John Henry was right!

Last night the Yankees were schmoozing VP Dick Cheney. When his face was shown on the billboard during "God Bless America" the crowd started boo-ing.


Cheney Pays Visit to Stadium

I wonder what it is like to go around living life like that? It can't be all that satisfying. After all, everybody wants to be loved. Everybody.

The Paranoid Style in American Politics

You might be interested in this article from the era of McCarthy:

" As a member of the avant-garde who is capable of perceiving the conspiracy before it is fully obvious to an as yet unaroused public, the paranoid is a militant leader. He does not see social conflict as something to be mediated and compromised, in the manner of the working politician. Since what is at stake is always a conflict between absolute good and absolute evil, what is necessary is not compromise but the will to fight things out to a finish. Since the enemy is thought of as being totally evil and totally unappeasable, he must be totally eliminated—if not from the world, at least from the theatre of operations to which the paranoid directs his attention. This demand for total triumph leads to the formulation of hopelessly unrealistic goals, and since these goals are not even remotely attainable, failure constantly heightens the paranoid’s sense of frustration. Even partial success leaves him with the same feeling of powerlessness with which he began, and this in turn only strengthens his awareness of the vast and terrifying quality of the enemy he opposes."

It ends with this analysis:

"We are all sufferers from history, but the paranoid is a double sufferer, since he is afflicted not only by the real world, with the rest of us, but by his fantasies as well."


Richard Hofstadter
Harper’s Magazine, November 1964, pp. 77-86



The Paranoid Style in American Politics


And, just for fun I include this Scorecard of Evil:

Scorecard of Evil

Groundwork

"Prime Minister Allawi, as head of a sovereign government, may decide he has to take tough measures to deal with a brutal cold-blooded killer,"

President Bush - 6/28/04


Of course, the only way Allawi can apply "tough measures" is via command of our troops, so I have a growing dread that our boys will be asked to partake in something untoward.

Send all the good vibes you can muster to Iraq in this time of need. A lot of lives could be at stake.

Hot potato

It looks to me like Paul Bremer is cutting and running for the hills with this stealth handover of sovereignty to Iraq. My guess is that Iraq will soon be a model dictator-run client-state.

John Negroponte, the man we sent to represent our interests as US ambassador has plenty of experience pretending not to notice atrocities. He was US ambassador to Honduras during the years when the Nicaraguan Contra forces were based in southern Honduras. Those forces were known as "freedom fighters" and turned out to be very good at fighting freedom.

I'm expectant that martial law will be declared in Iraq soon. Everyone will regret the temporary loss of freedom and proclaim their faith that the elections will be held on time.

Everyone that thought they were doing US troops a favor by using the US flag as a pom-pom to cheerlead for war have helped to bring us here. Soon they may have little to cheer for.

A martyr is willing to die.
A soldier is trained to kill.
Nobody wins but the bullet,
who lives for the thrill.

Rah.

Granny D sets sights on Senate seat

What's not to like about a 93 year old woman full of flint running for the NH senate?

Doris walked across this nation to highlight the need for campaign finance reform. She has been dragging a little red wheelbarrow around the country the past couple of years registering working women voters. Now, she's ready to get fiesty and be the change she wishes to see in the world.

www.haddockforsenate.org

Granny's speeches

John McCain has said some wonderful things about her and I wonder how New Hampsherites will respond to her campaign.

The times they are a changing

"The world knows America will never start a war. America has seen enough of war."

John F. Kennedy - June 1963 - American University

Contrast this philosophy with Bush's "National Security Strategy of the United States of America":

NSA Strategy

I'd like to know how Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, and Patriot Acts I and II promote "Championing Aspirations for Human Dignity".

Thomas to Tony

Sir Thomas More was beheaded because he would not swear an oath accepting King Henry VIII as Supreme Head of the Church. Before his untimely demise Sir Thomas wrote Utopia, which offers this advice for Tony Blair on the merits of guiding policy indirectly:

"The only result of this will be that while I try to cure others of madness, I myself rave along with them...Either I would think different thoughts from the rest, and that would be as if I had no thoughts, or else I would agree with them and thus (as Terence's Mitio Says) be an accessory to their madness. I do not understand what you mean by saying that a man should guide policy indirectly and should strive to make the best of things, so that what is bad will at least be made as good as possible. In councils there is no place for silent and unwilling acquiescence. A man must openly approve of the worst plans and consent to the most pernicious resolutions. One would pass for a spy or even a traitor, if he approved of such plans only grudgingly. A man has no chance to do good when his colleagues are more likely to corrupt the best of men than be corrected themselves. He will either be corrupted himself by his colleagues, or, if he remains sound and innocent, he will be blamed for the folly and knavery of others. He is far from being able to mend matters by guiding policy indirectly!"

The first casualty in the war of error may have been the truth, but the most enduring will be the damage done to Tony Blair's career. The second most enduring casualty will be the damage done to Colin Powell's career.

Both men should read Utopia, and perhaps Plato's Republic.

Feds: Ban ads for Moore flick

Anyone else feel like their living in Stalin's Russia these days?

Feds: Ban ads for Moore flick

What's next, May Day parades?

Maybe I better brush up on my goose stepping.

What the resistance thinks

Asia Times interviewed prominent men in the Iraqi resistance. Here are two former generals and a former colonel of Saddam Hussein that are now coordinating resistance to US forces:

Resistance views

It is important to know your enemy whether you wish to kill them or negotiate with them. This enemy appears confident, meticulous, and cell oriented. It also seems to have a steady stream of volunteers.

It will not be possible to defeat this enemy if 2/3 of the people support them without resorting to genocide or dictatorship. An important question is, is that number simply a bluff by persons tooting their own horn?

It might be telling that the new Iraqi leadership has made grumblings about martial law already.

Cheney speaks like a sailor in US Senate

Vice President Dick Cheney, the man that was supposed to restore a spirit of civility and respect to the Whitehouse, told Senator Leahy to go F*ck himself on the floor of the US Senate. This is reported in the Washington Post and has been reported on CNN. However, both sites were overloaded with traffic to the story so I provide this link:

Potty mouth

If you go to Google's news search here and enter "F*ck Cheney" you should find numerous other references.

Dick Cheney might be under a lot of stress, but a US vice president needs to be able to handle it. Maybe it is time for him to be retired?

ADDENDUM:

CNN traffic has calmed to the point you can access their stories on the Cheney profanity.

CNN video

Cheney not sorry

A great day for Democrats

Today is a great day for Democrats.

Michael Moore's new film Fahrenheit 9/11 opens in theaters across the nation. Review after review has raved about the films power and ability to skewer Bush with his own words.

Here is an AlterNet review of the movie:

AlterNet: Movie Mix: By Way of Deception

and, again, a link to the trailer:

911 Trailer


As if that weren't enough, Bill Clinton is going to be on Al Franken's show today talking about his new book (12-3 EST). You can listen to that here:

My Life


Yes, today life is good for Democrats.

Bush and the military

Here are some signs that the US military establishment is displeased with Bush:

1. Wesley Clarke ran for President to defeat Bush.

2. General Anthony Zinni tore Bush a new one at the Army War college.

3. Colin Powell will not re-join the administration if it wins in November.

4. David Hackworth, America's most decorated living soldier, helped uncover the Abu Ghraib abuses (see Hack on the attack). He is hopping mad that 6 low-level soldiers were made to take the blame for systemic leadership failure.

5. Norman Schwarzkopf (remember him?) has continually attacked the civilian leadership at the Pentagon (i.e. Rumsfailed), for failing to protect supply routes, failing to send enough men, and failing to equip said men with adequate gear.

6. Captains have been writing Op-ed letters complaining about forced conscription and over-long tours of duty (see War unending for some).

7. Recruitment is down: (see Recruitment down)

8. Janes Intelligence digest isn't sure we're winning the war against Al Quaeda:
Al Quaeda growing stronger

9. General Shinseki can not be pleased with this treatment: Shinseki retired.


ADDENDUM

10. Many military planners and diplomats have formed an organization which called for a change of leadership. You can read their statement here: Diplomats for change

An articulate president

You may have heard Drudge characterize Clinton as "losing it" on a BBC reporter. I watched the clip and all I can say is God how I miss having an articulate president.

See what you think:

Does Big dog lose it?

I also miss irrational exuberance.

Fascism, by any other name...

Hundreds of communities nation-wide, and 4 states, have passed laws banning local law enforcement officials from cooperating with Patriot Act style investigations (if federal agents want local help, they must adhere to the Bill of Rights and Constitution). Many conservatives, life-long proponents of small government, are as rabidly anti-Patriot Act as we liberals.

This poses a problem for Commander Bush, who wants to pass Patriot Act II, an act which would be called "An act to repeal of the Bill of Rights" in less ironic times.

The new Bush strategy is to pass the provisions of Patriot Act II piecemeal by attaching them to crucial pieces of legislation.

The Son of Patriot Act Also Rises


Citizens of New Hampshire have these words on their license plates, "Live free or die". I suggest it be changed to read, "Live free or vote Republican".

The great cultural war

With the invasion of Iraq going so badly Bush will no-doubt turn to God, Gays, and Guns to bolster the base. To wit, the Republicans are building up a head of steam to try to pass a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. But, moralists are no different than the rest of us and their fears are merely a projection of themselves.

You might be interested to know, for instance, that born-again Christians experience a higher divorce rate than secular couples and mainline Protestants. Also, there are higher divorce rates in the Southern Bible Belt than in the liberal Northeast.

You might also be interested to know that Dick Cheney has an openly Lesbian daughter named Mary Cheney, and that there is a website devoted to asking her to speak out against this new Crusade. My secret desire is that she weds in Massachusettes and invites the press for the ceremony.

Dear Mary


So, once again, Republicans are all: do as I say, not as I do. Texans call that "all hat, no cattle".

Fish in a barrel 4

Intro (JFK relaxed, smiling)
----------------------------

Hi. I'm John Kerry and I approved this message.


Act 1, Scene 1 (Dick Cheney, October 10, 2003)
----------------------------------------------

"He [Saddam] also has an established relationship with al-Qaeda, providing training to al-Qaeda members in the areas of poisons, gases, making conventional bombs."

Act 1, Scene 2 (Dick Cheney, January 2004)
------------------------------------------

"There's overwhelming evidence of an Iraq-al Qaeda connection and I am very confident there was an established relationship."


Act 1, Scene 3 (Dick Cheney, June 2004)
---------------------------------------

Saddam "was a patron of terrorism. He had long-established ties with a-Qaeda."


Act 2, Scene 1 (President Bush, State of Union, Jan. 28, 2003)
--------------------------------------------------------------

"Evidence from intelligence sources, secret communications and statements by people now in custody reveal that Saddam Hussein aids and protects terrorists, including members of Al Qaeda."


Act 2, Scene 2 (President Bush, September 2002)
-----------------------------------------------

"You can't distinguish between al Qaeda and Saddam when you talk about the war on terror."


Act 3, Scene 1 (President Bush, Sept. 17, 2003)
-----------------------------------------------

“We’ve had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with September 11th.”


Act 3, Scene 2 (David Kay)
--------------------------

"Anyone out there holding - as I gather Prime Minister Blair has recently said - the prospect that ISG is going to unmask actual weapons of mass destruction is really delusional. It is amazing that occasionally they slip back into talking about it. The problem is the unwillingness to take the responsibility of saying a few simple words: "We were wrong".


Act 3, Scene 3 (Douglas Maceachin, 911 report "Overview of the Enemy")
----------------------------------------------------------------------

"We have no credible evidence that Iraq and al Qaeda cooperated on attacks against the United States."


Outro (JFK humbly)
------------------

I'm running for president because I want to restore credibility to the whitehouse. Please vote for me in November and let's change America's direction together.



For more on these shenanigans, see (Spooked spooks)

Poets Against the War

Sometimes I wonder if there is so much suffering in the world because God loves making beautiful people, and if that's the only way. It's true, anyway, that Poets Against the War bloomed from the bullshit of the Bush administration.

I am glad so many poets are against the war, since I'd hate to hear cruelty beautifully rendered. One of my favorites is called "State of the Union 2003" by Sam Hamill. If you browse here I'm sure you'll find your own favorite.

State of the Union, 2003

Today I hugged a tree

Today I Hugged a Tree

Today I hugged a tree
that didn't want no hug from me.
So, soon I was sore
and I chopped it to the core.
I yelled, "Timber!" with a shout.
My victory was a rout.
Today I hugged a tree.
It died my enemy.

U.M.

Mumble chops

My guess is this is how Bush would deliver a great line. It'd get mangled into a freudian slip. Click on the picture for actual Bush linguistic manglings. 

Fierce Fireflies

Fierce Fireflies

Felicity followed fireflies to
find where they flew from.
Felicity followed fireflies to a field
of flowers far from any fence.

She saw soldiers standing silent.
She sneaked, but they saw.
She shook when she saw what they saw.
She saw they saw Felicity.

"Fireflies killed Felicity!",
or so the papers said.
If it weren't for fierce fireflies,
Felicity would not be dead.

U.M.

Fish in a barrel 3

Intro (JFK relaxed, smiling)
----------------------------

Hi. I'm John Kerry and I approved this message.


Act 1, Scene 1 (George W. Bush)
---------------------------------------

"The United States is committed to the world-wide elimination of torture and we are leading this fight by example. I call on all governments to join with the United States and the community of law-abiding nations in prohibiting, investigating, and prosecuting all acts of torture and in undertaking to prevent other cruel and unusual punishment."

President George W. Bush, June 26, 2003, the International Day in
Support of Victims of Torture



Act 2, Scene 1 (JFK - Serious, intent gaze)
-------------------------------------------

Leadership is more than a mouthful of promises. Real leadership requires follow-through. Please vote for me in November, and I promise to add backbone to America's promises.


PS
---

If you want to take action against US legalization of torture, see MoveOn Campaign

When peace was far away

Fictitious shores

I MANY times thought peace had come,
When peace was far away;
As wrecked men deem they sight the land
At centre of the sea,

And struggle slacker, but to prove,
As hopelessly as I,
How many the fictitious shores
Before the harbor lie.


The Poetry of Emily Dickinson

Fish in barrel 2

You may have heard the Whitehouse brag that terrorism was down in 2003. It turns out that was just another lie from the lying liars. They claim they accidentally forgot to include all of 2003 in their report.

This would make terrific fodder for another Kerry commercial.

First, the story here:


Liar!



Intro (JFK relaxed, confident)
-----------------------------------

Hi. I'm John Kerry and I approved this message.


Act 1, Scene 1 (J. Cofer Black - Ambassador and Coordinator for Counterterrorism)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There is good news on the terrorism front.


According to a newly-released State Department report, there were 199
international terrorist attacks recorded during 2002. That represents
a significant drop from the previous year -- 44 percent fewer attacks.
In fact, it is the lowest level of terrorism in more than 30 years.
The last time the annual total fell below 200 attacks was back in
1969, shortly after the advent of modern terrorism.

That is a remarkable achievement.

Act 1, Scene 2 (Richard Armitage - Deputy Secretary of State)
-------------------------------------------------------------

"This year's terrorism report provides clear evidence that we are prevailing in the fight against terrorism"



Act 1, Scene 3 (Richard Boucher)
--------------------------------

"Our success was based on the facts as we had them at the time. The facts that we had were wrong."



Outro (JFK serious, confident)
-----------------------------------

I'm running for President to restore credibility to the Whitehouse. Please vote for me on November 2, 2004 and help me change America's direction.

Biological Treason

Biological Treason

I'm an unabashed detractor of
your nuclear reactor and I
don't accept your reasons for these
biological treasons or your
calm exaltations of dangerous
radiations.

And I don't wish to alarm you but
your words come back to harm you
when you clearly have no answer for this
life-eroding cancer that fuels
my derision of your toxic-waste
decision.

2340 grossly violated with intent.

When people worldwide think of America in Iraq, they will think of a smiling Ms. England, wearing rubber gloves, and giving a smirking thumbs-up while bent over a corpse.

Here is an in-depth discussion of just how far Abu Ghraib abuses exceeded the laws, some of which are punishable by death.

Nuremberg Revised

I'm with Andy Rooney. Anyone involved ought to have their citizenship stripped. Get out. Your actions are Nazi-esque and a cancer on America's reputation.

Rooney - Our Darkest Days Are Here

A-boo-ga-rape

"New evidence that the physical abuse of detainees in Iraq and at Guantanamo Bay was authorised at the top of the Bush administration will emerge in Washington this week, adding further to pressure on the White House."

See: Bad Boys, Bad Boys for more info.

What is a Buddhist perspective on the abuse of prisoners in Iraq?

Smile on your brother

Will humanity ever learn to love one another?

You're either with me or agin' me.

As Bush gets more and more desperate his behavior gets more and more pathetic. In this story he is asking the Catholic Church for assistance in his war on queers and his war on abortion.

My position is that abortion ought to be safe and legal since every closet in America has a coat hanger in it, and since an unloved child is liable to turn out to be full of hate (like Dick Cheney).

I say keep the pointy-hatted ones in their churches where they belong; America doesn't need a council of religious mullahs issuing edicts. That's called a theocracy and it is what we're dying to liberate people from.

Unbounded Megalomania

I have two more small points:

1. The Catholic church is against executions
2. The Catholic church is against the invasion of Iraq.

Are they with Bush, or with the terrorists?

Maybe we need to bomb the Vatican?

Dr. Strangeglove visits Venus

As you might guess, I am not a fan of missle defense systems. My main reasons are that they're costly and inexpensively thwarted, and that humanity won't profit from another arms race. That might even be a bumper sticker, "Human race, not Arms Race".

Discarding all of that, I found myself wondering what a best-case scenario for a missle defense system would look like. If someone launched a nuclear-tipped weapon and our missle-defense system shot it down. What then?

Wouldn't the kill vehicle cause the nuclear bomb to detonate someplace, probably in the upper atmosphere? Wouldn't that lead to, at best, widespread radioactive contamination and the disabling of the world's satellite systems, and at worst nuclear winter?

Allowing my mind to wander further I found myself wondering if we should try to bring about nuclear winter on, say, Venus. It is a planet that suffers from run-away global warming and whose surface is hot enough to melt lead. If we could cool it down perhaps we would see lakes and life-forms appear?

With further wandering I realized that all you need to wreak havoc (or deter havoc) is a big enough pile of junk strapped to a guidance system. We all know a meteor strike would be devastating, so why should a man-made meteor be any less so? Hell an RV camper from space might even be able to more effectively bunker-bust than a low-yield nuclear weapon, and velocity and momentum work free.

[Insert maniacal laughter here]

Guilty of Himsa

Sometimes reading the words of men like Ghandi can provide guidance in a storm-tossed world. Here are some quotes that I either like a lot or feel are totally appropriate for 2004.


Ghandi
------

"I would heartily welcome the union of East and West provided it is not based on brute force."

"What is true of the individual will be to-morrow true of the whole nation if individuals will but refuse to lose heart and hope."

"An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching."

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."


Daili Lama
----------

"We need a little more compassion, and if we cannot have it then no politician or even a magician can save the planet"

"Everybody loves to talk about calmness and peace, whether in a family, national, or international context, but without inner peace how can we make real peace? World peace through hatred and force is impossible."

"Ignorance is the source of hatred, and the way to get rid of ignorance is realization."

"When you encounter some problems, if you point your finger at yourself and not at others, this gives you control over yourself and calmness in a situation, where otherwise self-control becomes problematic."


Mother Teresa
-------------

"If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one"

"Let us make one point, that we meet each other with a smile, when it is difficult to smile. Smile at each other, make time for each other in your family"

"We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing."


Louisa May Alcott
-----------------

"Love is the only thing that we can carry with us when we go, and it makes the end so easy."



There are many more here:
-------------------------

Another way:

A condemnation on this nation

I'll be away this weekend, so here is my parting post. Y'all come back now, ya' hear.


"We must make clear to the Germans that the wrong for which their leaders are on trial is not that they lost the war, but that they started it. And we must not allow ourselves to be drawn into a trial of the causes of the war, for our position is that no grievances or policies will justify resort to aggressive war. It is utterly renounced and condemned as an instrument of policy."

This declaration was made by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel L. Jackson, America's senior representative at the 1945 Nuremberg war crimes trials, and the tribunal's chief prosecutor.


"F*ck Saddam. We're taking him out."

President George Bush, March 2002, Time Magazine.

Maybe not sex, but definitely lies and videotape.

Donald Rumsfeld was taken to task on Face the Nation and it was almost painful to watch him twist in his own false assertions.

Rumsfeld on Face the Nation

I am hopeful that John Kerry's campaign will put this technique to work. There is ample material like this and it is damaging to Whitehouse credibility. Best of all, it is irrefutable.

Fish in a barrel

Ad intro (John Kerry, relaxed, sincere)
---------------------------------------

Hi. I'm John Kerry, and I approved this message.


Act 1, Scene 1 (Mr. Bush answering questions about Chalabi)
--------------------------------------------------------

"My meetings with him were very brief. I may have met with Mr. Chalabi at the State of the Union address as part of a rope line greeting. I haven't had any extensive conversations with him."


Act 1, Scene 2 (Mr. Bush on Meet the Press)
-------------------------------------------

MR. RUSSERT: If the Iraqis choose, however, an Islamic extremist regime, would you accept that, and would that be better for the United States than Saddam Hussein?

PRES. BUSH: They're not going to develop that. The reason I can say that is because I'm very aware of this basic law they're writing. They're not going to develop that because right here in the Oval Office I sat down with Mr. Pachachi and Chalabi and al-Hakim,


Ad Outro (John Kerry, intent, confident)
----------------------------------------

JFK: I'm running for president because I want to restore credibility to the whitehouse. Please vote for me on November 2nd, 2004 and we can change America's direction together.

Fini.

Ray Charles takes his final bow

Up above our heads there'll be music in the air now that Ray Charles has passed away. "Georgia on my mind", "Hit the road Jack", and "I'm busted" shall live on.

Goodbye Ray and thanks for the tunes:

BBC NEWS | Ray Charles dies

Don't vote Ralph

There is an organization dedicated to halting Ralph Nader's 2004 campaign. It is called, Don't Vote Ralph.

They produced a video showing Ralph's potential impact on the upcoming election. Take a look:

Nader's 04 Impact

66 (Unflattering) Things About Ronald Reagan

Before you give to the fund to carve Ronald Reagan's face into Mt. Rushmore, consider these counter-arguments:

Reaganomics

ADDENDUM: Here is an article by Noam Chomsky on the reign of Reagan:

Chomsky on the Gipper

RNC = Race, Nihilism, and Cronyism

Vernon Robinson is a homophobe, a racist, and not surprisingly a Republican. What is surprising is that his campaign is backed by people like Jack Kemp, the Club for Growth, and other mainstream Republicans.

Oh, wait, maybe that isn't surprising.

Actually, what is surprising is that his radio ads sound just like those of a white supremacist, albeit one who attacks homosexuals and immigrants rather than fellow black people. Perhaps the KKK should give him an honorary membership for supporting serveral items on their agenda?


Jesse Helms is Black


Hard to believe he could represent the party of Lincoln in the land of the free.

Let there be light

"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

--Martin Luther King, Jr.


"I'm a war president. I make decisions here in the Oval Office in foreign policy matters with war on my mind,"

-- George W. Bush

Transit of Venus

Today marks the rarest eclipse of all, the transit of Venus across the face of the sun. Here is a link to a live webcast:

Transit of Venus

Here is a poem I wrote for Venus.


Venus rhymes with penis
and it hangs low in the sky
and it does not need Viagra
to excite my naked eye.

Honoring our advesaries

Sometimes you need training wheels to help steady you on the road. Here is a ceremony that can help you to overcome your frustrations with the machine men that have machine hearts.


TOUCHING THE EARTH FOR OUR ADVERSARIES
By Caitriona Reed

You, who deliberately engage in the destruction of the environment for your own profit, you show me how much I value what is honest, what is generous, what has been clearly thought through, what is expressive of love for this planet home and our human and nonhuman fellow beings. So I bow to you in gratitude and touch the Earth.

You bring forth in me the passion and love I feel for this life-bearing land, its soil, air and waters, and the beings they nurture; the passion I feel for integrity and strong, sustainable community. Because of the strength with which I resist your actions, I have seen how strong my
love and passion really are. I bow to you in gratitude and touch the Earth.

Because the pain I feel when I allow myself to witness the pain of the world is no less than your pain--you, who perpetuate destruction and cut yourselves off from needs of the present and the generations of the future, I bow to you in compassion and touch the Earth.

Because the pain of greed, alienation and fear are no less than the pain of sorrow and mourning for what is lost, I bow to you in compassion and touch the Earth.

For the power of my anger, transforming itself into love for the beauty and integrity of all life-forms, and for the bright energy of my passion for justice and the health of all beings, I bow to
you in gratitude and touch the Earth.

Because we all want to be happy, to feel ourselves intact and part of a single whole, for that shared longing, I bow to you in compassion and touch the Earth.

Because you challenge me by your actions, demanding that I release my attachment to the belief that my view, my understanding, is the only correct one, I bow to you in gratitude and touch the Earth.

For you who teach me that the mind is a limitless source, a miracle capable of manifesting as love, as greed, as fear, capable of clarity or delusion, blind to the consequence of action or open to the boundless coherence of all that we do and experience in life. For you who show me what I myself am capable of when I let my life be governed by fear and greed, great awesome teachers, I bow to you in gratitude and touch the Earth.

In awe of the mind's capability for delusion and alienation that calls me so insistently to understanding and joy, I bow to you and touch the Earth.

With the understanding that all this will pass and with love in my heart, I bow to you and touch the Earth.


Awesome teachers indeed....

What should Nader do?

Ralph should trade his exit from the race for a commitment from Kerry to support instant run-off voting (See "The fairest vote of all", by Partha Dasgupta and Eric Maskin, March 2004, Scientific American). This would pave the way for future candidates like himself to run without harming candidates like Kerry, and that would be a great thing to accomplish.

As it stands now, Ralph isn't going to win and his campaign is not going to steal Republican votes from Bush. This is a clear-cut case of idealism that fails to accomplish its goals because it ignores reality (not unlike neo-con failures).

Here is the reality which Ralph Nader ignores:

Sorry Ralph

Don Quixote should open his eyes before he finds a field of wind-mills to charge.

Did God fire George Tenet?

You have to hope that this story about George's unstable mind isn't true, since he does have command of the most powerful military in the world.

Most upsetting is the thought that Tenet might have been fired because it was "God's will".


Thy will be done

Creepy.

I love my country, but I think my President is nuts.

Pope Denounces Events in Iraq to Bush

"Propaganda isn't what you tell people;
it's what you don't tell them."

- William S. Paley - CBS founder


However, the Internet giveth what Fox News taketh away.


Pope lectures Bush

Tens of thousands protest in Italy

Pictures from Paris protests will probably be here somewhere

Happy anniversary

When you hear the happy-talk about Iraq it nearly makes you believe the neo-con myth that war is peace and cluster-bombs are the pinnacle of caring.

This new flash animation which was produced by Eric Blumrich for Dennis Kucinich brings a karate chop to the face of that myth.

NOTE: This video contains graphic images.

One year on

Carved over the entrance to the CIA is the motto: "Know the truth and it shall set you free".

A Bhuddist might say in response, "The worlds pain is the price of caring".

Can the war on terror be compared to WWII?

The BBC asked the question, "What do you think of President Bush's comparison of the war on terror with WWII?". The responses make for eye-opening reading, if you are so inclined, on a Friday.

Can the war on terror be compared to WWII?

Watch it Friday

Today I thought I'd compile a few pieces of video for you. What the hey, it's Friday, and why should you read stuff.


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Fahrenheit 9/11 Trailer
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Here is the theatrical trailer for Michael Moore's new film "Fahrenheit 9/11". The movie is coming to America June 25th. Apparently, also, Michael hooked up with two distributors that he is very happy with.

As an author I think Michael Moore is barely entertaining, but as a film-maker he often rivets my attention. Let us cross our fingers that Michael Powell of the FCC doesn't ban this film until after the election.

Fahrenheit 9/11 Trailer


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Channel Surfing the Apocalypse
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This is still one of my favorite pieces of video examing the role of media in sounding the drumbeat for war.

It also has an excellent banjo scene that is a sheer delight and Congress set to music.

Guerrilla News Network: S-11 Redux


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War Pigs
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Ozzie vs Bush. What could be more entertaining?

WAR PIGS


Enjoy.

George J. Tenet at Swearing-In Ceremony by Vice President Gore July 31, 1997

Here is what George Tenet had to say at Al Gore's swearing-in ceremony.

It is interesting reading in hindsight:

Thanks Al

He does seem to have warm feelings for his family. No?

Re: Mr. President it's a slam dunk

Here is what Ray McGovern has to say about George Tenet's abrupt departure from the CIA:

Hear Democracy Now

Read Democracy Now transcript

Tenet packs his bags.

Has George Tenet had enough of playing second-fiddle to civilian bunglers with close ties to Iranian spies? Is he ready to publish a kiss-and-tell, or falling on his sword to protect his boss?

Is Bush hoping to pin the blame on Tenet for invading Iraq? If so, will he employ the same strategy with Rumsfailed and Cheney?

That's curious, George

Mother of Exiles

Here is the poem etched into the base of the Statue of Liberty. The colossus of Rhodes, referenced in the poem, is one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world.


“The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles.
From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!"” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”


Countless immigrants have read these words with hopeful hearts. May their children keep this vision of America alive for the next waves of huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

Wolf! Wolf!

Ray McGovern was a CIA analyst for 27 years from the administration of John F. Kennedy to that of George H. W. Bush.

Here he essentially claims that the Bush administration is peddling tales of a falling sky for political purposes. He also accuses the Bush administration of showing considerable disdain for international law.

He also says he wouldn't put it past this president to declare martial law in order to avoid an election in November, in order to avoid war crimes prosecution.

Now, this is coming from a bi-partisan that chooses his words very carefully every time I've heard him speak....gulp.

Good enough for pa

It looks to me like another tree has fallen in a roomful of Republicans. Did it make a sound?

America's most-decorated living soldier sounds-off on Iraq

America's most decorated living soldier attacks the Iraq war:

Headed for trouble

David Hackworth is not some pinko, tree-hugging, liberal, peace-nick railing against the man. He's a true-blue, dyed in the wool, served his country with honor, war hero (with 8 purple hearts) telling us there is something wrong in Washington.

The detractors club is impressive in credentials and membership growth. I wonder whom will be too much of a heavyweight for Republicans to ignore? Richard Clarke, Anthony Zinni, and David Hackworth have spoken loudly and clearly.

If a tree falls in a room full of Republicans, does it make a sound?

Click picture for Krugman's analysis 

Looking for a sign?

Jupiter, known as "shining father" to the Romans, is considered the god of light and sky and protector of the state and it's laws:

Jupiter mythology

Venus is considered the god of love and beauty:

Venus mythology

Venus and Jupiter will pair up in the morning sky in early November. So, we'll have the protector of state and the goddess of love in the sky just before a new dawn.

Bush's defeat seems writ large in the heavens as long as candidate Kerry is willing to tip his hat to love and defense of the Constitution.

Perhaps Kerry should set up kissing booths at the convention with proceeds to benefit the ACLU? Maybe he could set up a dunk-tank where the barker sports a John Ashcroft mask and tells participants they aren't worthy of privacy, free-speech, and the like?