Monday, May 31, 2004
cyn·i·cism
1. An attitude of scornful or jaded negativity, especially a general distrust of the integrity or professed motives of others: the public cynicism aroused by governmental scandals.
Who could blame anyone for being cynical in this day and age? Starting from Johnson to the present president, has America really had a president that would fall into the great category? Sure, conservatives prop up Reagan like he was the greatest president ever, but his record doesn't indicate a record of greatness. Tripling the federal debt and engaging America into secret wars around the globe, a la the Iran-Contra Scandal, it's hard to put him up there as a great president. I'll give the Gipper credit though, he did have a charismatic personality, and more integrity and presidentiality than the current doofus we have.
I was watching Lord of the Rings: Return of the King a couple nights ago, and I was thinking about cynicism in regard to politics and public ideology. All the characters, and side characters, and even the red-shirts of Rohan and Gondor were loyal and dedicated to duty, honor, and to their respective kings.
In other words they trusted their leaders, and their leaders carried the mantle of responsibility seriously. It's what is called the "social contract." It's hard to believe that America once had a social contract. My grandparents generation, the so-called "Greatest Generation," lived in a time where cynicism would have destroyed them, and left America at the mercy of imperial powers like Germany and Japan.
The Great Depression was the result of little to no regulation of businesses and investment schemes and scams, plus the addition of speculative investment by banks into fraudulent and questionable money scams. Combine that with an eventual decline in the economic business cycle, and the U.S. economy fell like a house of cards in a hurricane. The economic decline came from two angles, overproduction of goods and services led to the lay-offs of people to slow down production, plus there was problems with farm markets due to European economic declines caused by World War I.
The Roaring Twenties came to a crashing halt. Herbert Hoover did little to alleviate the situation, and kept telling the public that the economy was turning the corner. (No surprises, here, Hoover was a laissez-faire Republican.) It didn't. That cost Hoover the election and FDR was elected. America got a New Deal. American government expanded, and the people got a "social contract" with the government. Roosevelt did the best he could with the government and conservative Republicans doing what they could to stop Roosevelt at every turn. The conservatives didn't get it. The people needed help, not laissez-faire platitudes and a "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" mentality.
December 7th, 1941 - The Japanese empire attacks the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor. The "Greatest Generation" rolls up their sleeves and goes to war. The war ends, Roosevelt and Truman give GI's things like the GI bill and low interest loans that create an era of prosperity that runs from 1945-1975. The social contract was alive and well, until Vietnam.
The lie of the Vietnam war created cynicism in the Baby Boom Generation and their childrens generations of Gen-X and Gen-Y. Today's Gen-Xers are more like Fox Mulder with the "Trust No One" mentality.
After September 11th, it looked like America might have the possibility of returning to a non-cynical time, until George Bush pushed for a questionable war in Iraq. The cynicism returns.
Today is Memorial Day, its good to remember those that endured economic hardship and fought the greatest war of the 20th Century. It's hard to imagine a time when Americans won't be cynical anymore. When Americans fail to have trust in their leaders, and the leaders fail to trust the public, democracy will fade into American history, and an era of tyranny will begin.
It's time for us to honor those that made the sacrifices for our freedoms, by taking a stand against Bush and corporate power encroaching in our daily lives. The marriage of corporations and government is what some would call fascism.
We as Americans can survive as long as we hold to the ideals of freedom, liberty, and prosperity for all. To paraphrase Ben Franklin, we hang together, or surely we'll hang alone. The best way is to start by getting rid of the current president, and standing by the ideals of what makes America a great county.
1. An attitude of scornful or jaded negativity, especially a general distrust of the integrity or professed motives of others: the public cynicism aroused by governmental scandals.
Who could blame anyone for being cynical in this day and age? Starting from Johnson to the present president, has America really had a president that would fall into the great category? Sure, conservatives prop up Reagan like he was the greatest president ever, but his record doesn't indicate a record of greatness. Tripling the federal debt and engaging America into secret wars around the globe, a la the Iran-Contra Scandal, it's hard to put him up there as a great president. I'll give the Gipper credit though, he did have a charismatic personality, and more integrity and presidentiality than the current doofus we have.
I was watching Lord of the Rings: Return of the King a couple nights ago, and I was thinking about cynicism in regard to politics and public ideology. All the characters, and side characters, and even the red-shirts of Rohan and Gondor were loyal and dedicated to duty, honor, and to their respective kings.
In other words they trusted their leaders, and their leaders carried the mantle of responsibility seriously. It's what is called the "social contract." It's hard to believe that America once had a social contract. My grandparents generation, the so-called "Greatest Generation," lived in a time where cynicism would have destroyed them, and left America at the mercy of imperial powers like Germany and Japan.
The Great Depression was the result of little to no regulation of businesses and investment schemes and scams, plus the addition of speculative investment by banks into fraudulent and questionable money scams. Combine that with an eventual decline in the economic business cycle, and the U.S. economy fell like a house of cards in a hurricane. The economic decline came from two angles, overproduction of goods and services led to the lay-offs of people to slow down production, plus there was problems with farm markets due to European economic declines caused by World War I.
The Roaring Twenties came to a crashing halt. Herbert Hoover did little to alleviate the situation, and kept telling the public that the economy was turning the corner. (No surprises, here, Hoover was a laissez-faire Republican.) It didn't. That cost Hoover the election and FDR was elected. America got a New Deal. American government expanded, and the people got a "social contract" with the government. Roosevelt did the best he could with the government and conservative Republicans doing what they could to stop Roosevelt at every turn. The conservatives didn't get it. The people needed help, not laissez-faire platitudes and a "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" mentality.
December 7th, 1941 - The Japanese empire attacks the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor. The "Greatest Generation" rolls up their sleeves and goes to war. The war ends, Roosevelt and Truman give GI's things like the GI bill and low interest loans that create an era of prosperity that runs from 1945-1975. The social contract was alive and well, until Vietnam.
The lie of the Vietnam war created cynicism in the Baby Boom Generation and their childrens generations of Gen-X and Gen-Y. Today's Gen-Xers are more like Fox Mulder with the "Trust No One" mentality.
After September 11th, it looked like America might have the possibility of returning to a non-cynical time, until George Bush pushed for a questionable war in Iraq. The cynicism returns.
Today is Memorial Day, its good to remember those that endured economic hardship and fought the greatest war of the 20th Century. It's hard to imagine a time when Americans won't be cynical anymore. When Americans fail to have trust in their leaders, and the leaders fail to trust the public, democracy will fade into American history, and an era of tyranny will begin.
It's time for us to honor those that made the sacrifices for our freedoms, by taking a stand against Bush and corporate power encroaching in our daily lives. The marriage of corporations and government is what some would call fascism.
We as Americans can survive as long as we hold to the ideals of freedom, liberty, and prosperity for all. To paraphrase Ben Franklin, we hang together, or surely we'll hang alone. The best way is to start by getting rid of the current president, and standing by the ideals of what makes America a great county.
Monday, May 24, 2004
That neo-con is out there... It can't be bargained with! It can't be reasoned with! It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead!
"Politics is a war in which everyone has their guns blazing and each side constantly looks for their next target. The showdown has always been Republicans versus Democrats, each party adjusting their strategies and deadly techniques to obliterate the enemy."
- David Horowitz, former hippie, current rabid neo-con.
The neo-con Republicans are in a battle for supreme control of the United States. They're playing a no-holds barred, winner take all attitude toward politics in America today. Even if they have to crush all opposition to do it, stifle any dissent, ignore any outcries and criticisms, and even resort to using linguistic double speak to slander and erradicate their opponents.
These are not democracy loving people. Ignoring dissent, criticisms, and closing dialogue with those that have contrary opinions is more in style of a tyrannical style of government, not a democratic or free government.
Randi Rhodes, a political talk show host on Air America, pointed out the difference between neo-conservatives and conservatives. Neo-cons are interested in building an Amercian Empire ruled by a small military elite, and run by private American companies. They are geeked about the prospect of a permanent war. (Permanent war = permanent profits.) Permanent war, as you Orwell afficianados should be aware of, is the ideal state of a totalitarian government like the one in 1984.
Conservatives, on the other hand are merely interested in undoing everything that FDR and Democrats have done in the past 60-70 years to help build the economic infrastructure of the U.S. Say good-bye to any form of social spending performed by the the US government in a conservative Republican universe. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps bucko! If you ain't got no bootstraps, that's just too damned bad.
Mutually, they want to shrink the federal government down from being a powerful and bureaucratic political system, to that of lap dog for corporate America, but they want to keep America's military super powerful so that it can enforce corporate domestic and foreign policies.
I don't think the Republican ideology is centered in any degree of common sense at this point. In fact, I think they've lost their minds. I think most "centered" and moderate Republicans agree with me on this point.
I feel somewhat sad for my friends that are Republicans, but not necessarily conservatives. Not all Republicans are hard line, pro-military hawks that get moist in the loins everytime someone mentions Reagan or Bush's bogus war in Iraq. In fact, they're disgusted and feel betrayed by Mr.Bush and his cronies.
I know that many have said that September 11th has changed everything. That doesn't mean that the US has to go down the rabbit hole into a dystopian wonderland. Creating a police state will be great for the neo-cons. It'll make it much easier for them to create the state of permanent war. Total obedience of the major media, an ignorant and poorly informed public, and corporations licking their lips at the thought of making mountains of money over all the new things America can control and own after they gain the spoils of war.
The thing is, no nation has ever successfully conquered the Earth. Many have tried, none have succeeded. The neo-con Bush administration is playing a foolish and reckless game. Their obsession with Iraq, and their mishandling of it are indications that they are out of touch with reality, and clearly not interested in democracy, diplomacy, or development of creating a more just and free world.
I hate to think what four more years of Bush will do to America's credibility internationally, not to mention what will happen to America domestically. I suspect more rigid laws will be put in place, federal deficits would be expanded, the war would be expanded, and a draft would be enacted to get the troops we need.
Conservatives, and neo-conservatives are not forward looking people, and they're certainly not in touch with the pulse of the people. I really hope Americans wake up to this nightmare of the Bush administration.
"Politics is a war in which everyone has their guns blazing and each side constantly looks for their next target. The showdown has always been Republicans versus Democrats, each party adjusting their strategies and deadly techniques to obliterate the enemy."
- David Horowitz, former hippie, current rabid neo-con.
The neo-con Republicans are in a battle for supreme control of the United States. They're playing a no-holds barred, winner take all attitude toward politics in America today. Even if they have to crush all opposition to do it, stifle any dissent, ignore any outcries and criticisms, and even resort to using linguistic double speak to slander and erradicate their opponents.
These are not democracy loving people. Ignoring dissent, criticisms, and closing dialogue with those that have contrary opinions is more in style of a tyrannical style of government, not a democratic or free government.
Randi Rhodes, a political talk show host on Air America, pointed out the difference between neo-conservatives and conservatives. Neo-cons are interested in building an Amercian Empire ruled by a small military elite, and run by private American companies. They are geeked about the prospect of a permanent war. (Permanent war = permanent profits.) Permanent war, as you Orwell afficianados should be aware of, is the ideal state of a totalitarian government like the one in 1984.
Conservatives, on the other hand are merely interested in undoing everything that FDR and Democrats have done in the past 60-70 years to help build the economic infrastructure of the U.S. Say good-bye to any form of social spending performed by the the US government in a conservative Republican universe. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps bucko! If you ain't got no bootstraps, that's just too damned bad.
Mutually, they want to shrink the federal government down from being a powerful and bureaucratic political system, to that of lap dog for corporate America, but they want to keep America's military super powerful so that it can enforce corporate domestic and foreign policies.
I don't think the Republican ideology is centered in any degree of common sense at this point. In fact, I think they've lost their minds. I think most "centered" and moderate Republicans agree with me on this point.
I feel somewhat sad for my friends that are Republicans, but not necessarily conservatives. Not all Republicans are hard line, pro-military hawks that get moist in the loins everytime someone mentions Reagan or Bush's bogus war in Iraq. In fact, they're disgusted and feel betrayed by Mr.Bush and his cronies.
I know that many have said that September 11th has changed everything. That doesn't mean that the US has to go down the rabbit hole into a dystopian wonderland. Creating a police state will be great for the neo-cons. It'll make it much easier for them to create the state of permanent war. Total obedience of the major media, an ignorant and poorly informed public, and corporations licking their lips at the thought of making mountains of money over all the new things America can control and own after they gain the spoils of war.
The thing is, no nation has ever successfully conquered the Earth. Many have tried, none have succeeded. The neo-con Bush administration is playing a foolish and reckless game. Their obsession with Iraq, and their mishandling of it are indications that they are out of touch with reality, and clearly not interested in democracy, diplomacy, or development of creating a more just and free world.
I hate to think what four more years of Bush will do to America's credibility internationally, not to mention what will happen to America domestically. I suspect more rigid laws will be put in place, federal deficits would be expanded, the war would be expanded, and a draft would be enacted to get the troops we need.
Conservatives, and neo-conservatives are not forward looking people, and they're certainly not in touch with the pulse of the people. I really hope Americans wake up to this nightmare of the Bush administration.
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
"People worry a lot about how the Arab street is going to react," notes Kagan. "Well, I see that the Arab street has gotten very, very quiet since we started blowing things up."
-Donald Kagan, 2000 PNAC project co-chairman.
PNAC is short for the People for a New American Century. A group of neo-conservatives advocating a Pax Americana. For details, go here. Essentially, they want to build an American empire that will dominate the world through the use of American military power.
Nice.
If your enemy is vocal, you know where they stand, and you know where to find them. If your enemy is silent, that is more dangerous than a vocal enemy. Bush's foreign policy follows that of the PNAC group.
It's hard to be the "good guys" when were torturing people we're supposed to be "liberating." Bully's never garner respect. They get it through the use of force. Tyrants, dictators, autocrats... these are the titles for leaders that lead despotic militaristic regimes. You can put make-up on a pig, but it's still a pig. You can say a military invasion is "pre-emptive" and about "liberation", but if the use of force is unjustified its merely imperialism.
It's time to dump Bush and his PNAC administration. It's time we Americans unite under the banner of being the "good guys" standing for truth, justice, and liberty for all.
I'm not naive. The world is filled with villains and people with evil intentions. It always has been, and always will be. Still, I believe America is a great country and its worth fighting for. That's why I oppose the Bushistas and their ilk desiring to turn American into a Happy Meal equivalent of Nazi Germany.
Dump Bush in November.
-Donald Kagan, 2000 PNAC project co-chairman.
PNAC is short for the People for a New American Century. A group of neo-conservatives advocating a Pax Americana. For details, go here. Essentially, they want to build an American empire that will dominate the world through the use of American military power.
Nice.
If your enemy is vocal, you know where they stand, and you know where to find them. If your enemy is silent, that is more dangerous than a vocal enemy. Bush's foreign policy follows that of the PNAC group.
It's hard to be the "good guys" when were torturing people we're supposed to be "liberating." Bully's never garner respect. They get it through the use of force. Tyrants, dictators, autocrats... these are the titles for leaders that lead despotic militaristic regimes. You can put make-up on a pig, but it's still a pig. You can say a military invasion is "pre-emptive" and about "liberation", but if the use of force is unjustified its merely imperialism.
It's time to dump Bush and his PNAC administration. It's time we Americans unite under the banner of being the "good guys" standing for truth, justice, and liberty for all.
I'm not naive. The world is filled with villains and people with evil intentions. It always has been, and always will be. Still, I believe America is a great country and its worth fighting for. That's why I oppose the Bushistas and their ilk desiring to turn American into a Happy Meal equivalent of Nazi Germany.
Dump Bush in November.
Thursday, May 13, 2004
I've been reading quite a bit of history books lately. There have been some stinker presidential administrations in American history, but I'd say the current one is the worst. Unless of course you consider this possiblity...
The goal of the Bush administration is to destroy the federal government. I'm starting to believe that is their primary goal. For example, BushCo. passes one of the biggest tax cuts in history and is raking up the federal deficits to record levels during a time of war. Bad fiscal policy? It is if you care about the future of the American federal government, its credibility, the stability of the American economy, and the financial outlook for future generations of Americans.
Even Reagan, the patron saint of conservative Republicans, passed the AMT tax to ensure that rich people and corporations paid some kind of tax. Bush is planning on dismantling that too.
Why? For God's Sake, why?! I'll tell you. To make the world a better place for corporate America. See, Bush is in tight with these CEO's and their need for greed. (Especially the oil business. How many in Bush's cabinet have oil in their veins?) He understands that pesky government regulations get in the way of CEO's and corporations from making more and more money. Businesses just want to do business without Uncle Sam constantly looking over their shoulders.
So, you cut taxes, cut spending, and borrow from the treasury when you want to spend money. Give huge tax cuts to corporations. Open up more tax loopholes for rich people and corporations, and watch the teeth of the federal government fall out like sugar junky on a pixie stick diet. Throw in a small tax cut to the peasantry, er... Middle and lower classes and say you're doing the right thing by giving people back their money.
Bush is paving the brave new world to a different America. It's a great time to be a CEO. This is why Bush is saying the economy is strong and humming along at breakneck speed. For big companies they can get by on less labor/cheaper labor and produce more in goods and services. Don't believe me? Try calling a company for customer service. Enjoy talking to Third World receptionists in India, Pakistan, China, or another country with a much lower cost of living than the US.
Sure, you say, those people are earning good money in their respective countries, but its not quite the same as an American earning a living wage. Say you pay Apu $20K/year. In India that's a lot of money. In the US, you're living in near poverty level conditions. Chances are Apu is getting paid less than $20K, unless he's a programmer or engineer or something.
The goal and purpose of the Bush administration is to turn America into a banana republic. We'll have a huge crop of uneducated cheap laborers that'll be easy to exploit. The middle class won't speak out due to fear of losing their living wage jobs, and fear of punishment from corporate America. The rich will become a new aristocracy. Think of them as high tech royalty in America. That's what GWBush wants. He wants to be treated like a king.
Destroy the federal goverment, it'll be hard for regular people to have a voice. Make it illegal to publicly dissent (Patriot Act II), spy on Americans without regard to their constitutional rights (Patriot Act I), impose secret arrests and nab people from the streets without ever explaining why to anyone. (Patriot Act II) These will be the fun things to look forward to with four more years of Bush.
With a weak federal government, who will stop polluters from destroying the environment? Who will stop businesses from exploiting consumers? Who will stop the spread of monopolies and plutocracies? Nobody.
Enjoy the jack booted future crushing your face into the dirt. With your blackened eyes gaze at the Nike swooshed heels as they kick you while you're down. That will be corporate America. Most people won't notice or care at first. They'll gleefully wave their flags and thank God that liberals and liberalsim have been stamped out. By the time they figure out that Bush has sank America and sold it out to the Corporatistas, it'll be too late to do anything about it. Long live the reign of Emperor George.
...Well, it is a posibility. I must say that this administration has given me less hope for the future than any presidency I can remember in my lifetime. Even with Reagan, there was some hope for the future when he had those talks with Gorbachev. With Bush, I'm not too optimistic. Seeing too many Americans going along with Bush's load of sh_t domestic and foreign policies without question tells me that our future is looking grimmer and darker every day that Bush is in the White House.
Watching this whole Iraqi prison abuse atrocity and ongoing atrocities, I hold one man primarily accountable: George Bush. It was his decision to invade Iraq and go to war. The justification and purpose for being there has shifted as frequently as desert sands. Now we've pissed away any possibility of a positive outcome in Iraq. The torture of those prisoners, and then the following beheading of an American is going to lead to further atrocities, more war, more hatred, and more anger.
Bush has got to go. He's a menace, and a disgrace to the US. If we want to regain our credibility and integrity as a nation, we got to get that man out of the Oval Office.
The goal of the Bush administration is to destroy the federal government. I'm starting to believe that is their primary goal. For example, BushCo. passes one of the biggest tax cuts in history and is raking up the federal deficits to record levels during a time of war. Bad fiscal policy? It is if you care about the future of the American federal government, its credibility, the stability of the American economy, and the financial outlook for future generations of Americans.
Even Reagan, the patron saint of conservative Republicans, passed the AMT tax to ensure that rich people and corporations paid some kind of tax. Bush is planning on dismantling that too.
Why? For God's Sake, why?! I'll tell you. To make the world a better place for corporate America. See, Bush is in tight with these CEO's and their need for greed. (Especially the oil business. How many in Bush's cabinet have oil in their veins?) He understands that pesky government regulations get in the way of CEO's and corporations from making more and more money. Businesses just want to do business without Uncle Sam constantly looking over their shoulders.
So, you cut taxes, cut spending, and borrow from the treasury when you want to spend money. Give huge tax cuts to corporations. Open up more tax loopholes for rich people and corporations, and watch the teeth of the federal government fall out like sugar junky on a pixie stick diet. Throw in a small tax cut to the peasantry, er... Middle and lower classes and say you're doing the right thing by giving people back their money.
Bush is paving the brave new world to a different America. It's a great time to be a CEO. This is why Bush is saying the economy is strong and humming along at breakneck speed. For big companies they can get by on less labor/cheaper labor and produce more in goods and services. Don't believe me? Try calling a company for customer service. Enjoy talking to Third World receptionists in India, Pakistan, China, or another country with a much lower cost of living than the US.
Sure, you say, those people are earning good money in their respective countries, but its not quite the same as an American earning a living wage. Say you pay Apu $20K/year. In India that's a lot of money. In the US, you're living in near poverty level conditions. Chances are Apu is getting paid less than $20K, unless he's a programmer or engineer or something.
The goal and purpose of the Bush administration is to turn America into a banana republic. We'll have a huge crop of uneducated cheap laborers that'll be easy to exploit. The middle class won't speak out due to fear of losing their living wage jobs, and fear of punishment from corporate America. The rich will become a new aristocracy. Think of them as high tech royalty in America. That's what GWBush wants. He wants to be treated like a king.
Destroy the federal goverment, it'll be hard for regular people to have a voice. Make it illegal to publicly dissent (Patriot Act II), spy on Americans without regard to their constitutional rights (Patriot Act I), impose secret arrests and nab people from the streets without ever explaining why to anyone. (Patriot Act II) These will be the fun things to look forward to with four more years of Bush.
With a weak federal government, who will stop polluters from destroying the environment? Who will stop businesses from exploiting consumers? Who will stop the spread of monopolies and plutocracies? Nobody.
Enjoy the jack booted future crushing your face into the dirt. With your blackened eyes gaze at the Nike swooshed heels as they kick you while you're down. That will be corporate America. Most people won't notice or care at first. They'll gleefully wave their flags and thank God that liberals and liberalsim have been stamped out. By the time they figure out that Bush has sank America and sold it out to the Corporatistas, it'll be too late to do anything about it. Long live the reign of Emperor George.
...Well, it is a posibility. I must say that this administration has given me less hope for the future than any presidency I can remember in my lifetime. Even with Reagan, there was some hope for the future when he had those talks with Gorbachev. With Bush, I'm not too optimistic. Seeing too many Americans going along with Bush's load of sh_t domestic and foreign policies without question tells me that our future is looking grimmer and darker every day that Bush is in the White House.
Watching this whole Iraqi prison abuse atrocity and ongoing atrocities, I hold one man primarily accountable: George Bush. It was his decision to invade Iraq and go to war. The justification and purpose for being there has shifted as frequently as desert sands. Now we've pissed away any possibility of a positive outcome in Iraq. The torture of those prisoners, and then the following beheading of an American is going to lead to further atrocities, more war, more hatred, and more anger.
Bush has got to go. He's a menace, and a disgrace to the US. If we want to regain our credibility and integrity as a nation, we got to get that man out of the Oval Office.
Monday, May 03, 2004
"It is the absolute right of the State to supervise the formation of public opinion."
- Joseph Goebbels
"How fortunate for leaders that men do not think."
-Adolph Hitler
"The great masses of the people will more easily fall victims to a big lie than to a small one. "
-Adolph Hitler
" And the liberals focus on this one guy. They hate the military anyway. Liberals do not trust the military. Don't think the military's any good. When a military guy comes along and says something they expect or like, then of course this guy's the smartest guy in the country."
-Rush Limbaugh
"The leader of genius must have the ability to make different opponents appear as if they belonged to one category. "
-Adolph Hitler
"I'm going to tell you is what's good for Al Qaeda is good for the Democratic Party in this country today. That's how you boil this down. And it doesn't have to be Al Qaeda. What's good for terrorists is good for John Kerry. All you got to do is check the way they react." [3/15/04]
-Rush Limbaugh
"The Liberals put their party and their quest for power above national interests. They wouldn't join with Reagan during the Cold War. Defended the Soviets. Tried to make Gorbachev the hero of the world. Iraqi freedom, George W. Bush. Then we had the situation down with the Contras in Nicaragua. Democrats did everything they could to support the Contras and their client state, the Soviet Union. We've got Iraqi Freedom." [4/13/04]**
-Rush Limbaugh
**(Reagan Democrats in the 80's promoted, pushed, and funded many of Reagan's military budget ideas. For example, the MX missile, the Star Wars Defense Program (SDI), and so forth. Someone had to pass those huge budgets to pay for all the tax cuts. Reagan (and no president) controls the pocket books of the government. That's controlled by Congress. (The federal debt increased by $3 trillion dollars under Reagan.) The Contras, of the Iran/Contra Affair, were the anti-communist , anti-Nicaragua, anti-Sandinista guerillas that were trained in Honduras to try and overthrow the Nicaraguan government. Reagan, Bush 1st, and their respective administration violated laws and executive orders to fund the Contras. The Democratic Congress was opposed to Reagan supporting the Contras, at first. The remark about the Soviet Union is a classic example of red baiting. I'd bet the Republicans really miss the USSR. It gave them such a good political tool to lambaste critics with. Hate to say it but the Democrats used the same tactic too. --sigh-- To think the Cold War has been over for 15 years, and people are still red baiting. (red baiting - is trying to accuse someone of being a communist, or soft on communism.)
----
You know, I can understand the use of political rhetoric to try and win elections, and promote political agendas. People have used it for millenia. Both Democrats and Republicans have used it for over 150 years. More often than not, American political parties have resorted to mud-slinging rather than appealing to issue-based campaigning.
At the moment, BushCo. is doing everything they can to try and smear John Kerry. I'm certain the ads will become relentless before the November elections. If all you can do is try and smear and attack your opponent, you're not standing on solid ground politically.
BushCo's warchest is about $200 million, compared to Kerry's paultry $40-60 million. You can bet that Bush Inc., will do their damnedest to utilize television to its fullest extent.
The creepy thing is that our media is now a quiet lap dog for Bush's administration. It's eerie how they give him a free pass on committing acts that are impeachable by definition of the Constitution. Understandably, we're at war with Iraq and Afghanistan. I've been rereading, and studying American History lately, and I've come to the conclusion that Bush & Company are far more dangerous to the US, its freedom and liberties, than the terrorists are.
Let's compare. The Civil War threatened the unity of the Republic. It was a war on a great scale, with both sides very impassioned about the issues of slavery, states rights, and national sovereignty. It was a critical and serious threat to the US's potency and the direction America would take in regard to liberty, justice, freedom, and its approach and outlook on foreign matters. About 500,000 Americans died due to the Civil War.
World War II was a struggle of the world's most powerful industrial nations. Somewhere around 200 million human beings were killed in that war. The threats of the Japanese empire and Nazi Germany were serious, and threatened America's liberty, and sovereignty in the world.
I could see the media being patriotic and mum on the US government policies during WWII. Japan's military attacked the US at Pearl Harbor, and in a few short years, Japan and Germany had the technological ability to threaten the continental US. The US was fighting for its survival.
In fact, the US was fighting for its survival in both the Civil War and in World War II. Now, I don't mean to belittle the attacks of September 11th. They were horrible, evil, and unjustifiable, but I have to ask the question... is the US's survival at stake from a bunch of wacked out fundamentalist terrorists?
A handful of guys with boxcutters hijack 4 commercial jets, and the Bush administration feels obliged to turn the US into a police state? That's overreacting. I can understand the war in Afghanistan. That's where the Taliban is and al Qaeda is. Iraq is a shambles. It's a quagmire. It's not a fight about the US's survival.
In fact, if we were fighting a war about survival, we'd be kicking North Korea's butt, not Saddam's or Iraq's.
In a violent world, terrorism will continue to exist. When there is no forum for justice, freedom, and liberty for people, terrorism will exist. When radical, poorly educated extremists are allowed to congregate, terrorism will exist. The terrorists can't win, and won't win because they're the fringe of society. People will not support their violence and call to violence. People want peace. American's want peace.
BushCo wants a permanent war because its a great tool for oppression and meets with a political agenda. If we're in a constant state of war and emergency, we dont pay attention to the crap that goes on behind the scenes.
"Hey," you say, "they attacked us!" Yes they did. Why? The US had a military base near Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Mecca is the holiest city on earth in the eyes of all Muslims. To taint their holy land with disrespectful Americans and a foreign military presence probably set a lot of Saudi Muslims off thier nut. Not to mention, the dogmatic support the US has given the Saudi royal family, which does not have the best human rights record.
And... Israel. The US has been a radical and unbending supporter of Israel, which has had a violent past with its Arab neighbors.
Hating our freedom, is probably not why we were attacked on 9/11. What's going on now, is not about the US's survival, its about something else.
- Joseph Goebbels
"How fortunate for leaders that men do not think."
-Adolph Hitler
"The great masses of the people will more easily fall victims to a big lie than to a small one. "
-Adolph Hitler
" And the liberals focus on this one guy. They hate the military anyway. Liberals do not trust the military. Don't think the military's any good. When a military guy comes along and says something they expect or like, then of course this guy's the smartest guy in the country."
-Rush Limbaugh
"The leader of genius must have the ability to make different opponents appear as if they belonged to one category. "
-Adolph Hitler
"I'm going to tell you is what's good for Al Qaeda is good for the Democratic Party in this country today. That's how you boil this down. And it doesn't have to be Al Qaeda. What's good for terrorists is good for John Kerry. All you got to do is check the way they react." [3/15/04]
-Rush Limbaugh
"The Liberals put their party and their quest for power above national interests. They wouldn't join with Reagan during the Cold War. Defended the Soviets. Tried to make Gorbachev the hero of the world. Iraqi freedom, George W. Bush. Then we had the situation down with the Contras in Nicaragua. Democrats did everything they could to support the Contras and their client state, the Soviet Union. We've got Iraqi Freedom." [4/13/04]**
-Rush Limbaugh
**(Reagan Democrats in the 80's promoted, pushed, and funded many of Reagan's military budget ideas. For example, the MX missile, the Star Wars Defense Program (SDI), and so forth. Someone had to pass those huge budgets to pay for all the tax cuts. Reagan (and no president) controls the pocket books of the government. That's controlled by Congress. (The federal debt increased by $3 trillion dollars under Reagan.) The Contras, of the Iran/Contra Affair, were the anti-communist , anti-Nicaragua, anti-Sandinista guerillas that were trained in Honduras to try and overthrow the Nicaraguan government. Reagan, Bush 1st, and their respective administration violated laws and executive orders to fund the Contras. The Democratic Congress was opposed to Reagan supporting the Contras, at first. The remark about the Soviet Union is a classic example of red baiting. I'd bet the Republicans really miss the USSR. It gave them such a good political tool to lambaste critics with. Hate to say it but the Democrats used the same tactic too. --sigh-- To think the Cold War has been over for 15 years, and people are still red baiting. (red baiting - is trying to accuse someone of being a communist, or soft on communism.)
----
You know, I can understand the use of political rhetoric to try and win elections, and promote political agendas. People have used it for millenia. Both Democrats and Republicans have used it for over 150 years. More often than not, American political parties have resorted to mud-slinging rather than appealing to issue-based campaigning.
At the moment, BushCo. is doing everything they can to try and smear John Kerry. I'm certain the ads will become relentless before the November elections. If all you can do is try and smear and attack your opponent, you're not standing on solid ground politically.
BushCo's warchest is about $200 million, compared to Kerry's paultry $40-60 million. You can bet that Bush Inc., will do their damnedest to utilize television to its fullest extent.
The creepy thing is that our media is now a quiet lap dog for Bush's administration. It's eerie how they give him a free pass on committing acts that are impeachable by definition of the Constitution. Understandably, we're at war with Iraq and Afghanistan. I've been rereading, and studying American History lately, and I've come to the conclusion that Bush & Company are far more dangerous to the US, its freedom and liberties, than the terrorists are.
Let's compare. The Civil War threatened the unity of the Republic. It was a war on a great scale, with both sides very impassioned about the issues of slavery, states rights, and national sovereignty. It was a critical and serious threat to the US's potency and the direction America would take in regard to liberty, justice, freedom, and its approach and outlook on foreign matters. About 500,000 Americans died due to the Civil War.
World War II was a struggle of the world's most powerful industrial nations. Somewhere around 200 million human beings were killed in that war. The threats of the Japanese empire and Nazi Germany were serious, and threatened America's liberty, and sovereignty in the world.
I could see the media being patriotic and mum on the US government policies during WWII. Japan's military attacked the US at Pearl Harbor, and in a few short years, Japan and Germany had the technological ability to threaten the continental US. The US was fighting for its survival.
In fact, the US was fighting for its survival in both the Civil War and in World War II. Now, I don't mean to belittle the attacks of September 11th. They were horrible, evil, and unjustifiable, but I have to ask the question... is the US's survival at stake from a bunch of wacked out fundamentalist terrorists?
A handful of guys with boxcutters hijack 4 commercial jets, and the Bush administration feels obliged to turn the US into a police state? That's overreacting. I can understand the war in Afghanistan. That's where the Taliban is and al Qaeda is. Iraq is a shambles. It's a quagmire. It's not a fight about the US's survival.
In fact, if we were fighting a war about survival, we'd be kicking North Korea's butt, not Saddam's or Iraq's.
In a violent world, terrorism will continue to exist. When there is no forum for justice, freedom, and liberty for people, terrorism will exist. When radical, poorly educated extremists are allowed to congregate, terrorism will exist. The terrorists can't win, and won't win because they're the fringe of society. People will not support their violence and call to violence. People want peace. American's want peace.
BushCo wants a permanent war because its a great tool for oppression and meets with a political agenda. If we're in a constant state of war and emergency, we dont pay attention to the crap that goes on behind the scenes.
"Hey," you say, "they attacked us!" Yes they did. Why? The US had a military base near Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Mecca is the holiest city on earth in the eyes of all Muslims. To taint their holy land with disrespectful Americans and a foreign military presence probably set a lot of Saudi Muslims off thier nut. Not to mention, the dogmatic support the US has given the Saudi royal family, which does not have the best human rights record.
And... Israel. The US has been a radical and unbending supporter of Israel, which has had a violent past with its Arab neighbors.
Hating our freedom, is probably not why we were attacked on 9/11. What's going on now, is not about the US's survival, its about something else.
