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Sunday, November 30, 2003
Hail Britannia
Power and its trappings bring temptation. Wouldn't it be tempting to go to Buckingham Palace and receive the Order of the British Empire from the Queen? Well at least one person is able to say thanks but no thanks. In the British newspaper the Guardian, writer Benjamin Zephaniah says hell no I won't go.
Power and its trappings bring temptation. Wouldn't it be tempting to go to Buckingham Palace and receive the Order of the British Empire from the Queen? Well at least one person is able to say thanks but no thanks. In the British newspaper the Guardian, writer Benjamin Zephaniah says hell no I won't go.
Thursday, November 27, 2003
Thanksgiving
Double your pleasure this Thanksgiving, read the Freedom Rider in Black Commentator. I hope you also take the opportunity to read all of Black Commentator. I don't know of any other website that has been villified by right wing Senator Orrin Hatch. As far as I am concerned that is the Good Housekeeping seal of approval.
Paris Hilton Sex Tape!
Spam in much discussed but merely an annoyance. Our cowardly Congress can't stop war or the privatization of Medicare but by golly they will stamp out spam if it is the last thing they do!
Frankly, if they can keep Paris Hilton Sex Tape ads out of my email box I will applaud their efforts. Recently I have received a minimum of 10 spam messages every day exhorting me to see the Paris Hilton Sex Tape. I fear for a society that exalts Paris Hilton. In listing signs of the end time the bible should have added pointless celebrity to plagues, pestilence, famine and rumors of war. (Matthew 24:6-7) Apparently even the apostles could not foresee Paris Hilton and her ilk.
Double your pleasure this Thanksgiving, read the Freedom Rider in Black Commentator. I hope you also take the opportunity to read all of Black Commentator. I don't know of any other website that has been villified by right wing Senator Orrin Hatch. As far as I am concerned that is the Good Housekeeping seal of approval.
Paris Hilton Sex Tape!
Spam in much discussed but merely an annoyance. Our cowardly Congress can't stop war or the privatization of Medicare but by golly they will stamp out spam if it is the last thing they do!
Frankly, if they can keep Paris Hilton Sex Tape ads out of my email box I will applaud their efforts. Recently I have received a minimum of 10 spam messages every day exhorting me to see the Paris Hilton Sex Tape. I fear for a society that exalts Paris Hilton. In listing signs of the end time the bible should have added pointless celebrity to plagues, pestilence, famine and rumors of war. (Matthew 24:6-7) Apparently even the apostles could not foresee Paris Hilton and her ilk.
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
Klan vs. Klan
Bodies with gaping wounds, some bayoneted through the eyes, some with skulls beaten through, others with hideous wounds as if their bowels had been ripped open with bowie-knives, plainly told that but little quarter was shown to our troops. Strewn from the fort to the river bank, in the ravines and hollows, behind logs and under the brush where they had crept for protection from the assassins who pursued them, we found bodies bayoneted, beaten, and shot to death, showing how cold-blooded and persistent was the slaughter of our unfortunate troops.
Witness to Fort Pillow Massacre
How should one react upon learning that one Klansman accidentally shot another during a bizarre initiation ritual complete with nooses, paint ball and real bullets? I for one just laughed out loud.
The Klan was founded in Pulaski, Tennessee by Nathan Bedford Forest. Forest made a fortune selling slaves and became a general for the Confederacy. He massacred white and black Union soldiers after they surrendered at Fort Pillow, which was located near Jackson, Tennessee. White soldiers were murdered, but black soldiers, particularly those with the rank of sergeant, were singled out for butchery. They were nailed to logs and burned alive. It is indeed ironic that this Klan shooting incident also occurred in Tennessee.
The Confederacy considered captured black soldiers to be fugitive slaves who had no rights traditionally accorded to prisoners. Union leaders such as Secretary of War Stanton and Secretary of State Seward wanted to execute an equal number of Confederate POWs but Lincoln denied the request. The Confederate refusal to treat black and white POWs alike resulted in the end of prisoner exchanges, which resulted in conditions at prisons such as Andersonville.
I never wanted to belong to any group that required initiation. I shake my head when I read that someone forced to chug too much beer died in an attempt to join omega kappa phoolish. Who wants to belong to the Klan, an organization filled with racist losers. A racist and loser of course.
We do need to be reminded that everyone did not accept the changes brought about by the civil rights movement. There are many racist losers in our society. Most of them are harmless, but lest we forget, Timothy McVeigh also joined the Klan. In 1995 168 Americans found out the hard way that this man may have been a loser, but he was far from harmless.
Read more about Fort Pillow here.
Bodies with gaping wounds, some bayoneted through the eyes, some with skulls beaten through, others with hideous wounds as if their bowels had been ripped open with bowie-knives, plainly told that but little quarter was shown to our troops. Strewn from the fort to the river bank, in the ravines and hollows, behind logs and under the brush where they had crept for protection from the assassins who pursued them, we found bodies bayoneted, beaten, and shot to death, showing how cold-blooded and persistent was the slaughter of our unfortunate troops.
Witness to Fort Pillow Massacre
How should one react upon learning that one Klansman accidentally shot another during a bizarre initiation ritual complete with nooses, paint ball and real bullets? I for one just laughed out loud.
The Klan was founded in Pulaski, Tennessee by Nathan Bedford Forest. Forest made a fortune selling slaves and became a general for the Confederacy. He massacred white and black Union soldiers after they surrendered at Fort Pillow, which was located near Jackson, Tennessee. White soldiers were murdered, but black soldiers, particularly those with the rank of sergeant, were singled out for butchery. They were nailed to logs and burned alive. It is indeed ironic that this Klan shooting incident also occurred in Tennessee.
The Confederacy considered captured black soldiers to be fugitive slaves who had no rights traditionally accorded to prisoners. Union leaders such as Secretary of War Stanton and Secretary of State Seward wanted to execute an equal number of Confederate POWs but Lincoln denied the request. The Confederate refusal to treat black and white POWs alike resulted in the end of prisoner exchanges, which resulted in conditions at prisons such as Andersonville.
I never wanted to belong to any group that required initiation. I shake my head when I read that someone forced to chug too much beer died in an attempt to join omega kappa phoolish. Who wants to belong to the Klan, an organization filled with racist losers. A racist and loser of course.
We do need to be reminded that everyone did not accept the changes brought about by the civil rights movement. There are many racist losers in our society. Most of them are harmless, but lest we forget, Timothy McVeigh also joined the Klan. In 1995 168 Americans found out the hard way that this man may have been a loser, but he was far from harmless.
Read more about Fort Pillow here.
Good Riddance
Bush doesn't know or doesn't care that the British hate him, so it won't bother him that his visit wrecked the Queen's garden.
All the News Fit to Print
The U.S. Army has backtracked on its original assertion that 2 soldiers were mutilated after being shot in Iraq. Those of us silly enough to quote the Army must retract our statements (November 23rd post). Of course, we are now left to wonder which version of the story is true.
Bush doesn't know or doesn't care that the British hate him, so it won't bother him that his visit wrecked the Queen's garden.
All the News Fit to Print
The U.S. Army has backtracked on its original assertion that 2 soldiers were mutilated after being shot in Iraq. Those of us silly enough to quote the Army must retract our statements (November 23rd post). Of course, we are now left to wonder which version of the story is true.
Sunday, November 23, 2003
Whither Iraq
We will lose in Iraq. We have begun the destruction of a nation that was not a danger to us, all so that we can get their oil, let Israel have its way in that region and have a base for American troops. By the way, if you were in any way hopeful about the supposed turning over of Iraq to the Iraqis by June, you have been snookered. We will have at least 100,000 troops there until 2006 at least, even if they have their throats slit.
We will lose in Iraq. We have begun the destruction of a nation that was not a danger to us, all so that we can get their oil, let Israel have its way in that region and have a base for American troops. By the way, if you were in any way hopeful about the supposed turning over of Iraq to the Iraqis by June, you have been snookered. We will have at least 100,000 troops there until 2006 at least, even if they have their throats slit.
More Freedom Rider
How could I forget to give myself a plug? You get more where this came from right here.
Mujahadeen are the Good Guys
I am old enough to remember when the Mujahadeen were the good guys. They fought the evil Soviets in Afghanistan. You don't have to tell your age, but perhaps this will jog your memory.
Asia Times Online Cartoon - By Gavin Coates.gif
How could I forget to give myself a plug? You get more where this came from right here.
Mujahadeen are the Good Guys
I am old enough to remember when the Mujahadeen were the good guys. They fought the evil Soviets in Afghanistan. You don't have to tell your age, but perhaps this will jog your memory.
Asia Times Online Cartoon - By Gavin Coates.gif
Saturday, November 22, 2003
Tony Blair is a Liar
Perhaps it is true that all politicians are ethically challenged or maybe my mom was right about the negative effects of hanging out with the wrong crowd. Either way it is clear that Tony Blair has as big a problem telling the truth as his pal George W. Bush. Blair was briefly hospitalized in October with an irregular heart beat and denied that he had any such condition in the past. When Bill Clinton mentioned that Blair had in fact discussed it previously, Downing Street called Clinton a liar.
Among the other embarassments that took place during the recent Bush visit to England was the revelation that a reporter had gotten a job as a servant in Buckingham Palace. Among other things, he reported that Blair has suffered from this condition in the past. Birds of a feather do flock together.
If Laura Bush Doesn't See You, Are You Still There
Asked whether she had been put off by large-scale protests against the visit and anti-American sentiment in Britain, Mrs Bush said she had seen many more pro-US demonstrators.
"I don't actually think the protests are near as large as everyone was predicting before we got here," she said, as a crowd estimated by police to be between 100,000 and 110,000 strong marched in protest.
"We've seen plenty of American flags. We've seen plenty of people who were waving to us, many, many more people, in fact than we've seen protestors."
War on Terror
The killing and capturing of Al Qaeda leaders is failing, they said, to keep pace with the number of angry young Muslim men and women willing to participate in suicide attacks.
One is tempted to reply "Duh" to remarks such as that gem from today's New York Times. It seems the world has an over supply of angry Muslims. Who would have thunk it?
The administration's Orwellian double speak has gone into over drive. Again they are claiming that terror attacks are proof of success. It is difficult to fight such brilliant cynicism. No matter what happens we are winning the war on terror, even if one previously peaceful city has suffered four car bombings in a little over a week.
The latest Goebbels special involves demonizing anyone who criticizes Bush as being insufficiently committed to fighting terrorism. How will the Democrats respond? If past efforts are any indication, the answer is that their response will be so lame as to be non-existent.
JFK Assassination
On Thursday night I watched a History Channel documentary about the assassination. Their story was that Oswald did it because he was lonely and crazy and Ruby killed Oswald because he was lonely and crazy. We should stop worrying our pretty little heads about assassination theories.
Spare me the soothing lies and the effort to deify Kennedy. Kennedy was crooked. His father used mob connections to get him elected and then his brother turned on gangsters and sent them to jail. Why was Kennedy using his girlfriend to communicate with mafioso Sam Giancana? The President of the U.S. should not have anything to say to a mobster. Well, if you are trying to kill Castro I guess you do need to keep in touch. JFK lived by the sword and then he died by it. You can't bite the hand that feeds you.
Perhaps it is true that all politicians are ethically challenged or maybe my mom was right about the negative effects of hanging out with the wrong crowd. Either way it is clear that Tony Blair has as big a problem telling the truth as his pal George W. Bush. Blair was briefly hospitalized in October with an irregular heart beat and denied that he had any such condition in the past. When Bill Clinton mentioned that Blair had in fact discussed it previously, Downing Street called Clinton a liar.
Among the other embarassments that took place during the recent Bush visit to England was the revelation that a reporter had gotten a job as a servant in Buckingham Palace. Among other things, he reported that Blair has suffered from this condition in the past. Birds of a feather do flock together.
If Laura Bush Doesn't See You, Are You Still There
Asked whether she had been put off by large-scale protests against the visit and anti-American sentiment in Britain, Mrs Bush said she had seen many more pro-US demonstrators.
"I don't actually think the protests are near as large as everyone was predicting before we got here," she said, as a crowd estimated by police to be between 100,000 and 110,000 strong marched in protest.
"We've seen plenty of American flags. We've seen plenty of people who were waving to us, many, many more people, in fact than we've seen protestors."
War on Terror
The killing and capturing of Al Qaeda leaders is failing, they said, to keep pace with the number of angry young Muslim men and women willing to participate in suicide attacks.
One is tempted to reply "Duh" to remarks such as that gem from today's New York Times. It seems the world has an over supply of angry Muslims. Who would have thunk it?
The administration's Orwellian double speak has gone into over drive. Again they are claiming that terror attacks are proof of success. It is difficult to fight such brilliant cynicism. No matter what happens we are winning the war on terror, even if one previously peaceful city has suffered four car bombings in a little over a week.
The latest Goebbels special involves demonizing anyone who criticizes Bush as being insufficiently committed to fighting terrorism. How will the Democrats respond? If past efforts are any indication, the answer is that their response will be so lame as to be non-existent.
JFK Assassination
On Thursday night I watched a History Channel documentary about the assassination. Their story was that Oswald did it because he was lonely and crazy and Ruby killed Oswald because he was lonely and crazy. We should stop worrying our pretty little heads about assassination theories.
Spare me the soothing lies and the effort to deify Kennedy. Kennedy was crooked. His father used mob connections to get him elected and then his brother turned on gangsters and sent them to jail. Why was Kennedy using his girlfriend to communicate with mafioso Sam Giancana? The President of the U.S. should not have anything to say to a mobster. Well, if you are trying to kill Castro I guess you do need to keep in touch. JFK lived by the sword and then he died by it. You can't bite the hand that feeds you.
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
AARP Sells Out to the Republicans
As I said in my previous post, watch the Medicare Prescription Bill and not news of an arrest warrant for Michael Jackson or the upcoming marriage of Bennifer or the upcoming divorce of Halle Berry or the latest photos of Brad and Jen or the latest from the Kobe Bryant trial or the latest from the Laci Peterson killer husband trial.
The current CEO of the AARP, William Novelli, is a big fan of Newt Gingrich. Yes, that Newt Gingrich. He loves Newt so much that he wrote the preface of a Gingrich tome on health care. Don't fall for the AARP seal of approval on the Medicare bill. Here is a good rule of thumb, you should run very far and very fast from anything or anyone the Republicans like.
And don't forget, celeb news is the tool of the right wing. It is the bread and circuses of the modern era.
As I said in my previous post, watch the Medicare Prescription Bill and not news of an arrest warrant for Michael Jackson or the upcoming marriage of Bennifer or the upcoming divorce of Halle Berry or the latest photos of Brad and Jen or the latest from the Kobe Bryant trial or the latest from the Laci Peterson killer husband trial.
The current CEO of the AARP, William Novelli, is a big fan of Newt Gingrich. Yes, that Newt Gingrich. He loves Newt so much that he wrote the preface of a Gingrich tome on health care. Don't fall for the AARP seal of approval on the Medicare bill. Here is a good rule of thumb, you should run very far and very fast from anything or anyone the Republicans like.
And don't forget, celeb news is the tool of the right wing. It is the bread and circuses of the modern era.
Bush Blackmail of Tony Blair?
I always liked Tony Blair so I was at first confused and later disgusted by his sucking up to George W. Bush. Why does he do it? Thank goodness we have Greg Palast to explain it all for us. Here is a quote from a February 2003 Buzzflash interview with Palast.
The answer is Irwin Stelzer. He is the guy who is a good friend of George Bush from the Hudson Institute, and the most powerful lobbyist in Britain representing British-American interests and, by the way, chief lobbyist for Rupert Murdoch. As soon as Bush seized the White House, Stelzer walked into Blair's office and said ‘we noticed that you were supporting Mr. Gore during the Presidential election' - even though clearly that didn't carry many states. Blair's effective endorsement of Al Gore did not go unnoticed. And there was a price to be paid. Blair was given a list of the things that would befall Britain from military subsidies and equipment, to a reduction of value in the dollar versus the pound, which would destroy England's exportability.
The interview was conducted before the Iraq War began but I think it still holds up. It also explains why Blair is giving Bush the red carpet treatment and why Blair orchestrated an interview for Bush in one of Murdoch's tabloids, The Sun. The Sun is known for topless photos of nubile young women, not hard hitting news. But if Murdoch calls the tune everyone dances.
Michael Jackson, Propaganda Tool
Like recordings from Osama and Saddam, Michael Jackson has a knack for being thrown into the fray when more important things are going on in the world. Earlier this year Jackson was in the news for baby dangling, denying more than one surgery on his nose, and giving ill-advised interviews. Well he's baaack.
Yesterday Jackson was served with a search warrant of his Neverland Ranch. Voila! Everything else disappeared from the news as if by magic. Against my better judgment I turned on the Today Show this morning and was confronted by the usual suspects of non-news stories. The Jackson saga was numero uno, complete with the "Jackson family attorney" and the ever present Gloria Allred.
The media and others among the powers that be love to keep us distracted. I think a little paranoia is always helpful when someone unimportant (Jackson, Laci Peterson's husband, J. Lo) is in the news. What are they trying to keep from us when these silly stories are always reported first? Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they are not out to get you.
I think the Medicare Prescription Coverage bill bears watching. Don't be fooled by the AARP seal of approval. This bill would give Republicans something they have dreamed about for years, the privatization of an entitlement program. So give more attention to your boring Congressman than to Wacko Jacko.
I always liked Tony Blair so I was at first confused and later disgusted by his sucking up to George W. Bush. Why does he do it? Thank goodness we have Greg Palast to explain it all for us. Here is a quote from a February 2003 Buzzflash interview with Palast.
The answer is Irwin Stelzer. He is the guy who is a good friend of George Bush from the Hudson Institute, and the most powerful lobbyist in Britain representing British-American interests and, by the way, chief lobbyist for Rupert Murdoch. As soon as Bush seized the White House, Stelzer walked into Blair's office and said ‘we noticed that you were supporting Mr. Gore during the Presidential election' - even though clearly that didn't carry many states. Blair's effective endorsement of Al Gore did not go unnoticed. And there was a price to be paid. Blair was given a list of the things that would befall Britain from military subsidies and equipment, to a reduction of value in the dollar versus the pound, which would destroy England's exportability.
The interview was conducted before the Iraq War began but I think it still holds up. It also explains why Blair is giving Bush the red carpet treatment and why Blair orchestrated an interview for Bush in one of Murdoch's tabloids, The Sun. The Sun is known for topless photos of nubile young women, not hard hitting news. But if Murdoch calls the tune everyone dances.
Michael Jackson, Propaganda Tool
Like recordings from Osama and Saddam, Michael Jackson has a knack for being thrown into the fray when more important things are going on in the world. Earlier this year Jackson was in the news for baby dangling, denying more than one surgery on his nose, and giving ill-advised interviews. Well he's baaack.
Yesterday Jackson was served with a search warrant of his Neverland Ranch. Voila! Everything else disappeared from the news as if by magic. Against my better judgment I turned on the Today Show this morning and was confronted by the usual suspects of non-news stories. The Jackson saga was numero uno, complete with the "Jackson family attorney" and the ever present Gloria Allred.
The media and others among the powers that be love to keep us distracted. I think a little paranoia is always helpful when someone unimportant (Jackson, Laci Peterson's husband, J. Lo) is in the news. What are they trying to keep from us when these silly stories are always reported first? Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they are not out to get you.
I think the Medicare Prescription Coverage bill bears watching. Don't be fooled by the AARP seal of approval. This bill would give Republicans something they have dreamed about for years, the privatization of an entitlement program. So give more attention to your boring Congressman than to Wacko Jacko.
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
Support the Troops
I always felt that the call to "support the troops" was bogus. Last week the organizers of a Veterans Day parade in Tallahassee, Florida proved me right. Vietnam Veterans opposed to the Iraq War were thrown off of the parade route. The right don't care about the troops. They care about control and conformity. They want everyone to either march in lock step, in this case literally, or shut up.
A Trip to the Boondocks
When we last we visited our young friends in the Boondocks they were attempting to assist Condi Rice with her love life (October 15th post). This week they may have found a suitor.
I always felt that the call to "support the troops" was bogus. Last week the organizers of a Veterans Day parade in Tallahassee, Florida proved me right. Vietnam Veterans opposed to the Iraq War were thrown off of the parade route. The right don't care about the troops. They care about control and conformity. They want everyone to either march in lock step, in this case literally, or shut up.
A Trip to the Boondocks
When we last we visited our young friends in the Boondocks they were attempting to assist Condi Rice with her love life (October 15th post). This week they may have found a suitor.
Praise the Lord
The religious left, it does exist, may finally be getting its act together. A new organization, the Clergy Leadership Network, will officially announce its formation on Friday. I hope they are ready to take it to the religious right who have announced an effort to protect public displays of the Ten Commandments. The public needs to hear from Christians opposed to these acts that infringe on religious freedoms. Will this group point out that displaying the Ten Commandments in a court room actually trivializes religious faith? The right wing have a running start. It is time to catch up.
No, You Can't Kill People During Your Visit
Today President Bush visits London. Hardly newsworthy but he will be the first U.S. president to make a state visit to the the U.K. That is correct, he will be the very first. Of all our presidents, how does he get to be the first accorded a state visit? I'll let the increasingly foolish Tony Blair explain that one.
The highlight of the trip appears to be the demands the Secret Service is making on British security agencies. One request was turned down however. It seems our guys wanted permission: A. to shoot people and B. to have immunity from prosecution for said shootings. Perhaps it is best not to visit a country if you think you will have to shoot people upon arriving.
The religious left, it does exist, may finally be getting its act together. A new organization, the Clergy Leadership Network, will officially announce its formation on Friday. I hope they are ready to take it to the religious right who have announced an effort to protect public displays of the Ten Commandments. The public needs to hear from Christians opposed to these acts that infringe on religious freedoms. Will this group point out that displaying the Ten Commandments in a court room actually trivializes religious faith? The right wing have a running start. It is time to catch up.
No, You Can't Kill People During Your Visit
Today President Bush visits London. Hardly newsworthy but he will be the first U.S. president to make a state visit to the the U.K. That is correct, he will be the very first. Of all our presidents, how does he get to be the first accorded a state visit? I'll let the increasingly foolish Tony Blair explain that one.
The highlight of the trip appears to be the demands the Secret Service is making on British security agencies. One request was turned down however. It seems our guys wanted permission: A. to shoot people and B. to have immunity from prosecution for said shootings. Perhaps it is best not to visit a country if you think you will have to shoot people upon arriving.
Saturday, November 15, 2003
Murder Inc.
What happens to people who are taught to kill? Once the switch is flipped, can it be turned off? Timothy McVeigh and John Muhammad had a hard time turning themselves off after they had been taugh to kill. So have many others.
The latest tragedy occured in Georgia, when soldiers recently returned from Iraq got into an argument after being ejected from a strip club. One was killed and his body burned by his "friends" in an effort to conceal it.
I came across this site today. I am glad that someone is thinking about this issue. Is Rumsfeld thinking about it? I doubt it. Conservatives are peddling anew the Saddam equals Osama line and the administration now says we will turn Iraq over to the Iraqis by June. A few weeks ago anyone who advocated turning over power so quickly was called a treasonous Dixie Chick.
Of course, we won't really be leaving. Lest we forget, this war was fought to give America a military presence in the region. We don't plan to go anywhere. The Iraqis will still be mad and will continue to shoot down American helicopters. By the way, more Americans have been killed in seven months in Iraq than were killed in the first two years of the Vietnam War.
What happens to people who are taught to kill? Once the switch is flipped, can it be turned off? Timothy McVeigh and John Muhammad had a hard time turning themselves off after they had been taugh to kill. So have many others.
The latest tragedy occured in Georgia, when soldiers recently returned from Iraq got into an argument after being ejected from a strip club. One was killed and his body burned by his "friends" in an effort to conceal it.
I came across this site today. I am glad that someone is thinking about this issue. Is Rumsfeld thinking about it? I doubt it. Conservatives are peddling anew the Saddam equals Osama line and the administration now says we will turn Iraq over to the Iraqis by June. A few weeks ago anyone who advocated turning over power so quickly was called a treasonous Dixie Chick.
Of course, we won't really be leaving. Lest we forget, this war was fought to give America a military presence in the region. We don't plan to go anywhere. The Iraqis will still be mad and will continue to shoot down American helicopters. By the way, more Americans have been killed in seven months in Iraq than were killed in the first two years of the Vietnam War.
Friday, November 14, 2003
Bush is the Front Runner
Read it and weep. Zev Chafets is a New York Daily News columnist whose opinions are rarely in sync with my own. But his column this week was sadly right on point.
"It's the electoral college stupid." That must become the mantra of the democratic party in 2004. Unfortunately the electoral map doesn't look good for us. The red states have gained electoral votes, and the blue states have lost. The exception is California and the republicans made a move with Schwarzenegger that helps Bush's chances there.
I sometimes wonder if I am the only one who remembers the debacle of November 2000. That was a civics lesson we should never forget. Democratic commentators either have amnesia or a bad case of denial. No one emphasizes the electoral college edge that Bush has. Polls showing Bush vulnerability don't mean much. Lest we forget, the popular vote doesn't count.
Bush can be defeated but the democratic nominee will be the underdog and we must never lose sight of that fact.
Read it and weep. Zev Chafets is a New York Daily News columnist whose opinions are rarely in sync with my own. But his column this week was sadly right on point.
"It's the electoral college stupid." That must become the mantra of the democratic party in 2004. Unfortunately the electoral map doesn't look good for us. The red states have gained electoral votes, and the blue states have lost. The exception is California and the republicans made a move with Schwarzenegger that helps Bush's chances there.
I sometimes wonder if I am the only one who remembers the debacle of November 2000. That was a civics lesson we should never forget. Democratic commentators either have amnesia or a bad case of denial. No one emphasizes the electoral college edge that Bush has. Polls showing Bush vulnerability don't mean much. Lest we forget, the popular vote doesn't count.
Bush can be defeated but the democratic nominee will be the underdog and we must never lose sight of that fact.
Wednesday, November 12, 2003
You Read It Here First
Regular readers of Freedom Riders know that in a November 2nd post I declared that John Kerry's presidential bid is toast. His bread is burned because he voted in favor of the war in Iraq.
Well, well, well. Bigger names than mine have jumped onto the Freedom Rider's bandwagon. The Boston Globe and syndicated columnist Cynthia Tucker have proven that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. They have figured out what the Freedom Rider has been saying for a long time.
Voting against war in Iraq was not a liability. It was imperative for anyone who wanted to reach democrat voters sick of their leaders complacency and acquiescence to the Bush regime. Poor Kerry has now put on casual work day clothes and ridden a motorcycle onto the set of the Jay Leno Show. I think he was better off shooting pheasants in Iowa.
Regular readers of Freedom Riders know that in a November 2nd post I declared that John Kerry's presidential bid is toast. His bread is burned because he voted in favor of the war in Iraq.
Well, well, well. Bigger names than mine have jumped onto the Freedom Rider's bandwagon. The Boston Globe and syndicated columnist Cynthia Tucker have proven that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. They have figured out what the Freedom Rider has been saying for a long time.
Voting against war in Iraq was not a liability. It was imperative for anyone who wanted to reach democrat voters sick of their leaders complacency and acquiescence to the Bush regime. Poor Kerry has now put on casual work day clothes and ridden a motorcycle onto the set of the Jay Leno Show. I think he was better off shooting pheasants in Iowa.
Truth at Last
I could not believe my eyes. A major American newspaper, the Washington Post, actually published an op-ed about the one-sided pro-Israeli bias in American politics.
The authors, Cornel West and Michael Lerner, dispassionately make the case that the democratic party in particular, is too beholden financially to pro-Israeli interests. The smack down of Howard Dean, who merely said we should be "even handed" in the Middle East was apparently the last straw for the authors as it was for many others. Let's hope this is the beginning of a real debate about American policy regarding Israel.
Occupation
Despite Rumsfeld's recent denial (see yesterday's post) I recall being told that the Iraqis would welcome us with open arms. It was never true and the situation will only get worse when Arabs see photos of U.S. soldiers tying up Iraqi women and children.
I could not believe my eyes. A major American newspaper, the Washington Post, actually published an op-ed about the one-sided pro-Israeli bias in American politics.
The authors, Cornel West and Michael Lerner, dispassionately make the case that the democratic party in particular, is too beholden financially to pro-Israeli interests. The smack down of Howard Dean, who merely said we should be "even handed" in the Middle East was apparently the last straw for the authors as it was for many others. Let's hope this is the beginning of a real debate about American policy regarding Israel.
Occupation
Despite Rumsfeld's recent denial (see yesterday's post) I recall being told that the Iraqis would welcome us with open arms. It was never true and the situation will only get worse when Arabs see photos of U.S. soldiers tying up Iraqi women and children.
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
They ARE on Drugs
More than once I have asked myself if the Bushies are on drugs. It all began when they said that an Arab Muslim nation would want to be controlled by infidels. They certainly got that wrong.
They they tell me that Saddam and Osama are practically the same guy. They they denied saying it. Then they tell me that Iraqis will greet us with open arms. Then they deny saying it. They they said Saddam had WMDs. Then they denied that too. I began to wonder if they were on drugs or if they thought the rest of us were.
Well the mystery is solved. Colin Powell has opened up like an addict at an NA meeting. In an interview with a Saudi newspaper he admits to taking the sleep aide Ambien, which can be addictive. In the name of journalistic integrity I have to point out that several years ago I took Ambien. My doctor told me about the drug's habit forming potential when he prescribed it but would not give me a refill. I resolved whatever was bugging me at the time and got my z's without the help of any more pills, but back to Powell. I wonder if his doctor is as cautious as mine.
Powell does say he only uses them if he is changing time zones. That doesn't explain why he lied at the United Nations back in February. There is no time zone change between Washington and New York. So unfortunately he is claiming to have been clean and sober when he gave that speech that will live in infamy (October 15th posts).
Powell also said that "everyone" uses Ambien. Who is everyone? Is it Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice or all of the above? Frankly I hope they are all on drugs. It makes everything more logical and explains that pretzel incident too.
Jessica Lynch Topless
It seems that Jessica Lynch was incredibly friendly with her fellow soldiers. So friendly in fact that she felt comfortable being topless and posing for photos while in that state. Who else but Larry Flynt would have the pics.
I really am tired of ordinary people being turned into heroes because they accidentally find themselves in trouble. Enough already. By the way, this story first popped up several months ago in British newspapers. I wonder if it was mentioned in the televised biopic the other night? I wonder if it was mentioned in the current Time cover story? I haven't checked but my guess is that it doesn't come up at all.
More than once I have asked myself if the Bushies are on drugs. It all began when they said that an Arab Muslim nation would want to be controlled by infidels. They certainly got that wrong.
They they tell me that Saddam and Osama are practically the same guy. They they denied saying it. Then they tell me that Iraqis will greet us with open arms. Then they deny saying it. They they said Saddam had WMDs. Then they denied that too. I began to wonder if they were on drugs or if they thought the rest of us were.
Well the mystery is solved. Colin Powell has opened up like an addict at an NA meeting. In an interview with a Saudi newspaper he admits to taking the sleep aide Ambien, which can be addictive. In the name of journalistic integrity I have to point out that several years ago I took Ambien. My doctor told me about the drug's habit forming potential when he prescribed it but would not give me a refill. I resolved whatever was bugging me at the time and got my z's without the help of any more pills, but back to Powell. I wonder if his doctor is as cautious as mine.
Powell does say he only uses them if he is changing time zones. That doesn't explain why he lied at the United Nations back in February. There is no time zone change between Washington and New York. So unfortunately he is claiming to have been clean and sober when he gave that speech that will live in infamy (October 15th posts).
Powell also said that "everyone" uses Ambien. Who is everyone? Is it Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice or all of the above? Frankly I hope they are all on drugs. It makes everything more logical and explains that pretzel incident too.
Jessica Lynch Topless
It seems that Jessica Lynch was incredibly friendly with her fellow soldiers. So friendly in fact that she felt comfortable being topless and posing for photos while in that state. Who else but Larry Flynt would have the pics.
I really am tired of ordinary people being turned into heroes because they accidentally find themselves in trouble. Enough already. By the way, this story first popped up several months ago in British newspapers. I wonder if it was mentioned in the televised biopic the other night? I wonder if it was mentioned in the current Time cover story? I haven't checked but my guess is that it doesn't come up at all.
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