Cynthia the Brutal

I hate commentators who pontificate about things they really know little about. But tonight I have decided to join them and speculate about something I know little about, Cynthia McKinney and her apparently dastardly attack on a Capitol Policeman.

Let us begin from what I understand is the beginning. Congress/man/person/woman McKinney is a Black woman duly elected to the House of Representatives. There are only 12 black women in the House. As I understand it, she was hurrying to some business or other and bypassed a metal detector (Congresspersons routinely are allowed to do this). However, in this case, a Capitol Policeman did not recognize her and tried to stop her, apparently by touching her (grabbing her? restraining her? pinching her?) in what she describes as inappropriately. How do we understand this: a) he didn't recognize her as a Congressperson, b) all black women look alike to him, c) he was confused by her new hair style, d) he doesn't realize there are any Black Congresswomen, e) she was probably carrying a briefcase, not something a Black woman ought to be doing, f) he actually knew who she was but decided to harrass her anyway for some reason.

Now, why did he not recognize her? Capitol Policeman are supposedly trained to recognize all Congresspersons not only by name but by face. So, was he too new to have done his homework? Was it, as she claims, an act of racial profiling (she along with other Black Congresspersons have been stopped like this before)? In any case, if he stopped her, and if she explained who she was (which she should not have had to do) why did he not simply apologize and let her go? I guess he did let her go, but only after she hit him in the chest with her cell phone. Apparently he did not arrest her.

What I want to know, and what we do not now know, is: a) was the Policeman hurt in any way? b) was there any bleeding? c) was he knocked down? d) did he require medical attention? e) was he taken to a hospital? f) is he in critical condition? g) is he expected to live? h) was he mistaken by Congressperson McKinney for a marshmallow?

I only ask these ridiculous questions because (hold your breath) Republicans have requested this episode be taken to a Grand Jury! Think of this. A Black Congresswoman, one of only twelve such women, with a very distinctive appearance, who has been stopped before (because apparently Capital Policeman cannot believe she is actually a Congressperson), in a moment of anger, actually hit a Policeman in the chest with her cell phone. My god! What a crime! It makes the umpteen zillion scandals of the Republicans pale into insignificance. What illegal war? What DeLay resignation? What Abramoff scandal? What Plame outing? What illegal torture? What idiotic President? What evil Vice President? What incompetent Secretary of Defense (State)? What war profiteering? What Iraqi Civil War? What complete disaster? A Black Congresswoman had the temerity in a fit of anger to actually strike a Policeman who apparently was unable or too inept or unwilling either to defend himself or apologize for an obvious simple mistake (if, indeed, it was simply a mistake).

If Republicans are so desperate this is the best they can do to distract attention from their dismal record they have obviously hit bottom. But what a marvelous opportunity for them. They can now insist we consider the death penaly for striking a Policeman. On to the gallows! Maybe the electric chair. Even better, they can attempt to reintroduce the guillotine. Maybe they can suggest the creation of still another secret prison for uppity Black Congresspersons. I see the brilliance of Karl Rove shining over this like a benevolent Buddha looking after his flock. Hey, its almost as good as bombing Iran.

Please Cynthia, do something about that hair. Maybe if you dye it blond? Maybe if you stop trying to tell the truth, stay in the back of the bus?

I notice you aren't getting much help from your fellow Democrats. What a fine bunch

Whee!

Hooray, hooray,
its almost May,
we'll soon be rid
of Tom DeLay.

Out of the Congress,
back to work,
killing bugs,
what a jerk.

I rarely pray,
but I'm happy to say,
goodbye Tom,
don't delay.

Corny? Yeah, I know. But count your blessings. I could have gone on and on.

Can you believe it? Does justice still exist in Bush/Cheney's America? Is it true that the most dishonest, corrupt, vile Congressperson that ever existed is actually being brought down? Please don't tell me this is just another April Fool's joke. Of course he is only resigning because he doesn't want some liberal Democrat to take over his position. How does he know his resignation will bring about such a result? Is the fix still in? DeLay is such a sweet guy. How could anyone wish him ill? Too bad, Tom, it couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

In order to take away some of the attention to the sad case of Tom DeLay the Republicans have decided to go after a Black Congresswoman who, apparently, is about to be charged with attacking a Congress Policeman. ATTACKING A POLICEMAN! My god, what these Black Congresswomen won't do. She is said to have stabbed him with her cell phone. STABBED HIM WITH A CELL PHONE! Besides that, she has bad hair. Is this not a wonderful whacky world we live in?

Now we have the sad case of John McCain, war hero, turned bootlicker. McCain, who opposed Bush for the Republican nomination and was absolutely villified by the Republicans (he has a black baby, his mind is gone because of his torture, etc.), has since then become a devotee of Bush, hugging him, supporting him, promoting his policies, and so on. The same McCain who criticized Fallwell and other right-wing Evangelists in the past is now openly courting them. There is just nothing a girl won't do for diamonds (or the nomination). This is so pathetic it makes one want to vomit.

Iraq is engaged in a Civil War. I know, I know, Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Rice deny it, but its true. Of course you might want to argue the definition of civil war - that is really helpful. Just trust me, Iraq is engaged in a Civil War and it is going to become worse and worse. Whose side are we on? No one seems to know. I guess we will just retreat to our six permanent (oh, excuse me, "enduring" bases) and wait it out, protecting our stolen oil in the meanwhile.

Tucker Carlson says the idea of censuring or impeaching Bush is absurd. Tucker Carlson is the most incompetent, stupid, useless, mindless, partisan, dishonest, bow-tying dressed jerk who ever managed to get on television. Thank god I never have to watch him. I don't even like to hear about him except that sometimes it is impossible to avoid it. Having flunked out on Crossfire he somehow managed to get a gig somewhere else (Fox?). The Lord works in mysterious ways.

So long Tom. Try to avoid the slammer. But let's hope you will have a lot of company.

More flotsam

MommyDi: thanks for the tip. It was most interesting.

I confess to being confused about the Jill Carroll situation. I apparently thought the first tv interview I saw was being conducted by an independent interviewer, and when she said she had not been hit, or even threatened with being hit, she was telling the truth. Now I guess she was being interviewed by one of her captors and was under duress. She has now claimed she has no sympathy for her captors and only said what she did under duress. What I would like to know, first of all, is was she in fact ever hit or threatened with being hit? Was she lying in that interview? I would also like to know if in her previous interview she was also lying. That is, when she said there were lots of lies involved in the Iraqi situation, was she lying? This, I think, is important, because in fact there were lies. Many lies. And they continue to this day. She says she has nothing but contempt for her captors as they killed her interpreter and kidnapped her. I believe her. But does she have any similar contempt for Iraqis in general (I hope not). I assume that anyone concerned enough to get both sides of the story to study Arabic must have had at least an open mind. Don't misunderstand what I am questioning. I have only admiration for her. I believe she truly wanted to get an objective account of what was going on in that unfortunate country. I believe she does have some empathy for Iraqis in general. I believe she doesn't like those who kidnapped and threatened her. I also think she has been put into an impossible position. She doesn't dare claim to have any sympathy for Iraqis as if she does so the right wing nuts will crucify her. And if she doesn't she will probably feel somewhat hypocritical. Isn't it just great that our infallible "leader" has placed everyone in the position of either being for us or against us - no gray areas allowed. No intelligent analysis allowed. No common sense allowed. No truth allowed. Jill Carroll, don't you even suggest that Iraqis may in fact just be human beings like the rest of us - they are all vile terrorists with no human qualities whatsoever.

Still another major general has called Rumsfeld incompetent. Bush still thinks he is great. Sigh.

Rush Limbaugh, fat druggie, has stated publicly that the two black dancers who were apparently raped at a frat party were (are) "hos." Do you think he knows this from experience or is it just another example of his usual diarreah of the mouth (which, of course, it is). You are not allowed to yell "fire" in a crowded theatre. Why is Limbaugh allowed to cry absoluely outrageous harmful "horseshit" every hour of every day? Free speech has some limits. Too bad they don't apply to know-nothing warmongering liars like fatso the druggie.

How can one do anything but laugh out loud at our attempts to cut energy use? First of all, no one seems willing to curb the auto industry from building and selling the damndest fleet of gas guzzling monsters ever created. Second, they oppose any forms of public transportation suggested. They don't even want to support Amtrak. Perhaps the biggest laugh of all: in every big city of the U.S., every night of the week, every huge building is fully lit up. I'm not sure but I think this is called "vanity lighting." Can you imagine how much energy could be conserved if all these companies could be convinced to give up their vanity?

Whoever said the U.S. had even half a brain?

What's what?

I confess that I no longer know what's what. Libby's lawyers are now trying to get Fitzgerald disqualified and everything he has done simply dropped (at least as I understand it). What I do not understand about this is why they waited until now to bring up this particular attempt. If it is true that Fitzgerald somehow exceeded his mandate surely they should have argued this previously? I think he has gotten too uncomfortably close to President Dick the Slimy.

And speaking of Dick the Slimy, one of the most evil, greedy, disgusting creatures ever to walk the earth, I do not believe that even he is insane enough to attack Iran. At least not at the moment. God, I hope I am right about this. If not, we are in for another World War, if not nuclear annihilation. Iran, even if it had nuclear weapons, is not a threat to anyone, anymore than any other country who has such weapons. A nuclear armed Iran would surely not attack Israel, knowing they would be immediately blown off the face of the planet if they did so. And apparently they are a very long way from having such weapons anyway. So, if we were to attack Iran it would not be because they were a threat, but, as in the case of Iraq, because they have so much oil (Cheney and his criminal band apparently can never have enough oil). I wonder if he bathes in it every night, or just anoints himself with it like his dimwit friend Ashcroft (you know, the eagle that flies to cover up the titties).

I guess the real question is, are Bush/Cheney and the neocons going to be allowed to continue their absolutely unconstitutional, illegal, power-grabbing ways or will someone at last stand up and stop them? Doesn't look too promising at the moment. But what the hell, it's only our nation and democracy at risk. Survivors and Lost are a lot more interesting, to say nothing of celebrities.

I also don't know exactly what's what with Jill Carroll. The interview I saw on TV where she said she had not been hit and had been treated well was not conducted under duress (at least I don't think it was). This is not to say she was not threatened previously and forced to say things she might not have believed. What I am pretty certain of is that she is not pregnant with an Arab child, and did not arrange her own kidnapping out of sympathy for the insurgents. She is no "Taliban Jill" and the attempts by ultra-right commentators to portray her as such is just plain sick (apparently you have to pass a "sicko test" in order to become a right wing commentator or an employee of Fox News).

Oh, yeah, Jack Straw apparently made a slip of the tongue and introduced Condi as Condom Rice. Honest.

"enduring bases"

Watch 'n Wait: I believe you are right, at least I sincerely hope so. Perhaps someday we shall meet in Washington D.C.

All this time I have been insisting the U.S. has been building four permanent bases in Iraq and now, according to the Independent, we are actually constructing six "enduring bases." It is not at all clear to me what the difference is between enduring and permanent. There can be no doubt, none whatsoever, that the Bush/Cheney criminals have never had any intention of leaving Iraq. Enduring bases (if that's what you want to call them) have always been part of the plan. We need a Puppet Government to ask us to stay and while that seems a bit harder to accomplish than we thought, it is still clearly the goal.

What is it with these right-wing conservatives? One of them suggested to me that Rachel Corrie "lived like a terrorist and died like a terrorist." This absurd claim is now being outdone by right wingers who say Jill Carroll is pregnant with an Arab baby, that she deliberately had herself kidnapped to raise sympathy for the insurgents, that she should never have said her captors treated her well, and etc., etc. Apparently these nitwits can't believe that her captors actually did treat her well, at least in terms of feeding her and giving her clothes and such. If this is true, and I have no reason to suspect it is not true, what would they expect her to do - lie? Remember she said they treated her well after she was released, not at the point of a gun. And if she said at the point of a gun that Bush lied about Iraq, even that is true. He did lie. And he continues to lie. In any case, it ought to be obvious that if they forced her to say certain things as a condition of her release, she would under the circumstances say such things. Commentators like Jonah Goldberg and Howard Kurtz, and others, who make such claims on the basis of no knowledge of the circumstances whatsoever, are vile beyond belief. They are even worse than vile, they are sick in their tiny little Republican minds. They apparently cannot even conceive of the possibility that these young women might actually have acted out of noble and idealistic motives, as such behavior is totally foreign to them.

GO UCLA!

What's Up?

There was no morialekafa last night because there was a meeting of the Boundary Country Democrats featuring the appearance of Larry Grant, running for the Congressional position being vacated by "Butch" Otter. Otter wants to run for Governor of Idaho. One person remarked lately that "If Otter gets elected we'll have a pair of tight jeans and a hangover in the State House" (which I think is a pretty good summary of Otter's qualifications). Larry Grant is smart, personable, and eminently electable. If we can't get a Democratic Governor this time it will probably be impossible to ever get one. There is a Democratic fundraiser tonight down the road in Bonner County (Sandpoint), again featuring Grant.

It appears to me that most everyone at the moment is standing by for shoes to start dropping all over the place. A second one of DeLay's aides pleaded guilty to bribery charges today (getting closer to DeLay all the time). Abramoff sentenced to almost six years in prison is being allowed to stay free for another 90 days in order to cooperate with officials interested in Congressional leaders and others who might be guilty of bribery and other offenses. Fitzgerald is said to be readying at least one further indictment and possibly two. Although Feingold's attempt to censure Bush has no chance of passing it is stimulating more and more talk of impeachment. Very suspensful times. Better than going to the circus (except there are more clowns involved - otherwise known as Republicans).

Given the extremely low poll numbers for Bush/Cheney and the Congress, and also given the problems with electronic voting, what will happen during the 2006 elections? No matter who wins, will anyone believe it? Especially if Republicans win substantially? What happens if it becomes apparent that Republicans have blatantly stolen further elections? Will the Democrats once again just give up and ignore it as they have up to now?

Are Bush/Cheney actually crazy enough to try to attack Iran? To drop nuclear bunker-buster bombs (and start World War III)?

Just think, we have all these things to look forward to, and fastening your seat belts may not be much help. We are mired deep in the "Nightmare Years."

GET OUT NOW, YOU GODAMN FOOLS!

We need to get out of Iraq now, as fast as possible. The alternative is to begin World War III (or IV if you listen to idiot neocons). Shiites are murdering Sunnis. Sunnis are murdering Shiites. The Kurds are cleansing themselves of the Arabs that Hussein forced on them, and just waiting to declare independence. When they do so this will bring Turkey into the picture. Iran is already involved in Iraq. The Saudis are now said to be trying to develop nuclear capabilities. Syria and Lebanon are going to be dragged into the disaster in the Middle East. Israel remains the biggest single problem. Egypt is barely hanging on. The U.S. was supporting the Shiites but now are demanding they do as we say. The Sunnis have refused to cooperate with the existing "government" (chosen by the U.S.), and now the Shiites themselves have shut down the process of governing because of U.S. complicity in a Mosque attack that left a number of innocents dead (murdered). It is a fine mess, indeed.

I fear (actually I don't fear at all) the neocons are just going to have to give up their insane aspirations to empire, write off their multibillion dollar waste of money (although most of it is already safely in the hands of our Corporate masters) and also write off the deaths and injuries to thousands of our troops. Oops, I guess attacking Iraq for no reason other than greed was a bad idea. Well, you can't win 'em all. We're really sorry we were so abysmally ignorant about what we were doing and refused to listen to virtually the entire world that warned us not to do it. But what the hell, a few lives here and there, thousands of lives ruined, a Sovereign country destroyed, the respect of the entire world lost, a national debt that will quite likely never be paid off, at least for several generations, a Constitution junked, the rule of law subverted, an economic disaster, no end in sight, but we are "winning" in Iraq, "victory" is going to be ours, the "job" will be "done," on earth as it is in heaven (some of us will be lifted up there soon when the rapture comes). God, these are really marvelous times. Think we'll have to fight over all them virgins when we all get there?

I have never been a conspiracy buff. Although I was mildly skeptical of the lone Oswalt theory I was not concerned enough to worry about it. Similarly, I didn't get too concerned about Iran-Contra, the CIA being involved in drugs, the assassinations of the Kennedy brothers, or the death of Marilyn Monroe. Now, after 9/11 and the failure to capture Osama bin Laden, the mysterious collapse of the towers, the flight of the Saudis, and etc., etc., I now envisage a conspiracy so immense as to probably be untouchable as well as virtually inconceivable. I believe Sibel Edmonds caught a glimpse of this. That is why she has been silenced. What if Osama bin Laden is still a CIA "asset," sitting comfortably between the poppy fields of Afghanistan, the CIA, and the world drug market? I hate to think like this but what is one to do after five years of Bush/Cheney? I now put nothing past them.

Democracy in Iraq

Ibrahim al-Jaafari, the duly elected Prime Minister of Iraq is not the choice of George W. Bush. Bush has apparently sent word to the Iraqis that he (George W. Bush, Emperor of Emporers, King of the World, God's Representative on Earth, Lion of Lions, George the Infallible, Mental Midget of Mental Midgets, etc., etc.) does not want al-Jaafari to serve a second term. Sooo...so much for democracy in Iraq. Democracy seems to be fine as long as the democratic process produces precisely the outcome that Bush desires. Otherwise, not. The recent elections in Gaza are a similar case in point. Actually, all this does is make public what has been obvious all along. The U.S. wants a puppet government in Iraq, a government that will do as they are told by the U.S. If that goal cannot be achieved (or probably even if it can) the U.S. will have to maintain a presence in Iraq. As there was never any plan not to maintain a presence in Iraq this should not come as a surprise. We are, definitely, positively, without doubt, building permanent bases in Iraq, along with the most heavily guarded Embassy ever conceived. This is not to say that someday, somehow, we will be forcibly pushed out. But that is certainly not the plan.

We have now announced that we are economically abandoning Iraq. They will have to do reconstruction on their own. How they might do this under the circumstances is not at all clear. Remember all the talk about how Iraqi oil would pay for the reconstruction, we were committed to reconstructing Iraq, and blah, blah, blah? Well, we aren't going to do it. They will be on their own. Oh, yeah, we were going to rebuild Afghanistan too. It must have just slipped our minds. The extent of our aid it appears will only be earmarked for more prisons. Whee! Just what they need in Iraq. More prisons. After all, if you insist on incarcerating everyone, guilty of anything or not, you need a lot of prison space. In Iraq you don't even have to smoke pot to go to jail. You only need to exist at all. American justice is a wonderful thing. Just ask the detainees at Guantanamo. But don't ask Justice Scalia. He has already decided they have no rights as they were caught on battlefields during a "war." The fact is, there is no "war." Thus they cannot be prisoners of war. If they were truly prisoners of war they would be entitled to rights under the Geneva Convention. So, if they are not prisoners of "war," what are they. I guess they must be criminals of some kind. But if they are criminals they should be entitled to a fair trial. Actually, most of them are neither soldiers or criminals, merely poor unfortunates that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But not to worry, General Peter Pace has spoken again. As the Turks and the Saudis, along with others in the neighborhood are concerned about U.S. intentions in Iraq, General Pace on a trip to the area, has assured them we are staying until "we get the job done." I, for one, have no idea what the "job" is, nor do I have any idea as to how we will tell if it gets "done." If he means bringing democracy to Iraq and the Middle East the job will never be done. NEVER! As bringing democracy there is not really the intention anyway, perhaps he means once we have established Iraq as a 51st state, with all the oil secured, we will be done. I suspect we will be done when we slink away with our tails between our legs as we were forced to do in Vietnam. If there are any people left at all in another 50 or 100 years they can explain to their children that for the want of oil the earth was lost.

I guess it must be obvious I am not in a happy mood. Please Great Mystery, let truth and beauty and justice prevail. We promise to do better. Honest. Scout's honor.

Rove vs Cheney?

A delightful tidbit on Buzzflash today. It appears that Karl Rove is cooperating with Patrick Fitzgerald (remember him, the prosecutor, presumably investigating the Plame affair?) Now, if this is true, and who knows what might or might not be true during these nightmare days, the only conceivable target of their cooperation has to be - you guessed it - Dick the Slimy!

The story, as I understand it, has to do with Rove's attempt to replace Cheney on the Republican ticket. Cheney's ratings are so low Rove apparently thought (thinks) they will be detrimental to Republican chances for winning (the 2004 elections as well as the 2006 elections). He might well be right. In any case, apparently Cheney got wind of Rove's inquiries and was, naturally enough, upset. So there is this obvious animosity between Rove and Cheney.

If Rove is cooperating with Fitzgerald he is doing so to save his own ass. And he is doing so by fingering Cheney as the main culprit in the outing of Valerie Plame.Fitzgerald has a reputation for not giving up until he gets to the top of the problem. I knew, and said from the beginning of the Plame affair, that it would lead to Dick the Slimy (so obvious one could hardly claim even insight). Libby would never have leaked her name and occupation without Cheney's approval.

Donald Rumsfeld continues to be the most egomaniacal, bumbling, and incompetent Secretary of State ever. George W. Bush makes even the most incompetent Presidents ever look like shining lights compared to him. Cheney continues to be probably the most evil person ever to hold office in the United States. Things continue to go well in Iraq. There were further car bombings and murders today and it appears that our troops may have committed further atrocities. But someday, somehow, some future President may see an end to this abominable, obscene, unnecessary, illegal, unconstitutional, unprovoked "war." Even so, the United States will remain an international pariah probably forever. Great job, Bushie!

"We" are losing patience?

Two Senators, Russ Feingold and John McCain, on opposite sides of the fence with respect to Iraq, visiting there have both reported that we (the U.S.) are losing patience with Iraq. They are supposed to agree on a unity government as quickly as possible (because the American public is turning against the "war"). Can anyone appreciate the hypocrisy, the arrogance, the ignorance, the paternalism, the unreality, the stupidity, the absurdity of this position. WE are losing patience? What in the hell do they think the Iraqis are losing? First of all it is a totally artificial "nation" created by the British out of three separate groups of people who were never a nation in the first place. Now we are trying to insist they become a unified nation just because we say so. The fact that we illegally and immorally invaded them, opened up animosities that had been dormant for years, failed to restore electricity and water, imposed our own candidates for their government, treat them like less than human, invade and beat them in their own homes, humiliate them daily, try to steal their oil, desecrate their marvelous history, museums and archaeological sites, keep them unemployed and in poverty, and maintain an occupancy of their country, AND WE ARE LOSING PATIENCE! American arrogance and stupidity simply knows no bounds.

Well, predictably, a judge has now ordered Abramoff and his partner must be questioned about the murder of the man from whom they fraudulently bought casino river boats. Gee, why should they be questioned? After all, we know who committed the murders (they have already confessed) but we don't really know why. Like who, besides Abramoff, might have benefitted from this? But, as Abramoff is apparently an orthodox Jew, of course he could not be involved. Just as he could not have involved with DeLay. Seemingly religious people never do anything wrong.

In Afghanistan there is the case of a man who converted to Christianity. Converting to Christianity is a crime punishable by death in that culture. While I think this is utterly stupid and mindless beyond belief, and I sincerely hope he will not be executed for it, I am happy in the knowledge that Christians have never killed anyone because of their religious beliefs, especially not Jews, atheists, or Muslims. Oh, yeah, and witches. Those witches were really bad.

The Seattle Repertory Theatre has decided to put on "My Name is Rachel Corrie." This will be the first major theatre company to do it as the New York people have capitulated to the Israelis. Hooray for Seattle!

A couple of nights ago someone commented on this blog to the effect that Rachel Corrie "lived like a terrorist and died like a terrorist." As I know of no evidence for this whatsoever I said so the following day. I also said that the claim she was "accidentally" run over by a bulldozer was absurd. I have been giving some thought to this and looking into it more carefully. I now think maybe she could have been a terrorist involved in smuggling guns into Gaza. Look at her background. She attended Evergreen College, a progressive, experimental College near Olympia, Washington, known to be a serious liberal arts college (that's pretty bad on the face of it). I guess they must be notorious for training terrorists. Then she went to Palestine because of her idealistic beliefs about truth and justice. As she stood in front of that Israeli bulldozer that was about to raze a house full of children I'm certain she was thinking about protecting the smugglers. Why else would she have done such a stupid thing? And of course the bulldozer, armored by Caterpillar for just such a purpose, just "accidentally ran over her."

Oh, by the way, the agressive terrorists in training at Evergreen College picked as their College Mascot, the Geoduck (look it up).

One final observation (my wife gave me this):

WOMAN IN AUDIENCE: 'I don't really understand. How is the new plan going to fix the problem?'

Verbatim response: PRESIDENT BUSH:

'Because the -- all which is on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For example, how benefits are calculated, for example, is on the table. Whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases. There's a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those -- changing those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be -- or closer delivered to that has been promised. Does that make any sense to you? It's kind of muddled. Look, there's a series of things that cause the -- like, for example, benefits are calculated based upon the increase of wages, as opposed to the increase of prices. Some have suggested that we calculate -- the benefits will rise based upon inflation, supposed to wage increases. There is a reform that would help solve the red if that were put into effect. In other words, how fast benefits grow, how fast the promised benefits grow, if those -- if that growth is affected, it will help on the red.'

Do I really need to comment on this?



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So few, so much, so many

"Never was so much owed by so many to so few." This famous line was from a speech by Winston Churchill on August 20th, 1940. This was at the height of the German attack on Great Britain and Churchill was referring to the Royal Air Force as the few. And they were few, indeed, compared to what the Germans had to offer.

Unfortunately, if one were now to consider such a statement it would have to be: never have so few destroyed so many lives for such ignoble purposes. The few here being Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Perle, Rice, Hadley, Libby, Rove, and other neocons who highjacked American foreign policy and lied us into this horrible, unnecessary war of greed and pillage. Absolutely no one benefits from this "war" except for oil companies and the military-industrial complex (of which Cheney, the Bush family, and others are members). These people are war criminals, plain and simple. And they must be somehow held accountable for their crimes.

When Helen Thomas was finally allowed to ask a question she asked "why did you go to war in Iraq?" Bush's reply was so totally dishonest and pathetic he has to have been exposed for the creepy know-nothing that he is. After listening to his reply it is clear that he is either insane or so far out of the loop as to be irrelevant. We are supposed to put up with this for another three years?

This has to be one of the saddest, most depressing and horrible things I have ever read:

"Mr. Azawi's body was found the next morning at a sewage treatment plant. A slight man who raised nightingales, he had been hogtied, drilled with power tools, and shot."

Mr. Azawi's "crime" seems to have been that he was a Sunni. It is certainly unlikely that it was because he raised nightingales.I do not believe such a thing would have happened prior to Bush/Cheney's "war."

Do you think that Bush/Cheney and the other neocons sleep well and have pleasant dreams (of murder, torture, plunder, rape and misery?). Or do they just count their money and very expensive barrels of oil?

Laughable

I think we have reached the point where any further speeches about Iraq can just be dismissed out of hand as laughable. Bush has no credibility whatsoever. Cheney has even less. The Senate and the House are just as silly. Bush/Cheney have thumbed their noses at the Constitution and the rule of law and no one seems seriously to care. There is talk of censure, talk of impeachment, talk of new blood in the White House, and so on. But that's all there is. Talk. Talk is cheap. But it apparently is enough to keep everyone believing that something might be happening. Nothing much seems to be happening. Even Patrick what's-his-name (remember him) seems to have been silenced. The Republicans are about to make legal Bush's illegal warrantless searches. Bush has signed another adendum to the Patriot Act saying that he will not necessarily follow the rules if he doesn't want to. He continues to illegally wiretap and spy. Our Attorney General, such as he is, seems to have copied Bush's smirk and seems not to try very hard not to laugh at Senators. Iraq continues to be a daily bloodbath. No one seem to have a clue how to get out of this disastrous mess Bush/Cheney have created. Democrats continue to keep their heads there where the sun don't shine. It is an absolutely wonderful world, just spinning, spinning, spinning out of control. I guess it must be a result of the intelligent design we keep hearing about.

Luis Posada Carriles, as I understand it, is a Venezuelan citizen. He is a know anti-Castro fanatic. He is believed to have masterminded the terrorist blowing up of a Cuban airliner killing some seventy plus innocents. He escaped from a Venezuelan jail and entered the United States illegally. Venezuela and Cuba want him extradited to stand trial. The U.S. refuses to cooperate (try not to choke - we are afraid he might be tortured). So much for the war on terror. Just more U.S. hypocrisy (is it possible to exceed the limit of hypocrisy? If so, we must be very close).

On Znet today there is a fine article on how the U.S. Press treats Palestinians as compared to Israelis. Worth reading.

The beat goes on but I fear it is getting more and more feeble.

A terrorist?

I do not believe there is any evidence whatsoever that Rachel Corrie was a terrorist or that she was involved in smuggling. I find the claim that she was "accidentally" run over by an armored bulldozer to be absurd.

How anyone could possibly believe after all this time that the Palestians have been given a fair deal is utterly beyond comprehension. Israel is an occupying power with overwhelming military superiority. They have ignored the United Nations for years while claiming more and more Palestianian land and water. They obviously do not want a viable Palestianian state and have done everything they can to prevent one.

I was very much in favor of the creation of Israel and was for many years very pro-Israel. I am sorry to say they have lost my respect many times over. If they truly want peace (which I no longer believe) they can achieve it by ending their illegal occupation.

I want to see peace in the Middle East. Israel is the biggest single obstacle to that end, and has been for years. Neither Iranians nor Arabs are any more intrinsically "evil" than anyone else. If you want to see the true face of evil take a look at Dick Cheney.

There is more and more talk of impeachment, more and more calls for Rumsfeld the Incompetent to resign. If these people had even one shred of decency they would all resign now. They obviously do not have the interests of the American people or our nation in mind.

Rachel Corrie

I guess you must all be more or less aware of the Rachel Corrie story. If not, you should be. Rachel Corrie was a young woman from Olympia, Washington, who decided to travel to Palestine in the interest of peace. She was killed by an Israeli bulldozer while standing in front of a Palestinian house that was about to be razed. Inside the house was a Palestinian family including several children. Their house was being razed because the Israelis wanted to create a buffer zone (not because the family had done anything wrong). Rachel bravely stood in front of the house and faced the bulldozer, indicating that she would not allow the house (and family) to be destroyed. The bulldozer ran over her and then backed up over her.

Rachel Corrie was a very idealistic young woman, beautiful and intelligent. She left a number of diaries and notes that were recently made into a sort of stage play, "My Name is Rachel Corrie." This was produced in London to rave audiences. It was to open in New York today (or maybe yesterday) but was canceled at the last minute. While it is not entirely clear why it was canceled it obviously had something to do with politics. The election of Hamass and the condition of Ariel Sharon were said to have something to do with it - the owners of the theatre said they did not want to get involved with a political problem. The producers are claiming they really wanted to open it but did not have enough time to work out the problems. In short, it is a kind of mess.

The fact is, or at least seems to be, that a number of people or organizations started to demonize Ms. Corrie, claiming, among other things, she was a member of Hamass (a blatant falsehood). What seems to be clear, at least to me, is that Ms. Corrie stood up for the Palestinians rather than the Israelis (an obvious no-no in the United States). She exposed the Israelis for the murderous greedy land-grabbing racists they have turned out to be, and of course this is not to be tolerated in this Israeli-loving "land of the free."

"My Name is Rachel Corrie" will undoubtedly eventually open somewhere in the United States if not in New York. It is said to be an extremely moving experience that has more to do with the problem of violence than with politics per se. It does not pay to be perceived as pro-Palestianian - after all, they're just Arabs.

Pat Robertson is at it again. Commenting on a new book which I gather is entitled "The Professors," he claims that Professors are like termites that have infiltrated the Universities, are "out and out communists," and some of them are "killers." He also claims that they actually beat up students. Doesn't it make you wonder why Robertson has not been committed? This guy is so psychotic, and has been for years, it is virtually impossible to believe he continues to have some kind of following and was, in fact, a candidate for President at one time. How many complete loonies are there in the U.S.? At the moment I guess there are a lot.

President Pathetic

I do not ordinarily watch President Pathetic as he babbles on endlessly about things he obviously knows little about. Unfortunately, this morning, I found myself in a situation where I could not help but witness part of his Press Conference. I found it excruciatingly embarrassing. I don't know why they have suddently decided to let him host Press Conferences where he can be asked real questions. I guess it must be a measure of Republican desperation. In any case, it truly was pathetic. Watching him smirk and smile completely inappropriately is bad enough. But actually listening to his unceasing babble is much worse. It is impossible to review the conference here in any detail. Just let me give you a couple of examples. He took a question from Helen Thomas for the first time in the last three or four years. She asked him, as she has wanted to all this time, "why did you go to war in Iraq?" This elicited a rambling non-answer that among other things included the blatant lie that Sadam had resisted inspectors. There was no follow up. Everyone realized it would be hopeless. Then when asked about the monumental 8.9 trillion dollar deficit Bush blamed it on Social Security and Medicaid "because the President has no control over those espenses." No mention of his obscene tax breaks for the filthy rich. And even much more importantly, no mention of the obscene defense budget (larger than all the rest of the world combined) which does virtually nothing to defend us from terrorism but continues to fill the coffers of his defense industry and oil company buddies. I could go on but what is the point. The Bush/Cheney administration is nothing more than a criminal enterprise designed to keep the price of oil as high as possible and insure record profits for those involved. The more Iraqi oil that is kept off the market the higher the profits. It's very simple. Want to bet the Carlyle group isn't one of the prime beneficiaries?

Strange things are being done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for oil. Not a single virgin is to be left unravished, not an oil company executive left behind, not a single truth ever to be told.

Often the sin is itself more forgiveable than the stupidity that led to it. Morialekafa. Here and now.

Permanent bases?

There will be no morialekafa on Monday. The Siren song of Seattle Seafood is just too strong to resist. See you again on Tuesday.


I keep insisting that the U.S. is building permanent bases in Iraq and has no intention of not maintaining them. Some keep insisting that we are not going to maintain a permanent presence and others insist that we are. I believe we are.

Barbara Lee (D. Oakland) has introduced an amendment to the recent 91 billion spending bill (HR 4939) that would block any funding for permanent bases. It is said that this amendment passed on a voice vote in the House. Let us watch what happens with respect to this amendment. It is quite possible that these four bases are already more or less finished (all those billions of dollars must have gone somewhere). We are also building the world's most expensive and fortified Embassy ever conceived in Bagdad. I guess we will just leave it to the mercy of the next Iraqi government (if there ever is one). Anyway, stay tuned.

Bush/Cheney continue to insist they are pleased with the "progress" that is being made in Iraq. Rumsfeld continues to deny there is a civil war (indeed, he seems bemused by the very idea there even could be such a civil war - he is either a liar or a fake or both). Allawi, the former Prime Minister of Iraq, says they are already in a civil war. Watch Rumsfeld, et al, start quibbling over the definition of civil war. How much longer will we put up with this idiocy? I can think of no other country in the world, nor any corporation of any kind, nor even any business of any kind, that would tolerate such total incompetence. Some 35% of Americans apparently continue to support these hopeless buffoons. Why? Oh, yeah, they want to protect us from abortions and gay marriages. Abortions are murder. Killing innocent Iraqi women and children is apparently just sport, like shooting pen raised pheasants and hunting companions.

Hasta la vista, baby. Make my day. Bring 'em on. Mission accomplished. You're either with us or against us. Dead or alive. Stay the course. Torture. Kill. Lie. Cheat. Steal. Bribe. Obfuscate. Stonewall. Ignore. It's the Republican way. Three cheers for the party in power! Party above all. Profit even above that. Sell us the rope so we can hang you.

President Warren Harding was not known for his use of the English language. When he died, E. E. Cummings wrote: "the only man, woman or child who could write a simple declarative sentence with seven grammatical errors, has died." (I saw this somewhere on the web this morning).

I don't believe George W. Dimwit could even write a declartive sentence, errors or not. He certainly can't say one.

Incompetence

I know how it would be possible to destroy any country on earth without ever firing a shot. Indeed, you could bring any culture to an absolute standstill with virtually no effort at all. Pass a law that would allow people to bring charges or sue for incompetence. That's all it would take. As it is, as far as I know, there is no penalty for incompetence (certainly not in the United States). Well, I guess you might get fired for it, as in the case of Michael Brown, but you have to admit that is very unusual. Even though virtually every government official involved in the Katrina catastrophe was shown to be incompetent nothing happened to them. They still have their jobs. And of course there are George W. Bush and Dick the Slimy Cheney, both incompetent beyond belief, but still not up to the level of incompetence of our Secretary of Defense. "I'm not aware of a civil war, he says, are you?" turning in feigned innocence to General Pace standing next to him. This is the same General Pace who earlier said he believed things were going well in Iraq (and the same General Pace whose career is dependent upon the favor of Rumsfeld the Incompetent).

But I'm not speaking just of high level incompetence. I mean to go after incompetence wherever found. Like the shoe clerk, for example, who knows nothing about shoes. The plumber who floods your basement. The electrician who burns down your house. The auto mechanic who uses the wrong spark plugs. Even worse, the surgeon who amputates the wrong limb. These things happen every day in the United States. Apparently they happen so frequently in hospitals you might well be better off to avoid hospitals. Then there are the hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of bureacrats, that are basically defined by their incompetence. You know, the kind that say "I can't sign that until so-and-so has signed it," when so-and-so has already refused to sign it because they haven't signed it. The ones that punish little kids for bringing half inch toy plastic guns to school, or little old ladies who bring knitting needles on airplances or refuse to take off their shoes.

Just think, if there were laws against incompetence, and you could file charges against incompetence, the whole world would quickly stop if not come to an end. That is precisely why there are no such laws. Think about it. And this is not merely an American problem. It is a universal problem that exists in all cultures at all times. There is never a dearth of incompetence. Never. Not anywhere. Human incompetence is so widespread, so fundamental, so basic to our nature, that it makes completely clear how there could not possibly be such a thing as "Intelligent Design." But at the same time it also strongly implies that "Survival of the Fittest" is equally implausable. Now there is a philosophical problem that should keep you busy until something happens in American politics that makes any sense whatsoever.

In case you haven't been listening, President Brain-dead insists we are making "progress" in Iraq and we are going to achieve "victory."

Ask your doctor - essay

The Bush/Cheney/Rove Operation Smarmy is such a blatant and transparent PR attempt it is not worthy of comment.

Whatever happened to Patrick Fitzgerald? I like to think he is on to something so big it will bring down the Bush/Cheney Administration forthwith. But has the Bush mafia got to him? What?

For the moment I have other things on my mind:



I confess to being a tad bit hypochondriacal. Perhaps more than just a tad bit. Well, hypochondriacal enough to have stopped reading medical books and journals many years ago. You know the syndrome. You have the problem and then when you read about some disease or other you begin to suspect that you actually might have it. It’s a drag. It’s easy enough to give up reading medical books but now, it appears, I will have to give up television as well.
Some time ago (maybe a year or two), for some reason, the Pharmaceutical Industry apparently decided the obscene profits they have been making for so many years were just not enough. They began a campaign to suggest to innocent consumers they might need other drugs they (and even their doctors) might not have heard of as yet. They began an advertising campaign to insure that no drug would go unnoticed (and hopefully, unprescribed).
Given my abnormal condition I was, of course, ripe for this campaign. I remember the first time I saw a commercial for Lunesta, a sleep aid. While in my Doctor’s office I casually asked, “Doc, do you think Lunesta is right for me?”
“Why,” he queried, “are you having trouble sleeping?”
“Well, not really,” I replied. “Except that the other night I actually woke up in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. Maybe that’s a sign that I might be going to have a problem.”
“I don’t think so,” he said, dismissively.
It wasn’t long , however, before I was convinced I needed Nexium. “Doc,’ I said, do you think Nexium is right for me?”
“Why,” he asked. “Do you have heartburn?”
“Well, I did the other day after I ate some hot sausage.”
“That’s the only time?” he asked.
“Yeah, but don’t you think that could be a sign that I may be going to have a problem with it?”
“I don’t think so,” he said, looking at me with what I perceived to be a rather disgusted look.
Vesicare was next. “Doc,” I said, “do you think Vesicare is right for me?”
“Why?” he asked. “Are you having trouble going to the bathroom?”
“The other night I woke up and had to go. I don’t usually do that. Do you think that might be a precursor to a problem?”
He could barely conceal his disdain. “No, I don’t think you need Vesicare. In fact I think your health is fine. Why do you keep asking me about drugs you obviously don’t need?”
“Well, doc, I just keep seeing these ads on television suggesting that I should ask you about these things.”
“Do you believe everything you see on TV?” he demanded.
“Well, gee, no. But this is stuff that might be important, don’t you think?”
“No,’ he replied.
As I was beginning to get the impression that he was not really concerned about my health (certainly not as much as I was), I decided to refrain from further inquiries for the time being. I deliberately did not ask him about Toprol xl, Mylanta, Vytoran, Copacol, Nasonex, Plavix, Vesicare, Fosamex Plus D, Zetia, Coricidan, or Avordart. And I certainly didn’t ask him about any of the tumescence enhancers. Being a long term hypochrondriac I know when my doctor has been pushed to his limit.
I can’t bring myself to believe that these drug companies are doing this merely for profit. I’m sure they must be really, truly concerned about my health. I know their advertising campaigns are probably doubling or tripling the cost of drugs but, hey, doesn’t it make you feel good to know they are so concerned about your health?
I’m still waiting for that one commercial that comes on and says, “Worried about your health? Confused about commercials for drugs? Disappointed by your doctor? Ask him if psychiatric care is right for you.

Stop me before I kill again

Remember this phrase written by some serial killer? It would seem to be particularly pertinent at the moment, given Bush's claim that our national defense policy continues to be preemptive strikes against anyone we feel like "taking out." Iran, of course, is the first "terrible danger" on the list. I guess this is because of our assumtion that Iranians are basically a nation of utter morons. Can there be any doubt that if Iran actually acquired a nuclear weapon the first thing they would do would be to drop it on Israel? They obviously are either inordinately stupid or they have a death wish. Do they think they could drop a bomb of any kind of Israel without suffering an immediate response that would destroy their country entirely? Of course they don't think that. Need I remind you that Iran (Persia) had a highly developed culture (civilization) when the U.S. was still in its bawling infancy? That they are a nation of poets and thinkers rather than a nation of fast foods and nonsensical television? And, I guess this might surprise you, they are not Arabs. In fact, they are the original Aryans (Iranians, Aryans).

The attempt by the Bush/Cheney administration to demonize Iran is disgusting beyond belief. Having overthrown their legitimate government in the past to install our puppet, the Shah, and having meddled in their affairs endlessly, why should they have to suffer our attempts to control them (and their oil) any longer? They are apparently a long way from developing a nuclear bomb in spite of the Bush/Cheney attempt to claim otherwise. Furthermore, even if they had a bomb what difference would it make? Russia has had nuclear bombs for years which actually prevented us from attacking them. Iran would be better off with a bonb than not. Indeed, I suspect every country on earth ought to have such bombs as long as we have them, along with the United Kingdom, France, Pakistan, India, Israel, North Korea, and so on. I suspect even Lichtenstein would be better off with a bomb than not. And, if we are so frightened that such a weapon might fall into the hands of terrorists, we should get rid of ours along with everyone else. The U.S. is so hypocritical on this issue as to have no credibility whatsoever.

I guess, like our serial killers, Bush/Cheney have decided that as they are already war criminals, they might as well do it again as they would have nothing to lose. For the U.S. to attack Iran at the moment (or ever, for that matter) would be nothing short of insanity (don't bet they are not insane). Our military is stretched to the limit (and perhaps beyond), and have indicated overwhelmingly they want to come home. We are bankrupt and have no money to fight another war. The entire world holds us in contempt and would certainly not condone an attack on Iran. The idea that Bush/Cheney might launch an offensive against Iran because it would unite the country behind them has to be an unbelievable fantasy. Indeed, I suspect if they attack Iran at this point in time there may well be riots in the streets and people actually sacking the White House. A very large segment of the U.S. population believes the Bush/Cheney Administration doesn't know what they are doing. So why would they follow them into another disastrously stupid if not utterly insane attack on still another country that is, in fact, no danger to us? There would have to be a draft. Do you think the American public at the moment would agree to a draft?

It is true that Bush/Cheney and their gang of war criminals are desperate. But are they suicidal? Let us hope not.

Is there a loop?

Three days ago our Ambassador to Iraq, Khalilzad, said the United States had no intention of keeping permanent bases in Iraq. Today General Abizaid said we probably would want to keep permanent bases in Iraq. Which one of these guys is "out of the loop?" More basically, is there a loop? I have been saying all along that the U.S. has no intention whatsoever of getting our troops (all of them, that is) out of Iraq. The Democrats have been pressuring the White House for months to say we have no intention of maintaining permanent bases in Iraq. Have you ever heard anyone in the Bush/Cheney Administration say we are not going to stay there permanently? Of course not, because they never have. And why have they never said so? Because there has never been any intention of not maintaining permanent bases. We are spending billions to create at least four such bases, all enormous enough to be essentially self-contained American towns (complete with Burger Kings and whatever). So why do people keep talking about bringing the troops home? No one has ever said we are going to bring all the troops home. It seems unlikely to me that even if there is a change in Administrators we would bring all the troops home. Why can't anyone recognize reality and tell the truth?

A Blue Ribbon Committee is being established to "rethink Iraq" and how we might withdraw from there "successfully." I don't know if this means "victoriously" or what. This is a high-powered committee composed of a number of very important people. Apparently this Committee was resisted by the White House but because of intense pressure finally materialized. Want to bet the White House will pay any attention to whatever they suggest? There have been suggestions that Bush might need new advisors as his current staff has been there for all five years of his (absolutely disastrous) Administration. There is no sign that Bush is interested - he apparently likes the abject failures he already has.

Senator Russ Feingold is trying to introduce a motion to censure Bush for breaking the law with respect to unwarrantaed wiretapping. He apparently has failed to find even a single co-sponsor (although I just now heard that Barbara Boxer may be on board). It is not clear at the moment what, if anything, will come of this. I guess there may be a vote on it (want to guess the outcome?).

In three different recent polls Bush's numbers are now 33%, 35%, and 36%. As near as I can tell, aside from reporting this, no one is inclined to take any action. Even Lou Dobbs is outraged. What I want to know is, would his ratings have to go all the way to zero before anyone really cared? And would anyone care even if they did? Don't even bother about Democrats. If Bush/Cheney went to zero they would still be standing around sucking their thumbs.

Has there ever been a culture with such an unbelievable patience for total incompetence? Have Americans become so familiar with incompetence in their daily lives they no longer even recognize it? Try to find a shoe salesman nowadays who knows anything about shoes, or a butcher who knows what a hanger steak is, or how to pull the tendons from a turkey leg. It remind me of a recent incident involving one of my friends. It seems that in the winter he became somewhat bored so he purchased a cheap putter in a Wal Mart. After a few days he returned it, handing it to the sweet young thing behind the counter and telling her, "this just doesn't work."

"Really?" she said, and then let him exchange it. Sigh!