"Free people are free to commit crimes." -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
Hmmm. Guess he was talking about himself, or maybe just our whole country.

- Michael 12:12 PM - [PermaLink] -

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WAR, WAR WAR
WAR, WAR WAR
WAR, WAR WAR

There's nothing you can hang that can't be hung
Nothing you can sling that can't be slung

Nothing you can slay but you can learn how to play the game
it's easy

Nothing you can aim that can't be aimed
No one you can maim that can't be maimed

Nothing you can shoot but you can burn down you and me in time
it's easy

All you need is war
All you need is war
All you need is war, war
War and then some more

Nothing you can blow that isn't blown
Nothing you can throw that isn't thrown

Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're not supposed to be
it's easy

All you need is war
All you need is war
All you need is war, war
War and then some more

All you need is war
All you need is war
All you need is war, war
War and then some more

All together now,
Every body

All you need is war
All you need is war
All you need is war, war
War and then some more

- Michael 9:21 PM - [PermaLink] -

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Please read the Eisenhower Military-Industrial speech (see below) and then read Bob Herbert's Spoils of War.

- rob 4:40 PM - [PermaLink] -

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Some more very appropriate words of wisdom from a Republican President: The Military-Industrial Complex Speech by Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the militaryindustrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.

- rob 4:38 PM - [PermaLink] -

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I'm not anti-republican, I actually miss the republicans, I just am frightened by the new-cons that like alien pods have taken over the bodies of members of the republican party, with an agenda of destroying the world.

- rob 4:38 PM - [PermaLink] -

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Wow, just read this. Rep Rangel has a nice piece about this bullying nationalism (they call it patriotism... they are wrong) that is sweeping our nation.

Nothing is more precious to Americans than our freedom to speak out, to disagree. It's frightening that, in their passion for this war, some people are accusing anyone who opposes it of being unpatriotic. If members of Congress are going to be attacked for fulfilling their responsibility to their constituents to speak out on matters of war and peace, then we might as well tear up the Constitution.
...
Demonizing dissenters has become the favorite tactic of the most vociferous supporters of the war in Iraq. At the same time, they are stifling debate, manipulating public opinion, distorting the facts about the loss of lives, betraying our troops, and defiling the Constitution.

Those who oppose the war will continue to be vilified by some for their principled beliefs. I will continue speaking out for peace and on behalf of my constituents in name of the U.S. Constitution. I will not be intimidated.

- rob 6:00 PM - [PermaLink] -

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Fear is the enemy
“We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” FDR

Terrorists are called terrorists because their only effective weapon is terror. It is fear. But they are not the source of fear in America right now, and America has never been more afraid. Our government is the source of our fear. “Nothing could have been done to stop the attacks,” was said after 9/11, from people who knew better, and that was the excuse for the Patriot Act. But that has since been proven wrong. It seems now that if several mistakes had been avoided, the attacks themselves could possibly have been stopped. Incompetence was the problem, not our civil liberties. As far as I can tell the Bush administration has been destroying our liberties left and right, but has done nothing to solve the underlying problem of bureaucratic ineptitude. Have we forgotten that back in the days when warrants were required, and civil liberties were respected, we were still able to prevent a dozen planned millennium attacks. 12/31/99 went on without a hitch. That isn’t to say we need not be more vigilant. No 9/11 proved that we do need to be much more vigilant, that we do need to work harder and better at securing our nation. But it did not mean the terrorist should win, and we should just scrap this whole freedom thing because it wasn’t working out.

Nonetheless our administration feels it must build up the fear. If the fear is strong, we’ll fight, almost without question. If the fear is strong we’ll allow our “temporary” limits of our civil liberties to become permanent. If the fear is strong we won’t have the will to protest or complain. If the fear is strong we will understand that our failing economy should not be the priority. One cannot help but sound paranoid when one compares the tactics of the Bush administration with that of Fascists. But there are parallels. The use of physical threat to intimidate (yes, I’m talking about the crowd of paid republican folks who stormed the building to (successfully) prevent uncounted ballots from being reviewed), the “temporary” limiting of civil liberties based on a terrorist bombing. The use of patriotism to sway argument. There are more similarities (check out google’s list of websites devoted to the subject). I wonder if there was a twinkling in Karl Rove’s eye when he said "It's like being at a Nazi rally," watching the world series crowd cheer Bush.

There is other fear, the fear to speak out, and the fear to let everyone know around you that America is at a dangerous cross roads. The push, push, push is constant from the media, rah, rah, if you don’t support the President you are unpatriotic. You feel like you are alone. But I really do believe that there are more out there than you could possibly imagine that are feeling the same things you are. It may not be the majority, but it easily would be if the majority was simply told what is happening. Read anyone some of the provisions of the homeland security act and the patriot act, and they will be stunned. This is not America. Though Michael Moore is annoying (but often funny), he also makes some great points in his more calm post-Oscar interview (watch the video clip).

You know who is really afraid? Bush and folks. They are the classic bully stereotype. They talk big. They swagger. But in this case they never do the punching themselves (no I won’t go into the whole chickenhawk thing again discussed in this post). They are afraid though, they are horribly insecure. The surround themselves with “Yes” men, so they don’t ever have to have doubt. They are so insecure they search for belonging, through fundamentalism and through nationalism. True patriotism, is ideas and ideals, they are too abstract, nationalism however is more definite, it is simple. These are the people you felt pity for in high school and they now are leading the world into some terrible times.

We used to be a nation that could disagree and still know we all had the best hopes for our nation in our hearts. I disagreed with Reagan, but I believe he believed in the same American that I do. Bush doesn’t. He does not know what America means.

- rob 5:18 PM - [PermaLink] -

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Two letters I sent to the New York Times:
To the Editor:

Re "U.S. Blasts Compound in Effort to Kill Hussein" (Front page, April 8):

Since when is the United States officially in the business of kill ing people? Isn't this against the law?

To the Editor:

Re "Top-Ranked Officer Denounces Critics of Iraq Campaign" (front page, April 2):
First was the wisdom of not counting votes. Then the wisdom of huge permanent tax cuts. Then the wisdom of trillion-dollar deficits. Then the wisdom of pulling out of international treaties. Then the wisdom of provoking allies. Then the wisdom of preemptive war. Then the wisdom of ignoring what the world thinks. Then the wisdom of invading another country.
Now the wisdom of expanded and protracted war, with a promise of others to follow.
How dare we question wisdom?

Now I'm thinking that I should write a letter to the paper every single day, just to screw with them. But I'm not into making a pest of myself. It goes against the grain of this website, irritating all the wrong people. Like getting run over by a bulldozer. I sent this letter to Adam Nagourney at the New York Times (he is covering the next so-called presidential election and is chief political correspondent for the paper and also a friend):
The banner on today's paper, "Effort to Kill Hussein": I'm literally beside myself. I think now that the whole paper is a joke. I don't know what to think. I'm so depressed. Where is the NYTimes in all of this? I feel like I'm going insane. What's next? Nothing, nothing will surprise me.
You have a daunting task.
The next election won't be an election, and if it is, it will be a hoax. I'm convinced that it will be cancelled. In fact I'm willing to put money on it. They will declare a national emergency. My thesis is that whatever happens in New York first happens to the rest of the country, like the Farrah Fawcett wave, the ripple effect. Guiliani came within a pubic hair of cancelling the mayoral election, then, all by himself, decided maybe it wasn't such a good idea. This crowd isn't so subtle. There won't be an election. Why don't we just cut to the chase and say so? This is your beat, you have a dog in this fight. How about a little pre-emptive reporting? How much you wanna bet you'll end up writing that story? Is there anything you can say to change my mind? This is the beginning of a dictatorship, why don't we just say so?

Maybe a bit hysterical there, but if I am overreacting it isn't for want of being provoked (unlike Iraq). Simply put, this is a criminal administration made up of madmen, looters and thieves, and I don't think America gets it yet. When are people going to realize that Bush is nothing but a thug? I feel like I'm screaming at the top of my lungs in Outer Space.

How about a thiscenturysucks T-shirt? We've already had one request. I also thought of another one: The Statue of Liberty sitting in the See No Evil Hear No Evil Speak No Evil pose, like the monkeys. Or is this too elaborate? Or is the idea too sucky?

- Michael 1:24 PM - [PermaLink] -

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Hey, some one used I Miss America in a headline!

- rob 4:27 PM - [PermaLink] -

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Margaret Atwood has written a Letter to America. She's a concerned neighbor (some snippets):

When the Jolly Green Giant goes on the rampage, many lesser plants and animals get trampled underfoot. As for us, you're our biggest trading partner: We know perfectly well that if you go down the plug-hole, we're going with you. We have every reason to wish you well.
...
You're gutting the Constitution. Already your home can be entered without your knowledge or permission, you can be snatched away and incarcerated without cause, your mail can be spied on, your private records searched. Why isn't this a recipe for widespread business theft, political intimidation, and fraud? I know you've been told all this is for your own safety and protection, but think about it for a minute. Anyway, when did you get so scared? You didn't used to be easily frightened.

- rob 10:28 AM - [PermaLink] -

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History. There is a cliche that is very important here.

- rob 5:58 PM - [PermaLink] -

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"Do unto others before they do unto you. Might makes right. War is peace. Support the troops by keeping them in harms way." Graylan Scott Hagler, doesn't think so, good to hear religious leaders sounding like they have actually read the bible, unlike the "Christians" running this country. (thanks goes out to my Dad for finding this, and the above articles)

- rob 5:57 PM - [PermaLink] -

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McGovern gets right to the point: Thanks to the most crudely partisan decision in the history of the Supreme Court, the nation has been given a President of painfully limited wisdom and compassion and lacking any sense of the nation's true greatness. Appearing to enjoy his role as Commander in Chief of the armed forces above all other functions of his office, and unchecked by a seemingly timid Congress, a compliant Supreme Court, a largely subservient press and a corrupt corporate plutocracy, George W. Bush has set the nation on a course for one-man rule.

No offense against McGovern, but why can’t a politician under seventy point out what is going on?

- rob 5:36 PM - [PermaLink] -

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Waiting for our soldiers to come home, but want to hug a hero fighting for freedom right now? Hug a librarian. A shred a day keeps Ashcroft away.

- rob 5:35 PM - [PermaLink] -

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I was worried that I’d have to go the whole war without my weekly list of Conservative Idiots, but nope its back: This past week’s ten most conservative idiots (yep, chaplain Llano made the list – see below). Okay, they’ve been better, but at least they’re back.

- rob 5:34 PM - [PermaLink] -

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Maybe I feel ill at ease because of the administration’s poor choice of words, in calling this a crusade. Maybe it is because the Pope warned this could ignite more hatred between Christians and Muslims. But don’t worry it won’t. Its not like were sanctioning church revivals or something. Oh, wait, we are.

Still it’s not like we are going over there and demanding the Iraqis convert to Christianity. No, that is what we do with our own people. Okay it isn’t forcing people; it’s offering them the choice of a bath and being saved, or sweaty dirtiness and going to hell. I don’t know what bothers me. That Army chaplain Josh Llano (of, shock, Texas) seems to think that God is running some type of Survivor game where you have to tempt people to save their soul (as I assume that is what he believes). Or that it counts when you choose to have your soul saved just to have a bath. I just appreciate chaplain Llano’s strength in his beliefs, he is so certain people need to convert to his religious doctrine that he’ll stoop to bribing them with baths or fruit rollups; the sacrifices he is willing to make. I’m disgusted in so many ways. God is probably too busy with the whole "multiverse management" gig to notice all of this anyway folks. Bathing is really only a personal hygiene matter.

Did you catch that that was at Camp BushMaster? Now, is that named after the President or the gun that was used in all the sniper shootings this past Fall? Just wondering.

- rob 5:33 PM - [PermaLink] -

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I have a friend at work who so honestly wants to believe in our President. “Imagine how things will get better for Iraq,” he says, I do hope he is right, but I just look at ignored Afghanistan, and wonder if we’ll pay any attention at all to rebuilding Iraq, when we’re busy storming Syria or Iran (which ever is next… I’ll check the memo… hmm…. looks like Syria is next).

- rob 5:31 PM - [PermaLink] -

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- Teddy Roosevelt



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