Silence is Consent

If you don't speak up you accept what is happening. This site was born out of the mainstream media's inability to cover the news. I am just an American cititzen trying to spread the word in the era of FCC consolidation, post 9/11 Patriot Act hysteria, hackable voting machines and war without end. I rant and post news items I perceive to be relevant to our current situation.

All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.
- Thomas Jefferson

Social Security is not broken and therefore does not need to be fixed

So Called Social Security Crisis (SCSSC)

Comments, questions, corrections, rebuttals are always welcome.

Monday, June 30, 2003
 
I saw it again last night. When I see it, I'm not sure how I feel. Someone has just crossed the line. They have walked over from naive bliss to reality. It's kind of like the whole Matrix blue pill, red pill concept. What I am speaking of is that moment during a discussion with one of my friends about our current government when I begin to lay out the facts--of September 11th, specifically--and the person I am speaking to begins to understand that, at the least, their government allowed those attacks to happen. At first, they don't want to believe it. Denial. Then I look in their eyes and it's like I can hear them talking to themselves, "Is this posssible, or is this guy crazy? My government wouldn't do that." Then, I can see them accept it, and they realize they knew it all along.

I've had this happen with a couple of friends of mine. Last night, for this one friend, the clincher was when I told him about the Pearl Harbor line in the PNAC document:
Further, the process of transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event – like a new Pearl Harbor.
Then I explained to him who PNAC is and that this document was first drafted in 1992 under Daddy Bush and has now morphed into this, The National Security Strategy of the United States of America.

Of course, I got referred to several times as a conspiracy theorist, which doesn't bother me anymore. My reply to that is that 'I'm not a conspiracy theorist, I just have some questions I would like answered.' (I stole that from Gore Vidal.) I believe one of the most telling things that came out of his mouth was that he just does not have time to look into this stuff: "I'm too tired when I get home from work and just want to relax." That is the problem right there. If we had a press like we are supposed to have, we would not have to look for this information because it would be right there on the news and in the paper.

I always talk about what we can do to change what is happening. This is the main thing: enlighten people. Most people don't know about PNAC; tell them. Most people don't know about all of the unknowns about September 11th; find out and tell people. The main thing about telling someone about this is to bring them along slowly. Don't try to force it down their throats right away. You'll scare them. I had talked to this friend about these things a couple of times. Yesterday, I laid it all out for him and sent him home with the Mein Kempf of the Bush administration, Rebuilding America's Defenses. For anyone still not familiar with PNAC, go here: How We Got Into This Imperial Pickle: A PNAC Primer.

I know I've been over this PNAC stuff before, but it is very important. It tells you why we are doing what we are doing. Until people understand this and that it was first thought up in 1992, they cannot successfully connect the rest of the dots: Afghanistan. Iraq. The Middle East. Oil. Eurasia. Iran. North Korea. The Project For The New American Century. They mean it!!!!!

I have not said much here about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, but hope to change that shortly. A few interesting developments on that front: Israeli Likens BBC Program to Nazi Press. A couple of things to look at with this story. First, the Kansas City Star? Why have none of the major media picked up on this? Second, anyone who legitimately criticizes Israel will either be called a Nazi or an anti-semite. Not to get too involved in the subject at this time, but I believe that to truly understand this problem, you have to understand the difference between being Jewish and being a Zionist. Who better than a rabbi to explain the concept: Israel, Judaism and Zionism. Maybe some hope? Hamas, Islamic Jihad declare 3-month ceasefire.

A couple of things on the press: . . . Bring Back the Skeptical Press. And you have to love this one: Are U.S. journalists truly spineless?

A great synopsis of where we stand in Iraq, with links: By Any Other Name

This breaks my heart. I used to love this guy. Miller Emerges as New Voice for Bush Re-Election.

More links later.....

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Friday, June 27, 2003
 
U.S. Special Operations Member Killed and this, U.S. Soldier Shot Shopping in Baghdad-Witnesses.

It looks like this is becoming routine. Another day. More dead. Mission Accomplished. Welcome to George Bush's America!

SQUISHY SOFT 'DEMOCRATS'. One woman's opinion.

Check out this article: Bush was just plain wrong on Iraq . If you can't read the whole thing, this paragraph make's the article:
The point is that, however sincere they were, they did deceive. They were just plain wrong. The president was just plain wrong. People who make such terrible mistakes should not be retained in office. In large corporations, officials who make similar errors in judgment are discarded (usually with a fat purse in their pocket). The whole chicken-hawk cabal should be swept out of office. In American politics, this is usually accomplished by congressional investigation. However, given the Bush administration's propensity to stonewall and cover up and the pro-administration bias of much of the media, full-scale investigation is unlikely. Despite token movements in that direction, the mantra ''national security'' will be invoked to prevent investigation. Just now the federal government can do almost anything it wants.


Quite an uprising in Brownsville yesterday over Congressional redistricting in Texas! There are still some Democrats with a pulse. Go to the Burnt Orange Report for all the news.

Results of the moveon.org primary.

The intelligence commnunity is talking: Cheney And The CIA: Not Business As Usual Is America listening?

This one is just plain funny in an ironic sort of way: Missiles: Return to Sender.

From the funny to the scary, `Road map is a life saver for us,' PM Abbas tells Hamas. The last paragrph is the scary part:
According to Abbas, immediately thereafter Bush said: "God told me to strike at al Qaida and I struck them, and then he instructed me to strike at Saddam, which I did, and now I am determined to solve the problem in the Middle East. If you help me I will act, and if not, the elections will come and I will have to focus on them."
An informative article on the 'nucular' components buried in the rose garden: Iraqi Scientist Initially Ignored.


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Thursday, June 26, 2003
 
I want to bring up a subject that is a rarely debated. Why do they hate us? Oh, it is talked about and most assume that the reason is what the pResident has said:
"They hate what they see right here in this chamber – a democratically elected government... They hate our freedoms – our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote..."
Which, of course, is not correct. Reading this will give you a little perspective. To think that one day the whole Middle East decided, 'hey, we hate America because they are free' is a very simple-minded excuse. These areas have been carved up over and over by Western civlization. I am reminded of a Ghandi quote: Mahatma Ghandi was once asked what he thought about Western civilization. He replied, "That would be a good idea."

Simply saying they hate us just because of our freedom, takes the onus off the actions of the United States over the past 60 or so years: Destabilization of governments. Backing of tyrants--when it is necessary, and then turning on them when it suited our purposes. These actions have been used to constantly keep the masses of these countries under control and their resources under the control of the tyrants that we control. These types of actions do not endear a people and a culture to ours. It is not what you say; it is your actions that people focus on.

This is not news to most of you. In the last few years, especially since Septmeber 11th, the wrongs of our foreign policy in the world are not spoken of as a reason for others in the world not liking us. They don't like us becuase were free? I don't think so!!! They hate us becuase we support Israel without care. They hate us because we blow up their cities. They hate us becuase we kill their people. They hate us becuase we rape their land and steal their resources. I believe most of these people honestly could care less if we are free or not; they just wish we would leave them alone.

In my little and varied knowledge of the Middle East, I have learned that the current configuration was done by the British and French mainly after WWI and the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Why was it done this way? Look at Iraq for example. Why make one state out of three different ethnic groups: Sunni, Shia, Kurds? In my opinion, the reason for this was to setup a state with a permanent ethnic problem, therefore making it impossible, at the time, to be governed by anyone other than a Western-supported tyrant. Remember Iraq and Iran both had become democracies at one time, and that they were destablized by our government. Do you think that could be a reason why they hate us?

Earlier this week two senators went to Iraq: Senators Predict 5-Year Presence in Iraq. If we are only there for 5 years, I would be very surprised. Our intent is, and was from the beginning, never to leave. From Iraq, we will be able to run the Middle East. That is why we can now leave Saudi Arabia. We will leave, but not until the oil runs out.

I am going to start posting these when they happen: Two U.S. Soldiers Killed by Iraqi Ambushes . We cannot forget that there are still Americans dying in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I don't know why this isn't getting more play: IAEA: Centrifuge parts not evidence of 'smoking gun'.

BUSH'S WILLING EXECUTIONERS. The writer is speaking about everyone of us.

A couple of artcles dealing with the America's Matrix and Up Is Down, Black Is White, But Blood's Still Red .

Howard Zinn, The Specter Of Vietnam.


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Wednesday, June 25, 2003
 
I read something today that reinforces what I have been thinking about for a few weeks. Remember when Bush was running for president and his campaign kept saying that he would be the first CEO president? They also said he would be the first president with an MBA. Well, we all know the bashing CEO's have gotten since our CEO president took over. Now is it any surprise that it appears that he Enron-ized us on Iraq?!! He's running our government just like a business, stealing the shareholders pensions to fund a bunch of scams! So don't be surprised when the pink slip comes and you get told that it's just a business decision, but that you are no longer American enough and that they just can't afford to keep you on anymore. It was these two paragraphs, from Analyst pressured to distort WMD data , that triggered it:
Bush IS in trouble. All this blather about him raising money and Howard Dean being McGovern and the rest of the Dems unable to challenge him is nonsense you would do well to tune out. An Army officer summed it up: Iraq is everything for Bush. And true to his pattern of mismanagement and failure, Iraq is coming up snake eyes. To understand Bush, you need to understand he's a gambler. Oil men usually are. But he's been spared the lessons of failure by rich patrons.

Now, Iraq is turning out like every other Bush venture he's tried to manage, abject failure. This time, there are no patrons to protect him and the people around him see the world through such blinkers they pose a clear and present danger to his presidency.
He makes nice points about how with Watergate, things stopped and started several times but eventually enough came out to fry Nixon. So don't lose hope. Remember your pResident was a CEO, so now we know he was a crook coming in.


Senator Byrd is at it again: The Road to Coverup Is the Road to Ruin .

If you haven't yet, go to moveon.org and vote in the Democratic Primary.

This is a gives a good idea of where we stand: Post-war Iraq: Quagmire or Master Plan?

Not sure if you've seen these yet: The 'L' Word and Misleader. The second one might load slowly; it's a .pdf.

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Tuesday, June 24, 2003
 
Pardon my absence. We were visiting family out of town, and the cable modem was down where we were staying. I also got sick halfway through our visit. I was out of commission yesterday as well. But enough about my situation.

Well, once I found out about the cable modem, I kind of put fell into a self-imposed exile from the news. As I surfed the channels, I would occasionally catch a sound bite here or there. One of the funniest things I saw was a discussion on News Hour with Jim Lehrer where they had the typical left/right pundits getting questions from Jim. The guy on the left made a statement saying that they justified the war by saying Saddam had WMD. The guy on the right said something that made me laugh out loud. He said:
"The Iraqi... there was an Iraqi on this program a week ago who said that Saddam was a weapon of mass destruction. And that is the truth because he had these... we know he had them five years ago. And I would just counsel, we're jumping way ahead of ourselves to think that somehow those weapons were not there, are still not there."
Wow!! I couldn't believe he got that all out without laughing himself! To read the whole thing go to Shileds & Brooks. It is nice to know that time really doesn't change things too much. Politicians lie, and those who hitch their wagons to them get too vested in the outcome and start lying right along with them.

I am not sure what to make of polls anymore. I pretty much feel that they are fictional. I believe the numbers are manipulated to push people in a general direction so that the average American will look at them and say, "Well, if most people feel that way then I guess it must be true or right." I hope that is the case. When I look at numbers like this, I have to feel that way; otherwise, I could only conclude that we live in a very sick country.

Poll Suggests Unease on Iraq Casualties. You have to read through it to where it begins to talk about attacking Iran and the pResident's approval numbers.

I haven't even mentioned the sick amount of money Bush is raising, most of it on the graves of the September 11th victims.

The changes in the tax code: Goodbye, Death Tax. Hello, Birth Tax!

Krugman still going after the liars: Denial and Deception.

An interview with the author of a book on the Carlyle Group: What Did Eisenhower Mean When He Warned of a Military Industrial Complex? Take a Look at the Carlyle Group.

A soldier's tale of his time in Iraq: Leadership and Logistical Failures Hurt Troops.

This is a good one. Pay close attention to how the religious conservative resorts to calling the Catholic unpatriotic. ‘Operation: Hidden Agenda’ an ethics teacher’s answer to U.S. military deck of Iraq’s most wanted. Remember that's what facists do.

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Wednesday, June 18, 2003
 
When did it happen? Maybe it never was that way. Maybe I just remeber it like that. I guess that's what happens when the Watergate hearings are going on when you are a kid.

I always loved history and government when I was going through school. I was never very good in math and science. I guess during that time I always had a view of the American people as engaged and caring about what happpens in their country. These days, I am trying to ascertain when the American people (the majority, at least) stopped caring about what happens in their country.

Maybe it was Watergate. Or the kidnapping of the hostages in Iran. Or the bombing of the Marine barracks in Lebanon. Iran-Contra. Whitewater. Monica. Maybe it was all of them put together. Or was it CNN? OJ? MTV? Madonna? Laci Petersen? Maybe it was Married with Children. Or Ross Perot. Or Rush Limbaugh. Multi-million dollar contracts for athletes. Maybe it was the Challenger blowing up. Or AIDS. Or Ari's personal fave: September 11th. These are just some of the things that have been crammed down our throats the past 30 years or so. Not all of these things are bad. True, some are downright horrible, but some have opened up new ways of dealing with the world around us.

This is my short list and I'm sure you have a list of your own, but we should look at this steady flow of disconcerting and tragic issues that have played out in America. Is the hurt too much to bear? Is the truth so ugly we can't raise our eyes to even glance at it? What has caused the majority of the citizens of this country to not care anymore?

Voting is one thing to look at that shows just how much people don't care. Here are the statistics for the percentage of the Voting Age Population (VAP) that have voted in the presidential elections since 1924. VAP is defined as , the total number of persons in the United States who are 18 years of age or older regardless of citizenship, military status, felony conviction, or mental state. Remember this number goes down significantly when you look at mid-term elections and even further when you throw in runoff and local elections. Could it be voter fatigue? When the electorate stops paying attention then democracy is effectively over. The electorate is supposed to watch over the government. Not the House or the Senate, most of whom are millionaires. Do you trust any organization to police itself? If we don't do our duty as citizens and hold those in power accountable, then we are to blame for our current situation and these days, we truly only have ourselves to blame.

An awesome cartoon: one smart rock.

What others think of our country: America the Scary.

Those wacky Democrats are at it again: Democratic Rivals' Missed Target: Economy.

America from a German perspective: What Is Happening in America?

For those not familiar with it, here is a good summary of 'Rebuilding America's Defenses' and the Project for the New American Century.

I am leaving for Houston tonight to visit family. I hope to put something up on Friday.

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Tuesday, June 17, 2003
 
Not much talk today, just the headlines.

Krugman is at it again: Dereliction of Duty.

This makes me feel safe: GAO Faults U.S. Effort to Secure Dirty Bomb Material.

How are things going in Iraq you ask? America's rebuilding of Iraq is in chaos, say British.

William Rivers Pitt on what happened to the WMD's: The Dog Ate My WMDs.

This is some weird stuff: Secrecy shrouds Halliburton hiring frenzy at Houston hotel.

John Mellencamp has a new album, Trouble No More. I recommend going to his site and watching the video for "To Washington".

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Monday, June 16, 2003
 
Before the war, I believed that if Bush's case for war in Iraq was so solid on the evidence of WMD's, he shouldn't have to use scare tactics like Saddam's supposed connection to September 11th and Al Qaeda. Yesterday, I began reading this article, Instant-Mix Imperial Democracy (Buy One, Get One Free), and this paragraph set off alarm bells:
When the United States invaded Iraq, a New York Times/CBS News survey estimated that 42 percent of the American public believed that Saddam Hussein was directly responsible for the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. And an ABC News poll said that 55 percent of Americans believed that Saddam Hussein directly supported Al Qaida. None of this opinion is based on evidence (because there isn't any). All of it is based on insinuation, auto-suggestion, and outright lies circulated by the U.S. corporate media, otherwise known as the "Free Press," that hollow pillar on which contemporary American democracy rests.
Now I don't want to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but after reading this it becomes apparent to me that they (Bush and the NeoCons) knew beforehand that there were no WMD's and they were using the 9/11-Al Qaeda connection just to pump up the fear quotient a little and to push you over the top.

This is also an interesting development, Former Aide Takes Aim at War on Terror . This guy takes dead aim at the administration. He works for the government for 35 years through Republican and Democratic amdinistrations and decides to leave under this administration. Then soon after leaving, he joins Kerry's campaign to oust Bush. This is a great article and this man is just another in the list of people who have resigned from Bush's team because of the administration's horrible actions around the world and at home.

So where to now? Some think it is time to get serious about impeachment, votetoimpeach.org. I'm not sure if I would go that far yet, but I believe some serious public hearings are needed. The only problem is that with Republicans in control of everything and a weak Democratic party, I'm not sure that will ever happen. I recently heard a Congressman's aide describe what worked in the recent redistricting problem in Texas: your elected officials seem to respond best to phone calls. Mail is better than e-mail, but neither is as effective as a phone call. They must be held accountable.

A good article from over the weekend, Anxious and Weary of War, G.I.'s Face a New Iraq Mission. I love this line: "You call Donald Rumsfeld and tell him our sorry asses are ready to go home," Pfc. Matthew C. O'Dell, an infantryman in Sergeant Betancourt's platoon, said as he stood guard on Tuesday. "Tell him to come spend a night in our building."

The case for impeachment: How to Impeach Bush.

Still time to take action on the FCC fight: Contact your Commerce Committee Legislators.

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Friday, June 13, 2003
 
Good news from my local Democratic party meeting last night: I think that at least the grassroots of the party is ready to fight. Many people are fed up with the party's state and national leadership. Of course, that is not hard to understand when you see what Delay is up to: 'Some Crazy Guy'. (I love the way Krugman tears these people down.) Or when you are faced with the fact that your pResident is a liar: CIA officer: Bush ignored warnings. Not to mention the corruption: Army Backtracks on Halliburton Contract . The only way this will end is to get these people out of power. Hopefully it can be done peacefully.

Cartoons This Modern World: The (Revised) Official Bush Administration History of the War on Iraq. Tom Toles.

Nicholas Kristoff gets one step away, White House in Denial.

Remember the war in Afghanistan and the evil Taliban? US turns to the Taliban.

An article on yesterday's theme, You've Been Drafted.


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Thursday, June 12, 2003
 
So what are we going to do about it? Your pResident is a liar. His whole administration is corrupt. They are beholden to and spawned from the corporate world. They are cutting all social programs to the bone. As an example in my state, Texas is ranked at the bottom in the nation for insuring kids. This is the third year running for Texas to be 50th. In the upcoming state budget, an additioinal 167,000 children will be cut from the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Looks like we will be holding the title for another few years. Now, if that isn't compassionate conservatism, I don't know what is.

Here is a Republican using the Bible to cut taxes on the poor and raise taxes on the rich, Meanwhile: Consulting Jesus on tax policy. If I were him, I would be careful about flying on small aircraft any time soon. As I am fond of saying now, (I picked this up from Mike Malloy) "Welcome to George Bush's America!!"

But back to the original question. What are we going to do about it? I have always had strong opinions about politics and now is no different. From '98 until about the beginning of this year, I was a regular viewer of Hardball. I stopped watching because I could no longer take the 1- to 2-person advantage NeoCons/Conservatives/Right Wing Wackos were getting on the show. There are only so many times you can watch Katrina Van den Heuvel battle Ann Coulter and Bob Dornan before you want to scream obscenities at the TV. Which I did last night. I come out of the bedroom and stumble onto Hardball. They have the aformentioned Bob Dornan debating Margaret Carlson on the results of the Quinnipiac University Poll released Wednesday. Now as you can see, this poll has Hillary Clinton and Joe Lieberman having the highest numbers against Bush. So these three start discussing how great a candidate Joe is and do you think there is any chance that Hillary will run and what a bunch of no-name weiners the rest of the Democratic field is. All of this coming from the former chief of staff to Tip O'Neil. Oh, I have a few quick questions for you:

Do you know where Quinnipac University is? Connecticut.

Do you know where Joe Lieberman is from? Connecticut.

Do you know that Connecticut is basically a suburb of New York?

Do you know who is 'from' New York? Hillary.

Knowing that and knowing how a poll question might be asked, does this surprise you?

Do you see now why I would scream obscenities at the TV and have my wife tell me, "Enough with the @#$%'s already!"? This is how the mass media sells you your candidate. No mention of Dean, Kucinich, and the rest of the lesser candidates. But I tell you, whoever wins that Quinnipac poll 17 months before the election really has a leg up on the rest of the Democrats, that's what I always say!

Ok, NOW back to the original question: So, what are we going to do about it? Is that who you want to choose between a year from November? George Bush and the DLC's Joe Lieberman. Well, tonight I am making my second journey to my local Democratic party meeting. It's not a work of art here in Central Texas, but at the last meeting, we all introduced ourselves and said why we are Democrats. Many people said they just felt that a Democrat was the right thing to be. Almost everyone stated that the current situation in this country is what prompted them to get involved. When it was my turn, I said I am not sure I'm a Democrat but I know for sure I am not a Republican. I decided to go after reading this Thom Hartmann article, How To Take Back America. It basically says we have to retake the Democratic party the way the Religious Right took over the Republican party. The structure is already there; it just needs to change direction.

So what are you going to do about it? One suggestion is to choose a candidate and back him/her. Donate, volunteer, spread the word. Another suggestion is to be vigilant about informing yourself about all of the candidates. Sign up for some e-mail alerts like Moveon.org, or other progressive web sites. These are just a few examples. But if we expect things to change by doing what we have been doing, we are just fooling ourselves.

I will end with a couple from TJ:
"Unless the mass retains sufficient control over those entrusted with the powers of their government, these will be perverted to their own oppression, and to the perpetuation of wealth and power in the individuals and their families selected for the trust." --Thomas Jefferson to M. van der Kemp, 1812. ME 13:136

"No other depositories of power [but the people themselves] have ever yet been found, which did not end in converting to their own profit the earnings of those committed to their charge." --Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Kercheval, 1816. ME 15:71

So what are you going to do about it?

Isn't Democracy supposed to be open and transparent? GOP resists Iraq probe.

Henry Waxman is now going after the Bushies, Rice in particular, on the lying about "Nucular" weapons in Iraq. He gets no press but he keeps going. This is the same guy who has been going after them on Halliburton and Bechtel.

Guess what your government is up to now: Saddam on the Loose: The Bush Cartel Propaganda is So Cheesy, Transparent, and Opportunistic, any Legitimate Press Would Laugh It off in a Minute.

This artcle shows how the lie, The strategically ambiguous George W. Bush.

The American sheeple, The Parable Of The Sheep .

This came out last October: Bush vs. the CIA . As the president plays up the threat Saddam Hussein poses to America, the CIA plays it down.

You have to check this out: Trailers of Mass Destruction. It's a play on trailer parks.

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Wednesday, June 11, 2003
 
Remember all those old WWII movies? I used to watch them when I was a kid, but not so much anymore. Hogan's Heroes, though, I will still watch. The one thing I always knew in the back of my mind when watching those movies on TV was that the US and its allies were the good guys in that war. We did not strike a country becuase we were worried it would strike us first. We were not the aggressor.

In sixty or so years, much has changed. In 216 years, since the ratification of the Constitution, even more has changed. I am positive that most Americans have not really mentally processed what a radical shift we have made in our foreign policy. We now strike countries preemptively. I believe most Americans trust that we are a benevolent people and only inercede around the world to make that country/region a better place to live. What we believe and what our government does outside this country can be two very different things.

Most Americans believe we have liberated Iraq. They also believe there were huge celebrations in Baghdad when Saddam's statue was brought down. Most don't care that it was a staged event by our military with a bunch of Iraqi exiles doing most of the celebrating. Remember all the feel-good stories right after that? Remember there were even a few pictures of Iraqis kissing American soldiers and bringing them flowers? Not to mention--who can forget?--pResident Top Gun on the aircraft carrier telling us the war is over.

Well, for those not paying attention, there are American soldiers--as well as peace keepers and soldiers from other countries--still dying in Iraq and Afghanistan. Afghanistan you say? Oh yes, that country has apparently sunk back into pre-Taliban warlordism and the heroin is flowing like never before. Boy, that liberation sure is tricky stuff! But don't forget why we went there to begin with: women there weren't able to go outside without burkas on and couldn't attend school or go to work. What? Oasma bin who, you say? This is not about one man! What are you unpatriotic?! Don't hold me to my word!

So back to where I was before this all started. Now we, as a country, attack who we want, when we want, where we want and do not need to justify it to the world community. You are either with us or against us. Just for a moment, put yourself in the shoes of the rest of the world. You saw what happened in Afghanistan. You see what happened and is continuing to happen in Iraq. If you lived in a country other than the US, how would you be feeling about being (ahem) liberated by us? Indiscriminate and massive killing of civilians. A puppet government for the unforseeable future. Major damage to the infrastructure of your country. Major damage to your history and culture. Then, as a citizen of that country, you have to ask yourself why was this done? Then as Americans, we have to ask ourselves why this was done? I ask myself does this project my perceived American benevolence in foreign policy? I don't think so. Now comes the spinning: the administration is changing their tune. This is what your President is now saying. Notice the use of the words "had" and "weapons program":
"Intelligence throughout the decade showed that they had a weapons program," he instructed White House reporters the other day. "I am absolutely convinced with time we'll find out they did have a weapons program."
Now contrast that with this quote:
Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised. - George W. Bush, March 17, 2003
After reading those two quotes how do you think your kids, grandkids, fellow citizens will feel when watching those old Gulf War II movies?

Bernard Weiner: Germany In 1933: The Easy Slide Into Fascism.

Hans speaks out: Blix: I was smeared by the Pentagon.

The Duping of America. Many good links in this document.

Funny: An Open Letter to Rush Limbaugh.



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Tuesday, June 10, 2003
 
Sorry for no post yesterday. I took a day off.

"It's not about the sex it's about the lying." Do you remember that line? Boy, I sure do! That was the only thing that all the people who were against Slick Willie could say. Over and over and over and over and over again. Well, I think now we can safely say that it was about the sex. ...At least as far as the press in this country is concerned...

What do you think the bigger issue is right now?
(A) The possibility that not just the President, but everyone in the whole executive branch and the intellignece community, cooked the books to get you and the American people to believe that Saddam was in cahoots with Al Qaeda and that he had WMD's;or
(B) The release of Hillary's new book and when it was that she was told by her husband that he received favors from Monica?

Well, I was off yesterday and I got to spend a little time surfing on the idiot box, and I am here to tell you that the bigger issue right now in the American press is Hillary and her book! But it had nothing to do with the sex. Any time they need a diversion, they bring out an immoral Clinton. Well, as far as I'm concerned, when it come to the WMD's, it is about the lying!!! Bush lied last week when he said:
"You remember when [Secretary of State] Colin Powell stood up in front of the world, and he said Iraq has got laboratories, mobile labs to build biological weapons," Bush said in an interview before leaving today on a seven-day trip to Europe and the Middle East. "They're illegal. They're against the United Nations resolutions, and we've so far discovered two.

"And we'll find more weapons as time goes on," Bush said. "But for those who say we haven't found the banned manufacturing devices or banned weapons, they're wrong. We found them."

Then I read this about the trailers:
'I have no great confidence that it's a fermenter,' a senior analyst said of a tank supposed to be capable of multiplying seed germs into lethal swarms. The government's public report, he said, 'was a rushed job and looks political'. The analyst had not seen the trailers, but reviewed evidence from them.

Another intelligence expert who has seen the trailers told the US paper: 'Everyone has wanted to find the "smoking gun" so much that they may have wanted to have reached this conclusion. I am very upset with the process.'

It all comes down to two trucks. I think any rational, thinking person believes that it was possible that these trucks could have been used for WMD's, but they also could have been used for many other things as well. Remember though, There is no evidence in these trucks that proved they were used for WMD's. NO EVIDENCE!!! And your pResident stands up there and tells you that these trucks prove the weapons case. Don't forget that a big part of the con was that Saddam not only had WMD's but there was an immenent threat and that he was going to use them specifically against the American people. Remember this one from Ari: "If he declares he has none, then we will know that Saddam Hussein is once again misleading the world." - Ari Fleischer, December 2, 2002. It's the lying.

I spoke with a few realtives at a family reunion this weekend. I was relieved to hear that they are curious as well about what is going on with this pResident and his administration. My mother said she has been reading this blog and that this can be very depressing stuff. Well, it is, but reality can be that way. If we don't face up to the brutal facts and do something to change it, things will only get worse. Unlike my friend who is still waiting for things to get bad enough, I think we're already there. Contrary to what I write, I am very optimistic about what this country can be. We just need to get rid of this warmongering administration and get back to a more civilized government.

Jim Jeffords two years later.

This is for my wife: Hitler on The Big Lie.

WMD's: Before and After.

If you have some time and did not see Meet the Press and need a good laugh check out the transcript from Sunday with Condi.

I love Russell Mokhiber: Ari & I.

Krugman is at it again: Who's Accountable?


Found this at the Media Research Center, Notable Quotables.

That's all for now.

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Friday, June 06, 2003
 
When I think of the state of the Democratic party these days, I think of a line from the Janis Joplin song Bobby Magee: "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." I don't understand why the Democratic party stands so silient. In my view, they actually do not have anything left to lose. What could they possibly have left that they haven't lost already? They lost the House, the Senate, the Presidency, the Judiciary and the press (FCC). I'm not sure what is left to lose. The only thing I can figure is that the center/conservative leaning DLC still runs the party and is keeping them quiet. Let's face it, the DLC strategy has lost. They hang their hat on the fact that Clinton/Gore, both from the DLC, were able to win the Presidency for the Democrats for eight years. But they have lost everything else since then and turned the Democratic party into the Republi-crat party.

This past week, there was a rally in D.C. called Take Back America. Most of the Democratic hopefuls were there. The LA Times did "some" reporting on it: Democratic Contenders Offer Competing Visions. I love this Dean line:
Dean has been firing back, and Wednesday he received a roaring ovation for his latest salvo. "Those folks at the DLC are wrong," he said. "The way to get elected in this country is not to be like the Republicans; it's to stand up against them and fight."
Dean seems to be one of the only contenders that will go against the DLC at this point. Kucinich will go against them as well but he pretty much gets ignored by the press. He gets this one paragraph:
Kucinich, in an impassioned speech repeatedly interrupted by standing ovations, called for federally run, single-payer health care and sweeping cuts in defense spending. "We don't need World War III; we need peace for the first time," he said.
Notice how he was impassioned and repeatedly interrupted by standing o's and this is all the mention he gets. When you read the whole article you will notice how it goes into detail on what Kerry and Edwards say and gives very little mention of the rest of the candidates. Just some of the subtle things the press does to help you choose your candidate. Don't forget this was the progressive (aka liberal) Democratic gathering and still most of the press goes to the DLC-leaning candidates. So if you want to vote Democratic and choose the candidate you like the best, you MUST go beyond the accepted media sources.

Great take on WMD's: Why the snipe hunt matters.

Sen. Byrd is at it again. I think he understands the Democrats freedom: "The Perception of Deception: Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction".

Nixon's White House lawyer weighs in on the WMD debate: Missing Weapons Of Mass Destruction: Is Lying About The Reason For War An Impeachable Offense?. Just one excerpt for you:
Krugman is right to suggest a possible comparison to Watergate. In the three decades since Watergate, this is the first potential scandal I have seen that could make Watergate pale by comparison. If the Bush Administration intentionally manipulated or misrepresented intelligence to get Congress to authorize, and the public to support, military action to take control of Iraq, then that would be a monstrous misdeed.
This coming from a former Nixon lawyer. He would know. Of course, this is still a big IF for most people.

This is a beauty about the lying: The Lies We Bought The Unchallenged "Evidence" For War:
Unfortunately, the politicians and their p.r. people know all too well the propaganda dictum related nearly twenty years ago by Peter Teeley, press secretary to then Vice President George H.W. Bush. Teeley was responding to complaints that the elder Bush, during a televised debate, had grossly distorted the words of his and Ronald Reagan’s opponents, the Democratic candidates Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro. As Teeley explained it to The New York Times in October 1984, “You can say anything you want during a debate, and 80 million people hear it.” If “anything” turns out to be false and journalists correct it, “So what. Maybe 200 people read it, or 2,000 or 20,000.”

Krugman's latest, Duped and Betrayed.

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Thursday, June 05, 2003
 
Apparently, Wolfie's quote was translated wrong. For clarification go here: Calpundit.

This article details how deep in the %&$# Blair is: Blair Ought To Have WMD Chiseled On His Political Headstone.

William Rivers Pitt with a great take on the lying: We Used To Impeach Liars.

Thom Hartmann with a good article on the state of our Democracy: Midnight Ride of the Rabble .

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Wednesday, June 04, 2003
 
WMD's? What WMD's? I am now fully engaged in the Middle East peace process. I do not have time to worry about whether Iraq had WMD's before the war. As Ari said, "If he declares he has none, then we will know that Saddam Hussein is once again misleading the world." So there you have it. That statement and two canvas sided trucks prove that Saddam had WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION! Is Bush trying to change the subject? If you haven't read the Krugman article posted yesterday, read it now. Remember the war in Iraq is over; it's time to move on. This is how it works folks: Last Septmeber, not before--remember no new products in August?--we were told to start focusing on Iraq and not Afghanistan, Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, the economy, your civil rights, or anything else for that matter. I am sure there will be another new "product" this fall as well: Iran, North Korea, Syria, another tax cut for the election season?

Last week, a tax cut was passed. No tax cut should have been passed. If you were paying attention, you remember that those making between $10K and $26K did not get the child tax credit. Well, check this out. The Hammer says this, "increased [child] tax credits would be approved only if they were part of a broader tax-cut package, possibly including permanent repeal of the estate tax or making state sales taxes deductible". You see how this works, don't you? I think it goes something like this:
(1.) Overstate the amount of a tax cut you want ($750 billion).
(2.) Negotiate and "get" $350 billion This shows how clever you are because if the cuts are made permanent, it actually costs over $800 billion, meaning you're $50 billion up!
(3.) At the last minute, negotiate out the tax credit for the lowest income level. This infuriates the Democrats who want to put it back in. Tell them the only way to put it back in is as part of another tax cut.

A couple of things going on right now: Congressman and Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich is calling for a probe of the Lynch story. I saw Howard Dean, another Democratic presidential candidate, on Charlie Rose last night and he sounded good. If you are interested in seeing him live and in person, he is coming to Austin on Monday. These are two of the non- Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) candidates. Remember the DLC is the corporate-loving side of the Democratic party. As Dean says, he is from the Democratic wing of the Democratic party.

FINALLY, someone in the Administration tells the TRUTH!!!

A new OpAd from TomPaine.com. It's on the DLC. Be sure to read the article "Cracking the Conservatives" below the OpAd.


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Tuesday, June 03, 2003
 
Paul Krugman is the man: Standard Operating Procedure.

Sorry. Nothing more today. I will have a full blog tomorrow. I will try and post every weekday by noon CST.

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Monday, June 02, 2003
 
The heat is on. Let the WMD planting begin! Especially now that the FCC ruling is in. There is plenty to read on all of these subjects today. This site is a good place to start: Altercation.

A nun has a question for you: Is There Anything Left That Matters?

Sean Penn's take: Killroy's Still Here.

What's next: Reclaiming Hope -- The Peace Movement After the War .

One more on the lying: It Was the Lying, Right?. I know, I know, but just one more on the lying. I had to put it in becuase of this quote:
"Politics should be regarded as less like an exercise in producing truthful statements and more like a poker game" in which deception is understood.


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