Reuters/Jim Young

Bush in Tears

The prez boo-hooed at the post-humous medal of honor ceremony for Marine Corporal Jason Dunham. Gee, I recall another historical figure who wept for his troops. His name was Hitler.

What a cynical bastard. The ceremony took place the night after Bush gave us all the finger and declared that he would keep on killing. The rest of us ought to be crying our eyes out.

Bush to U.S.:Go F_ _ k Yourselves!

These are the words of Scott Thill in Huffington Post. Like Thill, I didn't bother to watch the president last night. I never do.

What does it take to wake everyone up around here? Who has to suck W.'s cock to get him impeached in this country?

I dont' know what it will take, Miss Nancy has said that she won't impeach him. The Republicans used a magazine article to impeach Clinton. Bush can lie to Congress, open our mail and take our civil liberties but the namby pamby Dems won't lay a finger on him. Too bad.

By the way, if you wanted to know what the Dems said in response, you didn't find out from any of the networks. None of them bothered to show it. Only PBS and cable gave up the air time.

Uncle Sam and Saddam

"The missing pages implicated twenty-four U.S.-based corporations and the successive Ronald Reagan and George Bush Sr. administration in connection with the illegal supplying of Saddam Hussein government with myriad weapons of mass destruction and the training to use them."

Saddam Hussein could never have developed a chemical weapons program without the help of the United States. Of course the media will never tell you this, but the Bush administration removed over 8,000 pages from a report that detailed the extent of Iraq's chemical weapons capabilities. Why the editing? Well, without it Reagan and Bush (41) administration officials could be charged as war criminals.

The Bush administration is now doing serious damage control, after having managed to make the tyrant look heroic. How coincidental that the trial of Saddam's co-defendants now includes tapes of conversations that included ordering WMD attacks on the Kurds.

Nice try. The Bushies have been busy tap dancing since the hanging took place. First reminding us that Saddam was really, really bad and then twisting Maliki's arm and getting him to claim that it was he who hurried up the Saddam Swing.

Sometimes damage cannot be undone. In this case it keeps getting worse. Not only is there a video showing what looks like a masked street gang taunting Saddam before he died, there is a new video showing his bloody corpse.

Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century

Those poor stupid Arabs. They hate Israel because they believe the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. They mindlessly soak up any anti-Semitic screeds because well, they just hate Jews and their stupid.

If you watched the new PBS documentary Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century without knowing any of the history of the Middle East, that is what you would think. Arabs have legitimate grievances against Israel. In July 1948 the Israelis massacred Palestinians at Deir Yassin and sent thousands more to their deaths in the desert. Israel now inflicts collective punishment on civilian populations, a no-no in the Geneva Conventions, and is planning to kill millions of Iranians in order to make sure that no other nation in that region has the bomb. (Israel has been 100 and 300 nukes.)

Thanks for nothing PBS. Americans will remain stupid thanks to you.

Israel Plans Genetic Germ Warfare

Tonight PBS will tell us that anti-Semitism is increasing and the Arabs just hate the Jews, etc. I wonder if they will ever get around to telling the world that Israel tried to develop a chemical weapon that would target only Arabs? Of course that will never happen. I'll watch tonight's documentary, if I can stomach it, and review tomorrow.

Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century: the Resurgence, is part of an ongoing campaign to shut up critics of Israel. Norman Finkelstein said it best regarding the controversy surrounding his book Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History. Finkelstein stated that the controvery took place because of "...Israel's horrendous human rights record in the Occupied Territories and the misuse of anti-Semitism to delegitimize criticism of it."

Amen brother Finkelstein, who debated Jimmy Carter's book on Democracy Now. Finkelstein is always worth listening to.

Saddam Hangs, Rumsfeld Doesn't

"But perhaps most importantly, the missing pages contain information that could potentially make a case for war crimes against officials within the Reagan and the Bush Sr. administrations. This includes the current Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld — for his collaboration with Saddam Hussein leading up to the massacres of Iraqi Kurds and acting as liaison for U.S. military aid during the war between Iraq and Iran."

If you read this blog you probably already know that Rummy and Reagan gave Saddam all of the chemical weapons he used against the Kurds and Iranians. You may not know that the Bush administration removed 8,000 pages from a UN report that not only said the same thing, but detailed how many U.S. corporations helped in the dirty work.

The story of the edited UN document was among the Project Censored top 25 stories of 2002. It is a righteous but sad list. By their nature all of the stories are important, but if they made the list it means that few know about them.

I will have more in next week's Black Agenda Report.

Colin Powell's Pants are on Fire

Colin Powell, the ultimate political survivor, is back in the news. In response to recent suggestions that troop levels in Iraq should be increased, he replied that the U.S. army is "about broken."

No one should thank Powell for telling us what has been obvious for a long time. Any ideas of increasing the numbers of troops in Iraq are pure fantasy, unless of course the Bushies go along with Congressman Charles Rangel's proposal to bring back the draft.

Anyway, Powell is a gigantic liar. Sam Husseini, who you probably never heard of, was the only member of the press to ask Powell hard questions after a Face the Nation appearance last week.
Sam Husseini: Do you know that Hussein Kamel said that there were no WMDs? Did you know that?
Colin Powell: What’s that?
Husseini: You cited Hussein Kamel in your UN testimony. Did you know that he said that there were no WMDs, did you know that at the time?
Powell: I only knew what the intelligence community told me.
Husseini: But did you know that fact?
Powell: Of course not!
Husseini: You didn’t know that he said that, even though it was reported?
Powell: I -
Husseini: You didn’t know -
Powell: I’ve answered your question.
Husseini: You didn’t know that he said there were no WMDs.

As Powell attempts to resurrect himself from the ashes of the Bush team, he should be asked these questions again and again. He lied and those lies had horrific consequences. Maybe Husseini can do us all a favor and clone himself. Any puncturing of the American bubble of ignorance is a good thing.

The Onion

Al Gore Caught Warming Globe

Jimmy Carter vs. Israeli Apartheid

At long last the New York Times (registration required) has decided to mention that former president Jimmy Carter has written a new book that is on the Times bestseller list. For some strange reason, the only mention is in the Arts section and only the book's critics are quoted.

The book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, has gotten little attention in the print media. The American media routinely ignore or excoriate critics of Israeli government policy. It is a little harder to do if the critic is a former president and prolific author. So the Times finally covers a book that deals with a critical national and foreign policy issue but only in the Arts section.

Carter has done the American people a great service by writing this book and by adamantly and unapologetically using the word apartheid. My two cents is in this weeks Black Agenda Report.

Christmas in Seattle

"Threatening a lawsuit, I feel, violates the Jewish principle known in Hebrew as Kiddush HaShem, interpreted in the Talmud, part of ancient Jewish wisdom, as an action that encourages people to admire Jews. One need only read the comments on the Internet following the news accounts of the tree removal, to know that most people are feeling indignant and hurt. They certainly are not feeling more warmly toward Jews as a result of this mess."
Rabbi Daniel Lapin

Lapin hits the nail on the head. When Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky threatened to sue Seattle's airport if they didn't add a menorah to its holiday display, he in effect asked for the Christmas trees to be removed. As Lapin said, ". . . when one throws a punch (which is what bringing a lawyer and threatening to sue is equivalent to) and one gets decked in return, one cannot plead that one didn’t intend that outcome."

Sea-Tac airport should have told the litigious clergyman, "See you in court," and waited for a judge to instruct them on how to respond. Instead they took the wimpy way out and caused great resentment among Christians, whose opinions apparently don't count for much.

Because of vociferous complaints, the trees are back up, but what will happen next December? I don't really care if there is a menorah at Sea-Tac, but knowing how it came to be there will leave a bad taste in my mouth.

Black people are always told to accept our status as a minority. When we are outnumbered at election time and can't get black officials in office, well it is just too bad. If Jews chafe in December because theirs is the minority religion, it is just too bad. What is good for the goose should be good for the gander too.

Jews Against Israel

" . . .'the underlying cause of strife and bloodshed in the Middle East, namely the state known as Israel, [should] be totally and peacefully dissolved'. "
Rabbi Aharon Cohen

Yes, there are anti-Zionist Jews. They are such anti-Zionists that they will show up in Iran and participate in President Ahmedinajad's Holocaust Conference. They don't question that the Jewish holocaust took place, but that it has been used as a "tool of commercial, military and media power". Ouch! Sounds like they read The Holocaust Industry by Norman Finkelstein. If you haven't read this or other Finkelstein works, you should.

Of course, I don't deny that the Jewish holocaust happened, I do deny that it gives Israel the right to commit a holocaust against the people of Iran. Unfortunately, inviting David Duke to a conference is not a way to win friends or influence people. It makes it easy for stupid and/or blood thirsty Americans to advocate killing.

Gay Fundies

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Fundies are busting out of the closet. This article appeared in today's New York Times, but I have linked to the International Herald Tribune because there is no registration required.

The article tells us what we already knew, that gay people follow every religious, political and ideological belief system on earth. The individuals profiled in this story don't believe that the earth is 4 billion years old. They take the bible literally, except for what it says about them.

Hopefully, they will become more open minded in their religious world view too. If they don't believe what the bible says about homosexuality, they should consider that humans evolved and that the earth is older than the bible says it is.

Iraq Study Group

The title sounds like a group of college kids studying for a test, but it is far more serious. Today Bush's baby sitter, James Baker, essentially said that occupying Iraq was a very bad idea.

Occupying Iraq was morally wrong and without justification. More than 600,000 people are dead and the rest of world hates America more than ever.

The Study Group proposals don't really amount to much. A plan for withdrawal is the only way to save lives. A plan to compensate the Iraqi people for their suffering is the only moral thing to do.

By the way, the American media has said little about what the Iraqis want. CNN actually took a step towards behaving like a news organization when it reported that Iraqis say, "Get the hell out of our country." Only 1 out of 20 believe that security is better now than under Saddam Hussein, 9 out of 10 are afraid of American troops and 2 out of 3 will feel better when U.S. troops get out. Too bad the press isn't hanging on to their every word. It is the only opinion that ought to count.

Apartheid

"But there‘s no doubt that within the Occupied Territories—Palestinian land—that there is a horrendous example of apartheid. The occupation of Palestinian land, the confiscation of that land that doesn‘t belong to Israel, the building of settlements on it, the colonization of that land, and then the connection of those isolated but multiple settlements—more than 200 of them—with each other by highways, on which Palestinians can‘t travel and quite often where Palestinians cannot even cross."
Jimmy Carter

When a former president of the United States writes a book, it gets attention. Well, not if the book criticizes Israel. Jimmy Carter's latest work, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, has received no attention from the national print media. The New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times have all ignored the book.

The Israeli government was one of the few governments on earth that advocated for the occupation of Iraq. It is the only other nation on earth that wants nuclear war against Iran. Unless full and open debate about Israeli policies are permitted to take place, this country will suffer. If New York or another city is attacked it will be because of hatred of America's unqualified support of Israel.

Bring It On

Virginia Senator-elect Jim Webb wanted to punch Dubya's lights out after the two had this exchange.

At a private reception held at the White House with newly elected lawmakers shortly after the election, Bush asked Webb how his son, a Marine lance corporal serving in Iraq, was doing.

Webb responded that he really wanted to see his son brought back home, said a person who heard about the exchange from Webb.

“I didn’t ask you that, I asked how he’s doing,” Bush retorted, according to the source.

Well, aren't we testy. This moment reveals so very much about the president. He doesn't like to be questioned, he doesn't like to hear any disagreement, and he doesn't give a damn about the soldiers he gets misty eyed over. Hitler was like that too.

He is a self-centered, narcissistic, SOB. He has no empathy, and he certainly has no charm or sense of diplomacy. As he said, being president means you can do what you want. You can open a can of whoop ass without fear of an ass whooping.

Black Agenda Report

It's Hump Day, and that means it is also Black Agenda Report day. As usual, you will get a take on the news that you won't get anywhere else. Obamamania? Not at BAR, thank goodness.

Jesse, Jesse, Jesse

"I can't speak for the television industry."
Michael Richards

"We are all racists."
Dr. Brenda Wade

I'm trying to give Jesse Jackson the benefit of the doubt, but I have to go with my gut instinct. When I read that Jackson would interview Richards on his radio program, I could only ask, "What the f**k for?"

Jackson says he wants to talk about the chance for healing, and discuss the dearth of black images on television. I'm all for healing and I want to see more black people on the tube, but it was frankly a waste for Jackson to ask Richards about it. Maybe he had a brilliant reason for this program, but it eludes me.

As for this Dr. Wade, I don't know what is up with her. She said that racism was subconscious, but it certainly isn't for the KKK and it wasn't for Richards. There is nothing subconscios about his hatred. It was front, center and very present in his brain.

There is nothing to be gained from engaging the likes of Michael Richards. He is a bigot, he is only sorry because he got caught. There has to be a clear expression of outrage directed at him, and that can't happen if Howard Rubenstein calls Jesse and says, "Please put my client on your show." That helps Rubenstein, Richards and Jackson but it certainly doesn't help anyone else.

Michael Richards is Jewish

For the last week the Michael Richards racism controversy has generated another one, or rather a question. Is Michael Richards Jewish? Jew, not a Jew. Some said no, he is Catholic. Some said his mother is Jewish and that settles the question. Others said he is a Mason and that means he can't be Jewish.

His flack, Howard Rubenstein, answers the question.

"As for reports that Richards shouted out anti-Semitic remarks during another standup comedy routine in April, Rubenstein confirmed his client did, but that he was only role-playing. 'He's Jewish. He's not anti-Semitic at all.'

Well, Rubenstein should know how his client identifies himself. If his flack says Richards is Jewish, then he is. Case closed.

I Lied, So Did Michael Richards

OK, so I am posting before Monday. I really had intended to take off for the weekend, but that was before a friend told me that Michael Richards was never heckled by anyone before he spewed his sick tirade last week. Kyle Doss and Frank McBride, victims of the hate filled routine, were interviewed on the Today Show today. Watch the video.

Both men report that Richards attacked them from the moment they walked in with a group of friends. As soon as he saw them Richards made a comment about “stupid blacks and Mexicans.” Someone in their group responded, “You’re not funny,” but only after Richards flipped the bird and used the word nigger numerous times.

Now that the truth is out, damage control has gone into high gear. Richards is calling Al and Jesse and any other famous black person he can find to take his calls.

I had Richards pegged as a racist from day one. If he had been heckled, so what? Comedians have to deal with rowdy patrons all the time. Richards evocation of lynching revealed a sick, hateful mind. End of story.

OK, now I’m finished until Monday. I think.

Happy Thanksgiving

Sorry about causing heart burn the day before we all chow down, but Black Agenda Report always keeps it real. You will never think of Thanksiving the same way again. If you want a more light hearted approach to the same theme, check out the Onion. It may help the stuffing go down a bit easier.

Thanks to Smirking Chimp for posting my work again. Torture anyone? Not to worry if your white, even if you are a terrorist.

Eat well, don't drink and drive, and whatever else you do, don't shop on Friday. I'm taking the weekend off, next post on Monday.