Well, not really winding down, but it is definitely spinning less smoothly than it used to. I actually had to stop posting to this blog for a while because the weight of the news was wearing on me.
Remembering John Walker Lindh (fondly)
I firmly understand why "God-fearing Christians" are confident in their faith and their patriotism. They unquestioningly accept whatever is spoon-fed to them by the powers-that-be. I remember the outrage and indignation I had that anyone would actually defect to the Taliban, as in the case of John Walker Lindh. I watched and read the news. I remember when the Taliban took over in 1996. I remember the subjugation of the media. I remember when they blew up the Buddha statues. But the mood and the press at the time did a fine job of making John Walker Lindh a focal point for all our hatred and anger from 9/11. Hell, there wasn't anyone else to focus on, and Saddam Hussein wasn't implicated in the least, so the un-American traitor who fell from Heaven (America) and joined Satan (Osama bin Laden) and his Legions from Hell (Taleban) was easy to digest at the time. I'm sure people reading newspaper accounts of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg felt the same way.
The only thing is, the true story, as told by John's father, is much simpler and much, much less diabolical. If you or I or any of our friends were Muslim (and our parents apparently could endlessly support our studying internationally), we could have found ourselves in the same situation John did.
Remembering William Jefferson Clinton (fondly)
I don't think Bill Clinton and the world get enough credit for their efforts to stop al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden prior to 9/11/01. Remember the embassy bombings in Africa in 1998? It was during the HEIGHT of the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Bill Clinton immediately retaliated against al Qaeda strongholds, but was lambasted by the media. This was just a couple of years after the movie Wag the Dog came out, about the president creating a fake war to take the heat off of him fondling a little girl. Read these comments from the BBC news website. See how many people thought there was no justification in attacking the al Qaeda strongholds? In fact, the UN imposed sanctions against Afghanistan because they were harboring Osama bin Laden and he was known to be the leader of al Qaeda and responsible for the attacks on the embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. It makes a LOT more sense now, doesn't it, looking at it through the "prism of 9/11".
Remembering George W. Bush (not so fondly)
Ok, lets have a brief rundown on the wonderful news about our faithful leader this month:
Remembering John Walker Lindh (fondly)
I firmly understand why "God-fearing Christians" are confident in their faith and their patriotism. They unquestioningly accept whatever is spoon-fed to them by the powers-that-be. I remember the outrage and indignation I had that anyone would actually defect to the Taliban, as in the case of John Walker Lindh. I watched and read the news. I remember when the Taliban took over in 1996. I remember the subjugation of the media. I remember when they blew up the Buddha statues. But the mood and the press at the time did a fine job of making John Walker Lindh a focal point for all our hatred and anger from 9/11. Hell, there wasn't anyone else to focus on, and Saddam Hussein wasn't implicated in the least, so the un-American traitor who fell from Heaven (America) and joined Satan (Osama bin Laden) and his Legions from Hell (Taleban) was easy to digest at the time. I'm sure people reading newspaper accounts of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg felt the same way.
The only thing is, the true story, as told by John's father, is much simpler and much, much less diabolical. If you or I or any of our friends were Muslim (and our parents apparently could endlessly support our studying internationally), we could have found ourselves in the same situation John did.
Remembering William Jefferson Clinton (fondly)
I don't think Bill Clinton and the world get enough credit for their efforts to stop al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden prior to 9/11/01. Remember the embassy bombings in Africa in 1998? It was during the HEIGHT of the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Bill Clinton immediately retaliated against al Qaeda strongholds, but was lambasted by the media. This was just a couple of years after the movie Wag the Dog came out, about the president creating a fake war to take the heat off of him fondling a little girl. Read these comments from the BBC news website. See how many people thought there was no justification in attacking the al Qaeda strongholds? In fact, the UN imposed sanctions against Afghanistan because they were harboring Osama bin Laden and he was known to be the leader of al Qaeda and responsible for the attacks on the embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. It makes a LOT more sense now, doesn't it, looking at it through the "prism of 9/11".
Remembering George W. Bush (not so fondly)
Ok, lets have a brief rundown on the wonderful news about our faithful leader this month:
- Article after article about the failures of the wonderful new Medicare drug plan. It is such a fiasco that several states have delcared emergencies as thousands of people were left uncovered and under-covered.
- It just isn't sinking in that his wiretaps are illegal. The White House is already preparing for impeachment hearings.
- The rebuilding of Iraq was botched so badly that more money is missing than most nations have in GNP each year.
- Bush declared the economy "was heading into 2006 'with a full head of steam'" two weeks ago. Now, the Nikkei and DJIA are in a tailspin. If I have anything left of my 401K at the end of the month, I'm going to kiss Bush on the lips myself.
- Halliburton has been cited for knowingly giving soldiers contaminated water.
- With Alito all but confirmed (and, MY senator the ONLY Democrat publicly for him!), Bush blatantly said that Roe v. Wade will be overturned (I've been telling people he wants this to be one of the biggest legacies of his presidencies for years).
- Europe can't keep the fact that they knew about secret CIA kidnappings and interrogations secret any longer.
- Bush is saying that Iran is preparing weapons of mass destruction, is harboring terrorists, and needs a regime change.
- Bush is saying that Syria is preparing weapons of mass destruction, is harboring terrorists, and needs a regime change.
- Bush wants to "ogle your google".
- College education is already the domain of middle- and upper-class kids. Lower class kids already know to automatically assume they won't be able to afford college. Now, student loan interest rates are going up, the cost of books has skyrocketed, and the cost of college has outpaced inflation. Soon, only the elite will be able to afford college, just like back in the good old days, before the Enlightenment.
"Campaign to Seize US Justice's Home"
I'm laughing my ass off on this one. "Activists angered by a US Supreme Court ruling that homes can be demolished for public developments are trying to seize the home of one of the judges involved." This is EXACTLY how to handle this issue. Use the exact law that the justice ruled on. What is more personal than property? This is the equivalent of the king seizing your estate and placing one of his barons on it in your place. And what happens if the home owner is the only minority in town, but the administration proves they are going to use the land for "public benefit"? You then have no protection from racism of the majority.
Bon Voyage
I didn't even know you could mutiny on a cruise ship. And you have to worry about pirates? Jesus, if you're so eager to depart with your money, just bury it on a desert island somewhere.
The Last Page
One last note to say that "The Beast" has posted the "50 most loathsome people in America, 2005". For good or for bad, G. W. Bush, his mother's uterus, God and You all made the list.
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