, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, says ominously that we risk strategic failure if we don't send reinforcements.
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Recall: Delayed
Now that the California recall will be delayed, everyone can breathe a sigh of relief and restore some sanity to California politics. In the meantime, as the placement of electronic voting machines continues unabated across the land, we should start organizing a massive campaign to increase the interest and subsequent usage of absentee ballots, which apparently will be the only hedge available to counter the "fixing" of election results through electronic voting.
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Free Lies!
MoveOn is sponsoring a daily e-mail for you that will discuss Bush's misstatements. Give it a try!
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1.5 Days of Occupation vs. Defeating AIDS: Which Would Jesus Choose?
HERE is yet more advice on how the $87 Billion demanded by Bush for Halliraqburton could be better spent. Snippet:
This year Bush asked for only $200 million for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria, a sum equal to 1.5 days of spending on the US occupying forces in Iraq. The US annual contributions to fight malaria are less than the costs of one day's occupation, and as a result, 3 million Africans will die needlessly from that preventable and treatable disease.
But who is talking about $87 billion for the 30 million Africans dying from the effects of HIV/AIDS, or the children dying of malaria, or the 15 million AIDS orphans, or the dispossessed of Liberia and Sierra Leone, or the impoverished children of America without medical insurance? True security in the world will not be bought by US hegemony. The world will not tolerate unilateral control by a country that accounts for less than 5 percent of humanity. The United States will continue to destabilize Iraq as long as the occupation continues, and the American people will end up paying a high price for the fantasy of hegemony.
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September 14, 2003
Left is Right feels obligated to point the reader to this. Here is the transcript from today's Meet the Press interview with V.P. Dick Cheney. This is quite a sobering read. Just one snippet:
Cheney Lies on the Sabbath
Left is Right feels obligated to point the reader to this. Here is the transcript from today's Meet the Press interview with V.P. Dick Cheney. This is quite a sobering read. Just one snippet:
MR. RUSSERT: The Washington Post asked the American people about Saddam Hussein, and this is what they said: 69 percent said he was involved in the September 11 attacks. Are you surprised by that?
VICE PRES. CHENEY: No. I think it�s not surprising that people make that connection.
MR. RUSSERT: But is there a connection?
VICE PRES. CHENEY: We don�t know. You and I talked about this two years ago. I can remember you asking me this question just a few days after the original attack. At the time I said no, we didn�t have any evidence of that.
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"Whenever you find that you are on the side of the majority, it is time to reform." --- Mark Twain
"Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right." --- Isaac Asimov
"Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you�re a mile away and you have their shoes."
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September 13, 2003
Bored this Sunday morning? Build your own H-bomb!
Sunday Morning Fun
Bored this Sunday morning? Build your own H-bomb!
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September 12, 2003
So, what's really happening? The media are starting to emerge from their devilsfood-cakes-covered-with-Republican-icing cocoons, apparently realizing they may not be able to have their cake and eat it too. The Republicans are having second thoughts about holding the 2004 convention in NYC, now that the city is waking up to the fact that they have been screwed not once (9-11) not twice (failed promises of federal disaster bailout funding) but repeatedly (EPA lies, Iraq lies, deficit lies, clean air lies, state aid lies, education support lies, economic recovery lies...) Bush's polling numbers are falling like drunks at Mardi Gras. Terrorism in Iraq, non-existent before March 20, 2003, is rapidly escalating into an uncontrolled disaster for American (and other, suckered coalition) troops. Bush is running to the U.N. with his tail between his legs. Moderate Republicans in the Senate are starting to reclaim minds of their own. The Daily Show is getting bolder by the week. One liberal book after another are finding homes on the best-seller list.
And yet....
And yet....
The Congress just promised Bush every penny of his $87 Billion request for funding Halliburton (oops, sorry...IRAQ) for another few months. Bush continues his non-stop Tour of Lies across the nation with nary a whimper from the once-bold anti-war demonstrating masses. The CEO vs. average worker salary differential in most corporations continues to grow. Cities and states continue the transformation from paper to electronic ballots despite mounting evidence of potentially rampant voting fraud and manipulation by the Republican-owned vendors of electronic voting machines. Bush, who in his campaign speeches promised only continued federal surpluses, no matter what, is spearheading the most mind-numbing federal deficits no one would have dared to predict. Ever. Not a single senior Administration official has been brought to task for any of the incessant eruption of lies and deceit generated since day one.
And the winner is: Almost 70 percent of Americans STILL believe IRAQ was responsible for 9-11. That pretty much bottles up any hope of turning the corner any time soon.
A Letter To My Children: A father's apology to his children for his complacency about caring for their future, and his new resolve to do everything in his power to return things to their former state.
Is Shortness a Disease? (38 minute interview on KPCC from earlier this week - you'll need Realplayer; note: we recommend Realplayer 8 rather than Real One)
As we approach "The Announcement" by Wesley Clark, let's not forget the one candidate who, more than any of the others (except maybe for Al Sharpton) is the only one who talks the talk AND walks the walk:
Skippy has pointed us to this very moving letter by army veteran Skot Pierson who contradicts views that "we are not a nation of greed and invaders". To point:
Arnold Does Ads (and check out all the other celebrities' ads too)
Funny Cat Scenes
Behind the Name (meanings of first names)
Amiright (making fun of song lyrics)
Mark Morford asks, how are you reacting to 9-11? Snippet:
Are We Turning the Corner, or Not?
So, what's really happening? The media are starting to emerge from their devilsfood-cakes-covered-with-Republican-icing cocoons, apparently realizing they may not be able to have their cake and eat it too. The Republicans are having second thoughts about holding the 2004 convention in NYC, now that the city is waking up to the fact that they have been screwed not once (9-11) not twice (failed promises of federal disaster bailout funding) but repeatedly (EPA lies, Iraq lies, deficit lies, clean air lies, state aid lies, education support lies, economic recovery lies...) Bush's polling numbers are falling like drunks at Mardi Gras. Terrorism in Iraq, non-existent before March 20, 2003, is rapidly escalating into an uncontrolled disaster for American (and other, suckered coalition) troops. Bush is running to the U.N. with his tail between his legs. Moderate Republicans in the Senate are starting to reclaim minds of their own. The Daily Show is getting bolder by the week. One liberal book after another are finding homes on the best-seller list.
And yet....
And yet....
The Congress just promised Bush every penny of his $87 Billion request for funding Halliburton (oops, sorry...IRAQ) for another few months. Bush continues his non-stop Tour of Lies across the nation with nary a whimper from the once-bold anti-war demonstrating masses. The CEO vs. average worker salary differential in most corporations continues to grow. Cities and states continue the transformation from paper to electronic ballots despite mounting evidence of potentially rampant voting fraud and manipulation by the Republican-owned vendors of electronic voting machines. Bush, who in his campaign speeches promised only continued federal surpluses, no matter what, is spearheading the most mind-numbing federal deficits no one would have dared to predict. Ever. Not a single senior Administration official has been brought to task for any of the incessant eruption of lies and deceit generated since day one.
And the winner is: Almost 70 percent of Americans STILL believe IRAQ was responsible for 9-11. That pretty much bottles up any hope of turning the corner any time soon.
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A Father's Apology
A Letter To My Children: A father's apology to his children for his complacency about caring for their future, and his new resolve to do everything in his power to return things to their former state.
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Growth Hormone Therapy: Pros and Cons
Is Shortness a Disease? (38 minute interview on KPCC from earlier this week - you'll need Realplayer; note: we recommend Realplayer 8 rather than Real One)
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We Must Not Forget (no, not 9-11)
As we approach "The Announcement" by Wesley Clark, let's not forget the one candidate who, more than any of the others (except maybe for Al Sharpton) is the only one who talks the talk AND walks the walk:
DENNIS KUCINICH
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Halliraqburton: Our Planet's Newest Nation
Skippy has pointed us to this very moving letter by army veteran Skot Pierson who contradicts views that "we are not a nation of greed and invaders". To point:
As for why we are in Iraq, the following is still public record in spite of the Bush administration's attempts to conceal these facts:Read the entire letter HERE.
The Washington Post reported that Halliburton, the company formerly headed by Vice President Cheney, has won contracts worth billions of dollars out of Operation Iraqi Freedom from no-bid contracts BushCo awarded it. Here is a partial breakdown:
Fully one-third of the $3.9 billion per month cost of keeping U.S. troops in Iraq is going directly to Halliburton.
$1 billion has been paid Halliburton through mid-August alone, plus ...
$705 million for an initial round of oil field work.
$142 million for base camp operations in Kuwait.
$170 million for logistical support for Iraqi reconstruction.
$28 million for construction of POW camps.
$39 million for base camps in Jordan.
$183 million for Afghanistan.
A staggering $300 million jumbo contract for the Navy, and (brace yourself) ...
An eye-popping $7 billion to put out non-existent fires at Iraqi oil wells.
The sheer size of Halliburton's incredible windfall from BushCo is breathtaking - and, there's no end in sight!
Do the math: Can there be any doubt why we are in Iraq?
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FRIDAY FUN
Arnold Does Ads (and check out all the other celebrities' ads too)
Funny Cat Scenes
Behind the Name (meanings of first names)
Amiright (making fun of song lyrics)
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Bush Has Done His Thing... What About You?
Mark Morford asks, how are you reacting to 9-11? Snippet:
This is the only decision that really matters, the only choice that has any true power. Will 9/11 and every subsequent emotionally explosive event in your life result in bitter conflict and finger-pointing and bile, or self-discovery and personal opinion and raw compassion? It's that simple. And that difficult.
Choose the former, you are a proud lockstep American, accepted and nicely conformist and a happy member of the Bush-approved herd, ready to shop hard and suck down that paltry tax refund and defend the nation against those gul-dang liberals and gays and America-haters.
Choose the latter, and you are quickly outcast, shunned, radiating all by yourself, dancing to your own inner samba, smiling like a demon, godless heathen pagan progressive intellectual traitorous blasphemous slut that you are, as the establishment just scowls and adds you to its blacklist.
Because it all comes down to one vital question, really. All the pain, all the forced patriotism, the commemorative plates, the media blitzing and force-fed jingoism and BushCo viciously leveraging 9/11 for political and corporate gain, and you merely left hanging by bare emotional and spiritual threads, raw and naked and wondering just what the hell is happening to the world, and where did this handbasket come from?
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September 11, 2003
Take the 9-11 quiz. You'll be surprised.
Economist Paul Krugman was interviewed by Terri Gross on NPR's Fresh Air yesterday. Paul gives predictions on the direction of our economy that will scare your pants off. Listen HERE. Basically, if you're looking forward to having Social Security comfort your retirement years, then it's time to wake up and smell the financial stink coming from the White House. Bush & Co. are in the process of backrupting not only Social Security, but all of the social programs built up over the decades by federal legislation. Oh, and start putting those pennies away now... you'll need every single one of them.
In Honor of 9-11 and all the Bush Administration did for the residents/visitors of New York City, Left is Right gives to you, the reader, the latest chapter of "9-11: The Bush Conspiracy":
Today George W. Bush resigned from office. Greg Palast has a complete copy of the resignation speech HERE.
What's Your 9-11 IQ?
Take the 9-11 quiz. You'll be surprised.
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Krugman's Sobering News About Our Financial Future
Economist Paul Krugman was interviewed by Terri Gross on NPR's Fresh Air yesterday. Paul gives predictions on the direction of our economy that will scare your pants off. Listen HERE. Basically, if you're looking forward to having Social Security comfort your retirement years, then it's time to wake up and smell the financial stink coming from the White House. Bush & Co. are in the process of backrupting not only Social Security, but all of the social programs built up over the decades by federal legislation. Oh, and start putting those pennies away now... you'll need every single one of them.
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Bush Runs Out of Henchmen, Hires EPA
In Honor of 9-11 and all the Bush Administration did for the residents/visitors of New York City, Left is Right gives to you, the reader, the latest chapter of "9-11: The Bush Conspiracy":
Study finds WTC fires spewed toxic gases for weeks
Last Updated: 2003-09-10 15:04:05 -0400 (Reuters Health) By Ellen Wulfhorst
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The burning ruins of the World Trade Center spewed toxic gases "like a chemical factory" for at least six weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks despite government assurances the air was safe, according to a study released on Wednesday. The gases of toxic metals, acids and organics could penetrate deeply into the lungs of workers at Ground Zero, said the study by scientists at the University of California at Davis and released at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in New York.
Lead study author Thomas Cahill, a professor of physics and engineering, said conditions would have been "brutal" for workers at Ground Zero without respirators and slightly less so for those working or living in adjacent buildings. "The debris pile acted like a chemical factory," Cahill said. "It cooked together the components and the buildings and their contents, including enormous numbers of computers, and gave off gases of toxic metals, acids and organics for at least six weeks." The report comes amid questions about air quality at Ground Zero and what the public was told by the government.
Last month, an internal report by Environmental Protection Agency Inspector General Nikki Tinsley said the White House pressured the agency to make premature statements that the air was safe to breathe. The EPA issued an air quality statement on Sept. 18, 2001, even though it "did not have sufficient data and analyzes to make the statement," the report said. The White House "convinced the EPA to add reassuring statements and delete cautionary ones," Tinsley said. Among the information withheld was the potential health hazard of breathing asbestos, lead, concrete and pulverized glass, the report said.
New York leaders including Sen. Hillary Clinton have called on the Justice Department to investigate. EPA acting administrator Marianne Horinko has defended the agency, saying it used the best information it had available. According to the newly released UC-Davis study, after the towers collapsed, tons of concrete, glass, furniture, carpets, insulation, computers and papers burned until Dec. 19, 2001. Some elements of the debris combined with organic matter and chlorine from papers and plastics and escaped to the surface as metal-rich gases that either burned or chemically decomposed into very fine particles that could easily penetrate deep into human lungs, it said. Specifically, the study said samples from Ground Zero found four types of particles listed by the EPA as likely to harm human health -- fine metals that can damage lungs, sulfuric acid that attacks lung cells, fine insoluble particles of glass that can travel through the lungs to the bloodstream and heart, and high-temperature carcinogenic organic matter.
Measurements made at Ground Zero in May 2002, months after the fires were out, showed levels of nearly all the fine components had declined more than 90 percent, the study said.
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BUSH RESIGNS
Today George W. Bush resigned from office. Greg Palast has a complete copy of the resignation speech HERE.
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September 10, 2003
6 Misconceptions about 9-11.
If You haven't heard or read Greg Palast's speech of 8/22/03, you can read it HERE. It'll take 30 minutes of your time (okay, 300 if you're Schwarzenegger), but it's time well-spent.
Daily Kos puts today's death of an American soldier into the proper Republican perspective:
Mark Morford takes the "Recall" fad one step further. Snippet:
Toyota is releasing the new, 2004 Prius next month. It's bigger, more powerful, and more fuel efficient. I guess Left is Right coulda waited a year instead of buying the 2002 model, but to tell you the truth, it's been an extremely satisfying car.
6 Misconceptions about 9-11.
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Palast Ties Everything Together
If You haven't heard or read Greg Palast's speech of 8/22/03, you can read it HERE. It'll take 30 minutes of your time (okay, 300 if you're Schwarzenegger), but it's time well-spent.
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Celebrate! Celebrate! Dance to the Music!
Daily Kos puts today's death of an American soldier into the proper Republican perspective:
But whatever, the bombing is another wonderful victory for the US "War on Terror" according to Bush. You see, every time US forces are killed in Iraq we should celebrate, because those very same terrorists would otherwise be killing Americans here in the US.
See? Killing Americans in Iraq is good. Killing Americans in the US is bad. Glad we got that cleared up.
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Recall God
Mark Morford takes the "Recall" fad one step further. Snippet:
Here is what you do: You ride the recall wave. Hop the glorious supercharged recall bandwagon. Only you do not stop with pallid politicos and desperate governor wanna-bes and Indian casinos and water rights and energy woes and talk of just what the hell to do with all those icky homeless and retired and mentally ill and newborn poor people.That's just the tip of Mark's iceberg.
You start with, say, beer commercials. Yes. Cast your vote now. Let us recall dumb frat guys toasting Michelob Lights and ogling anorexic frigid beer babes in loud bars. Let us recall beer-bellied lug nuts who wear grungy sweatshirts and baseball hats and last 1.7 minutes in bed before passing out and dreaming of, well, their next beer. Is that a good place to start?
But don't stop there. Let us, furthermore, recall hugely overweight football-jerseyed lumps hawking giant Round Table pizzas and sniffing the slices as if they were a fine wine, before jamming another hunk down their throats and clogging their arteries and saying good-bye to the notion of ever seeing their toes again. Recall the toxic garbage-food obesity epidemic.
Recall the idea that if your ass isn't making a permanent indentation in your $149 Ikea couch every Sunday for six hours straight during NFL season, you are somehow betraying the very notion of manliness and testosterone. This is your choice. You are the only voter that matters. Do you sense your power now?
Recall the toxic beauty myth. Recall Glamour and Cosmo and Modern Bride and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition and every other mag that Photoshops the living hell out of Giselle's overpampered ass and makes you somehow believe true divinity lies in having just the right $400 Gucci purse and $500 Botoxed forehead and 10 Tips to Force Him to Marry Your Desperate Needy Self.
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The Self-Parking Prius
Toyota is releasing the new, 2004 Prius next month. It's bigger, more powerful, and more fuel efficient. I guess Left is Right coulda waited a year instead of buying the 2002 model, but to tell you the truth, it's been an extremely satisfying car.
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September 9, 2003
Here is the first part of Bush's speech. Only those sections that are lies are emboldened.
Rob over at Conniptions reviews our War on Terror:
As Wolf Blitzer so aptly points out today:
Here is the first part of Bush's speech. Only those sections that are lies are emboldened.
Good evening. I have asked for this time to keep you informed of America's actions in the war on terror. Nearly two years ago, following deadly attacks on our country, we began a systematic campaign against terrorism. These months have been a time of new responsibilities, and sacrifice, and national resolve, and great progress.
America and a broad coalition acted first in Afghanistan, by destroying the training camps of terror, and removing the regime that harbored al Qaeda. In a series of raids and actions around the world, nearly two-thirds of al Qaeda's known leaders have been captured or killed, and we continue on al Qaeda's trail. We have exposed terrorist front groups, seized terrorist accounts, taken new measures to protect our homeland, and uncovered sleeper cells inside the United States. And we acted in Iraq, where the former regime sponsored terror, possessed and used weapons of mass destruction, and for 12 years defied the clear demands of the United Nations Security Council. Our coalition enforced these international demands in one of the swiftest and most humane military campaigns in history.
For a generation leading up to September 11, 2001, terrorists and their radical allies attacked innocent people in the Middle East and beyond, without facing a sustained and serious response. The terrorists became convinced that free nations were decadent and weak. And they grew bolder, believing that history was on their side. Since America put out the fires of September 11, and mourned our dead, and went to war, history has taken a different turn. We have carried the fight to the enemy. We are rolling back the terrorist threat to civilization, not on the fringes of its influence, but at the heart of its power.
This work continues. In Iraq, we are helping the longsuffering people of that country to build a decent and democratic society at the center of the Middle East. Together we are transforming a place of torture chambers and mass graves into a nation of laws and free institutions. This undertaking is difficult and costly - yet worthy of our country, and critical to our security.
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So, Mr. Bush, How Successful Have You Been the Past 24 Months?
Rob over at Conniptions reviews our War on Terror:
How are we doing?
Osama bin Laden - alive and free
Saddam Hussein - alive and free
Al Qaeda - thriving
Mulluh Omar - alive and free
Taliban - re-emerging
WMD - nope
Jose Padilla - American citizen, still being held as "enemy combatant," incommunicado and without charge
287 US troops killed in Iraq
1,450 US troops wounded in Iraq
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Bush Popularity Continues Freefall
As Wolf Blitzer so aptly points out today:
Mr. Bush's poll numbers are already declining. The latest CNN-Time poll shows his approval rating at 52 percent as of last week, down from 63 percent in May, right after he declared an end to major combat operations in Iraq.
And contrast that to 89 percent two years ago -- at an extraordinary moment right after September 11, 2001.
Compare that to his predecessor's most difficult political gauntlet. September 1998 was the height of the impeachment scandal. Bill Clinton's approval rating was 63 percent. In December 1998, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Mr. Clinton. His approval rating climbed to 67 percent.
Now, in the midst of a re-election campaign, a president counts on stabilization in Iraq, a reduced terrorist threat and patience from voters.