Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Freedom's Dues

Aren't you just amazed at all the Neo-Con blather about

"HONOR"
"DUTY"
"SACRIFICE"
"SERVING YOUR COUNTRY"
"FIGHTING THE 'WAR ON TERROR'"
and
"BRINGING FREEDOM & DEMOCRACY"
to others?

The most astounding part is most of those doing all the hyper-ventilating over all these things never made any personal sacrifices for our country - but they'd really like for others to do so.

Not one of those who has never earned the right is qualified to demand ANYTHING of others. That includes most Neo-Cons and especially our Chickenshit-In-Chief and 97% of his administration!

Freedom is not something that anybody can be willed or given. Freedom and the rights that go with it must be earned by people for themselves, and it requires some personal sacrifice - some actual giving of oneself on behalf of our country's needs. It's a poor, poor, sad sort of person who is unwilling to offer any sacrifice for his own freedom but is more than willing and eager leave that responsibility to others.

Freedom always carries the burden of proof, always throws us back on ourselves.

These hyper-ventilating Neo-Cons greatly remind me of Artemus Ward who famously said:

"I have already given two cousins to the war and I stand ready to sacrifice my wife's brother."


If Neo-Cons really want to earn the right, then they could GO VOLUNTEER to serve our country in Iraq! That might convince me.

Until someone actually does something for our country more than simply exist in it, THEY HAVE NOT PAID THEIR DUES!

Friday, August 26, 2005

The "Dummino Theory"

Perhaps this should be called the "Dummino Theory":

Maybe they thought no one would notice . . . ,

but some of the press is finally waking up to the "Big Ten" corporations' Cheating, fraud & lawlessness which is costing so much money - and so many, many LIVES . . .

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Quotes from the "Good Ol' Days"

Some pertinent quotes from the time when Clinton committed troops to Bosnia:

"You can support the troops but not the president."
--Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)

"Well, I just think it's a bad idea. What's going to happen is they're going to be over there for 10, 15, maybe 20 years."
--Joe Scarborough (R-FL)

"Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may come home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their life?"
--Sean Hannity, Fox News, 4/6/99

"[The] President . . . is once again releasing American military might on a foreign country with an ill-defined objective and no exit strategy. He has yet to tell the Congress how much this operation will cost. And he has not informed our nation's armed forces about how long they will be away from home. These strikes do not make for a sound foreign policy."
--Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)

"American foreign policy is now one huge big mystery. Simply put, the administration is trying to lead the world with a feel-good foreign policy."
--Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)

"If we are going to commit American troops, we must be certain they have a clear mission, an achievable goal and an exit strategy."
--Karen Hughes, speaking on behalf of George W Bush

"I had doubts about the bombing campaign from the beginning . . I didn't think we had done enough in the diplomatic area."
--Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)


"I cannot support a failed foreign policy. History teaches us that it is often easier to make war than peace. This administration is just learning that lesson right now. The President began this mission with very vague objectives and lots of unanswered questions. A month later, these questions are still unanswered. There are no clarified rules of engagement. There is no timetable. There is no legitimate definition of victory. There is no contingency plan for mission creep. There is no clear funding program. There is no agenda to bolster our over-extended military. There is no explanation defining what vital national interests are at stake. There was no strategic plan for war when the President started this thing, and there still is no plan today"
--Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)

"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is."
--Governor George W. Bush (R-TX)

One ODD thing is, we WON that war without ONE SINGLE AMERICAN killed in action!

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Honor Their Sacrifice

"We'll honor their sacrifice by staying on the offensive against the terrorists."
- George Walker Bush, Salt Lake City, Utah 8/22/05

* Eerily similar words were used by other Presidents and their administrations in their times. The main difference is that the bogeymen then were ‘communists’ instead of ‘terrorists’:

Lyndon Baines Johnson - 1963 - 1969 (refused to run again)

Richard Milhous Nixon - 1969 - 1974 (resigned in disgrace)

and one fine day: "George Walker Bush - 2000 - 200[?] (tried & convicted for war crimes, now serving life without parole at Abu Gharib Prison in Iraq)"

What ALL THREE meant was: “Let’s keep sending young Americans off to die (just so long as it isn’t our own kids, or those of other high-ranking politicians) - in this war for the selfish financial interests of our political supporters.”

Finally, after nearly 60,000 American deaths in Vietnam, another American President - Gerald Rudolph Ford - “who played too much football without a helmet” in the words of LBJ - was forced to bring our boys and girls home in what is widely viewed as and amounted to a defeat in a foreign war.

Nearly 60,000 died then. Hundreds of thousands were wounded - and many, many thousands crippled for life and a whole generation of Americans traumatized. How many will it take this time?

* Another eerie similarity is that both the Vietnam War and our current “War President’s” war in Iraq were both begun with lies, deception and false pretenses.

* “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
- George Santayana

* "Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind... And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded with patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the leader, and gladly so. How do I know? For this is what I have done. And I am Caesar."
- William Shakespeare

“I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall -- think of it, ALWAYS.”
- Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948)

Saturday, August 20, 2005

Disturbing Proof


* * * * NEWS FLASH * * * *
Recent photographic evidence is raising some disturbingly troubling questions about the current American President. New research now shows that all is not as it should be.

For example, were the photos showing something referred to as “Bush’s Codpiece”. Questions about those photos were answered by the White House as follows:

“Hey, that’s just the way he is”


Well, ha - yeah, right. Obviously, that just didn’t fly.
Then, the White House came up with a much more believable, albeit unflattering statement obviously meant to disarm the public:

“Well, I guess he just got his panties all bunched up.”

But then someone pointed out the small wires coming from the President’s flight suit going to a sort of remote device held by a strange little green-suited figure always near Bush. The White House vehemently denied both the wires and the green suited figure, claiming the photographic evidence was ‘just lint on the lens’ - no doubt from the President’s panties. No valid explanation was given for the figure in the green suit.

Observers have noticed the President often seems to have a strange, square blocky shape in the middle of his back, between his shoulders. The White House tried to explain that by claiming his suit jacket ‘bunched up’ - a sort of not-so-subtle tie-in with their language concerning his panties we suppose.

And, close examination of photos also shows a sort of earpiece thingy in his left ear. The White House also flatly denies this evidence, claiming is probably just a ‘bug on the lens’. While we acknowledge the White House's fascination with 'bugs' and agree this is obviously some sort of bug, it is definitely in his ear and not on some lens.

More disturbing evidence came when it was noticed that sometimes - often - the President lapses into a sort of catatonic, mindless state for from a few seconds to several minutes at a time - as in the famous incident when he was reading to school children and was notified of the attacks on the World Trade Center. The White House explains this by saying the President was ‘thinking’ - which is manifestly, obviously and in grievous error on the very face of it. And, of course the entire world knows of the President’s reputation for garbled syntax and the misuse of language to the the point of confusing, babbling nonsense.

It has also been noticed there were strikingly different aspects to Bush’s so-called ‘personality’. For example, he is almost laughably and comically ‘macho’ at times, blustering, bragging and stomping around like a mindless ape - which he actually quite closely resembles. He's strongly prone to go around spouting stupidly aggressive sound bites like “I’m the War President!”, “Mission Accomplished!” and “Bring ‘em on!”

At other times the President is noticeably almost prissily feminine - lapsing into what many reporters now call his “Foo-Foo” state. More cruel persons also refer to it as his “Fairy”, “Homo”, “Sissy” or “Queer Dear” aspect.

During his “Foo-Foo” phases, the President can be ridiculously girlish - more resembling his close friends and advisors Kenneth Starr, John Ashcroft, Karl Rove or perhaps even more closely his secret friend and bunky buddy, Michael Jackson. That might even be an attractive trait if it did not clash so strongly with the strident manly image he seeks to portray - not to mention his stupid & silly acts of aggression.

White House personnel are always alert and quick to hide this feminine aspect from the public, but not always successfully as it turns out.

Importantly, the new research and studies emphatically indicate what has long been suspected; That President George W. Bush is actually an android, created by the Republican National Committee with the help of the CIA and other Federal acronymic agencies. The bionics are visible portions of the controlling devices implanted in the 'droid.

Apparently, this particular android model is an early, unproved version, rushed into use before all the glitches were worked out. The catatonic lapses are sometimes encountered when switching controllers and the relief has wandered off to the loo or something. Sadly, this sloppiness has resulted in the disturbing images now all over the media.
This defective android is being controlled by various persons (green suited figures, Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, etc.), depending upon the time of day. Obviously, some are less than 'macho' & many closet homosexual controllers have somehow sneaked into the mix, much to the chagrin of the Neo-Con leaders of the RNC who strenuously (and hopelessly) guard against this sort of thing. It is actually quite distressing to the more doctrinally inclined of the group.

The consensus is that the closet homosexual component results from the behind the scenes efforts of people like Kenneth Starr, John Ashcroft, Karl Rove, Robert Novak, Trent Lott, Dick Armey, Dick Cheney, Jerry Falwell, etc.
The RNC is now mounting a ruthless, but so far unsuccessful effort to “root out the sissy controllers” before the party is irrevocably damaged.

And now, definitive proof of the android character of our current, brave “War President” has just been uncovered. This photo of a "replenishment device', designed to input energy and formatted information into the 'droid has just now come to light. We are told this is inserted in the anus of the android several times a day, to insure that the 'President is always full of it’ in the words of one of his handlers. It is apparently very effective.

More to come.

Friday, August 19, 2005

The Turd, Blossoming

"I will never divulge classified information to anyone unauthorized to receive it”.
- Karl Rove

Standard Form 312(SF-312) (Classified Information Nondisclosure Agreement) was read and signed by Karl Rove;

This document, signed by ROVE acknowledged that he was aware that the unauthorized disclosure of classified information by him could cause irreparable injury to the United States or could be used to advantage by a foreign nation and that he would never divulge classified information to an unauthorized person. He further acknowledged that he would never divulge classified information unless he had officially verified that the recipient was authorized by the United States to receive it. Additionally, he agreed that if he was uncertain about the classification status of information, he was required to confirm from an authorized official that the information is unclassified before he could disclose it.

Some Neo-Cons defend Rove saying that he didn’t know that the information he was passing could be used to the detriment of the United States, but the law does not say a violator must be aware that the information he or she is communicating could cause harm to the United States if exposed. It only sets as a criterion that the violator "willfully" communicates this information.

Rove, who disclosed Valerie Wilson's identity to at least two reporters, cannot argue he was not "willfully" communicating this information to others.

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

An open letter to my Neo-Con friend Steve

Dear Steve:

Since you voice a strepitous claim to being such a fervently 'patriotic American', and so vociferously are in 'support of our troops' (and even though you've never, ever personally done a DAMNED THING for your country), I am honoring you by making a hefty donation in your name to the following person:

Cindy Sheehan (Mother of Casey Sheehan, a brave young American hero who volunteered for a hazardous mission in Iraq and lost his life as a result. You should receive a 'thank you' note from her soon)

Cindy simply wants to ask your American President to define and explain what he means by America's "Noble Mission" in Iraq which cost her son's life.

I know the CSIC (Chicken-Shit-In-Chief) wants you to believe he's a 'very busy person', what with chasing campaign funds and butt-screwing "Ol' Turd Blossom" (the traitor what am) and all, but it does not seem like a terribly difficult thing to answer Cindy's question. Probably take him maybe a minute or two once he got on a roll, and maybe it could get confusing - but somehow the Chicken-Shit-In-Chief seems to be extraordinarily reluctant to respond to this little bitty question.

As a loudly self-proclaimed 'American patriot', I know you also will be vitally interested in your President's answer, if any.

Sincerely,

Gnarly

Sunday, August 14, 2005

* * Bringing Freedom & Democracy to Iraq * *

What "Bringing Freedom and Democracy to Iraq" means under the Bush II Administration:

Unemployment is at 50-65%, vs. 5% prior to "Bringing Freedom and Democracy to Iraq"

Barbers post signs refusing to shave men in fear of being killed by religious extremists;

Fundamentalist Muslims militias now patrol portions of the country - executing opponents with impunity;

Electricity is off for days at a time - in 120 degree heat, vs. little outage prior to "Bringing Freedom and Democracy to Iraq";

Water is in short and unpredictable supply vs. plentiful supplies prior to "Bringing Freedom and Democracy to Iraq";

Parents keep children indoors in fear of kidnapping;

The stated goal of a secular and modern country is now quickly morphing into an Islamic Republic vs. secular government prior to "Bringing Freedom and Democracy to Iraq";

Women’s rights severely limited vs. open & full womens rights prior to "Bringing Freedom and Democracy to Iraq";

Killings of government security forces have tripled since January;

Over 4000 civilians have been killed in the country’s capital since the government took over on April 28, 2005;

Attacks on US security forces have doubled over the last year. Convoys are attacked an astounding 30% of the time and attacks are growing in sophistication and damages;

Oil production is 2.2 million barrels per day vs. 2.67 million barrels per day prior to "Bringing Freedom and Democracy to Iraq". That’s an 18% drop - almost 1/5th;

A ripening and sophisticated insurrection is now operating in full bloom over the entire country, with terrorist recruits streaming in from many other nations;

Yet, officials of the Bush II Administration have the unmitigated gall to claim they are improving Iraq by their version of "Bringing Freedom and Democracy to Iraq"!

Wheels Falling Off

The hallmark of this administration and their ardent supporters, is the foggy, irrational dream world they dwell in. One defining habit is wishing for something so badly they give it little rational thought. Apparently, they believe if you shout something often and loudly enough - well then, that makes it true! You will often hear a blathering, blustering idiotic statement completely at odds with reality, such as:

STATEMENT:
"Mission Accomplished"
- GW BUSH, 2003
REALITY:
1800 more American Dead

STATEMENT:
"bring 'em on"
- GW Bush, 2003
REALITY:
1800 more American Dead

STATEMENT:
"The war in Iraq is in its last throes."
- VP Richard Cheney
REALITY:
The war goes on undiminished with growing numbers of Americans dying . .


Of course there are many, many more examples of this sort of foolish yammering, but in fairness, I should point out that just when you least expect it they can also blurt out a truth:

STATEMENT:
"We're all capable of mistakes, but I do not care to enlighten you on the mistakes we may or may not have made."
- GW Bush
REALITY:
Confusing and sad, but true!

STATEMENT:
"Like you, I have been disgraced about what I've seen on TV that took place in prison."
—George W. Bush, Parkersburg, West Virginia, May 13, 2004
REALITY:
Shamefully disgraceful for our entire nation, oh so true . . .

STATEMENT:
"I think anybody who doesn't think I'm smart enough to handle the job is underestimating."
- GW Bush
REALITY:
Sadly, apparently very true . .

STATEMENT:
"Well, we've made the decision to defeat the terrorists abroad so we don't have to face them here at home. And when you engage the terrorists abroad, it causes activity and action."
—George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., April 28, 2005
REALITY:
Amen, brother!

STATEMENT:
"See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda."
—George W. Bush, Greece, N.Y., May 24, 2005
REALITY:
Very, very sad, but true - and largely effective in our nation of trusting citizenry . . .

STATEMENT:
"Had we to do it over again, we would look at the consequences of catastrophic success, being so successful so fast that an enemy that should have surrendered or been done in escaped and lived to fight another day."
—George W. Bush, telling Time magazine that he underestimated the Iraqi resistance
REALITY:
Yepper. It's become pretty evident that this is just exactly what is happening.

STATEMENT:
"It's a race against time because by the end of this coming summer we can no longer sustain the presence we have now. This thing, the wheels are coming off it."
-Retired Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey, referring to the war in Iraq, who visited there in June, 2005 and briefed Cheney, Rice and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
REALITY:
Tragically, couldn't be more evidently true . . .

Saturday, August 13, 2005

Certified, Gold Star American Hero

Cindy Sheehan is Casey Sheehan's mother. Casey was was a US soldier who was killed in fighting in Iraq. Like her son, Cindy is standing up for what she believes is right.

Cindy Sheehan & her family are the definition of good, solid patriotic Americans - in fact, almost a poster snapshot of the type of "Americans" this administration champions. If Cindy Sheehan voted in 2000 (she probably did) I think the odds are more than even she likely voted for Bush;
Now, Cindy Sheehan in her grief has begun to question the reasons for her tragic loss - and until one has lost a child one can never understand the full quotient of a parent's grief over a child's loss;
Cindy Sheehan obviously has asked herself the hard questions;

She has obviously done more than a little research on the reasons for the war in Iraq - would that more Americans did!

Like many others, Cindy Sheehan has now recognized that this war is completely fraudulent, and falsely 'justified' by this administration's deceptions, distortions, and outright lies. This administration shamelessly played upon the almost pathologically paranoid fears in the American public, most of whom failed to look beyond the propaganda drumbeat leading up to this war;

*("Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are evil thoughts; ruin and destruction mark their ways." - Isaiah 59:7)
Now, this courageous woman, every bit as brave as her son and even more so, has decided to go public to confront our "War President" and ask him the hard questions;

*("You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors." - Psalm 5:6)
(Perhaps it might also help to read Ms. Sheehan's own words.)
And, in an extreme embarrassment to President Bush and his Neo-Con administration, Cindy's vigil has been joined by many others - and all are being vilified in the right wing press who seem to have NO SHAME AT ALL!


Is Cindy Sheehan a patriotic American? You bet!

(There's an old saying that goes something like this: "When your ox is in ditch, you don't ask how he got there. You get him out!")

Is Cindy Sheehan playing into the hands of the anti-war movement? You bet!

Is this a bad thing? No way! Americans who share the core values our country represents should do no less.

Is Cindy Sheehan harming President Bush? You bet!

*("For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride. For the curses and lies they utter"- Psalm 59:12)

Is Cindy Sheehan harming our nation? No way! In fact, she is on page one everywhere overseas amply demonstrating to other countries that many Americans object to this fraudulent war.

Is Cindy Sheehan 'cheapening' her son's memory? On the contrary! Not only will Casey Sheehan always be remembered as a hero, he will be remembered even more as having an extraordinarily courageous and brave mom, who dared beard a hypocritically deceptive President in his own den.

And, everyone can't help but notice that this "War President" demonstrably lacks the PERSONAL COURAGE to face this brave and determined woman. (His motorcade has now twice passed by Ms. Sheehan without stopping while the demonstrators were pushed well back away from the road)

Texas law enforcement personnel have hindered the demonstrators and forced them onto a small plot of ground. Representative of their attitudes and mindset was the issue of using the public roadway. In the words of one news report:

"The group marched about a half-mile before local law enforcement officials stopped them at a bend in the road, still four to five miles from the ranch's entrance. Capt. Kenneth Vanek of the McLennan County Sheriff's Office said the group was stopped because some marchers ignored instructions to walk in the ditch beside the road, not on the road. "If they won't cooperate, we won't," Vanek said."

It must be pretty bad and probably a 'national security threat" to refuse to walk in the ditch! And, it goes without saying that it is damned uncooperative!

The prediction is that eventually Bush will at some point try to cut his losses and be shamed into meeting Cindy Sheehan face to face - but too late, and the damage will have been done.

Regime change in our country can come none too soon!

*I personally subscribe to no religion, but nonetheless find there is much wisdom of the ages in scriptures - and perversely enjoy throwing the words back at the sanctimonious of any stripe.)

Friday, August 12, 2005

Resume' of a Brave Patriotic American

CASEY SHEEHAN:

RESUME’ of a Brave & Patriotic Young American:


Born on Memorial Day, 1981

Good Roman Catholic;

Alter Boy;

Helped found church youth group;

Sincere Christian in church each and every Sunday, and Mass in between;

Eagle Scout;

Enlisted in the US Army & served his enlistment;

Reenlisted to serve in Iraq;

In the prime of life at age 24;

Volunteered for a rescue mission in Iraq;

This patriot did not survive - he was killed doing his duty being a brave soldier.

Now, this patriot’s mother has some hard questions to ask the person directly responsible for the war in Iraq which led directly to her son’s death. For one thing she would like some answers about the administration’s passel of lies leading up to the war to ‘justify’ it. Every bit as brave as her son she has personally gone to see the President of the United States at his 'vacation ranch' to ask her questions. She has camped out there for over a week while the President has avoided her and the right wing press has vilified her.

And, the one particular cowardly patsy who is directly responsible for her son's death, cravenly & shamefully hides behind his ‘security’, refusing to see her and far, far too afraid to face this determined woman.
Now, ain't he just something?

Our shamefully cowardly ‘leader’ will wish he had the courage to face this woman before this is over. May he get what he deserves - what our nation desperately needs is a Regime Change. . . .

Monday, August 08, 2005

The Resident "Most Insidious" of Arch-Traitors!

Some recommended slogans from MoveOn.org concerning the Neo-Cons latest arch-traitor:

Loose Lips Deserve Pink Slips. Fire Karl Rove (contest winner)

Karl Rove: The Voice of Treason-

Treason is Not a Family Value-

Support Homeland Security—Fire Karl Rove-

Firing Rove: A REAL Patriot Act-

It's not Left or Right—it's WRONG. Fire Karl Rove!

Bush Knew: Fire Him Too!

Keep Your Promise—Fire Rove!

Fire Rove. It's not just a good idea, it's the law-

Fire Mrs. Rove's Husband!
(I mean really - could this pervert even have a wife?)

Friday, August 05, 2005

* * * News Flash * * *

Major emergency surgery is being planned for Chicago Sun-Times columnist Robert Novak after he lurched off CNN TV’s program “Inside Politics” yesterday. Physicians plan to install an experimental artificial backbone to replace his current missing one.

The incident happened just after James Carville (AKA “The Ragin’ Cajun’) got in a couple of good zingers and then laughed at Novak, who then completely lost control. Apparently some deviant synapses had caused what little backbone he had to collapse completely.

The surgery is scheduled for Monday and if successful will be recommended as mandatory, particularly for George W. Bush, Richard Cheney, Karl Rove and for Neo-Cons in general.

Experts who have been working on a crash program to address the Neo-Cons’ common problems of hypocrisy, lying, fraud and deceit however have had little success.

“Those problems are all interrelated with the lack of backbone issue, but are very difficult to cure because you must at least have some good base material to start with first .” Said one expert.

“Neo-Con contamination by mystic religious fundamentalism, severely challenged personal ethics, and myopic interpretation and understanding of basic American values has doomed all our efforts to failure so far.” said another.

“Apparently the tenets of their religions have failed them completely. They are all so living in their own little mythical, unrealistic dream worlds that unless a year-long immersion in a Civics 101 course can help, there is little hope for them except perhaps euthanasia.”

Thursday, August 04, 2005

Reading Between the Lines

Reading between the lines from a news report from Australia:

In the wake of the worst roadside bomb attack on US forces in Iraq since the war began, President George Bush told the American people that he was determined to "complete the mission".

(What he means is he’s entirely and completely willing for even more, eager, sincere, patriotic young Americans to sacrifice their bodies and lives in Iraq for him!)


But with 20 marines from the same unit killed in three days of fierce fighting against insurgents in north-western Iraq, a senior Pentagon general admitted at a sombre news conference that US forces were facing "a very lethal and adaptive enemy".

(An 'enemy' created by the US invasion of their country and who had not killed one single American since 1991. That was twelve, count ‘em, TWELVE years since the last American was killed in Iraq)

The explosion that killed 14 marines in Haditha on Wednesday was powerful enough to flip over the 25-tonne amphibious assault vehicle in which they were riding.

"We are seeing different techniques, different triggers and different ways of making their weapons more lethal," Brigadier-General Carter Ham said.

(Al Qaeda and their terrorist friends are licking their chops and fervently thanking Allah over and over for the recruitment bonanza handed to them by the unilateral US invasion of Iraq)

In the past 10 days, 43 US troops have been killed, 37 in the past week alone. The 20 marines killed were all from an army base in Ohio, most of them from small towns near the base.

(But not one single Bush, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Rove, or any Senator’s son or daughter was among them - in fact, none were among any of the 1820 sacrificed so far - and in fact pretty nigh impossible, since none have any family members serving there!)

A grim-faced Mr Bush, who had flown to Texas for the start of a five-week holiday, said he would continue to resist calls for a timetable to withdraw US forces from Iraq.

(But after all, why shouldn’t he? It’s not like HE’s putting his ass on the line anyway, its it? And, he's the "War President"!)

"These terrorists and insurgents will use brutal tactics because they're trying to shake the will of the United States of America," he said. "They want us to retreat. Make no mistake, we are at war."

(An illegal, unneeded, unnecessary and fraudulent "War" and totally useless waste of young American lives in the cause for Corporate greed)

There is little chance that Americans are in any doubt about that after the past week of bloodshed, which has brought the death toll of US forces to 1820 and no signs of any weakening in the attacks.

(Nope, got that right!)

The reaction and body language of senior military officers also suggest there is little hope that the US will be in a position to withdraw troops from Iraq any time soon.

(Yep, got that right too!)

Mr Bush said US forces would be withdrawn only when enough Iraqi forces had been trained to take control of the country's security.

(Funny thing - we've heard these same identical words before too - in the build-up to Vietnam! That war cost almost 60,000 American lives - and we're 3% of the way to that number now . . .)

Recent polls suggest that most Americans do not believe the Bush Administration has an effective plan for Iraq and most believe the war probably cannot be won. Mr Bush's approval rating has fallen to 48 per cent from 60 per cent in December.

(With the stranglehold the Neo-Cons seem to have on things, it could take a series of motivated lynch mobs to really change things for the good. At the very least our citizens must wake up and throw the frauds out of office!)

There were also signs this week that Republicans may pay a political cost in the mid-term congressional elections next year, with an Iraq war veteran coming within a few thousand votes of taking an overwhelmingly Republican congressional district in Ohio in a byelection.

(Well, that will be about six years too frigging late now, won’t it?)

Marine Major Paul Hackett, who volunteered for service in Iraq even though he was opposed to the war, cut the Republican share of the vote from 70 per cent to 52 per cent in a state that Mr Bush held with 64 per cent of the vote in November.

(Semper Fi Major! Makes me wonder if those Ohio folks wouldn't like to redo the '04 election now?)

The Administration still holds out hopes that if the political process in Iraq can meet the challenging timetable, with the constitution written by August 15, a referendum held to confirm it in October and general elections in December, the US could begin to pull out some troops next year.

(Even if we can now begin pulling some out - which I doubt - is the price worth it, and how many more deaths and young Americanss maimed forever will it take? Easy answer:
HELL NO!)


But there is growing acceptance in the White House that the war cannot be won by force and only a successful political outcome would allow the US to withdraw its forces in substantial numbers.

(There must be a growing political will to toss these frauds out and try a good lot of them for their war crimes too!)

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Would I Do it Again?

Long ago in the ‘sixties I volunteered for the US Marine Corps. I went thru the very physical & rugged training and donned my uniform to ‘do my duty’. I sacrificed over four years of my life, and much of my health and well-being in my military service for my country, the United States of America. I had some high times and some low times. I do not regret for one moment my service to my country, and I can hold my head up high knowing I ‘did my duty’ when many, many others did not, some of whom spat on troopers coming home from the Vietnam War.

Many of the people I left behind found many reasons not to serve, or be drafted. They got deferments, or a medical exception or something. In other words they quite willingly, thankfully and happily let others go off on their behalf and in their places. Many of those who went in their places now have names incised on “The Wall” in Washington, DC today.

Those will never come home. Never. Many others came home maimed in body, mind and spirit. Many have died early as homeless on the streets, persued by demons who chased them unto death.

Yet, amazingly today those same stay-at-home 'patriotic' Neo-Cons go about screaming loudest of all, blathering about patriotism and waging war to ‘bring Democracy and Freedom to Iraq and the Middle East, and ‘if you aren’t for us you are against us!” What a complete crock!

They are very wonderfully and aptly named “The Chickenhawk Brigade”. Many of their leaders serve high positions in our current administration today or served similar ones in the recent past. They never served where it really, truly counts and always asked someone else do the hard, bloody, dirty work. Characteristically, they are doing exactly the same thing today.

To name just a few, they are:
Our "Fearless Leader"
Richard Cheney
Karl Rove
Newt Gingrich,
John Ashcroft
Jeb Bush,
Ronald Reagan
Dennis Hastert
Dick Armey
Tom Delay
Roy Blount
Bill Frist
Mitch McConnell
Rick Santorum
Trent Lott
Kenneth Starr
-and the list goes on, and on, and on

When I came home I found many of those who never served, had gone on to college and advanced their careers. They had a huge head start on me. When I got discharged out of the Corps I started out from scratch. Of course I had one big advantage - the GI Bill which was a great help. Without that I never would have been able to go.

Did I do my duty back in the ‘sixties to protect the rights of other Americans, even including Queers, Lesbians and Perverts, and the current crop of fervently aggressive Neo-Cons?

You are very damned right I did!

Today, I realize more than ever my military service and sacrifice was to protect ALL the rights of ALL of these and more, including:
Queers,
Lesbians,
Texans
Other Rednecks

Neo-Cons & other perverts,
Blacks,
Asians,
Mexicans
(who all speak "Mexican" according to our fearless leader
who claims he speaks 'Mexican' himself! I'd sure hope so
because he damned sure has a hard time with regular English!)
Africans,
NAACPers,
ACLUers,
Commies,
Pinkos,
McCarthyites,
Democrats,
Republicans,
Independents,
Greenies,
Greenpeacers,
Sierra clubbers,
Yankees,
Crackers,
Southerners,
New Englanders,
Californicators,
Left Wingers,
Right-wingers,
Reaganites,
Nixonians,
Clinton Republicans,
Carterites,
Union members,
Freelancers,
Jane Fonda
Elies
etc.,
etc.,

Would I do it again? Well maybe. And actually, quite happily if I was allowed make use of the Neo-Cons as moving targets on a special range for rubber bullets.