Thank God For Homeland Security

As a cloud of purest white descended slowly, ever so slowly, from an otherwise clear sky over Washington D.C., thousands of onlookers gazed in awe at the strange but somehow non-threatening phenomenon. They noticed, as the cloud gently approached, that it was becoming more transparent, and that within they could see what appeared to be a robed man. Those with the keenest sight reacted first and fell to their knees, and the rest followed in turn, as they realized that the man was on a cross.

The cloud dissipated as it touched down close to the Washington Monument, and after a few moments the man floated from the cross to the earth, raised his hands in supplication, and prepared to speak. Though the crowd was far-flung, each person could see him as if he were only a few feet away.

Just as he opened his mouth, several dozen men rushed at the man, screaming "Take him down now!" A bullhorn blared as the man was hauled away, limp and bloody, and a strong voice announced to the stunned assembly "You are safe now! We have stopped the attack! I repeat-- you are safe! You can return to your homes as soon as we collect all cameras and cell phones! God bless America!".

The next day, President Bush, with several religious leaders and the heads of every agency within the Department of Homeland Security, let the whole world know that America had been attacked by the leader of a group of crazed heretics bent on destroying our way of life, and that it was only by the vigilance of the security agencies that no lasting damage had been done, and that martial law was being declared simply as a "precaution" until the rest of the terrorists could be rounded up and brought to justice.

It was only a few weeks later that disturbing pictures began to circulate through the underground. They show a robed man, his face reflecting the most profound sadness, dragging a cross up a hill. And on his head, a crown of Taser darts.

Serves the damn fool right.

Do us both a favor

Take an hour or so to read the essays under the links provided. They generally follow a theme-- WE are in the soup, our government is out of our control, our rights are disappearing right along with the Constitution, the right-wing sucks and they are being aided by the Democrats to wage war on the world and us, and what in hell are we going to do about it. The last two are a little different--the first just describes one of the "benefits" of a convenience culture and the second will let you know what to expect from the next generation of "leadership".

Read, learn, re-read anything you didn't get the first time, and give me your thoughts while it's still legal.

Continued Disenfranchisement of the People Can Only Lead to Violence, 10/25/07

When America Went Fascist, 9/25/07

You Have No Rights, 8/14/07

The Who's Your Daddy Nation, 10/06/07

Why Does Everybody Bow Down to the Health Insurance Industry, 9/24/07

We Can Do Better Than This, 10/16/07

In 2008, Make your Vote Count... Vote "NO CONFIDENCE", 10/19/07

These Democrats Aren't Our Grandparents' Democrats, 10/20/07

Government Surveillance Threatens Your Freedom, Even If You Have Nothing To Hide, 10/20/07

Is a Presidential Coup Under Way?, 10/23/07

Where Does the Right-Wind End and the Media Begin?, 10/26/07

I'm Not a "Democrat-American"- I'm an American, 10/27/07

Come see our giant toxic stew, 10/26/07

American kids, dumber than dirt, 10/24/07

Ever hear the phrase "unreasoning fear"?

Examples of it abound. Dozens of times each week, stories like the ones below come to our attention, but they are so commonplace that everyone takes them for granted, as normal responses to dangerous situations. But, I've got a problem with that kind of thinking.

The first story concerns a second grade student who was suspended from school for drawing a gun. Did he draw it on a group of terrified classmates? On a teacher? No and no. He drew it on a piece of paper, the little anti-social psychopathic terrorist.

From Yahoo News, 10/20/07:

DENNIS TOWNSHIP, N.J. - A second-grader's drawing of a stick figure shooting a gun earned him a one-day school suspension.
Kyle Walker, 7, was suspended last week for violating Dennis Township Primary School's zero-tolerance policy on guns, the boy's mother, Shirley McDevitt, told The Press of Atlantic City.
Kyle gave the picture to another child on the school bus, and that child's parents complained about it to school officials, McDevitt said. Her son told her the drawing was of a water gun, she said.
A photocopy of the picture provided by McDevitt showed two stick figures with one pointing a crude-looking gun at the other, the newspaper said. What appeared to be the word "me" was written above the shooter, with another name scribbled above the other figure.
School officials declined to comment Friday. A message left at the superintendent's office Saturday was not returned.

The second story is about some poor schmuck who was fired after his boss discovered that the fellow had suffered a "super bug" staph infection two years ago.

From The Raw Story 10/25/07, with video:

CBS 4 News in Miami reported on Wednesday that hysteria over the "superbug" Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has caused a local man to lose his job. MRSA has been around for years but has recently been responsible for a highly-publicized surge in fatalities, causing more deaths in the US than AIDS and leading to widespread panic.
Morris Yomtov mentioned casually while at work at the Hollywood Telemarketing Company that he'd had MRSA two years ago after getting some scrapes on his arms while clearing trees downed by a hurricane. About an hour later, his boss called up to say he was fired. Yomtov told CBS 4 that his boss refused to listen to explanations, telling him, "It wasn't around two years ago, it's only been around now, so you must have it."
Yomtov's doctor gave him a note saying he was completely infection-free, but his boss refused to even take it from his hand, asking him to FAX it instead. Now the company is not returning Yomtov's phone calls and also refused to talk to the CBS 4 news team.
"I'm not Typhoid Mary," insists Yomtov, who has filed a federal employment discrimination complaint.
The following video is from Miami's CBS 4, broadcast on October 24, 2007. (access thru link above)

This is what happens in a society that is constantly told to fear EVERYTHING. Common sense and reason fly out the window. The government and the media have created a culture in which everything is an enemy out kill you. There is no longer any "risk assessment" and we are conditioned to react punitively and automatically, in a panic reflex that leaves no room for thought.

Since when do either the child or the now-healthy adult deserve the treatment they received?
A moments reflection will reveal to even the most convulsive house-wrappers that they were hapless victims of stupid responses to non-existant threats. But, because of the incessant drum-beat of fear mongering, they don't take that moment to think. They no longer have any balance or even any understanding of what's been done to them. And that is scary stuff, because they are 100% ripe for control by any person or government who promises to make them safe.

Poor dupes they are, and what's worse, I'm gonna be controlled too, because of their fear. When we are so divided by fear, when everyone else and everything else can instantly become your enemy, we are no longer capable of standing together to resist the real dangers that threaten us. Like our own government.

What if they threw a press conference and nobody came?

That very thing happened to FEMA and I must say they handled it beautifully. They did what any good department in the Bush White House would do, and faked it.

On Tuesday, FEMA gave the press a 15 minute notice of a press briefing to update a breathless world on everything that FEMA was doing to assist California and its residents who have suffered severely from this years wildfires. With all that notice, you'd think the briefing room would be packed, and it was, with FEMA staffers posing as reporters, lobbing soft little ashball questions to the guy giving the briefing. Of course, the whole thing was broadcast live on MSNBC and FOX NEWS among others, while FEMA did a heckuva job patting themselves on the back to an adoring nation. YAY FEMA! Here's the link to the story.

Alas , somebody in the press corps just had to bitch, and both the Department of Homeland Security (under which FEMA falls), and the White House had to issue apologies, here and here.

White House Press Bitch Dana Perino made a comment that left me scratching my head:

QUESTION: And from what we understand, the questions were posed not by reporters but by staffers. And that distinction was not made known. Is that appropriate?

PERINO: It is not. It is not a practice that we would employ here at the White House or that we — we certainly don’t condone it. We didn’t know about it beforehand.(Emphasis added)

I think she told another big one, folks. The flaming phony Jeff Gannon from the phony Talon News flies immediately to mind. In addition, half of the credentialed press goons that call themselves journalists are straight from the White House steno pool. If they're not staffers, who is? If her b.s. was butter, I'd have to swear off toast.

Don't be alarmed, I'm sure there's a perfectly good reason for this

Well, it's soon to be official. As soon as the Senate passes this bill, which just passed in the House with 404 votes, Bush will sign it (without a signing statement), and it will be illegal to think bad thoughts about our government. You don't need a thermometer or a fork to know when we're done.

House Passes Thought Crime Prevention Bill is re-printed from BlackListedNews.com. (Lee Rogers 10/25/07)

"The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed HR 1955 titled the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007. This bill is one of the most blatant attacks against the Constitution yet and actually defines thought crimes as homegrown terrorism. If passed into law, it will also establish a commission and a Center of Excellence to study and defeat so called thought criminals. Unlike previous anti-terror legislation, this bill specifically targets the civilian population of the United States and uses vague language to define homegrown terrorism. Amazingly, 404 of our elected representatives from both the Democrat and Republican parties voted in favor of this bill. There is little doubt that this bill is specifically targeting the growing patriot community that is demanding the restoration of the Constitution.

First let’s take a look at the definitions of violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism as defined in Section 899A of the bill.

The definition of violent radicalization uses vague language to define this term of promoting any belief system that the government considers to be an extremist agenda. Since the bill doesn’t specifically define what an extremist belief system is, it is entirely up to the interpretation of the government. Considering how much the government has done to destroy the Constitution they could even define Ron Paul supporters as promoting an extremist belief system. Literally, the government according to this definition can define whatever they want as an extremist belief system. Essentially they have defined violent radicalization as thought crime. The definition as defined in the bill is shown below.

`(2) VIOLENT RADICALIZATION- The term `violent radicalization' means the process of adopting or promoting an extremist belief system for the purpose of facilitating ideologically based violence to advance political, religious, or social change.

The definition of homegrown terrorism uses equally vague language to further define thought crime. The bill includes the planned use of force or violence as homegrown terrorism which could be interpreted as thinking about using force or violence. Not only that but the definition is so vaguely defined, that petty crimes could even fall into the category of homegrown terrorism. The definition as defined in the bill is shown below.

`(3) HOMEGROWN TERRORISM- The term `homegrown terrorism' means the use, planned use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or individual born, raised, or based and operating primarily within the United States or any possession of the United States to intimidate or coerce the United States government, the civilian population of the United States, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.

Section 899B of the bill goes over the findings of Congress as it pertains to homegrown terrorism. Particularly alarming is that the bill mentions the Internet as a main source for terrorist propaganda. The bill even mentions streams in obvious reference to many of the patriot and pro-constitution Internet radio networks that have been formed. It also mentions that homegrown terrorists span all ages and races indicating that the Congress is stating that everyone is a potential terrorist. Even worse is that Congress states in their findings that they should look at draconian police states like Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom as models to defeat homegrown terrorists. Literally, these findings of Congress fall right in line with the growing patriot community.

The biggest joke of all is that this section also says that any measure to prevent violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism should not violate the constitutional rights of citizens. However, the definition of violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism as they are defined in section 899A are themselves unconstitutional. The Constitution does not allow the government to arrest people for thought crimes, so any promises not to violate the constitutional rights of citizens is already broken by their own definitions.

`SEC. 899B. FINDINGS.

`The Congress finds the following:

`(1) The development and implementation of methods and processes that can be utilized to prevent violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence in the United States is critical to combating domestic terrorism.

`(2) The promotion of violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence exists in the United States and poses a threat to homeland security.

`(3) The Internet has aided in facilitating violent radicalization, ideologically based violence, and the homegrown terrorism process in the United States by providing access to broad and constant streams of terrorist-related propaganda to United States citizens.

`(4) While the United States must continue its vigilant efforts to combat international terrorism, it must also strengthen efforts to combat the threat posed by homegrown terrorists based and operating within the United States.

`(5) Understanding the motivational factors that lead to violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence is a vital step toward eradicating these threats in the United States.

`(6) The potential rise of self radicalized, unaffiliated terrorists domestically cannot be easily prevented through traditional Federal intelligence or law enforcement efforts, and requires the incorporation of State and local solutions.

`(7) Individuals prone to violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence span all races, ethnicities, and religious beliefs, and individuals should not be targeted based solely on race, ethnicity, or religion.

`(8) Any measure taken to prevent violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence and homegrown terrorism in the United States should not violate the constitutional rights, civil rights and civil liberties of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents.

`(9) Certain governments, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia have significant experience with homegrown terrorism and the United States can benefit from lessons learned by those nations.

Section 899C calls for a commission on the prevention of violent radicalization and ideologically based violence. The commission will consist of ten members appointed by various individuals that hold different positions in government. Essentially, this is a commission that will examine and report on how they are going to deal with violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism. So basically, the commission is being formed specifically on how to deal with thought criminals in the United States. The bill requires that the commission submit their final report 18 months following the commission’s first meeting as well as submit interim reports every 6 months leading up to the final report. Below is the bill’s defined purpose of the commission. Amazingly they even define one of the purposes of the commission to determine the causes of lone wolf violent radicalization.

(b) Purpose- The purposes of the Commission are the following:

`(1) Examine and report upon the facts and causes of violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence in the United States, including United States connections to non-United States persons and networks, violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence in prison, individual or `lone wolf' violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence, and other faces of the phenomena of violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence that the Commission considers important.

`(2) Build upon and bring together the work of other entities and avoid unnecessary duplication, by reviewing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of--

`(A) the Center of Excellence established or designated under section 899D, and other academic work, as appropriate;

`(B) Federal, State, local, or tribal studies of, reviews of, and experiences with violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence; and

`(C) foreign government studies of, reviews of, and experiences with violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence.

Section 899D of the bill establishes a Center of Excellence for the Study of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism in the United States. Essentially, this will be a Department of Homeland Security affiliated institution that will study and determine how to defeat thought criminals.

Section 899E of the bill discusses how the government is going to defeat violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism through international cooperation. As stated in the findings section earlier in the legislation, they will unquestionably seek the advice of countries with draconian police states like the United Kingdom to determine how to deal with this growing threat of thought crime.

Possibly the most ridiculous section of the bill is Section 899F which states how they plan on protecting civil rights and civil liberties while preventing ideologically based violence and homegrown terrorism. Here is what the section says.

`SEC. 899F. PROTECTING CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES WHILE PREVENTING IDEOLOGICALLY-BASED VIOLENCE AND HOMEGROWN TERRORISM.

`(a) In General- The Department of Homeland Security's efforts to prevent ideologically-based violence and homegrown terrorism as described herein shall not violate the constitutional rights, civil rights, and civil liberties of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents.

`(b) Commitment to Racial Neutrality- The Secretary shall ensure that the activities and operations of the entities created by this subtitle are in compliance with the Department of Homeland Security's commitment to racial neutrality.

`(c) Auditing Mechanism- The Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Officer of the Department of Homeland Security will develop and implement an auditing mechanism to ensure that compliance with this subtitle does not result in a disproportionate impact, without a rational basis, on any particular race, ethnicity, or religion and include the results of its audit in its annual report to Congress required under section 705.'.

(b) Clerical Amendment- The table of contents in section 1(b) of such Act is amended by inserting at the end of the items relating to title VIII the following:

It states in the first subsection that in general the efforts to defeat thought crime shall not violate the constitutional rights, civil rights and civil liberties of the United States citizens and lawful permanent residents. How does this protect constitutional rights if they use vague language such as in general that prefaces the statement? This means that the Department of Homeland Security does not have to abide by the Constitution in their attempts to prevent so called homegrown terrorism.

This bill is completely insane. It literally allows the government to define any and all crimes including thought crime as violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism. Obviously, this legislation is unconstitutional on a number of levels and it is clear that all 404 representatives who voted in favor of this bill are traitors and should be removed from office immediately. The treason spans both political parties and it shows us all that there is no difference between them. The bill will go on to the Senate and will likely be passed and signed into the law by George W. Bush. Considering that draconian legislation like the Patriot Act and the Military Commissions Act have already been passed, there seems little question that this one will get passed as well. This is more proof that our country has been completely sold out by a group of traitors at all levels of government."
*********

While it is still technically legal, I am going to call again for massive civil disobedience and general strikes to fight back against the destruction of our democracy. I am fully aware of the difficulties of organizing large-scale protests( and will post further on those problems), but we must fight back in a way that is relatively bloodless. We must do this in the very near future or we will be left with a truly revolting development.

Dammit! I never thought I'd live long enough to see the end of America. I think it's going to be re-named to something more up-to-date like, say, "East Germanystan".

So what's cookin' in California?

Wildfires and California--they fit together like O.J. and his glove. A nearly annual disaster, and this year is one of the worst, with property damage estimated at over one billion dollars in San Diego County alone. Well over 1,000 homes lost, about 1,600 still threatened, 8 lives lost, 75 injured, and on and on.

If you want to place blame, there are plenty of targets. You might blame the real estate developers for building in stupidly high risk areas, or the people who buy these homes, or the insurance companies who gleefully underwrite their fire insurance. Or maybe Governor Terminator, who vetoed four bills since 2003 which would have helped the firefighters respond faster and better.
Or how about our ageing fleet of firefighting airplanes, grounded for maintenance and safety issues? Or the bureaucratic red tape that kept available planes from responding while these fires could have been nipped in the bud? Maybe if George Bush hadn't taken control of the National Guard and their equipment and sent it to Iraq, their assets could have been employed to help fight the fires. Real problems, every one of them.

However, the real blame belongs elsewhere.

Fox News blames Al Qaeda here and here.
Glen Beck says that the fires are burning homes of "those who hate America", and blames it on the "damned environmentalists" here and here.
A "Christian" fundamentalist minister, of course, blames gays.
And Rush Limbaugh downplayed the devastating fires claiming it's being hyped by the media.
(Rush is correct on this one-- it certainly doesn't merit the same coverage given to, say, Britney Spears' crotch.)

Thank God these people are around to tell us the real truth.

President Bush finally showed up yesterday for his photo-op, showing his usual compassion by hugging a tearful lady in front of her burned-out home.( Funny you never see him doing that in Baghdad). Anyway, we can now rest assured that he'll make it all better.

Here are more links to articles on the fires:

Miriam Raftery at Brad Blog: Burned-up residents fault officials...
Think Progress: CA Guard Warned of 'Less Effective Response'...
Crooks and Liars: ...Calif. Lt Gov on Bush...disastrous disaster record
The Democratic Daily: California and Orange Cty Fires: Lies, Stupidity and Unnecessary
Destruction.

I guess the whole point of this post is to remind you that self-serving individuals and politicians continue to make short-sighted decisions for the wrong reasons without considering or caring about possible or likely consequences, and that there is always a price to pay. Sometimes it's a very heavy price, whether in lives or money or simple decency.

P.S.-- I may have missed it, but I'm still waiting for the right-wing to point quivering fingers of blame for these fires on roving bands of angry blacks still upset that they lost their homes to Katrina.

What will you do when push comes to shove?

Sooner or later, every person in this country who espouses liberal/progressive values is going to have to take an arduous trip. Every person who respects life, who has a profound sense of right and wrong, who simply can't stand unfairness, intolerance, and injustice, who considers deceit and dishonesty to be abhorrent, who understands the evil inherent in greed and selfishness, and who understands that helping others is also helping yourself, is going to have to take a difficult journey into their mind and soul, examine their core values and guiding principles, and decide, really decide, how far they are willing to go to uphold them.

Many have already made this trip (I just did), but soon now all the rest are going to have to make up their minds, because we are facing a severe test. The corporatists, the fascists, the greedy elite who hold the strings that control our government, are a mere eyeblink away from taking over and eliminating the last vestiges of the freedoms guaranteed to us in the Constitution.

I had trouble with my introspective examination, as I am both selfish and cowardly. Like everybody, I want a contented life for me and mine, free of want and worry about the necessities of food, clothing, housing and health. But I am also empathetic--I believe that all men are created equal and have the right to pursue the things that they want, too. I believe that inclusiveness and cooperation is the way to attain these things, so that as one benefits, we all benefit. I see the self-interest in helping others because they, in turn, will help me.

But, can I kill for these ideals? Can sacrificing my own life be morally justified? These are questions that trouble my cowardly side, as I do not face death easily. If we are to save our country and our ideals, these questions may become more than an idle speculations.

Unless we just give up hope,we are soon to be faced with our last-ditch stand for freedom, and it can take different forms. An armed revolt, like our forefathers engaged in to overthrow the control of the British, is one form our fight might take.

I, for one, cannot find the moral justification for taking another life to preserve a "way of life", only to preserve my life or the life of another from direct attack. I do not believe it can be a moral choice. It's hard to make that decision, but there it is. I have found myself at times dreaming of assassinating those who are destroying our country, simply putting things right by killing all of the evil bastards who are doing this to us, but that is only a sign of my growing desperation. Murder, after all, is murder, and I would be betraying my most deeply held beliefs if I engaged in it. I have learned hate from those who use it against us, and it is easy to give in to its allure, but my soul is too important to me to sacrifice in that way.

The only other ways that I see by which we may halt the tyranny threatening to engulf us is "passive resistance" and "civil disobedience". These methods entail massive strikes and peaceful massive demonstrations to shut down the everyday workings of government and commerce, to bring our country to a grinding halt, in order to force both the corporate elite and their whores in government to listen to us, and to change. They must be hit it the only place they can be hurt, and that's in the wallet. If the money train is shut down, and we do not capitulate to their demands, they will (hopefully) have to cede control of our country back to us.

Which brings up another sticky moral issue. Would you go to jail for defending our freedoms? Most of us certainly would--no big deal, really. But, would you give up your life? I have decided that I would be willing to do just that. Passive resistance to a tyrranical government is fraught with danger, as the most often used method to quell it is the use of force. Remember Tiananmen Square in 1989, when thousands of Chinese protesters faced down soldiers and tanks? It would likely happen here. I believe, consistent with my beliefs, that laying down ones own life for the greater good of all mankind is the most selfless, noble, moral act one can perform. And the hardest to come to grips with for one who really doesn't want to make that final journey to the "great beyond". What would I gain? Nothing material, certainly, but that isn't what's truly important, is it?

"I pledge allegience to the Constitution of the United States of America"

And to the freedoms which it has granted us, one nation..."

If Betsy Ross had known that her creation would help kill freedom, she never would have sewn it.

At the time, however, the patriots fighting to free themselves from the excesses of the crown needed a unifying symbol, something to inspire and point to and rally around--a symbol to lead us to victory. And it worked. British rule was thrown off. The hard-won fight led to the Constitution and the United States of America.

At that point, having done its job so well, the flag that Betsy Ross made should have been gracefully and gratefully retired, honored and respected for its role, and a new emblem given its place--one that symbolized not what we had fought for, but what we had won.

We had, to replace that venerable old symbol, something real to rally around, called the Constitution of the United States, created by men of inspired, selfless genius. A document which affirmed our inalienable rights and established the rules by which "We, the People" would govern our leaders. That is what our victory in the Revolutionary War won for us.

This wonderful document is not just the basis for our democracy, it is our democracy. But was our Constitution given it's rightful place on a new flag? Sadly, it was not. The "Stars and Stripes" reigns supreme to this day.

We pledge allegience to the "Stars and Stripes", it is everywhere one looks, it's depicted on lapel pins and bumper stickers and clothing. The "Stars and Stripes" is flown on national holidays by people showing their patriotism. It is displayed in every courthouse and at every political event. It is the ultimate symbol of national pride (and that is telling--we should be grateful for what we have, not proud). But where in all this is our Constitution, which is, after all, is what is truly deserving of our homage?

Our precious Constitution has been ignored and taken for granted, rarely seen, even more rarely studied and understood, because we have focused instead on an outdated symbol. That superficial symbol has provided a cover under which men have been able to work, unseen and unnoticed, to dismantle the document which gave us the liberties we have enjoyed for 200 years.

And that is the disconnect that has occurred, the fatal flaw Betsy Ross could never have imagined, that may well spell the end of our freedoms.

Through our ignorance, we are allowing our rights to be abridged, our freedoms taken away one by one, which once lost may never be regained. Free speech, privacy, equal justice (indeed, justice in any form), free elections--gone or going away. And we always took them for granted.

Read the Constitution, find the justification for wars of conquest. It does not exist.Read it, and understand that our true strength lies in working for the common good, not for the benefit of a few. Read it, and you will then know that our democracy is based on compassion, selflessness, mutual help, caring and sharing, and acceptance. Where have those ideals gone?

The only way that we can save our freedoms is by understanding them and where they came from. There are two ways to force this, both of which can be done by Congress, if they will respond to a unified call for action.

1) Retire the "Stars and Stripes" and replace it with a flag depicting the Constitution. If you see it every day, fly it, salute it and sing to it, you will learn to respect it and fight to protect it. We will never permit any assault on our democratic ideals.

2) Mandate that teaching the Constitution of the United States will be required in every school in the U.S., public and private, so that future generations will be secure from tyranny.

Start calling, if you love your country. It might not be too late.

UPDATES: here, and here. Maybe there's something to this.

IT'S TIME TO DECIDE

Call me fatalistic. Call it the impatience of youth if you want, but I'm 63. I think it is having lived all those years that has imposed on me an unwelcome sense of mortality and the ability to see the signs of impending death. I refer to our democracy, which, to my dismay, is likely to pass into memory within my lifetime.

The signs of morbidity are clear--fear is rampant, our President is allowed to rule by edict, our privacy is being invaded in ways we can't even imagine, our government operates within a tight veil of secrecy, we can now be jailed forever without charge or trial, the violent stifling of peaceful dissent is becoming an acceptable norm, and corruption and thievery are rarely penalized. And our government always, always lies to us.

I have come to believe that we, all of us on the "left", are wasting our time by wallowing in an overkill of outrage, because we're way too far behind events.

Every day new revelations of lies, deceit and hypocrisy assail us. Every day unearths yet more egregious assaults on simple decency and justice. Every day we see more examples of our government working against the best interests not only of us citizens but those of the whole world, in its unquenchable drive for total economic domination.Do we really need more examples to bolster that which is already painfully evident? We know that it's all wrong, what else do we need?

Nonetheless, we continue to learn these things and they fuel our outrage and we steel our resolve to get someone into office who will make the bad things go away. We blog for each other and write to the newspapers and complain to Congress and we tell 'em "Fix it!". Boy, do we tell 'em! And every so often a few more folks begin to understand the wrongness and immorality, and add their voices to demand change. And so what?

Enough people were so upset that the last election saw the Democrats swept into majority control of both houses of Congress. We rejoiced. Now, by God, now we'll have redress! Now things'll get fixed! Bush and Cheney gone! Bill of Rights restored! Corruption halted! War over! More jobs! Social justice! The long national nightmare is over!!!

Wrong.

To be sure, the Democrats have the power. They chair all the committees. They investigate, hold hearings, interrogate, subpoena and display their ire about things that only add to the list of crimes that we already knew about. And nothing happens. Subpoenas are ignored, demands for documents are denied, accomodations and back-door deals are made, and nothing happens. No impeachments, no arrests, no criminal charges, no nothing. We get lip service and it's business as usual.

Why is everything the Democrats do substantively meaningless? Because the Democratic leadership and the Republicans answer to the same masters, and it's not "The People". Money talks, and bullshit is what we're considered to be.

If you doubt this, note that the Democratic presidential candidates who have the most financing, and hence the most "credibilty", importance and press, have all three refused to commit to a withdrawal from Iraq before 2013. They are bought and paid for. Remember that the Democrats capitulate to Republican obstructionism over any legislation that might pinch the profit pipeline or rein in government abuses of our rights and freedoms Most importantly, impeachment, literally the only tool that Congress has to stop this gang rape, is "off the table".


And so who is listening to us? Our government has become like a church--authoritarian, not democratic. Those in power preach to the choir. They have their agenda and will lead us wherever they wish to go.They will not listen to the choir no matter how loudly they sing.When our government ignores our voices we have to awaken to the fact that we have no power.

We can rant, scream and vent, but the march to a fascist police state moves on without missing one jackbooted step.

We have a terrible cancer growing in our society, and though we might kill a cell here or there, it only creates false hope, because that fascist cancer already metastasized on the day Bush was handed the Presidency by the Supreme Court . We have to accept that the end of freedom and justice and decency is at hand.

That said, it's now time to decide. Will we all continue to scream until at the end we are reduced to whimpers, or will we fight in a meaningful way?

It may be possible even now to turn back this horror if we can organize massive, truly massive strikes against public services, and civil disobedience on a scale impossible to quell. If that fails, remember what the Continental Army accomplished for us so many years ago.

It's time to decide.

Rove is gonna' rock your world

Karl Rove is heading up a new non-profit called "Seismologists for Democracy", which is being funded by a group of well-heeled Republicans. At a press conference announcing the new venture, a grinning Rove couldn't contain his excitement.

"My entire career has been devoted to helping Republican candidates win elections by whatever means necessary. Getting an illiterate delusional half-wit into the White House was good, but I have always felt I could do more. This new venture will be my crowning achievement, and will bring the adulation I so richly deserve.

My backers are very anxious, and I've assured them that the project will be completed before the next Presidential election. After that, we'll be able to apply what we do here in different ways all around the world.

I like to think of this as the ultimate form of voter suppression. I have gathered the most eminent seismologists in the U.S. By combining their knowledge of crustal plates with my expertise in voter demographics, we will be able to utterly destroy entire Democrat congressional districts with precisely targeted earthquakes.

It's amazing how the best solutions are usually the simplest. I can't wait to get it done."

Mr. 9/11's new low--$9.11 fundraiser--Call 911 !!!

Yahoo News/AP is reporting that a wealthy friend of Rudy Giuliani is holding a fundraiser in California at which the price of a ticket will be $9.11.

The Society for the Preservation of the Last Shred of Decency is miffed, and is calling for the organizers of the event to be prosecuted under Hypocrisy Act of 1938, which hasn't been enforced since 1980.

America--slip slidin' away

Raw Story just posted a story about how intrusive government surveillance truly is, and links to a Washington Post article by Ellen Nakashima titled Collecting of Details on Travelers Documented. Read carefully and consider the implications.

The information collected in this program has no relevance in any way to the "war on terror" as you understand it to be. Everyone who travels into or out of the U.S. is in a database which contains information useless to the security of our nation, but gives the government a file on the most innocent and mundane facets of your life. Please note that the examples cited in the WaPo article show that extra scrutiny was given to people who demonstrated no terrorist leanings, but were merely deemed in some subjective way to disagree with government policies or were suspected of "wrong" attitudes.

Remember too, that the "Automated Targeting System" is but one of many ongoing data collection programs (some of which are completely secret) running at full speed, all collecting bits and pieces, facts and rumors, hearsay and suspicions, about you. All of this data, from all these different sources, is constantly collated into a government master file with your name on it.

The government knows where you live, how much your house cost what and where you bought the furnishings, your marital status, how many kids you have and where they work or go to school. They have every scrap of your financial and health information. They know what you spend your money on, where and what you eat, what you read, who you talk with in person or by phone and every word you said, and every keystroke you have ever made on your computer. If you have written a letter to a newspaper, that's in your file, too.

You might be one of those people who are nonchalant, one of those who says "I have nothing to hide. Maybe my personal life is none of their business, but the government is trying to defeat terrorism, and I'm only too glad to help". If you are one of those people, you are a fool, and may live to regret your trust in the government's motives.

If their motives are pure, why is all of this information being saved? Why do they need it if they know you're not a terrorist? Why, indeed.

History has many examples showing that tyrannical governments gain power by creating "enemies" and convincing the citizens to give up their freedoms so that their "enemies" can be defeated. Look some up-they're easy to find.

Here in the U.S., hype about "illegal aliens" has made millions of citizens feel threatened, but the main enemy is "terrorism". We have been attacked, and may be attacked in the future, so our government has declared a "war" that may never end, against a tactic employed by small groups of zealots all over the world, and has convinced you that giving up your right to privacy is necessary to ensure that the "war" is won, and that we will remain safe forever.

They have also taken away your right of habeus corpus in the name of keeping our country safe. Our President now has the right to declare you an "enemy"for any reason at all. He can have you jailed for life, without ever letting you hear the charges against you or telling anyone where you are, or can seize all of your assets if he so chooses, and does not have to explain his actions. If you do not believe this, check the law. Still feeling nonchalant? Think this stuff only applies to terrorists? Check those new laws again, but this time read the fine print. You are not excluded.

If the government ever sees fit to supply you with a copy of the Bill of Rights, it will be heavily redacted. Have we given up our basic freedoms to win the "war on terror"? No-- that was just a cover. You have naively handed over your only weapons to the enemy that is waging a "war on freedom" against you. The aim of the people who are now in control of our government is to ensure that you are powerless to question their actions, and too afraid of the consequences that await if you try.

Where does all of that information in your file come in to play, you ask? Once in total control, a tyrannical government can only maintain total control through fear and intimidation, and that data file will not only keep you afraid, but can and will be used to make you a participant in that control. Even the most innocent details in that file. Here's just how it works:

The Homeland Security Department will call you in some day for an "interview", and it will go something like this:
" Thank you for coming in, Mr Smith.We only have a few things we need to clear up. Your daughter mentioned to a friend that you came home late one night last week. Normally, such things wouldn't trouble us, but we see here that you received a phone call from a Mary Jones at 4:05 PM on the day in question, and were later seen leaving her apartment at approximately 8 PM. What was the purpose of your meeting?

"We went to school together. We were planning our 10th class reunion".

"We'll accept that Mr. Smith, it matches your graduation dates, but you may want to know that Ms. Jones has an intimate relationship with a man named Joe Blow, who is known to harbor ill feelings toward the government. He has an unapproved bumper sticker, and regularly eats at a restaurant frequented by other subversives.

We need to know more about these people, Mr Smith, and want you to tell us if Ms. Jones reveals any information about what she and Mr. Blow talk about. See her more often, Mr. Smith, on any pretense. You'll do that , won't you? We want you to be comforted by the fact that we are watching your daughter closely. To protect her, of course".

If you think that this can't possibly ever happen, talk with anyone who used to live in East Germany, and then tell me I'm nuts.

Better yet, give me a more plausible reason why our government has stripped the Bill of Rights, when throughout our 200 year history, we have prevailed against every threat to our nation without sacrificing any of our freedoms. Then, give me a more plausible reason to explain why the government is determined to know everything, literally everything, about every person in this country.

I will concede that it may be possible to consider each of these two points separately and come up with something remotely credible, but, if you connect these two dots, you will be drawn to the inescapable conclusion that our Democratic Republic is being overthrown as you read this.

Heil and farewell.

The Department of Parkland Security ?

CNN Money.com reports that the U.S.Forest Service has placed an order for 700 TASERS.

They don't say why the Forest Service needs 700 TASERS, so we are left to speculate. Several possibilities come to mind:

To stifle dissent when "pack leader" candidates are giving stump speeches? To teach a lesson to environmentalists who chain themselves to trees? Maybe the owner of the company is a big campaign donor. Maybe they're for herd control of elk and bison. They can be used do drop attacking animals like bears and mountain lions, but you need the latest million-volt model to have a chance there. It'd be a fun way to do a fish census.. There are herds of wild winos in some of the parks, could be they're the reason. They may be needed for troublemakers who show up wearing inflammatory tee shirts that say things like "save our parks" or "down with war". I can only guess.

Then there's the problem of training 700 Rangers in the proper use of the devices. Since the Forest Service is a Federal agency, I imagine that training will be conducted on a practice range as well as in the field, and that proficiency badges will roughly parallel the military standards, something like this:

To qualify as "Marksman", you have to hit a stationary target human-sized or larger with 90% accuracy.**

To earn a "Sharpshooter" badge, you need 70% accuracy on moving targets the size of a fleeing toddler or larger.**

For the "Expert" badge, you have to achieve Sharpshooter proficiency on smaller targets--bunnies, prairie dogs, chipmunks, squirrels, toads, and frogs.( For "Expert with Lightning Bolt Cluster", you must qualify as "Expert", blindfolded and drunk.)**

** anyone who brings down an animal on the Endangered Species list automatically earns a raise of two pay grades.

O.K. then-I've made a joke out of all of this because on the surface the whole thing sounds goofy, but ya really gotta wonder what's going on.

Only $1.2 billion? LOSER LOSER LOSER!!!

The latest Forbes list of the richest 400 Americans just came out, and this year you needed $1.3 billion to be recognized as "someone to idolize". If you are only worth $1.2 billion, you have obviously not bought in to the concept of "working to get ahead", and should be ashamed.

This year, 83 slacker billionaires fell short of the list, along with 299,999,517 other Americans.

Just so you know, all you losers, you are not going to be considered good Americans if you don't get off your butts. Get out and buy some politicians, get some more tax breaks, hire more undocumented workers, offshore more jobs . Schmooze with your betters, network, cut some deals, screw over more people, sell the kids --use the tools God gave you!

If you people would just do it right, you could ALL be on the list of the 400 greatest Americans.

Just try harder! You CAN live the American dream!

Future Headlines--fetched, but not too far

1) Senate Republicans force reform--ban earrings from appropriations bills

2) Bush executive order grants U.S. "most favorite nation" status

3)FBI raids headquarters of AKC--calls it biggest U.S. promoter of terrierism--says Jack Russell is a "person of interest"--alert level raised

4) Bush declares national day of morning--film at 11 AM

5) Bush claims Iran responsible for Elvis's death

6) Radio astronomers can't pick up any coherent signals when Rush Limbaugh is broadcasting.

7) Republicans praise troops for "esprit de corpse"

8) Bush calls terrorist threat a "many-headed hydrant"

9) Oil industry expert says missing ice simply slid off the edge of the Earth--has drawings to prove it

10) Vick files request to share cell with O.J. Says "We got a lot in common, such as we both killed our bitches"

11) MoveOn fights back!--releases video of Petraeus and Bush entering restroom

12) GOP chooses new 2008 convention tune--"Don't Start Thinkin' About Tomorrow"

The World Series Of Iraq,Year Five

As the baseball season here in the States heads into the playoffs to determine who gets to play in our World Series, don't forget that the other World Series is about to take place in Iraq.

And, as always, it will be a battle between the U.S. Imperials and the Iraqi Nationals.

This year will be the fifth, played to decide who gets to claim the most "successes" for the next 12 months , and it now looks as if the annual series will become a long tradition. The games will again be played at Basra's sprawling Oil Field, as the Imperials have repeatedly refused a "home and home" series. According to team mascot John Boehner, who works the crowd in a chickenhawk costume,"It's a small price to play them over here so we don't have to play them at home".

Despite their best effort, the U.S. team has not fared as well as they had hoped in this annual event.They haven't been able to reach home plate. Baserunners claim "We get from first to third in good time, but it always seems to take an extra three months to get home" . Although the team has a "do or die" attitude and a lot of pride, they're weary, and wonder why Imperial President Bush has been unwilling to draft any fresh players.

Nonetheless, fans on both sides show spirited support for their respective teams. Last year for example, millions of Iraqi fans joined together in a stirring rendition of "Keep on the Sunni Side", and the 160,000 U.S. fans, exhorted by cheerleaders in the right field bleachers, answered with their hilarious version of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game", which goes like this:



Take me out of the war game

take me out of the crowd

They gave me a rifle but armor lacks

they don't care if I never get back

So it's shoot, shoot, shoot at the home team

if we don't win it's a shame

Cause we throw in airstrikes while stuck

in the old war game.



They need all our support this year, folks. Help cheer them on to "success".

Buy a team emblem car magnet--It'll do 'em a world of good.

Ask yourself--"Who benefits?"

Jim Hightower, writing for AlterNet, describes a piece of legislation that should serve to "learn ya" not to take anything at face value. Read his article, U.S.Government's Plan to Protect You From Terrorist Livestock.

This is a prime example of how our government will almost always promote business interests instead of your interests. Money is power, and it means power over you.

Find out who really benefits, and why.You must learn to look carefully at new bills being introduced in Congress, and look carefully at which interest groups are backing them, which oppose them, and where the funding for these various groups is coming from. Read the bills, find the loopholes. Who's exempt? Who stands to profit?

Having done that, you will learn some basic truths. Legislation that will benefit big corporate interests will always be sold to you with a false rationale. The average citizen will always pay a high price, but they certainly don't want you to realize it, so they'll lie about it.

Legislation that will not benefit corporate interests, but will benefit the average citizen, will always be opposed by well-funded disinformation campaigns, because they'll lie about it to protect their profits.

The legislators who promote bills inimical to the common good are those in whom you should place no trust, ever. If they do it once, they'll do it again and again. These people should not be permitted to stay in office because they are either on the take, or too stupid to understand how badly they are serving their constituents. So, wise up already, before you vote.

Republicans treat troops like Rodney Dangerfield

Rodney Dangerfield was the famous comedian whose shtick was built around the the claim "I don't get no respect". Well, he's in really good company, judging from the remarks that several Republicans have made about the the intelligence and value of our service men and women.

The Republicans for years have made a living touting the respect they have for people serving in the military, but they are proving themselves once again to be the worst kind of liars. Recent statements have shown that the truth is quite different from the publics perception that the GOP is #1 when it comes to holding our military personnel first in their hearts.

John Boehner (R-OH), recently dismissed the loss of nearly 3,800 troops in Iraq as a "small price".

More recently, a former state senator from Montana, Dave Rye (R-ASSHOLE), in his morning radio program in Montana, basically flat out said that soldiers were too dumb to use multi-syllable words. This is particularly galling since he was demeaning two soldiers who had just been killed in Iraq. They had written, along with a group of others soldiers, an op-ed critical of the U.S. propaganda about the "successes" we have gained in that murder hole. It was published shortly before General Petraeus delivered his report to Congress. Rye's comments could not have been more insulting, demeaning or disrepectful to our service members, especially to those who gave their lives in service to our country. Here are links from Think Progress and Crooks and Liars.

If you think attitudes that these hypocritical scum have revealed is a recent phenomenon, Douglas Yates, writing for the Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner, included in a recent article this revealing little piece of imformation about Sainted Republican Henry Kissinger, from 1973:

"....Especially given Kissinger’s contempt for American soldiers. In a 1973 White House conversation between Kissinger, the national security adviser, and Al Haig, then Nixon’s chief of staff, Kissinger said military men are “dumb, stupid animals to be used” as pawns for foreign policy.
The quote is found in “Final Days,” a book by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Kissinger has never disputed it.... "

Do me a favor--Anytime some Republican kool-aid drinker starts the line about the "Democrats don't respect the troops", stuff these references down their throats.

There is good evidence that more and more of our troops now realize how badly they have been used.The Republicans used to be able to count on them for unwavering support, but now the troops serving in Iraq are giving 40% of their political donations to the Dems, up from about 23% in the last election cycle. They may be too dumb to use big words, but they're smart enough figure out who's signing their death warrants.

DC representation shot down

Today the Senate, by a vote of 57-42, defeated a cloture motion to end a Republican filibuster on a bill which would have granted the 600,000 residents of the District of Columbia full formal representation in the House of Representatives.

The bill was opposed by the White House on constitutional grounds, because DC has never been identified as a "state", and is therefore not entitled to representation under the U.S. Constitution.

For once, and may God forgive me for saying this, I think Bush is correct. It is important to hold those kinds of distinctions paramount when considering legislation, lest we start down a slippery slope ending in a Constitution rendered meaningless. There are other remedies for the plight of the DC residents, the most obvious being a Constitutional amendment to specifically include DC as eligible for Congressional inclusion.

What I'm having trouble wrapping my head around, though, is why in hell Bush is suddenly concerned with the constitutionality of anything, given his penchant for violating its provisions at every opportunity. His disdain for that governing document is legendary, so I must be missing something here. Does he think his sudden respect for our Constitution makes his countless previous violations OK?

In the meantime, the residents of DC will continue to be screwed badly since they must pay taxes without representation. I think we even fought a revolution over that issue a while back. The situation is grossly unfair and should be remedied, in a proper way, just as quickly as possible.

Republicans hold 18-4 edge in Congress !!!

CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington) has just released it's third annual list of the most corrupt members of Congress. This years list has only 22 names (down from 25), but as usual the wimpy Democrats are being soundly defeated in the corruption race, with only four members gaining recognition.

As if this shameful showing isn't bad enough, the Republican lead would be even more staggering if CREW had included all the Republicans who have had problems with infidelity and other "peckerdillos".

The pathetic failure of the Democrats to lead in this simple basic benchmark only reinforces the perception that they are weaklings who do not know how to use the power of their office.

I urge all Democrats to call Reid and Pelosi and voice your displeasure. Let them know that we fully expect them to show leadeship and ensure that nothing less than corruption parity is achieved by the time CREW's next report is issued.

The Back Up--"I got 'im,Bessie! Bessie?"

At last I'll be able to sleep knowing that I'm totally safe in my own bed, thanks to an ingenious new invention called the Back Up, a bed-mounted gun rack which allows you instant access to your shotgun. You can blast anyone to bits from a sitting position in bed. Thanks to Gun Guys.com for the link to the ad, here.

$39.95 for paranoid freaks who are so consumed by fear that they actually imagine a need for this product. Here's a scenario that is far more likely to occur than any other:

You're sleeping soundly and wake to a noise. The room is dark, and you're a little dis-oriented, but you grab your trusty lead-slinger and take aim at the doorway. You see a movement and fire away at the burglar/terrorist/rapist/murderer and then realize that you just killed your spouse/child/grandchild/dog/cat.

Can you say "buyers remorse"?

For those folks who are unfettered by sanity, the company is working on an expanded model line which will include "instant- response" gun racks for bunk beds, hammocks, cribs, sleeping bags, futons, recliners, adjustable beds, sofas, toilets, and best of all, school desks. Call for pricing and availability. Quantity discounts for school systems and universities.

Only in America.

Is it "always darkest before the dawn", or....?

I just read a powerful essay by SF Gate's Mark Morford which distills the horror and revulsion and wrongness of our invasion of Iraq, and explains that the real fight is not over who controls that country, but who controls the United States. It it is a fight for dominance between those who intend that the U.S. achieve world domination through armed conflict and those who believe our national goals can best be met through diplomatic negotiation. It is also much more.

Please read Morford's essay, "Iraq, deep in your bones", here.

Morford offers us hope that we are close to a new day in America, that the soul-sucking assault by the religious right, the unwinnable quagmire in Iraq, the war on the environment, and all the other evils assailing our sense of rightness that are now coming to a head, are the last gasps of a dying ideology, and that we will soon see a major shift in the policies and attitudes that now prevail.

Morford is in effect saying to us "Hold on, it's always darkest before the dawn", and I hope he's right. My God, I hope he's right, but there is within me a deep pessimism that wonders if the reality is that "it's always darkest before it goes pitch black".

John Boehner speaks "from the heart"

This one is all over the blogs, and I linked to an article by Jon Ponder at Pensito Review, here.
Listen (and read the transcript) as Boehner fosters the lie about defeating AlQaida in Iraq, and says that what we have spent (and will spend) in money and blood will be a small price.

He just spoke his belief that a trillion dollars, 3774 American lives (so far!), 29000 wounded (so far!), are a small price to pay!!!!!!!

Screw this heartless bastard, and the Bush he rode in on!

Bush--"Look at all the pretty colors!"

President Bush addressed the nation last night to explain his plan for Iraq. He never made one true statement. His speech was, in the most literal sense, fantastic. He thinks, I think, that we are all gullible fools, when only about 30% of us are. I couldn't watch, because I have a strong urge to hurl whenever I see or hear him, but other people did the dirty deed, such as Dan Froomkin at Washington Post.com. He offers his insights on the Bush speech, also includes the reactions of many others in the media. Read it, here. 'Nuff said.

No need to "apeel", Chiquita -- it's just fine!

A popular myth in this country is that we have equal justice for all. Another popular myth is that if you support terrorists you will go to jail for a long time, and that George Bush personally will bring the full weight of law against any violators. After all, the only reason he draws breath is to win the war on terror. Hell, that's why we torture people, isn't it?

Well, those myths just took a kick in the balls. Equal justice, even for those who acknowledge they have supported terrorism, ain't equal for the big boys.

Back in March, I posted at length about Carl Lindner, and among other things mentioned that his former company had agreed to pay a $25 million fine for paying $1.7 million in "protection money" to a terrorist group in Colombia. Here's the link. The salient portion of that post is below.

Now to the law-breaking-Chiquita just this week agreed to pay a $25 million fine
to the U.S. government because they paid millions of dollars to terrorist groups
in Colombia between 1997 and 2004 as bribes so that Chiquitas business interests
in that country would not suffer from the political turmoil rampant at the time.
Payment of the bribes was approved at the highest levels of Chiquita, and
included $1.7 million to a group called AUC, a left-wing group, and a similar
amount to FARC, a right-wing paramilitary group. Both groups had been designated
as terrorist organizations by the U.S. well before the bribe payments ceased.

According to a 9/12/07 article, here, in the Wall Street Journal online edition, the Department of Justice has confirmed that they will not seek terror-related charges against the former Chiquita officials responsible for approving the money to the terrorists.

"The United States gave serious consideration to bringing additional
charges in this matter," prosecutors told U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth in
the sentencing memo. "In the exercise of its prosecutorial discretion, the
United States has decided not to do so." Prosecutors said Chiquita, through its
post-plea cooperation, "provided critical evidence and information that the U.S.
considered in making this determination.

So there you go, folks. Osama binLadens driver is tortured for years at Guantanamo Bay for earning a living as a taxi driver, but the highly placed executives at a major U.S. corporation who paid terrorists in order to enhance their profits are totally off the hook. There's a shining example of fighting terrorism if there ever was one.

This also points up one of the problems with corporations as persons in a legal sense. The government is able to claim that justice has been served because the legal person will pay a big fine, but as is most often the case the human persons, the actual criminals, escape prosecution. That is twisted, and a gross perversion of what justice should be.

Do you think that an average guy would get this kind of break?

Decoupling--not trains or dogs--but utilities !

Progressive States Network recently published a well-researched article on "utility decoupling". If you don't know what that is (like me), read this intriguing piece, here.

Although I firmly believe that all of our energy supplies and distribution networks should be under control of the Federal government, I know that won't happen until I become Emporer, so I view the concept of "decoupling" as a viable alternative, at least until I assume total control.

Under this concept, utilities make more profits through conservation measures rather than increased sales. What a hell of idea! If we can't remove the profit motive from the companies in this critically important industry, then shifting the way that they make those profits can only be a smart move.

They make money by helping us save money. It reduces the pressure on our wallets and is extremely environmentally friendly. This is a win-win for everyone, practical and simple. It is , dare I say, utilitarian.

If your state is not working on programs like this, they should be.

Contact your state legislators and pressure them to get going on it.

Bush had a "Plan B" for Iraq after all.

From It'll Probably Happen News:

The Senate has just passed The Defense Appropriations Bill for 2008. President Bush has already signalled that he will sign the bill when it reaches his desk, even though it includes strict guidelines which will end the U.S.military presence in Iraq.

The guidelines for bringing our troops home, first proposed by the White House, were adapted from a Pentagon contingency plan called "Attritional Dis-involvement".

Senate Leader Harry Reid (D-NE) was jubilant at the 99-1 vote margin, saying "The American people said loud and clear 'no more troops', and we have come through. There will be no more troops sent to Iraq".

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said "We have said all along that if we 'cut and run',
we would lose oil (excuse me!) all that we have fought so hard for, and our troops will have died in vain. We will now have the time we need to secure victory for our political, economic and foreign policy aims, while ensuring that our fighting men and women will die with honor.

In a press handout, "Attritional Dis-involvement" was summarized as follows:

Tours of duty for all combat and support personnel presently in Iraq will be extended indefinitely, effective immediately. As these troops die with honor fighting for us, they will not be replaced. This will effectively ease the strain on our treasury, making the war more affordable as time passes.

Over the course of an estimated 25 to 30 years, this gradual reduction of forces will reduce our troop involvement to zero. It is estimated that this time frame may be sufficient to secure our success over those anti-American forces working for an "Islamofascist" Iraq.

For a related story, go to:
http://carpebaloney.blogspot.com/2007/09/petraeus-set-to-deliver-sermon-on-gun.html

Wow!--that sounds just like our leeches

From Yahoo News:

TOKYO (Reuters) - Long confined to the mountains, Japanese leeches are invading residential areas, causing swelling, itching and general discomfort with their blood-thirsty ways.

Yamabiru, or land leeches, have become a problem in 29 of Japan's 47 prefectures, according to the Institute for Environmental Culture, a private research facility in Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo.

The little suckers are riding into towns and villages, hitching lifts on deer and boar whose numbers have grown due to re-forestation and dwindling rural populations.

Once there, the leeches, which measure in at about 1.5 cms before a meal, take to feasting on warm human flesh.

"Yamabiru will climb into people's socks and stay for about an hour, growing five to 10 times in size. Unlike with water leeches, people don't immediately realise they've been bitten. Only later when they see their blood-soaked feet, do they realise what has happened," said Shigekazu Tani, the institute's director.

"The real problem is that the bleeding won't stop and the affected area swells up and really itches," he added.........]


I can sympathize with our Japanese friends. They have a serious problem to deal with, and we in the United States are suffering an almost identical infestation. In Japan, they call these parasites "yamabiru". Here, we call them either "politicians" or "corporations".

Petraeus set to deliver "The Sermon on the Gun Mount"

I have accumulated at least 50 articles relating to the Iraq "surge", and was going to construct the most highly-referenced blog post in history, but I've come to realize that what was to be an effort worthy of a Ph.d thesis would be a complete and total exercise in futility, so to hell with all that. It'll probably take me longer to delete all that stuff than it will to say what I really have to say about Iraq and the surge.

Bush wins again.

Ever since Bush agreed to 18 separate "benchmarks" measuring progress in Iraq, there have been over 1 billion documented lies, distortions, spins, op-eds, posturings, movings of the goal lines, power point presentations, fact finding missions, phony press releases, photo-ops, and behind the scenes manueverings, enough in fact to rival the battle over the paternity of Anna Nicole Smith's baby.

General Petraeus swore to give an objective reporting to Congress next week, and what he has to say then supposedly can make or break our continued presence in Iraq. Bush has conferred on Petraeus status befitting a deity, stating repeatedly the Petraeus is the expert, the oracle, on all things relating to the "surge"and that no legislative decisions should be made until he is heard. From the start, however, Petraeus has spun corpses into cotton candy, and so what our Congress will hear will go in to the historical record as "the miracle of the lies and wishes". And that will suit them just fine.


EVERY SINGLE ONE of the NON-PARTISAN REPORTS ON THE SUCCESS OF THE "BENCHMARKS" HAS SHOWN THE "SURGE" TO HAVE BEEN A FAILURE, WITH ONLY 3 OF THE 18 CONSIDERED TO HAVE BEEN MET.

Iraq is a disaster both militarily and politically, but all the spin and distortions will be enough of an excuse for the Republicans to vow continued support for our occupation of Iraq. That will give the Democrats reason to continue to claim with a straight face that they don't have the means of overcoming the Republican legislative obstructionism. That is a lie. They will not use the simple expedient of cutting of the funding for this "assisted genocide". All they have to do is not submit any funding bill to sustain our military deployment. That would be the end of the story.

The Democrats will tell us that they will try to work out a compromise with the Republicans to start withdrawing troops, but absolutely will not work to effect a quick and complete withdrawal. And here's why.

There is an ugly truth the Democrats will not publicize, because they don't want to admit that they agree with the real purpose of the initial invasion of Iraq back in 2003. One of the "benchmarks" Congress insisted be met was the passage by Iraq of an OIL LAW to permit big oil companies to take an exorbitant 75% or more of Iraq's oil wealth. For some strange reason, the Iraq parliament and the various factions inside Iraq are reluctant to cede their biggest national asset to international oil pirates. Since this measure of success on Iraqs part has not been met, both parties will continue the status quo until the Iraqi's capitulate, using the few "benchmark" successes as the reason to stay.

This means Bush wins again. Bush has admitted that his aim is to ensure a long-term armed presence in Iraq (somebody has to guard those oil profits), and at the least wants the occupation to last long enough to fall into the lap of the next President. Bush, with the help of both parties in Congress, could teach Senator Larry Craig a few things about "stall tactics".

So, will the Iraq landscape change after the great round of debate that will follow the Petraus report? NO WAY!

Iraq will continue to be torn apart by a civil war unleashed by our illegal invasion that was based on bald-faced lies. Millions will continue to die and be displaced. The Iraq government will remain in a helpless shambles. Ditto the Iraqi police and army. Ditto their infrastusture. Our troops will continue to be killed and maimed both physically and emotionally. Our credibilty in the world is at a nadir, and will stay that way. The costs of this debacle will continue to spiral, bankrupting future generations of Americans who will never be able to repay the debts. Iraq will continue to serve as a breeding ground for thousands upon thousands of new terrorists.
And so on, ad nauseum.

Our country is run by political parties that countenance and enable mass murder for profit and political advantage. They have sold out our troops, our financial future, and our national conscience. Shame on them, and shame on us if we let them continue.

If I'm wrong, I'll apologize and admit I'm a fool. But I'm not.

Paper or plastic? The answer the world awaited!

I get so sick of this damned question I could almost vote Republican.

Paper or plastic?

I've been choosing plastic lately because I line my smaller wastebaskets with them, but it's a lazy rationale. It only delays the entry of these bags into the environment, where they begin their second, thousand year life, as environmental disasters. They kill land and ocean going creatures by the hundreds of thousands annually.

Paper is no better, environmentally speaking, and not only because we cut down over 14 million trees each year to produce them, but also because they generate huge amounts of pollution in the air and water from both production and recycling.

AlterNet's Tara Lohan has a great article on the environmental and economic impact of these ubiquitous killers, here. Fortunately for my sanity, she has also answered the initial question--paper or plastic?

And the answer is--------neither!

The best kind of bag is a reusable one made of cloth. Properly cared for, they will last for years, and I know (because I checked) that they are easily purchased at relatively low cost. Just use those tubes on the internets to find a good supplier.

I can't let this go without a political point-- We should all jump on the anti-bag bandwagon because they have the capacity to end life as we know it, just more slowly than Bush is sure to if we don't also jump on the anti-Bush bandwagon.

I'm going to resist any comments about bagging Bush.

"Damn the rockets--full spin ahead!'

Some things just defy belief, when it comes to seeing how far some of Bushes Senate stooges will go to defend his Iraq policy. Three of these idiots were just in Iraq last week memorizing talking points about their first hand observations of the supremely successful"troop surge" ordered in January by Premier Georgiy Bush. This, of course, in preparation for the report due out shortly by General David Petraeus' detailing the huge gains that have been made.

As they were leaving, their plane came under attack by rocket-propelled grenades, and it took the pilot's evasive maneuvers to keep them from being shot out of the sky. You might expect that this close encounter with reality would give these lawmakers pause about sticking to the "company line" about the debacle that is Iraq, but once a shill always a shill, and a shill shall shill as he must--no shilly-shallying around for these boys. Links to relevant articles from Think Progress are here and here.

The three Republican Senators were effusive in their praise for the "progress" in that murder-hole, despite that after what happened to them they can't fool a damn soul. It's that old problem about "lyin' eyes".

– “Incredibly significant progress has been made on the military front,” Martinez told the Orlando Sentinel.

– “I believe the surge, from observations…that they have made a lot of progress with the surge. It’s not definitive, but it’s on the right track,” Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) told the Tuscaloosa News.

– Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) told the Tulsa World that “his visit allowed him to witness firsthand the progress resulting from the ongoing troop surge in Iraq.”

The only Democrat on the flight, Representative Bud Cramer (D-AL), reserved comment.

Inhofe did go on to say, however, that he wasn't a bit afraid during the ordeal, and was actually "kind of excited". Wow, what a guy!

The gushing enthusiasm for the surge should be accepted for what it really is--a great stinking heap of "bushwa", as the unbiased report of the General Accounting Office clearly shows.

The Republicans can't let facts get in the way of a good lie. Never could. Never will. They are determined to answer the eternal question"How much shitt can a good shill shill if a good shill must shill shitt?".

McCain "Straight Talk Express" hit by student IED.

Senator John McCain, in a"Q and A" session after a speech at a New Hampshire high school, came under heavy fire from some students who weren't buying his crap. Here are two Think Progress articles relating to the story, here, and here.

The students didn't mince any words with McCain, and they gave better than they got, even when McCain called one of them a"little jerk". He was supposedly laughing when he made the remark, but I suspect he was really speaking from his heart.

I congratulate the students who had the courage to speak up, and congratulate McCain for not pulling out a gun and blasting away like he probably wanted to.

If McCain is smart, he'll wear body armor the next time he ventures into a school. Baghdad is a safer venue for Republican politicians these days.

More proof Bush is NUTS--Get him GONE!!

We have a President who is literally insane, still in office, still holding the reins of power, still with his finger poised over the firing sequence that will start World War III. If you need more proof than what you already know about him, here is an article from Think Progress that should finally convince you. Bush ‘Still Believed Saddam Possessed WMD’ In April 2006

According to a new biography of the President, and backed up by the account of former chief of staff Andrew Card-- although Bush finally admitted publicly in 2004 that Iraq did not have any WMDs, he continued to insist privately, well into 2006, that Saddam Hussein did have them.

When a man, in this scary case a President, has absolutely convinced himself that he is right and that all the facts are wrong, he can only be classified as delusional. He is seriously unbalanced and should not under any circumstances be permitted to continue in office.

Bush is incapable of believing anything that does not agree with what he has already decided. No logic, persuasion, or facts will ever change that sick mind.

Bush is a madman. Are we going to let him kill us all?

Sanders tried, but Nussle is the new Budget Director

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) fought for us, but thanks to a load of "bought and paid for" Democrats, Jim Nussle was confirmed yesterday, by a 69-24 margin, as the new Director of the Office of Management and Budget, replacing Rob Portman, who resigned recently to "spend more time with his family".

Nussle, former Representative from Iowa, consistently voted anti-labor and pro big business, and championed huge tax cuts for the wealthy. Sanders called him to account during his Senate confirmation hearing, asking him how he could support a $32 billion tax break for the Walton (Wal-Mart) family, while 9 million children have no health care. He asked Nussle how he can support tax breaks benefitting the richest 300,000 people in this country, when those same 300,000 earn more than the poorest 150 million of us.

Sanders cast the only "no" vote in the confirmation hearing. The Democrats on the committee must have been worried, either about their vacations starting on time or about upsetting their big campaign donors.

Sanders also wrote a terrific article for the Huffington Post explaining all of the reasons he was against Nussle's comfirmation. Read it here.

Bernie Sanders is one of the very few Senators who consistently speaks for the common good of all of us, and isn't scared to point out the tremendous contradictions between the GOP's determination to create and maintain a small class of super-rich Americans and the very real need for programs that can benefit the "average" American. He deserves a place of honor in the hearts of all progressives for speaking the truth without embellishment.

Anyway, Nussle wins, we lose, and he will be Bushes "point man" on budget issues . I know we can count on more "stay the course" when it comes to pampering our aristocracy and screwing the rest of us.

Here are your 23 Democratic friends (NOT!) on this vote: Akaka (HI), Baucus (MT), Bayh (IN), Cantwell (WA), Cardin (MD), Carper (DE), Casey (PA), Durbin (IL), Feingold (WI), Feinstein (CA), Harkin (IA), Kohl (WI), Landrieu (LA), Levin (MI), Lincoln (AR), McCaskill (MO), Murray (WA), Nelson (NE), Pryor (AR), Salazar (CO), Tester (MT), Webb (VA), Wyden (OR).

There are some fairly "good" names on this list of Senators who will vote for "us" more often than not, so consider this vote count as educational--There is not one Democrat who will not sell out the American public when it suits them.

Who do these people really support- You and me? Yeah, right. This vote was just another in a long line that proves that we do indeed have a two-party system- the People party and the Money party, and don't ever forget it.

Montana Republican agrees with Watts rioters

"Burn, baby,burn!"

In a heartwarming display of compassion and apparent agreement with that old defiant cry from the 1965 Los Angeles riots, Montana Republican John Sinrud, questioning why Montana should pay for trying to protect homes threatened by wildfires, asked plaintively "Can't we just all get along? (OOPS-wrong riot) .He asked "why not just let 'em burn?" Read David Sirota's article, here. Read the whole thing to pick up on the lies the GOP spreads like butter to cover their butts. ( Bad mind picture--change "butter" to "suntan lotion")

Sinrud(R-Bozeman-or is it Bozoman) must live in a city, otherwise it's hard to explain his callousness. No matter what, he's a poor excuse for a elected official, even though he does seem to have a lot of company up in there "Big Sky Country".

The profanity- laced outburst by Michael Lange (R-what else), is here as well as in Sirota's piece.

Civility and caring--the hallmarks of GOP politics.

Holsinger to get post via "abscess appointment"?

"Recess appointment" is a term which just won't cover it, at least not with Dr. James Holsinger, President Bush's nominee for the post of Surgeon General. His record is putrid, and has led to a ton of opposition. His anti-gay record, his stint at the Veterans Administration, and the money-grabbing schemes that have come to light recently have gotten him some severe criticism, including this statement from the American Public Health Association. In other words, he is just the kind of person President Bush will back to the hilt.

At Holsinger's Senate confirmation hearing in July, he didn't make many friends, and committee chair Ted Kennedy didn't even schedule a vote by the committee to determine if the nomination would even make it to the Senate floor. That may have effectively killed Holsinger's chances. However, Bush, being who and what he is, will probably not hesitate to install Holsinger as "America's Doctor" as a recess appointment. God knows, he's done it before.

Just a little FYI- Richard Carmona, Bush's first Surgeon General, recently testified before a House committee, and described in sickening detail how the office of Surgeon General was politcized and how his efforts at fulfilling the duties of his post were thwarted, twisted, and marginalized. It's quite compelling testimony.

I can't help but believe that this administration, and their supporters, are truly evil. They work against the common good 100% of the time, driven by power and money, without conscience or care.

Republican motto: "We aim to sleaze"

The GOP, self-proclaimed defenders of morality and values (anti-gay,sanctity of marriage, etc.), are having a little problem with several of their stalwarts, and may be in danger politically as a result. Even the most gullible of their religious extremist rank and file are becoming hard pressed to justify their loyalty to a party that so obviously doesn't practice what they screech.

Here are video links to a commentaries by Air America's Rachel Maddow and MSNBC's Joe Scarborough regarding the "sleaze factor", and what it might mean to the Republican party.

I am providing a partial list, with comments and links to follow if you feel you have a strong-enough stomach. Incidentally, all of these are less than one year old and only cover S-E-X, not any of the many instances of bribery and influence-peddling rampant in the GOP.

Larry Craig(R-ID). Just resigned under intense pressure from the right-wingers. Among other things, Craig was the Senate point man for presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
Craig probably could have survived if he had just told the truth and admitted that he did not see the "Gay Sex Only" placard on the door of the restroom stall. Everyone would have accepted that simple explanation if he had only admitted his mistake instead of this.

David Vitter(R-LA). Busted big time in the "DC Madam" hooker scandal. You might take note of the fact that while Craig is gone (to be replaced with another Republican), Vitter is still around (forgiven because he would be replaced with a Democrat). So much for standing on principle. Vitter also serves as Southern regional director of Rudy Giuliani's Presidential campaign.

State Representative Bob Allen (R-FL), arrested for soliciting oral sex in a park restroom. He was just about to take a position in John McCain's presidential bid, as his co-chair in the Florida House. Among his most tortured claims of innocence was his statement that he was afraid of the big black guys, one of whom turned out to be a cop. Poor Allen-- the only things he got to blow were his credibility and his career.

Reverend Coy Privette. Ultra-right figure in North Carolina politics.(Served in the NC legislature 1984-1992) . President of the Christian Action League (affiliated with the Amarican Family Association). Arrested and charged with using the services of a black prostitute several times. The best part is that he paid her with checks at least twice, and then reported that the checks had been stolen. Found guilty and resigned from the CAL. Y'all better pray for him.

Mark Foley(R-FL), resigned his seat under fire for allegations of seeking gay sex with Congressional interns. If you don't know all the sordid details, too bad-everyone else does.

Ted Haggard, defrocked mega-church founder who a powerful figure in the religious right before it was discovered the he had a sex and meth relationship with a male prostitute. Booted out of his church and supposedly re-habilitated. An old but still sordid story (like Foley). Haggard has not forgotten how to fish for suckers, however.

Jack Burkman. Religious right-wing lobbyist, outed as a customer of the "DC Madam". Just compare what he says with what he does. This man and others like him, are God's ipecac.

Glenn Murphy, Jr. Chairman of the Young Republican National Federation and RNC chair for Clark Cty, In. Resigned both posts to pursue a "business opportunty" after allegations of "sleep -sucking" were made against him. Too bad he left politics--he was a real "up and cummer" in the GOP.

There are many, many more stories like these surfacing almost daily. There doesn't seem to be any end in sight. To counter the facts bludgeoning them at every turn, the Family Research Council, one of the biggest and most profitable of the "values" promoters, is launching a BIIIG campaign of lies and disinformation aimed at convincing their followers that they alone , not the "God-hating liberals", possess the legitimate moral authority to define and speak for Christian values.

Sooner or later their base is gonna wake up, and these frauds will be toast.

P.S.- I will accept your congratulations for not using the word "hypocrite" one time in this post.