Actually, it's like a vacation where you go somewhere and maybe decide to live there or now.
Starting today, new posts will be here.
Consider it like a beta of a new version. If I'm happy, I'll move this blog over to the new site....
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
An End Of An Era
Faux Bidness Journal says it's the end of Raygun Deregulation Revolution (that other post has a big clue). Gotta be a subscriber though....
A Class Act: President McCain
God, he makes Beloved Leader look good....
War Room:
War Room:
"I would rather speak at a rally or a political gathering anyplace outside of the country after I am president of the United States," McCain said during the interview, which will air Thursday night. "But that's a judgment that Sen. Obama and the American people will make."
Considering those three supposedly undercovered trips McCain went on, think there might be some hypocrisy at work? You bet. As NBC's Mark Murray pointed out, "On June 20, McCain himself gave a speech in Canada -- to the Economic Club of Canada -- in which he applauded NAFTA's successes. An implicit message behind that speech was that Obama had been critical of the trade accord. Also, McCain's trip to Canada was paid for by the campaign."
Our Leaders' Success In Corrupting America
One of the worst outbreaks of foodborne illness in the U.S. is teaching the food industry the truth of the adage, "Be careful what you wish for because you might get it."[more]
The industry pressured the Bush administration years ago to limit the paperwork companies would have to keep to help U.S. health investigators quickly trace produce that sickens consumers, according to interviews and government reports reviewed by The Associated Press.
The White House also killed a plan to require the industry to maintain electronic tracking records that could be reviewed easily during a crisis to search for an outbreak's source. Companies complained the proposals were too burdensome and costly, and warned they could disrupt the availability of consumers' favorite foods.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The Presidentialness Of President McCain; He Proves He Will Win
This is the odious crap the wingnuts love. This is the piece of unfit crap the media whores love.
[more]This is a clear choice that the American people have. I had the courage and the judgment to say I would rather lose a political campaign than lose a war. It seems to me that Obama would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign.This is the ninth presidential campaign I've covered. I can't remember a more scurrilous statement by a major party candidate. It smacks of desperation. It renews questions about whether McCain has the right temperament for the presidency. How sad.
So Much For The Right Of Free Speech
Typical rightist crap: beat on the messenger and ignore the message; a favorite way to prevent progress.
Iraq Vets Show Their Love For President McCain And His Support For The Unending War
In his defense, the dope was trying to say he sees or supports troops being stationed in Iraq forever like in South Korea -- not eternal combat. But since he's too dumb or lazy or uncaring to clarify an obvious yet misunderstood point, no reason for me to do it for him.
With that out of the way, let's beat him up -- or, rather, let a couple of vets do it.
With that out of the way, let's beat him up -- or, rather, let a couple of vets do it.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
What Doesn't President McCain Not Know
Not only does his plan for Iraq not hold water, as it were, but his rationale doesn't even rise to the level of bogus.
My God, he may well be even dumber than Beloved Leader. I know that intelligence scares the Christofascist base but still, this is scary....
My God, he may well be even dumber than Beloved Leader. I know that intelligence scares the Christofascist base but still, this is scary....
They're Sick, Sick, Sick
War Room:
...Lisa Schiffren, writing at the Corner, one of the National Review's blogs. While complaining about the alleged media bias in favor of Barack Obama, she mentioned Obama's plan to accept the Democratic presidential nomination in a stadium that seats 75,000, then wrote, "To me, this is evocative of something Leni Riefenstahl might have documented." Leni Riefenstahl, of course, directed "Triumph of the Will," the Nazi propaganda film that documented a party rally at which Adolf Hitler spoke.
Schiffren, a former speechwriter for Dan Quayle (she wrote the speech in which he attacked "Murphy Brown"), has made similar comments before. In a February post, she suggested that Obama's parents may have been communists, given their biracial union.
Are The Iraqis Sick Of Our Occupation?
So maybe the Iraqi leadership, such as it is, really wants O. At the least, he'd probably enable them to amp up native corruption at the expense of Our Leaders' corruption. And who knows, maybe thet have a scintilla of patriotism and want a little, you know, independence.
War Room says Maliki said what Der Spiegel claims he said -- nothing lost in translation:
War Room says Maliki said what Der Spiegel claims he said -- nothing lost in translation:
It was the shot heard 'round the world: in an interview with German magazine Der Spiegel, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said of U.S. troop withdrawal from his country, "U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes."
Almost immediately, the Iraqi and U.S. governments made half-hearted attempts to walk Maliki's statement back. And supporters of the war have claimed that Maliki's words were mistranslated. But the Columbia Journalism Review has a bit of detail that should quiet such claims, at least to the extent that they haven't been quieted by events since Maliki's statement that have made clear he meant what he said.
CJR's Clint Hendler quotes the magazine's Mathias Müller von Blumencron as saying, "We have a policy at Der Spiegel when we do a question and answer session to provide a transcript to our counterparts in case they want to have a minor thing changed." In this case, Hendler reports, the magazine -- which has a content-sharing agreement with Salon -- verified that Maliki's aides had received the transcript. They reported no complaints.
Insight From Beloved Leader??
Maybe he's not quite as stupid as he allows himself to be perceived (parse that!). Certainly, he appears more knowledgeable than President McCain....
Again, we report, you decide.
But let's say he's not as stupid as we'all thought. He ain't all that much smarter, I think, and it's far too late, the damage has been done, and there's no apparent awareness of the harm his administration, under his leadership, such as it is, has done.
And where's Dick these days?
Again, we report, you decide.
But let's say he's not as stupid as we'all thought. He ain't all that much smarter, I think, and it's far too late, the damage has been done, and there's no apparent awareness of the harm his administration, under his leadership, such as it is, has done.
And where's Dick these days?
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
The Wingnuts' True Love Of America
This piece is so demented even the wingnuts who first posted it eventually removed it from their site. On the other hand, I doubt he's the only whacko who believes this sick, sick crap. And I'm sure some in or close to power agree with him.
Catchy Name For These Loonie-Right-Wing-Nutts - The Family Security Foundation, Inc. (Vaporized Link)Link.Exclusive: Conquering the Drawbacks of Democracy
Philip Atkinson
Author: Philip Atkinson
Source: The Family Security Foundation, Inc.
Date: August 3, 2007
While democratic government is better than dictatorships and theocracies, it has its pitfalls. FSM Contributing Editor Philip Atkinson describes some of the difficulties facing President Bush today.
Conquering the Drawbacks of Democracy
By Philip Atkinson
President George W. Bush is the 43rd President of the United States. He was sworn in for a second term on January 20, 2005 after being chosen by the majority of citizens in America to be president.
Yet in 2007 he is generally despised, with many citizens of Western civilization expressing contempt for his person and his policies, sentiments which now abound on the Internet. This rage at President Bush is an inevitable result of the system of government demanded by the people, which is Democracy.
The inadequacy of Democracy, rule by the majority, is undeniable – for it demands adopting ideas because they are popular, rather than because they are wise. This means that any man chosen to act as an agent of the people is placed in an invidious position: if he commits folly because it is popular, then he will be held responsible for the inevitable result. If he refuses to commit folly, then he will be detested by most citizens because he is frustrating their demands.
When faced with the possible threat that the Iraqis might be amassing terrible weapons that could be used to slay millions of citizens of Western Civilization, President Bush took the only action prudence demanded and the electorate allowed: he conquered Iraq with an army.
This dangerous and expensive act did destroy the Iraqi regime, but left an American army without any clear purpose in a hostile country and subject to attack. If the Army merely returns to its home, then the threat it ended would simply return.
The wisest course would have been for President Bush to use his nuclear weapons to slaughter Iraqis until they complied with his demands, or until they were all dead. Then there would be little risk or expense and no American army would be left exposed. But if he did this, his cowardly electorate would have instantly ended his term of office, if not his freedom or his life.
The simple truth that modern weapons now mean a nation must practice genocide or commit suicide. Israel provides the perfect example. If the Israelis do not raze Iran, the Iranians will fulfill their boast and wipe Israel off the face of the earth. Yet Israel is not popular, and so is denied permission to defend itself. In the same vein, President Bush cannot do what is necessary for the survival of Americans. He cannot use the nation's powerful weapons. All he can do is try and discover a result that will be popular with Americans.
As there appears to be no sensible result of the invasion of Iraq that will be popular with his countrymen other than retreat, President Bush is reviled; he has become another victim of Democracy.
By elevating popular fancy over truth, Democracy is clearly an enemy of not just truth, but duty and justice, which makes it the worst form of government. President Bush must overcome not just the situation in Iraq, but democratic government.
However, President Bush has a valuable historical example that he could choose to follow.
When the ancient Roman general Julius Caesar was struggling to conquer ancient Gaul, he not only had to defeat the Gauls, but he also had to defeat his political enemies in Rome who would destroy him the moment his tenure as consul (president) ended.
Caesar pacified Gaul by mass slaughter; he then used his successful army to crush all political opposition at home and establish himself as permanent ruler of ancient Rome. This brilliant action not only ended the personal threat to Caesar, but ended the civil chaos that was threatening anarchy in ancient Rome – thus marking the start of the ancient Roman Empire that gave peace and prosperity to the known world.
If President Bush copied Julius Caesar by ordering his army to empty Iraq of Arabs and repopulate the country with Americans, he would achieve immediate results: popularity with his military; enrichment of America by converting an Arabian Iraq into an American Iraq (therefore turning it from a liability to an asset); and boost American prestiege while terrifying American enemies.
He could then follow Caesar's example and use his newfound popularity with the military to wield military power to become the first permanent president of America, and end the civil chaos caused by the continually squabbling Congress and the out-of-control Supreme Court.
President Bush can fail in his duty to himself, his country, and his God, by becoming “ex-president” Bush or he can become “President-for-Life” Bush: the conqueror of Iraq, who brings sense to the Congress and sanity to the Supreme Court. Then who would be able to stop Bush from emulating Augustus Caesar and becoming ruler of the world? For only an America united under one ruler has the power to save humanity from the threat of a new Dark Age wrought by terrorists armed with nuclear weapons.
# #
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Philip Atkinson is the British born founder of ourcivilisation.com and author of A Study of Our Decline. He is a philosopher specializing in issues concerning the preservation of Western civilization. Mr. Atkinson receives mail at .
Can We Be Defeated In Iraq
Dishonest Joe fears so.
But can we?
Build a healthy democracy? That's an imposed goal that regrettably is not possible given the natives' cultures. So while defeat may be regrettable, victory is impossible.
Bases? Control of the nation's oil? It's happening. And to the extent they haven't, they're on track and pretty much inevitable.
Fighting terrorism? Well, the terrorism we care about isn't in Iraq. Getting out and enabling the Iraqis to control their nation is at least as good a solution as policing it for them. Meanwhile, we're also empowering Iran staying there. That can't be good for us.
So why stay? Somewhat contrary to Colin Powell, yes, we screwed up Iraq but we can't fix it to what it was. What could be accomplished pretty much has been so let's start getting out now.
But can we?
Build a healthy democracy? That's an imposed goal that regrettably is not possible given the natives' cultures. So while defeat may be regrettable, victory is impossible.
Bases? Control of the nation's oil? It's happening. And to the extent they haven't, they're on track and pretty much inevitable.
Fighting terrorism? Well, the terrorism we care about isn't in Iraq. Getting out and enabling the Iraqis to control their nation is at least as good a solution as policing it for them. Meanwhile, we're also empowering Iran staying there. That can't be good for us.
So why stay? Somewhat contrary to Colin Powell, yes, we screwed up Iraq but we can't fix it to what it was. What could be accomplished pretty much has been so let's start getting out now.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
The Triumph Of Modern Capitalism
What's wrong with this headline?
Dow Jones Up In Opening Trading On News Of Government Bailout.The pigs have no need of government. Till they want to suck at the money-titty.
Dishonest Joe And His Enabler, The Paper Of Record
Yeah, I'm sick of the lying, unprincipled weasel too. Link.
Progress In Afghanistan
8% of our deaths occurred in the last six weeks. Obviously, whatever Our Leaders are doing after nearly seven years must be working. Way to go, Bushie!
President McCain's Favorite Joke
Did you hear the one about the woman who is attacked on the street by a gorilla, beaten senseless, raped repeatedly and left to die? When she finally regains consciousness and tries to speak, her doctor leans over to hear her sigh contently and to feebly ask, “Where is that marvelous ape?”Read about it here.
The Genius, Principal and Honesty Of President McCain
Via Atrios:
WARREN -- U.S. Sen. John McCain backtracked Friday on a pledge to set national auto emissions standards that would supersede those California and other states want to set.
"I guess at the end of the day, I support the states being able to do that," he said at a town hall meeting at the GM Technical Center.
The statement appears to contradict a statement McCain made to The Detroit News last month, when he said he hoped to set a national standard that would make state standards unnecessary.
One Of President McCain's Scumbags
TPM (again...):
But look who's advising him on Iraq, who's crafting Iraq policy. That would be Randy Scheunemann, McCain's top foreign policy advisor. And he's the guy who today accused Barack Obama of wanting to lead America to defeat in Iraq for political gain.
Scheunemann was a core participant in the lobbying, plotting and organized campaigns of deception that led America to war in Iraq. He was a close collaborator with Ahmad Chalabi through the 1990s. He helped draft the Iraq Liberation Act, which created the new funding stream for Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress. At the start of the Bush administration he signed on as Don Rumsfeld's 'consultant' on Iraq at the Pentagon. And then when the administration started cranking up the machinery for the propaganda campaign in favor of war he went back on the outside to form and lead the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, to lead the press and lobbying campaign to make sure the war got started on schedule.
Remember, US intelligence later found evidence that Chalabi, in addition to foisting a bunch of bogus intelligence and lying informers on the US and pocketing a lot of US taxpayer dollars, had provided highly classified US intelligence to Iran. Scheunemann worked closely with Chalabi for years in his efforts to get the US into war with Iraq. He was also a go-between between Chalabi and McCain. Now that he's taking such a high-profile role on the Iraq issue in the 2008, Scheunemann's history with Chalabi and the use of bogus intelligence to get the nation into war is unquestionably highly newsworthy.
Just In Case You Doubt MSM Sucks, The AP In Particular, It Does, And Here's Why
TPM:
Earlier today we noted the possible role of AP Washington Bureau Chief Ron Fournier is turning the AP's campaign coverage into complete crap. Now from the just released Tillman Report, it seems Fournier was also one of the reporters exchanging emails the day of Tillman's death with Karl Rove of all people -- and according to the report at least, offering advice on how to handle the story. "Keep up the fight," Fournier tells Rove.
No Shot Is Ever Too Cheap For The Rightists To Take, No Blow Too Low, All Justified By The Need To Destroy America
Just imagine a Dem putting a wingnut anything like at risk....
TPM:
TPM:
This is the lead on a story just out over the Reuters wire ...Republican presidential candidate John McCain said on Friday that his Democratic opponent, Barack Obama, is likely to be in Iraq over the weekend.The Reuters piece hints at it. But if Obama is going to be in Iraq this weekend, this is a major breach on McCain's part. As a knowledgeable insider notes ...
The Obama campaign has tried to cloak the Illinois senator's trip in some measure of secrecy for security reasons. The White House, State Department and Pentagon do not announce senior officials' visits to Iraq in advance.
"I believe that either today or tomorrow -- and I'm not privy to his schedule -- Sen. Obama will be landing in Iraq with some other senators" who make up a congressional delegation, McCain told a campaign fund-raising luncheon.If it is true that Obama is going to Iraq this weekend, it is a very serious mistake for McCain to have disclosed it publically. Even for run-of-the-mill CODELs the military gives guidance like, "Please strongly discourage Congressional offices from issuing press releases prior to their trips which mention their intent to travel to the AOR and/or the dates of that travel or their scheduled meetings. Such releases are a serious compromise to OPSEC." If Obama is going to Iraq this weekend, I can not begin to imagine how much this is complicating the security planning for the trip.It's known that Obama is leaving on his foreign trip this weekend and the Journal OpEd page this morning said that Obama could arrive in Iraq "as early as this weekend." And with a slew of reporters in tow, it's not exactly highly classified information. But there is a reason definite information about these sorts of trips aren't released in advance.
A Great Moment In Modern American History: Inprisonment of a 16 Year Old At Gitmo And His Interrogation
It is different after 9/11: The more Our Leaders destroy America as it existed and what it represented before 9/11, the happier they and their supporters are. (A reminder: The radical right that controls this country always hated what this country represented; nativism and anti-immigration policies are historical examples.)
Actually, I exaggerated in the headline: the questioning's by Canadian agents. We're just the enablers. (Of course, really, if we were doing the questioning, there would have been at least a little torture... persuasive techniques.)
Actually, I exaggerated in the headline: the questioning's by Canadian agents. We're just the enablers. (Of course, really, if we were doing the questioning, there would have been at least a little torture... persuasive techniques.)
The Cream Of Society Tells This Joke....
Well, maybe, both cream and society are curdled... we report, you decide.
Modern Pop
The following is a song off of what I understand to be the best selling album on iTunes in 2007. In a made me listen sort of way, I got three of the woman's albums and listened to them.
In my opinion (others' may vary), it is so dead and deadening. The following is the liveliest track and, well, there's a reason it's on Sesame Street; it adapts that easily. Feist is undoubtedly talented (I love when she speaks French!) but her music.... Listening to it is the aural equivalent of neurasthenia. And if that's what pop is meant to be... well, it isn't. Good music is life affirming. May be this is, but not to my aged ears.
Still, it's a lovely song in the right context. Like on Sesame Street.
In my opinion (others' may vary), it is so dead and deadening. The following is the liveliest track and, well, there's a reason it's on Sesame Street; it adapts that easily. Feist is undoubtedly talented (I love when she speaks French!) but her music.... Listening to it is the aural equivalent of neurasthenia. And if that's what pop is meant to be... well, it isn't. Good music is life affirming. May be this is, but not to my aged ears.
Still, it's a lovely song in the right context. Like on Sesame Street.
Classic Security Threat
Man meets woman. One beds the other. Before you know it, state secrets lost! Gotta hope she was worth it....
Not That It Will Affect The Election, But Still: Hardeharhar!
Senator John McCain ridiculed Senator Obama's timetable for Iraq withdrawal as a tactic aimed only at getting votes.[more]
For the Iraqi Prime minister, it apparently worked.
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