Ffolks,

Just as we were hearing on the morning news that four more US Soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb, north of Baghdad, the phone rang with a "number blocked" ID.

Time stopped as be both looked at the ringing phone. Even with "nothing to fear, but fear, itself" as a mantra, FEAR lived palpably, hovering in the room.

I could've been anybody, but it was Spec.Spanky, HIMSELF! He was calling to say he'd made it to his new "training class" in Baghdad and was due to return to his unit in the "north" this weekend.

As the anguish of horrible possibilities melted off, we found ourselves pondering, with guilt, that our own relief stood in contrast to at least four other families, whose phone call today will be something devestatingly different.

How many more?
How many more?

-T

WHO's to BLAME!!?

Is there any doubt, in ANY mind that such horrendous, darkening and worsening "civil war" (say it with me, CIVIL WAR) would ever have happened had the US not invaded Irag an created the instability that threathens to immolate the entire region?

I'm sure that Condi Rice will say, "Nobody could've have EVER imagined that such Sectarian Violence would be the results of our attempts to spread demoCRAZY, like buttah', over the region."

Who's to blame, indeed!

-T

I posted this on the last thread before I saw the new one.

Hajji, the worst thing about this is that it is being purposely provoked. Who wants a civil war divided Iraq? Who benefits from that? And whatever happened to the British soldiers who were busted with a car full of explosives and dressed as Arabs? Didn't someone break them out of jail with a tank? How many more are there out there like that?

Here is the take from Islam leaders:

Shrine Bombing: A new plot to divide Muslims

TEHRAN - The serious crime of the terrorists who bombed the holy shrines of the tenth and eleventh Shia Imams, Imam Hadi (AS) and Imam Hassan Askari (AS), on Wednesday in Iraq was an insult to the sanctities of all Muslims.

the offensive act was meant to create division between Iraqi Shias and Sunnis and ignite a civil war, following the failure of the plans of the occupiers of the country.

This is a critical juncture for the vigilant Islamic world. Shias certainly know that such moves are not the work of their Sunni brothers but are directed by the hands of the enemies of Islam.

Meanwhile, the Sunni brothers should also be aware that the same terrorists who carried out the criminal act in Samarra yesterday will probably attack their holy sites in the future.

In a message on Wednesday, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution noted that any emotional act carried out due to ignorance about the real enemy of Islam, including any attack against sites that are respected by Sunnis, is haram(forbidden in Islam) and called on Muslims to foil the enemies plots through awareness.

Another issue that should also not be ignored is the fact that the occupier U.S. regime, which has turned Iraq's security to insecurity with its 150,000 troops and military equipment, is the main element responsible for these criminal acts.

Supreme Leader expresses condolences over bombings of Iraqi Shia shrines

In his message, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei expressed his condolences to Shias and all brave and aware Muslims throughout the world over the bombings earlier in the day of the holy shrines of the tenth and eleventh Shia Imams, Imam Hadi (AS) and Imam Hassan Askari (AS), in Samarra, Iraq.

I hereby call on mourners in Iran, Iraq, and other parts of the world to seriously avoid any measure that would lead to animosity and aggression among Muslim brothers. Undoubtedly hidden hands are at work to provoke Shias to attack mosques and sites respected by the Sunnis. Any kind of measure to this end is equivalent to supporting the objectives of the enemies of Islam and is haram.
Ayatollah Sistani appeals for calm
------------
They are aware of what's going on and are appealing to their people for discernment, a civil war will give Israel and America exactly what they want.

My thoughts are with you and Jill, I am hoping and praying for the best.

Who is to blame?

I call it `Growing Pains' further aggravated by a certain foreign, but global, element called al Quda.

It will be interesting to see how the majortiy Shiites handle this. Its most revered, al Sistani, clearly knows the challenge. Politicians such as al-Hakim and others, are out in the sun pointing fingers everywhich way. Solutions? Politicians are usually not at the front of the line Leading. They are waiting to see which way the wind/poll blows.

"...It may be unduly cynical to say this, but it might be that the various Iraqi factions have to fight things out on their own..."
____________________

Cynical, obviously.

No conflicts on the planet will ever, again, if they ever have, be allowed to be just between the factions involved. In the history of modern warfare/politics, constant kibutzing on behalf of outsiders interest is the norm. Many times all sided of a conflict are encouraged and backed by the same crowd, if only to pad the pockets of gun-running war profiteers.

The US choosing sides in such a sectarian conflict as we've caused Iraq to become may well bring one faction or another to power, but that very backing will shed doubt on the legitimacy of its rule. It will do little, if anything, to quell the violence.

"Pulling out", will now be looked upon as the ultimate defeat of Bucheney's neoImperial plot, but with such unrest in an already restless region and such unbelieveable riches to be garnered, that will never be allowed to happen.

American Soldiers will continue to die, but not one of them will ever die for "al-Hakkim's party" or for anything other than whoever profits from this lunacy.

-T

REPOSTED FROM LAST THREAD.

Come to South Dakota? Hell No! Come to Massachusetts.

"The South Dakota Senate today approved a bill that would outlaw nearly all abortions in the state, a measure that could become the most sweeping ban approved by a state in more than a decade?

"The legislation, which states "life begins at the time of conception," would prohibit abortion except in cases where the pregnant woman's life was at risk. Felony charges could be placed against doctors, but not against those seeking abortions, the measure says.?

MORE HERE
________________

Not for nothing but if you broke the law by getting an abortion in South Dakota, your doctor but not you will be prosecuted. Shouldn't the woman be charged, at the very least, as an accomplice?

If you live in South Dakota and you're sick of having self-righteous white right wing Republicans criminalize a woman's right to control her reproductive system as defined by the US Supreme Court in Roe v Wade, THE COME TO MASSACHUSETTS. Here in the Commonwealth, AKA People's Republic of Cambridge, your rights will not be abridged (without a fight) by statute.

Enlightening Article by George today (Redacted most of bottom half):

February 23, 2006
Liberalism is Not Conducive to Happiness
By George Will

WASHINGTON -- A survey by the Pew Research Center shows that conservatives are happier than liberals -- in all income groups. While 34 percent of all Americans call themselves ``very happy,'' only 28 percent of liberal Democrats (and 31 percent of moderate or conservative Democrats) do, compared to 47 percent of conservative Republicans. This finding is niftily self-reinforcing: It depresses liberals.

Election results do not explain this happiness gap. Republicans have been happier than Democrats every year since the survey began in 1972. Married people and religious people are especially disposed to happiness, and both cohorts vote more conservatively than does the nation as a whole.

People in the Sun Belt -- almost entirely red states -- have sunnier dispositions than Northerners, which could have as much to do with sunshine as with conservatism. Unless sunshine makes people happy, which makes them conservative.

Such puzzles show why social science is not for amateurs. Still, one cannot -- yet -- be prosecuted for committing theory without a license, so consider a few explanations of the happiness gap.

Begin with a paradox: Conservatives are happier than liberals because they are more pessimistic. Conservatives think the book of Job got it right (``Man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward''), as did Adam Smith (``There is a great deal of ruin in a nation''). Conservatives understand that society in its complexity resembles a giant Calder mobile -- touch it here and things jiggle there, and there, and way over there. Hence conservatives acknowledge the Law of Unintended Consequences, which is: The unintended consequences of bold government undertakings are apt to be larger than, and contrary to, the intended ones.

Conservatives' pessimism is conducive to their happiness in three ways. First, they are rarely surprised -- they are right more often than not about the course of events. Second, when they are wrong they are happy to be so. Third, because pessimistic conservatives put not their faith in princes -- government -- they accept that happiness is a function of fending for oneself. They believe that happiness is an activity -- it is inseparable from the pursuit of happiness.

The right to pursue happiness is the essential right that government exists to protect. Liberals, taking their bearings, whether they know it or not, from President Franklin Roosevelt's 1936 State of the Union address, think the attainment of happiness itself, understood in terms of security and material well-being, is an entitlement that government has created and can deliver.

Nevertheless, normal conservatives -- never mind the gladiators of talk radio; they are professionally angry -- are less angry than liberals. Liberals have made this the era of surly automobile bumpers, millions of them, still defiantly adorned with Kerry-Edwards and even Gore-Lieberman bumper stickers, faded and frayed like flags preserved as relics of failed crusades. To preserve these mementos of dashed dreams, many liberals may be forgoing the pleasures of buying new cars -- another delight sacrificed on the altar of liberalism.

But, then, conscientious liberals cannot enjoy automobiles because there is global warming to worry about, and the perils of corporate-driven consumerism which is the handmaiden of bourgeoisie materialism. And high-powered cars (how many liberals drive Corvettes?) are metaphors (for America's reckless foreign policy, for machismo rampant, etc.). And then there is -- was -- all that rustic beauty paved over for highways. (And for those giant parking lots at exurban mega-churches. The less said about them, the better). And automobiles discourage the egalitarian enjoyment of mass transit. And automobiles, by facilitating suburban sprawl, deny sprawl's victims -- that word must make an appearance in liberal laments; and lament is what liberals do -- the uplifting communitarian experience of high-density living. And automobiles ...

You see? Liberalism is a complicated and exacting, not to say grim and scolding, creed. And not one conducive to happiness.

2006, Washington Post Writers Group

=================================================

Let's see, I am religious, married and live in the Sunbelt...Geez, maybe I should change my moniker to Very Happy! Time to Upgrade?

I'm happy you're Hayppy.

The worst thing to happen to George Will's career was Ted Koppel.

O'Reilly,

As a former citizen, I feel that I must mention that "freedom to park your car wihtin 5 blocks of your apartment" isn't included in the PRC's bill of rights!

...but still I miss Banks St.

I used to be able to roll over in bed, look out the window and see the crews rowing on the river. I'd hear more great music and see more great art, just walking to the Red Line in Harvard Sq. than I get in a month here. Maybe I should just get out more.

-t

Do You Want to Stop Terrorism? Fight the Real Terrorists!

Smoking Mirrors Blog

Do you want to fight the war on terror? Then you must fight the real war on terror and that is being waged by the present American administration and all the lackey states abroad that they have blackmailed, bribed and arm-twisted into submission.

We are led to believe that there is some vast shadowy international network called Al Qaeda. We've got Al Qaeda in Iraq. Soon we'll have Al Qaeda in Iran and Syria and The Cayman Islands. It's a franchise like McDonalds. There is NO Al Qaeda as such. Al Qaeda is a construction, a boogeyman created to spread fear. Bin Laden is long gone. Al Zawqawi? Yeah right. The only Al Qaeda cell ever uncovered (and that was in Palestine) proved to be staffed by Mossad members.

Here are the real and present dangers at work today: neo-con fascism, political correctness, Zionism, fundamentalist religions, i.e. right wing Christianity and Wahabi Islam, materialism and the pervasive ignorance of a dumbed down population. Here are some of the villains: PNAC, the present American administration, the Israeli Likud party, the large corporations and world media. This is not comprehensive but it is enough to go on.

...These are your terrorists. But what are you going to do? You don't have enough guns and political influence is reserved for those who have agreed to the terms. Why do you think the so-called Democratic opposition is so silent? Bribery, blackmail, threats and actual murder are the currency of the day. What were Mohammed Atta and his men doing on Israeli bagman Abramoff's boat? WHAT WERE MOHAMMED ATTA AND HIS MEN DOING ON JACK ABRAMOFF'S BOAT!

The peoples of the world are all one family. In this time thousands are dying for excess of appetite on the one hand and lies on the other. Collectively we can smash the state with the power of love and a conviction for the truth. In the name of the family and friends that you love, stand forth and be counted. In the name of Pat Tillman and so many others who died for nothing, stand forth and be counted. Step away from the organized church and the demagogues in the pulpit. Step away from Wal-Mart. Don't buy Coca Cola. Refuse all junk and put off everything else. Don't buy anything you don't absolutely need. Don't buy anything you don't absolutely need. Organize!!! Stop contributing. Just sit down. Just stand still.
-------------
These are just a few excerpts from a wonderful essay. There is still time, if the people wake up NOW!

Ignorance, must TRULY be BLISS!

I call it `Growing Pains' further aggravated by a certain foreign, but global, element called al Quda. (al qaeda?)

isn't it something that a certain 'al qaeda' element was a CIA creation, followed CIA directions, and fought against other elements for the CIA - isn't it another something that some israelis were caught last year committing acts of terror while disguised as 'al qaedas' - and a further something : many 'al qaedas' are using israeli weapons -

watch out for al qaeda!

Thank you, O'Reilly @ #8

The BEST OF George Will today deserve a follow up.

"Conservatives' pessimism is conducive to their happiness in three ways. First, they are rarely surprised -- they are right more often than not about the course of events. Second, when they are wrong they are happy to be so. Third, because pessimistic conservatives put not their faith in princes -- government -- they accept that happiness is a function of fending for oneself. They believe that happiness is an activity -- it is inseparable from the pursuit of happiness."
=================================================
Those that have read my posts know that one central theme I espouse is that to be successful (Happiness being the end result of all activities), the simple KEY is to understand human nature. Mr. will summed that all up in a curious way in one word: "pessimism". Kinda brilliant in an intellectual way!

Onward with the rest of my Very Happy day!

Saladin,

Thank you. Jill has an unexpected gift in distractions created by her 14-hour work days. Causing the lame to walk, the pitchers' curveballs to break 3' again, the drinkers' elbows to bend properly...that is truly her blessing.

I work and work and rant and write. I talk to anyone who'll still listen...but nobody seems to be able to admit that they "Should've known", even though they admit the effects of their earlier denials.

I don't know what we'll do, if "The Call" ever comes. I fear I'll not ever be able to leave one of the vociferous War Supporters I know remain standing. Already I treat such people with narrow courtesy...only barely bordering on civility.

-T

Food Bank Network Served Over 25M in '05

By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER
The Associated Press
Thursday, February 23, 2006; 12:38 AM

WASHINGTON -- More than 25 million Americans turned to the nation's largest network of food banks, soup kitchens and shelters for meals last year, up 9 percent from 2001.

Those seeking food included 9 million children and nearly 3 million senior citizens, says a report from America's Second Harvest.

"The face of hunger doesn't have a particular color, and it doesn't come from a particular neighborhood," said Ertharin Cousin, executive vice president of the group. "They are your neighbors, they are working Americans, they are senior citizens who have worked their entire lives, and they are children."

Government reports also show the number of hungry Americans increasing.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture report released last year said 13.5 million American households, or nearly 12 percent, had difficulty providing enough food for family members at some time in 2004. That was up from about 11 percent in 2003.

Jean Daniel, a USDA spokeswoman, said private groups play an important role in supplementing the government's safety net.

"We have said all along that the government cannot do this alone, nor should it," Daniel said. "Their efforts dovetail very nicely with ours."

Some local food-assistance groups saw big jumps in their numbers of people seeking food, despite an improving economy.

In Washington, the Capital Area Food Bank served more than 383,000 people last year, a 39 percent increase over 2001, said Kasandra Gunter Robinson, the food bank's spokeswoman.

Of those people, nearly half had jobs, she said.

"It is the working poor who are struggling," Robinson said.
---------
Yup, things are sure looking up in this new and improved bushco economy.

Hajji, I know just what you mean. I can't even talk about it with the few bush supporters I know without becoming totally unglued, so I avoid the conversation altogether. It's a waste of time at this point anyway. I've accepted the fact that there are enough people out there to enable this monster, just like the type of people that enabled all tyrants of the past. We will either survive this or we won't. My money is on won't. I see no reason to believe otherwise.

t, i love that muddy water. what did you study... i assume you were here to study. i moved to the hub in 83 to start a career. my apartment cost $400/mo... parking tickets were just a bit less. we have our problems but religious fundamentalists legislating in opposition of individual rights is not one of them.

CBS correspondent kills story at pentagon's request

CBS Pentagon correspondent David Martin acknowledged Monday that he killed a report about how the U.S. was dealing with Improvised Explosive Devices in Iraq after a senior military officer complained that it contained information useful to the enemy.
_____________

I'm sure that the al qaedas are just glued their TV's over there - how long will it be before the internet is also controlled so that al qaedas don't capitalize on information such as this? ::
ASCE's PENTAGON BUILDING PERFORMANCE REPORT

CBS CORRESPONDENT KILLED STORY AT PENTAGON'S REQUEST
____________________
CBS Pentagon correspondent David Martin acknowledged Monday that he killed a report about how the U.S. was dealing with Improvised Explosive Devices in Iraq after a senior military officer complained that it contained information useful to the enemy. Martin, writing on the CBS blog Public Eye, said that the report had been scheduled to air as the lead story on the CBS Evening News on Thursday and that he pulled it just one hour before airtime. "Not a good career move," he wrote. Martin further acknowledged that he had set aside other stories at the request of the Pentagon "a number of times over the years, and each time it's turned out that going with the story wouldn't have caused any harm." In the latest case, he said, he concluded that his report "might conceivably be news the enemy could use to make their IEDs more effective. It wasn't clear cut, but it was close enough."
____________________

Why are the most embarrassing stories ALSO the most likely to be smothered by MSM for "security reasons"?

-t

james ha,

JINX!

faith hajji, faith -

oh you got me!

From a military point of view, the blowing up of the golden mosque was a brilliant move....for those wanting Iraq to fall apart, to devolve into civil war.

With one relatively small explosion, in one fell swoop, the cycle of violence has been cranked up 10-fold.

The anarchists must have concluded that the easiest way to get America out of Iraq, is to put it in the middle of a full-blown civil war...where the three sides are shooting at each other, and all three sides are shooting at us. It will be an untenable situation, that we will have no choice but to retreat from. When all sides want us out, when all of the "troops" we have trained desert, or join militias, we will have no choice but to leave. This result just became much more likely after the bombing of the golden mosque.

As I have said from day one...like a broken record...this war is going to end badly.

Bob in North Dakota

Who can consider George Will a hero?

haj, the faith comment was in regards to your spc. spanky - hang in there bud -

LOS ANGELES, CA, United States (UPI) -- A toxicology report revealed marijuana, morphine, Valium and codeine were in actor Chris Penn`s system when he died, 'Access Hollywood' said.

The TV show said it had obtained the Los Angeles County coroner`s office toxicology report on Penn, who was found dead at the age of 40 on Jan. 24 at his home in Santa Monica, Calif.
________________

OMG! marijuana, morphine, Valium and codeine.. Now that's a cocktail.

O'Reilly,

I was there to study music...specifically the goings on at "The Channel", the "Middle East", "TT the Bears' ", etc.

I was mostly just screwing around, mixing sound for bands, working as a bouncer, record stores...etc.

I then went to work for Cambridge Soundworks which was primarily a speaker manufacturer, (The name was a ruse, the original factory was across the river in Watertown) who used some revolutionary designs of Henry Kloss to usher in the Subwoofer-Satelite revolution.

I helped create a retail division that built and staffed all the New England outlet stores.

And then I skied, paddled, backpacked and brewed in my spare time.

-T

zakheim mastermind - chertoff double agent

bend over america! farther!

My mother has a friend who is still a fervent Bush supporter. His issues? Abortion and gay marriage. This administration is dismantling the core of our democracy, taking away our rights, violating human rights and he still loves Bush. And his wife. Laura is so nice.

Ignorance is bliss when crimes aren't being committed. When this much damage is occuring ignorance is not an excuse.

james,

thanx!

You know how I feel Hajji. It's fun to play war when you don't have to worry about anyone....and when you're a sociopath.

The Pentagon Building Performance Report by the American Society of Civil Engineers fails in its attempt to show that the structural damage caused to the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001 was caused by a crash by a Boeing 757 aircraft. Belief in the official B-757 story implies belief in physically impossible and inexplicable phenomena. More generally, no proof of the return of Flight 77 to the Washington area has been presented. On the contrary, e.g. the security camera recordings that would show what hit the Pentagon have not been made public for undisclosed reasons. (A trial has been opened by an individual who wants the videos to be published after the Department of Justice admitted in March 2005 that such videos do still exist. See www.flight77.info.)

http://tinyurl.com/gvx7a

t, you're a wild one! as you know. the beach and the mountains are close by. i like sugarbush in n. vermont. i used to get out to enjoy the local music scene but not so much anymore.

O'Reilly,

Castle Rock can get totally sick this time of year!

Next time you're at the "Bush", see if you can find John "Gus" Parsons. He's a golf pro, a mountain worker and a good, good friend. Buy him a "Magic Hat" for me. I'll pay you back when I see you.

My e-mail's what you get when you click on my name.

-T

O'Reilly, watch what you think, and DON'T ask questions!

Jeanne wrote:

-----
My mother has a friend who is still a fervent Bush supporter. His issues? Abortion and gay marriage.
-----

I don't think liberals are even close to "getting it"....how fully, and totally, and completely, they have alienated pro-life, and pro-traditional-family people over the past 30 years. The Democrats will never be consistently competitive at the national level without finding a way to bring some of these voters back.

Bob

#10 Saladin, very powerful post!

American Soldiers

2,553 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan for Bush and his lies.

Henry Kissinger says that military men are just dumb stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy.

G.K. Chesterton said that Jesus speaks sanity to a world of lunatics.

Confucius spoke that before you seek revenge dig two graves.

When an illegal war is launched, every person killed and injured, every piece of property destroyed, and all environmental damage is a war crime. A war without borders and limits is a perpetual war. This war of aggression proliferates terrorism in proportion to its reckless widening, making the world ever more dangerous. TCR News

Nazi America is a mirror image of Hitler Bush.

Contamination

Linda Schrock Taylor says that when God means to punish a nation, He deprives its rulers of wisdom.

Hitler Bush and the Nazi cabal will prowl the world seeking endless wars. With endless wars and depleted uranium the Nazi States of America will contaminate people, land, air, and water. In time our entire world will become contaminated through the use of depleted uranium in fighting our endless wars.

The Nazi States of America is an evil nation.

16,500+ American soldiers have been maimed in Iraq and Afghanistan for Bush and his evil lies.

40,000+ American soldiers are suffering from PTSD.

Over 250,000+ Iraqis have been killed in Iraq since Bush declared shock and awe bombings on March 19, 2003.

Millions of people have been contaminated by depleted uranium in Iraq.

I just heard that 3 more US troops have been killed by a roadside bomb...

Not Spanky's unit, but here we are again...

How many more?

-T

No Bravery

Bob #36,

All due respect, but how does a liberal politician reconcile being pro-choice and in favor of gay rights with those supposedly "pro-life and pro-traditional family people?" Obviously, if that politician has any principles, it's impossible to "get it" with those folks. And I won't vote for one who does "get it" with those people. We've got an asshole in office now who does "get it" with those people and it hasn't done us much good.

Those two "wedge" issues are simply all about a group enforcing their morality on others. For example, look at how so many of those supposedly "pro-life" people resist any ideas that might lead to fewer unwanted pregnancies and their true colors show. They want to control the sexuality of women.

Too bad that they're alienated; it's not my problem. It's America, and they can thump their Bibles all they want...in their own damn homes.

I don't want to sound flip about this, but it looks like someone had a scheduled "Appointment in Samarra" and were quite "successful" in keeping that appointment. I don't get it -- with sectarian violence in Iraq a huge risk for several years now, HOW can it happen that this most holy of mosques went unprotected? Inside job?

Many people think that this latest violence will be the catalyst to bring the troops home because of the clear and present danger of civil war. I think it will prove to be the "reason" that the neo-cons will use to "stay the course."

Bob in ND, this war has been "going badly" since before it started. You are clearly right that it will "end" badly. Very bad.

Hajji -- I don't know how you can stand it. Prayers to you and your family. I don't know what to say.

It has been at least five miserable years since Hitler Bush has reigned over the evil Nazi American Empire!!! During his evil reign we are now aware that Hitler Bush IS AN UNITER AND NOT A DIVIDER!!! WE ARE NOW ON THE VERGE OF BEING UNITED IN HELL THROUGH HIS EVIL POLICIES AND PRACTICES!!!

#7

Wait a minute. If 28% of liberal Democrats are very happy, plus 31% of moderate to conservative Democrats, that make 51% of DEMOCRATS very happy compared to only 47% of conservative REPUBLICANS. Apparently, there is no such thing as a moderate or liberal Republican since those statistics were left out.

Huh, go figure.

Are they spreading the faith or terror?

As I sit by the computer, I took sometime to reflect on the glorious smell of napalm in the morning and the wonderful smell of burning flesh in the evening. For more of these super smells you must join the military armed forces.

micki 42, that's exactly what I think too. This is way too convenient to be just another insurgency attack, and besides, what is the driving force behind this insurgency anyway? They must know that the sooner they get their act together the sooner the occupiers will get the hell out, but, who is it building permanent military bases? Once again, follow the money.

Seeing Joy

Dear Cornposters:

I spent sometime today reflecting on human efforts that would bring happiness and joy into the lives of our brothers and sisters in God. I cannot help but believe that if we spent more time seeking to improve the lives of our brothers and sisters how much more of life would be filled with meaning and purpose.

Instead I see human beings, especially Nazi Americans, spending time on efforts that inflict more misery, pain, and suffering upon their brothers and sisters in God.

Why do we have to complicate our lives with efforts that add misery, pain, and suffering to human life? If we would seek simplicity in our lives, life would be filled with joy. Simplicity in our life is gained and seen in efforts that promote love, justice, and peace. To experience happiness and joy on the faces of our brothers and sisters is truly our reason for living.

Sincerely,

Gerald

Just finished watching Democracy Now.

Legendary South African Journalist Allister Sparks on Wiretapping and Torture, Under Apartheid and Bush

ALLISTER SPARKS: It resonates. This is why I'm just so distressed and angry at the United States. I mean, this is a country that has held itself out as a paragon of democracy and decency, standing for all the good things. And it's been the model that we've all supposed to watch and admire. I first went to the United States when John F. Kennedy was President. And I spent a Nieman year at Harvard. And there was an idealistic spirit in the air. And look where it is now. I mean, how much idealism is there about what is being done in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay?

I mean, this is disgusting stuff. This is the kind of stuff that disgusted me about my own country and rendered me -- in my first book, I said that, you know, in my long career of reporting this, I had never known or experienced the emotion of patriotism. That's how I felt about my country. And when it was -- when we transformed, I felt personally cleansed. And now I see a country that I’∂e admired all my life descending to these depths, and I'm appalled. That's all I can say. I find it personally - I just find it hugely distressing. I'm always encouraged -- I have a lot of friends in the United States -- and I'm encouraged that many of them are distressed, too. But, you know, what has happened to the moral quality of your country? It's a profoundly distressing thing. And it doesn't seem to be getting better.
------------
It was an hour long interview. I wish they would show it in high school class rooms all across the country.

America's Legacy for Her Children

Dear Friend,

I added my name in support of Senate Resolution 350, a clear statement that the 2001 Authorization for Military Force does not authorize the President's warrantless domestic surveillance program.

Please review it, add your name in support and spread the word about this important document:

http://www.tedkennedy.com/res350

We need everyone we can to show the White House that we won't accept their excuses for going it alone in this program and endangering our national security in the process.

Please join me in supporting this Senate resolution:

http://www.tedkennedy.com/res350

Thank You!

Mr. David Corn,

Great post.

We are following the model that Bunnypants wants: "Things are going to get worse"

What a plan.

Thanks

Kirk

Reports tied UAE to bin Laden, Cole bombing

As its ties to the U.S. war on terror are brought into the spotlight, more details about the ties between The United Arab Emirates and U.S. enemies abroad are being unearthed.

The AP recently reported that the Sept. 11 Commission report states U.S. intelligence believed that Osama bin Laden had visited an Afghan desert in 1999 near a hunting camp used by UAE officials.

According to the AP, commission sources claimed "bin Laden regularly went from his adjacent camp to the larger camp where he visited the Emiratis ... National technical intelligence confirmed the location and description of the larger camp and showed the nearby presence of an official aircraft of the United Arab Emirates."

Reacting to this information, White House counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke called the UAE to confront them about the government's reported contact with bin Laden, hoping to monitor the camp to launch a missile strike when bin Laden returned. Less than a week after the call, intelligence officials were "irate" to discover that the camp had been abandoned and dismantled.

But UAE ties to terrorism have received media scrutiny long before the ports contract uproar.

A September 14, 2001 report in The Guardian claimed that investigators had already linked some of the September 11 terrorists to the UAE. The only other country singled out in the Guardian report was Saudi Arabia.

State controlled television in the UAE confirmed that two 9/11 suspects had licenses issued by the UAE, noting that the nation was one of just three that recognized the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

The Guardian also noted that one of the suspects in the bombing of the USS Cole claimed to have received telephone instructions for the bombing from a co-conspirator inside the UAE.

The United States continues to maintain a good relationship with the UAE, considered to be a partner in the war on terror.
------------------
But the port deal is ok because Bush' cronies are making a heck of a lot of money on it.
Our country has a dollar sign on it. We are for sale.

#50 Jeanne, Nazis are rewriting American history and saying that Bush is America's savior. A teacher who would say that Bush is not great would be fired. Classroom teaching will stress if you want peace fight wars. Peace is gained through endless wars. That is the American way.

DeLay Says Bush Making Mistake on Port

U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay said Wednesday that President Bush is making a big mistake backing a sale of shipping operations at six major U.S. seaports to a state-owned business in the United Arab Emirates.

The former Republican majority leader said the administration's approval of the deal is "pretty outrageous." DeLay made the remarks during a campaign event with Houston real estate executives.

Separately, U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble, said he is concerned about Texas ports where military cargo is handled by London-based Peninsular and Oriental, the company to be purchased by the UAE's Dubai Ports World.

Poe said ports in Beaumont and Corpus Christi move military goods, materials and records of which he would not want UAE employees to have access.

.....Still, DeLay said the deal would be overturned by Congress.

"When it's a matter of national security, the president will be overturned," DeLay said in an account that appeared on the Web site of the Austin American-Statesman. "We will overturn it within the next few weeks."

--------------------
Tom, look at the nation you help destroy. Take a good look, Tom.

Sign the Call Now! Firme la llamada! Signez l'appel! Firma l'appello!

Women's Call for Peace: An Urgent Appeal

We, the women of the United States, Iraq and women worldwide, have had enough of the senseless war in Iraq and the cruel attacks on civilians around the world. We've buried too many of our loved ones. We've seen too many lives crippled forever by physical and mental wounds. We've watched in horror as our precious resources are poured into war while our families' basic needs of food, shelter, education and healthcare go unmet. We've had enough of living in constant fear of violence and seeing the growing cancer of hatred and intolerance seep into our homes and communities.

This is not the world we want for ourselves or our children. With fire in our bellies and love in our hearts, we women are rising up - across borders - to unite and demand an end to the bloodshed and the destruction.

We have seen how the foreign occupation of Iraq has fueled an armed movement against it, perpetuating an endless cycle of violence. We are convinced that it is time to shift from a military model to a conflict-resolution model that includes the following elements:

The withdrawal of all foreign troops and foreign fighters from Iraq;

Negotiations to reincorporate disenfranchised Iraqis into all aspects of Iraqi society;

The full representation of women in the peacemaking process and a commitment to women's full equality in the post-war Iraq;

A commitment to discard plans for any foreign bases in Iraq;

Iraqi control of its oil and other resources;

The nullification of privatization and deregulation laws imposed under occupation, allowing Iraqis to shape the trajectory of the post-war economy;

A massive reconstruction effort that prioritizes Iraqi contractors, and draws upon financial resources of the countries responsible for the invasion and occupation of Iraq;

Consideration of a temporary international peacekeeping force that is truly multilateral and is not composed of any troops from countries that participated in the occupation.

To move this peace process forward, we are creating a massive movement of women - crossing generations, races, ethnicities, religions, borders and political persuasions. Together, we will pressure our governments, the United Nations, the Arab League, Nobel Peace Prize winners, religious leaders and others in the international community to step forward to help negotiate a political settlement. And in this era of divisive fundamentalisms, we call upon world leaders to join us in spreading the fundamental values of love for the human family and for our precious planet.

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This one is not just for the women but is specially for the women to join in.

capt

#55
Gerald,
From my experience, the problem is the parents. They hear about programs being watched like the Democaracy Now program and they don't want their kids becoming too political.
We have a nation full of kids who say racist comments because they don't know any better. They have been so sheltered.

#50 Jeanne, Nazis are rewriting American history and saying that Bush is America's savior. A teacher who would say that Bush is not great would be fired. Classroom teaching will stress if you want peace fight wars. Peace is gained through endless wars. That is the American way.

Teen groups push Congress for comprehensive sex ed.

As the Bush administration continues to fund only abstinence-only sex education, American youth are taking comprehensive sex education into their own hands, RAW STORY has learned.

Programs favored by the administration often censor information about birth control and abortion completely. A December 2004 report commissioned by Representative Henry Waxman (D-California) found 11 out of 13 abstinence-only curricula examined to contain errors and distortions.

According to The Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit organization focused on sexual and reproductive health research, policy analysis and public education, there are currently three federal programs—ìection 510 of the Social Security Act, the Adolescent Family Life Act and the Special Projects of Regional and National Significance program—§edicated to funding abstinence-only sex education. None are dedicated to funding comprehensive sex education, even though the latter has been shown more effective in delaying sexual activity in teens and encouraging wiser and safer choices when teens do engage in sexual activity.

With an administration nonetheless intent on abstinence- only education, youth are opting to pick up the fight on their own behalf.
----------------------
Guess what happens when pro choice is taken away. It's going to get ugly folks. The youth are involved and they have a lot of energy. Gooo kids.

Jeanne, the classroom should be a place where students can learn to think and DISCERN and express themselves. I have a strong belief that our government wants programmed machines and not thinking Americans. We find ourselves in deep trouble when we GO ALONG TO GET ALONG. Free thinking and spirited Americans are today called unpatriotic to the glory of our fuehrer.

o'reilly - 32
exactly.

OMG! marijuana, morphine, Valium and codeine.. Now that's a cocktail. - O'Reilly

Well, I know what didn't kill him...

Petition to the House Administration Committee

Members of the House Administration Committee
1309 Longworth House Office Building
Washington DC 20515

Dear Members of the House Administration Committee

On September 19, 2005, the Commission on Federal Election Reform co-chaired by President Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James Baker issued its Final Report. The Report, among other things, called on Congress to enact legislation requiring both a voter verified paper ballot of every vote and routine random audits to check the accuracy of electronic voting.

Voting integrity activists who have been championing this cause for several years are pleased that the Commission confirmed the need for this critical security measure. However, the report also recommends that the status of the voter verified paper ballot should be determined by states rather than mandated as the ballot of record nationwide. This means that any individual state can decide to disregard the only record that the voter has confirmed in favor of the record inside the electronic machine and make the voter verified paper ballot a meaningless and expensive placebo. In addition, the report suggests that pre-election machine "audits" may also be acceptable. Such audits would constitute simply another pre-election machine test, and should not be confused with meaningful independent audits of actual election results.

Rep. Rush Holt's Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act (HR 550) will, however, mandate an effective and meaningful voter-verified paper record and independent audit requirements. It already has the bipartisan support of 1/3 of the House of Representatives, and has been endorsed by VoteTrustUSA and VerifiedVoting.org as the "gold standard" in verifiability legislation. Not only would it mandate a voter verified paper record for every vote cast, it would also:

(1) establish a mandatory uniform national standard that states that the voter verified paper ballot -- the only record verified by the voter rather than the voting machine -- is the vote of record in the case of any inconsistency with electronic records;

(2) provide Federal funding to pay for implementation of voter verified paper balloting;

(3) require a percentage of mandatory manual (by hand count) random audits of actual election results in every state, and in each county, for every Federal election;

(4) prohibit the use at any time of undisclosed software, wireless communication devices, and internet connections in voting machines;

(5) require full implementation by 2006; and

(6) protect the accessibility mandates of the Help America Vote Act.

The language in this bill was carefully written with input from computer scientists, disabilities organizations, and election reform advocates. It should be passed as written and in time to protect the 2006 elections.

There are many politically contentious election reform issues mentioned in the report but making sure that votes are counted accurately is not one of them. Elections are the foundation of a representative democracy, and representative democracy lives or dies based on the integrity of its elections. HR 550 will help restore voters' confidence and ensure the accuracy and integrity of America's elections.

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More keyboard activism. It might not do anything but something is better than nothing.

capt

Hajji,

Thank the multitudinous names that be! And let's end this madness...

Bob in ND,

"they have alienated pro-life, and pro-traditional-family people over the past 30 years."

I was a GOPher until the anti-abortion lunacy took over the party. (mid-eighties)

The GOP have alienated the pro-choice conservatives. We are traditional-family values people too.

Anti-abortion is YOUR pet project but you can only speak for yourself.

So it is just the opposite of your expressed opinion.

Not to mention, you have no clue, and no business even speaking to the issue - that is unless and until YOU can get pregnant and face the issue as a woman.

capt

History

Dear Cornposters:

We should be aware of history. It is never too early to learn of history. In college a history professor said that to learn history we need to study the word, PERSIA. Today, history also includes technology. Is our technological advances used as a positive force for our people or does our Nazi government suppress free communication and thought among the people?

Let us look at the word, PERSIA.

P is for politics. When we study the history of a country, we need to know the politics and political issues of a country. In Nazi America there are many political issues that are used as wedge issues that divide the people.

E is for economics. We need to study a country's economics and economy. What is the driving force in a country and the jobs and work for her people? In Nazi America we know that there are less jobs and the jobs that are available are slave wages. More and more foreign countries have control over our lives.

R is for religion. Religion in this day and age all over the world is a huge issue and it will remain a huge issue for many generations. We can see in Nazi America how religion has divided her people. There seems to be no end in sight for this divide among the people. I believe that the religious wedge issue will destroy Nazi America.

S is for the social life and social issues. Social issues are also huge areas to study in our country and how these issues impact upon the American way of life and our relations as and between the people.

I is for intellectual areas. What kind of education is available for the people? We can see that Hitler Bush's policies is making it more difficult for poor and middle class children to receive a higher education. For years there has been the dummy down of American children. The Nazi American government demands stupidity from its citizens.

A is for aesthetics. What kind of beauty and culture and performing arts are available to the citizens. Do the citizens have the freedom to write books, poetry, and music with a feeling that they can express themselves or are they under the scrutiny of a tyrannical despot, like Hitler Bush?

These are very important areas in knowing and in studying the history of a country.

Sincerely,

Gerald

President Bush, Stop the Dubai Ports World Deal

Contributed by Working Assets

The Bush Administration recently announced -- apparently without the President's knowledge -- approval of a deal to let Dubai Ports World take over operations at six of our nation's largest seaports. The announcement sparked broad-based and bipartisan opposition in Congress, but the President has stubbornly vowed to veto any legislation blocking this deal. If this administration is at all serious about protecting our national security, he needs to rethink his position on this issue.

Dubai Ports World is fully owned by the government of the United Arab Emirates -- a country whose capital city USA Today recently called a "logistical hub" for terrorism. (In fact, more than half the Sept. 11th hijackers flew directly from Dubai to the United States.) It's also a nation whose royal family met with Osama Bin Laden in 1999, preventing a U.S. airstrike on Bin Laden; the UAE is also known for its refusal to recognize Israel and its anti-Semitic rhetoric.

It's hard to understand why the Administration is so stubbornly insisting on the rights of multinational corporations to make this deal, when the national security of the United States is so clearly at stake. But it fits into a well-established pattern: funding for port security is grossly deficient, numerous unqualified Bush cronies have been placed in critical government positions, and the administration has received failing grades on implementing the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. The bungled response to Hurricane Katrina showed that they were not serious or competent in dealing with a natural disaster. This proposed deal shows that they are also not serious or competent in protecting our ports -- which are vital to our national security.

When American citizens are being asked to forfeit their civil liberties as part of the so-called "war on terror," it is deeply hypocritical for this Administration to blindly rubber-stamp a deal with such broad national security implications.

Call to actionTell President Bush, with a copy to your senators and representative, that you want to see the Dubai Ports World deal stopped.

Deadline: immediate

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More activism for anybody that might be interested.

capt

Saladin, # 3: Do you have a URL or other citing information for that posting?

Sorry Karen, I usually give the link. Here it is:

Shrine Bombing: A new plot to divide Muslims

Linked from Bellaciao
By : Tehran Times
February Thursday 23rd 2006

Whoops, forgot, original credit goes to WRH.

ACLU: New documents show senior officials approved Gitmo abuse
RAW STORY
Published: February 23, 2006

The American Civil Liberties Union released newly obtained documents Thursday showing that senior Defense Department officials approved aggressive interrogation techniques that FBI agents deemed abusive, ineffective and unlawful, RAW STORY has learned.

“We now possess overwhelming evidence that political and military leaders endorsed interrogation methods that violate both domestic and international law,” Jameel Jaffer, an attorney with the ACLU said in a release. “It is entirely unacceptable that no senior official has been held accountable.”

More, including ACLU release, specifically naming Gen. Jeffery Miller...

What is taking place now is no different than what was taking place when the conquistadors were plundering Central and South America. The same forces are at work. The corporations and governments have changed their names and personnel and the churches are the same or newer versions but otherwise there is no difference.

Do You Want to Stop Terrorism? Fight the Real Terrorists!

click my name to view the informative video
'LOOSE CHANGE 2nd edition'

James, you must have missed my link above, now there is no reason for anyone to miss it! That really is one of his best. The easiest call to arms I have ever seen, it's simple, just stop supporting ALL of it!

Bush plan demotes India

NEW DELHI: On the eve of his visit to South Asia, United States President George W. Bush has demoted India from the ranks of "leading countries with advanced nuclear technology" —†the phrase used in the July 18, 2005 India-U.S. agreement —†to those who merely have a "developing nuclear energy programme."

This unilateral reclassification is not a minor issue. For, only countries that have "advanced civilian nuclear energy programmes" will have the right to reprocess spent nuclear fuel under Mr. Bush's proposed `Global Nuclear Energy Partnership,' of which the India-U.S. deal is "an integral part."

In his speech to the Asia Society in Washington on Wednesday, India was named a country that would have to hand over its spent nuclear fuel to a handful of "supplier nations" for reprocessing, forgoing, in the bargain, its right to reprocess the waste generated from its civilian nuclear programme.

"Under this partnership," Mr. Bush said, "America will work with nations that have advanced civilian nuclear energy programmes such as Great Britain, France, Japan and Russia to share nuclear fuel with nations like India that are developing civilian nuclear energy programs."

More HERE

That psycho really thinks he is the king of the world doesn't he?

Dozens of Sunni mosques attacked throughout Iraq

BAGHDAD Shiite protesters attacked dozens of Sunni mosques throughout Iraq on Wednesday in retaliation for the bombing of one of Shiite Islam's holiest shrines, police, witnesses and political groups said.

The Iraqi Islamic Party, the country's largest Sunni political group, said at least 60 mosques were attacked, burned or taken over by Shiites.

They included more than 50 in Baghdad alone, three of which were completely destroyed with explosives, the party said. The rest were in predominantly Shiite areas on the capital's southern outskirts and in Iraq's southern provinces.

Armed Shiites attacked the mosques with automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, holding Sunnis after taking over some of them, the party said.

Followers of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose Mahdi Army militia took a major part in Wednesday's attacks, said four of their supporters were killed and dozens wounded in a series of clashes with mosque guards.

The violence was unleashed when two bombs caused severe damage to the golden dome of the Askariya shrine in Samarra on Wednesday morning.

BAGHDAD Shiite protesters attacked dozens of Sunni mosques throughout Iraq on Wednesday in retaliation for the bombing of one of Shiite Islam's holiest shrines, police, witnesses and political groups said.

The Iraqi Islamic Party, the country's largest Sunni political group, said at least 60 mosques were attacked, burned or taken over by Shiites.

They included more than 50 in Baghdad alone, three of which were completely destroyed with explosives, the party said. The rest were in predominantly Shiite areas on the capital's southern outskirts and in Iraq's southern provinces.

Armed Shiites attacked the mosques with automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, holding Sunnis after taking over some of them, the party said.

Followers of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose Mahdi Army militia took a major part in Wednesday's attacks, said four of their supporters were killed and dozens wounded in a series of clashes with mosque guards.

The violence was unleashed when two bombs caused severe damage to the golden dome of the Askariya shrine in Samarra on Wednesday morning.

BAGHDAD Shiite protesters attacked dozens of Sunni mosques throughout Iraq on Wednesday in retaliation for the bombing of one of Shiite Islam's holiest shrines, police, witnesses and political groups said.

The Iraqi Islamic Party, the country's largest Sunni political group, said at least 60 mosques were attacked, burned or taken over by Shiites.

They included more than 50 in Baghdad alone, three of which were completely destroyed with explosives, the party said. The rest were in predominantly Shiite areas on the capital's southern outskirts and in Iraq's southern provinces.

Armed Shiites attacked the mosques with automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, holding Sunnis after taking over some of them, the party said.

Followers of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose Mahdi Army militia took a major part in Wednesday's attacks, said four of their supporters were killed and dozens wounded in a series of clashes with mosque guards.

The violence was unleashed when two bombs caused severe damage to the golden dome of the Askariya shrine in Samarra on Wednesday morning.

*****end of clip*****

This is not good news, not by a long shot.

capt

The same article three times? Must be too much coffee!

Sorry bout that!

capt

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

Dick and Harry - Two Love Quails

Iran: U.S., Israel Destroyed Iraqi Shrine

"We cannot imagine that the Iraqi Sunnis did this," said the influential Sunni cleric Sheik Youssef al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian who lives in Qatar. "No one benefits from such acts other than the U.S. occupation and the lurking Zionist enemy."

Radical Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who cut short a visit to Lebanon after the blast, said blame must be laid either with the Americans or the Iraqi government.

"If responsibility is not in the hands of the Iraqi government, then I consider the responsibility for this event lies with the occupation forces which should either leave immediately or according to a timetable," al-Sadr said in Syria on his way back to Iraq.

The Iraqi Interior Ministry said four men, one wearing a military uniform and three in black, entered the Askariya mosque early Wednesday and detonated two bombs, one of which collapsed the dome.

More HERE

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This is what the pottery barn rule applies to: No matter what happens in Iraq now, it is our fault. As occupiers we have failed to KEEP this from happening so it is our responsibility. Does Bunnypants take responsibility or does he try to blame others?

"The terrorists in Iraq have again proven that they are enemies of all faiths and of all humanity,"

Yeah right, Bunnypants is incapable of taking responsibility for anything.

capt

Civil War.
Have you ever sat down to write an essay and all you can think of to write are 2 words? I'm crushed. What has my country done? I want Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld and Condi and all the rest to stand trial over this.

Civil War.
The end.

DeLay Writes Letters: It’s “Absolutely Untrue” That Abramoff Was “A Close Friend”

When one of my closest and dearest friends, Jack Abramoff, your most able representative in Washington, D.C., invited me to the islands, I wanted to see firsthand the free-market success and the progress and reform you have made. - Tom Delay

DeLay’s campaign to rehabilitate his credibility isn’t off to a good start.

******************************

Well, what'dya know 'bout that?

South Carolina

Nazi America is totally under Bush's wing

#79
Capt,
psychos have 0 character. They are devoid of substance. They are empty. Nothing beneath the surface. Hollow. Shallow. No wait shallow is too deep. They are veneer. Souless. They are the devil's concubines.

The Truth

Average American Family Income Declines

Many families were struggling in the aftermath of the 2001 recession and the bursting of the stock market bubble in 2000, the Fed's latest "Survey of Consumer Finances" showed. The comprehensive look at household balance sheets comes every three years.

Average family incomes, after adjusting for inflation, fell to $70,700 in 2004, a drop of 2.3 percent when compared with 2001. That was the weakest showing since a decline of 11.3 percent from 1989 to 1992, a period that also covered a recession.

The average incomes had soared by 17.3 percent in the 1998-2001 period and 12.3 percent from 1995 to 1998 as the country enjoyed the longest economic expansion in history.

The median family income, the point where half the families made more and half made less, rose a tiny 1.6 percent to $43,200 in 2004 compared with 2001.

Economists said the weakness in the most recent period was understandable given the loss of 2.7 million jobs from early 2001 through August of 2003, when the country was struggling with sizable layoffs caused by the recession, the terrorist attacks and corporate accounting scandals.

The weak income and the stock market decline in the early part of the decade, which wiped out $7 trillion of paper wealth, had an adverse impact on family balance sheets.

More HERE

*****end of clip*****

Is this the first time I have heard the corporate scandals have cost us a portion of the 2.7 million jobs lost?

It the MSM was not corporate owned we would be hearing about the loss of jobs non-stop 24/7. The MSM fails again.

capt

#86

All of their soul is on the bottom of their shoes.

Great posts today BTW. All of them!

capt

Nazi Americans will soon declare Bush their king

#80
Gerald,
The last part of the "show" was a written epilogue. It contained something I had been wondering about.

As you see here Greg LeMond the bycicle racer and winner of the Tour de France, had a similar fate.

After his first Tour de France win in 1986, LeMond nearly died from shotgun wounds suffered in a turkey hunting accident in the fall of 1986. He was forced to miss the following two Tours while he recovered and also had surgery for tendinitis in his leg and for appendicitis. Three years later in 1989, with 37 shotgun pellets remaining in his body (including some in the lining of his heart)....

He lives in MN. I rememeber reading articles about him. The pellets that remained in him had an impact on his health.

Criminal Conduct

Military Has Tools to Respond to Domestic Disasters, Report Says

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2006 – The federal response to Hurricane Katrina demonstrated that the Defense Department is one of the only federal departments capable of playing a critical role in the nation's response to catastrophic events, a government report released today stated.

In September, President Bush asked Fran Townsend, his homeland security adviser, to conduct a review about the federal response to Katrina. The result is a report titled "The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned," which outlines what was learned from the government's response to the hurricane and how to better prepare and respond to future domestic disasters.

"I wasn't satisfied with the federal response," Bush said at the White House today. "The report helps us anticipate how to better respond to future disasters."

According to the report, better coordination among federal agencies is paramount to improving the response to disasters. It also states the military's operational capability allows it to translate presidential decisions into prompt, effective action during a catastrophic domestic disaster but should be further integrated and that the Defense Department should take the lead in some instances.

"The Departments of Homeland Security and Defense should jointly plan for the Department of Defense's support of Federal response activities as well as those extraordinary circumstances when it is appropriate for the Department of Defense to lead the Federal response," the report states. "The Department of Defense should ensure the transformation of the National Guard is focused on increased integration with active duty forces for homeland security plans and activities."

More HERE

*****end of clip*****

Of course we need to integrate the active duty forces - NOT - This is what the National Guard has always done, no need for active duty forces. That was until the NG was converted into active forces.

What a crock.

capt

If Bush does not suspend the 2008 election and Chainy is appointed emperor, he will have his finger on the big gun, like nuclear weapons. He already has a nuke bunker in Wyoming and so why won't he pull the nuclear trigger. He is a psycho.

#42 and #48 Micky & Saladin,

I agree that this has to be an inside job, for all the same reasons.

Haijji, all our thoughts are with you and your friends. I'm so sorry you have to go through this. My husband is a Vietnam vet who made it out with just one shot in the back. But he still had to stay for four tours.

To change the subject for the moment, back to this obvious political ploy, the port deal, it is, of course, also motivated sheer greed. We all know that and greed causes those that suffer from it not to be careful. But to those that say, this is just your emotions and racism talking, screw that. Yes this is about globalization, but no, we shouldn't remain neutral to the uncaring market forces. It's the bad parts of globalization that people dislike, the outsourcing of something we should be doing ourselves. Those touting this deal ask if it would matter if the Dutch took over instead? Jeesus, Britain is our mother country, if it's going to be outsourced, I would much prefer it be the Brits, yes. For something like this. The distraction of the racism issue is beyond the pale, but not surprising.

Libby's lawyers ask to dismiss perjury case

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawyers for an aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, who faces perjury charges, asked a judge on Thursday to throw out the case on the grounds that the prosecutor was appointed improperly.

Since both Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and former Attorney General John Ashcroft removed themselves from the investigation because of their close ties to the White House, Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald reports to David Margolis, a career Justice Department lawyer.

Lawyers for Lewis "Scooter" Libby argued that because Fitzgerald does not report to the attorney general, he should not have been appointed by a deputy at the Justice Department.

"Because he was not appointed to that office by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate, he holds that authority improperly," Libby's lawyers wrote.

Fitzgerald was picked by then-Deputy Attorney General James Comey in December 2003 to investigate who leaked the identity of undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame to reporters after her husband accused the Bush administration of twisting intelligence on Iraq's nuclear weapons to justify the 2003 invasion.

Plame's career at the CIA effectively ended after her identity was made public.

Libby is charged with lying to a grand jury about his conversations with reporters about Plame. He has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go to trial in January 2007.

In other filings Libby's lawyers have argued that any inconsistencies in his testimony come from a faulty memory.

*****end of clip*****

Bringing honesty and character to the WH.

capt

Dubai Harbored Hijackers? Big Deal, Bush Says: Margaret Carlson

Feb. 23 (Bloomberg) -- I wonder what the president feels like these days as 9/11, the default card used to start wars and squelch dissent, is being played against him?

Letting a United Arab Emirates company take over six major American ports, including New York, may not be as insane as it looks. Ports are globalized, and next to, say, Iran, Dubai looks tolerable. But it will never look wise for the president to be so inattentive that he didn't know about the takeover beforehand, or stop it for further reflection once he did.

George W. Bush believes in delegating, and delegate he did, to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a multiagency body created in 1975 to assess the security risks when foreigners want to invest in this country. The commission has turned down one deal out of 1,500.

Its deliberations are shrouded in secrecy, so no one knows how the commission came to be fine with the notion that our ports should be managed by a country that is a laundromat for terrorist cash, was home to two of the Sept. 11 hijackers, and was a base of operations for a massive nuclear proliferation operation run by the Pakistani atomic scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan.

More HERE

*****end of clip*****

It is only the terrorists that do not have $7 billion to spend that we are fighting against.

capt

Bush's Mysterious 'New Programs'

Is the Pentagon building U.S.-based prison camps for Muslim immigrants? Evidence points to the possibility.

Not that George W. Bush needs much encouragement, but Sen. Lindsey Graham suggested to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales a new target for the administration's domestic operations -- Fifth Columnists, supposedly disloyal Americans who sympathize and collaborate with the enemy.

"The administration has not only the right, but the duty, in my opinion, to pursue Fifth Column movements," Graham, R-S.C., told Gonzales during Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on Feb. 6.

"I stand by this president's ability, inherent to being commander in chief, to find out about Fifth Column movements, and I don't think you need a warrant to do that," Graham added, volunteering to work with the administration to draft guidelines for how best to neutralize this alleged threat.

"Senator," a smiling Gonzales responded, "the president already said we'd be happy to listen to your ideas."

In less paranoid times, Graham's comments might be viewed by many Americans as a Republican trying to have it both ways -- ingratiating himself to an administration of his own party while seeking some credit from Washington centrists for suggesting Congress should have at least a tiny say in how Bush runs the War on Terror.

But recent developments suggest that the Bush administration may already be contemplating what to do with Americans who are deemed insufficiently loyal or who disseminate information that may be considered helpful to the enemy. Top U.S. officials have cited the need to challenge news that undercuts Bush's actions as a key front in defeating the terrorists, who are aided by "news informers," in the words of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

More HERE

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Like the fascism would stop at incarcerating Muslims?

Anybody they can throw in jail is a source of free labor. Do you think the corporations are salivating at the possibilities? In the corporate world profitability is king and all serve the king. Democracy and freedom are dead long live profitability! ($325 million to build detention centers to Halliburton) Hmmmm.

capt

Peace groups under watch

Authorities keep tabs on non-violent Seattle activists in hunt for al-Qaida

In the post-9/11 world, some unlikely figures have attracted the attention of local police and federal agents: the Raging Grannies, known for musical satire, and Quaker peace activists, known for non-violence.

Recently disclosed FBI files show that in Seattle in recent years, federal agents and local police looked for signs of civil disobedience among activists preparing to protest Navy ships arriving for Seafair:

"Local anti-war groups such as the Raging Grannies, Not in Our Name and Ground Zero were watched for intent to disrupt Navy ships through civil disobedience such as chaining themselves to ships. It never happened.

"A Navy criminal investigator traveled to Eugene, Ore., to find out if anarchists blamed for violence at Seattle's 1999 World Trade Organization conference might return to protest the fleet. They never did.

"A law enforcement agent conducted surveillance as two small, Peace-Fleet boats were launched in West Seattle.

Authorities argue that they had a duty to protect Navy ships. They don't want to happen in Puget Sound what happened six years ago in Yemen when a small suicide boat blew a hole in a Navy destroyer, killing 17 sailors.

As the Bush administration and Congress argue about how far domestic spying to protect the nation should go, Seattle-area peace activists and constitutional watchdogs are concerned that programs intended to thwart al-Qaida could become a witch-hunt against American political dissenters. Concerns are heightened by the storage of massive amounts of raw information in government databases that have proliferated since 9/11.

One key Pentagon database was piloted here, the Joint Protection Enterprise Network. Its purpose is to share intelligence to safeguard military bases, including seven around Puget Sound. It's controlled by the Pentagon's secretive Counterintelligence Field Activity office. The Pentagon did not return numerous calls for an explanation about the database.

More HERE

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Like the fascism would stop at incarcerating Muslims?

They will be putting granny and grampa in the detention center because if they are promoting peace they are terrorists.

capt

Country Report: United Arab Emirates

Enslaved because of their size, young boys are trafficked into the UAE and forced to ride camels for sport

A Victim's Story

Sheizad, a five-year-old from Bangladesh, wakes each day at 4 a.m. in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He does not remember much about his village, or how he came to the UAE. He may have been lured by recruiters, sold to a middleman by his parents, or kidnapped. Sheizad is now a slave, forced, because of his size, to race camels to benefit his master. By 5 a.m., he is on the track, practicing, training, and racing the camels. He goes to sleep 18 hours later at 11 p.m. Sheizad stays with other young racers in tiny rooms. There are races twice a week for which Sheizad's master wins large monetary prizes. Sheizad has never been paid for his work, yet if his camel races poorly, he is beaten. In a few years, when he is too big to race camels, he will be discarded by his owner. With no money and far from his family, Sheizad's enslavement will end in destitution.

Camel racing is a national pastime in the UAE. But slight young boys are needed to jockey the camels at popular race tracks. Approximately 19,000 young boys have been trafficked into the UAE as slaves, arriving from Southeast Asia when they are between two and five years old. Camel owners are abusive, regularly beating the boys, feeding them awful food, and preventing them from returning home.

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Hey, maybe they have some work for American boys about five years old. These are the good guys we want owning our ports?

I still say: if the UAE already owned the ports we should buying them back.

capt

Hajji: "Ignorance, must TRULY be BLISS!"

Indeed. Seems the only things that depress the decerebrate cons are high gas prices, taxes, and insider trading.

The fact that people are slaughtered daily so that they can drive their Escalades and Hummers doesn't bother them a whit. They're laughing all the way to the gas station. They're just . . . so . . . happy!

Are Cornposters the fifth columnists in Nazi America? Opening wiretaps will not stop with the Muslims!!! We are living in an occupied Nazi state!!! Everyone should learn how to say Hail Mein Fuehrer!!! We should also learn the goosestep shuffle!!!

Capt wrote:

>...you have no clue, and no business even speaking...

A male should not be allowed to speak about abortion. OK....anything else? Any topics that women are not allowed to speak about? I am eager to learn more what topics are allowable and not allowable in your vision of America.

Bob

The UAE and Hitler Bush adore slavery!!! Hitler Bush has brought great shame upon our Nazi state!!!

Bob,

Tell what it is like being pregnant?

Firsthand?

capt

Remember my fellow Nazis that Hitler Bush is a Christian!!! God has chosen him to murder, torture, encourage slavery around the world, commit war crimes, to lie, to steal from the poor and the middle class and give tp the rich? Is Hitler Bush really a Christian? He gives Christianity noxious stench!!!

Bob,

The FACT is you say stuff, but it is opinion unless you can back your stuff up.

Show me some statistics, some polls, anything that supports your notion that pro-choice has alienated anybody but you.

My personal story is juxtaposed to your statement.

I left the GOP because of the rabid anti-abortion jerks that took over the party.

I have a few statistics but I doubt you would entertain any facts, your beliefs are far more strident and prejudiced.

You want a few more subjects?

Women can speak to menstruation, having breasts and dealing with men that think they can tell them what they feel and what they should do with their reproductive cycle.

Do you have any women’s issues you can speak to with any firsthand experience or authority? If so do share?

(crickets chirping)

Thanks

capt

Men do less than they ought, unless they do all that they can. -- Thomas Carlyle

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Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. -- Dr. Martin Luther King, J