Last night - we were glued to our televisions right along side millions of people - waiting for what has felt to be inevitable, yet inconceivable.
As the 9pm hour chimed in ... NBC had called the race for Barack Obama.
They flashed it to Grant Park in Chicago where the crowd was absolutely electric.
And then ...
The music ...
Barack Obama's theme song "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" started playing -- and that's when the moment hit me. The place erupted. People hugging. People crying. People in celebration. In disbelief. In amazement. In excitement.
The nation had just spoken.
Change is coming.
The events of last night will take a very long time to realize. History was made. The sacrifice of hundreds of millions throughout this nation's history has finally the top of a seemingly unattainable mountain top.
Dr. King's dream has been fulfilled.
A dream that so many never thought could ever happen in their life time. A dream marred by an incredibly intolerable time in our nation's history. A history full of extreme hate, racism, violence and epic division that has stained our great nation and for what it stood for. What emerged last night from the dark blue panels in the expansive sea of people in Grant Park in Chicago was the culmination of the strides humanity has taken in the name of freedom and equal opportunity. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's dream is finally realized.
While the punditry continued to expound on what happened to the Republican Party, we have to look beyond what happened last night as we witnessed John McCain's gracious concession speech that was followed by him falling on his sword. Taking complete and personal responsibility for what happened. But that's not what happened. McCain is a piece of a larger process that has plagued the overriding failure of the Republicans long before the 2008 Presidential Election. When we examine the core reasons why people wanted change, it had very little to do with John McCain. It didn't even have anything to do with his bundle of energy running mate Sarah Palin. History could show us where the failings of the Republican party were and it does. Map the trend that started as early as two years ago when several Republicans were bested from their seats in the House and the Senate and therein we find the core problem with the Republican party:
The Republicans are seriously out of touch and Americans couldn't have been more plain: we want change.
Not just a change in the course direction of this country.
Not just a change in our policy in Iraq and abroad.
Not just a change in how the country handles its current economic crisis.
But Americans demand a change from our "red-meat" political process that perfected the way to slander your opponent without even offering a shred of platform or policy -- which comes straight from "The Architect's" consummate playbook. This "divide and conquer" mentality of the Republican party has given way to the "united we stand" mantra of Barack Obama and the Democratic party.
It's my hope that the way Barack Obama pledged his way to the White House will become a template of what the American Dream is about. It's not about flinging mud in the form of the Reverend Wrights of the world. It's not about trying to label your opponent as "palling around with terrorists." It has everything to do with substance. John McCain and Sarah Palin simply couldn't articulate a message of how they were different than their former leader: George W. Bush. John McCain and Sarah Palin played from Karl Rove's playbook -- which worked in 2000 and 2004, but failed miserably in 2008.
Americans caught on to that little ploy and could read through it.
No one cares about what an errant reverend said.
No one cares about what happenstance meeting may or may not have occurred with someone aptly labeled being a "terrorist."
No one cares about what labels you try to slap on like "redistributioner," "Socialist," "Marxist."
If you don't say anything of substance, nothing of policy and are reduced to merely flinging "red-meat" at your opponent ... then Americans demanded change from that disappointing Republican ideology.
Americans demanded change.
And they got it.
Showing posts with label Karl Rove. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Karl Rove. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
The Legacy
It would appear that in addition to making laws to make every situation fit for this administration - we're now vigorously re-writing the history to make it fit as well.. So imagine my "shock and awe" when I discovered this gem:
"Rove: Congress Pushed Bush to War in Iraq Prematurely" -- yet another insane performance by Bush's ex-top dog Karl Rove -- wherein he asserts that it was really CONGRESS who pushed Bush into war and how the President wanted to build a coalition, wait for weapons inspectors and let the process happen naturally..
Excuse me -- did he just say that it was Congress' fault??
The "Architect," The Man behind Bush's Brain -- came out swinging on the Charlie Rose show -- blaming a Republican-held Congress and Senate for PUSHING this administration into the war in Iraq.. Wow.. That's quite an assertion laid out by the Rover despite the mere fact that this is the FIRST time anyone has even attempted to suggest such an idiotic thing..
But what Rove doesn't really seem to understand: despite the ludicrous assertion that it was CONGRESS who pushed Bush into the war ... that either means:
a.) You just alienated your last best friend on earth by making such an unpopular suggestion like this, or....
b.) Bush has no spine to make decisions for himself and will cower in the corner until Congress tells him what to do....
Based on previous experience with this administration - I'd have to say that it's very highly unlikely that Bush is just going to "roll over" and be told by Congress what to do about Iraq.. Quite simply look at Bush's bravado and his "God save the Kingdom" speeches for further insight.. He's not a whupped Michael Vick puppy dog, okay??
But to get on a program like Charlie Rose - and continue to spout the company line when you have no further investment with this administration just seems completely insane.. I never thought I'd have to do another blog entry about the Rover - but when tries to re-write history in the way he wants this President to shine ... then something has got to be said.. Clearly the ploy of him working for Newsweek is to perhaps secure a press "beach head" for this administration when it finally leaves office.. At least that way - some plans have been laid out for Bush's legacy.....
.... and oh - how wondrous that legacy continues to look..
"Rove: Congress Pushed Bush to War in Iraq Prematurely" -- yet another insane performance by Bush's ex-top dog Karl Rove -- wherein he asserts that it was really CONGRESS who pushed Bush into war and how the President wanted to build a coalition, wait for weapons inspectors and let the process happen naturally..
Excuse me -- did he just say that it was Congress' fault??
The "Architect," The Man behind Bush's Brain -- came out swinging on the Charlie Rose show -- blaming a Republican-held Congress and Senate for PUSHING this administration into the war in Iraq.. Wow.. That's quite an assertion laid out by the Rover despite the mere fact that this is the FIRST time anyone has even attempted to suggest such an idiotic thing..
But what Rove doesn't really seem to understand: despite the ludicrous assertion that it was CONGRESS who pushed Bush into the war ... that either means:
a.) You just alienated your last best friend on earth by making such an unpopular suggestion like this, or....
b.) Bush has no spine to make decisions for himself and will cower in the corner until Congress tells him what to do....
Based on previous experience with this administration - I'd have to say that it's very highly unlikely that Bush is just going to "roll over" and be told by Congress what to do about Iraq.. Quite simply look at Bush's bravado and his "God save the Kingdom" speeches for further insight.. He's not a whupped Michael Vick puppy dog, okay??
But to get on a program like Charlie Rose - and continue to spout the company line when you have no further investment with this administration just seems completely insane.. I never thought I'd have to do another blog entry about the Rover - but when tries to re-write history in the way he wants this President to shine ... then something has got to be said.. Clearly the ploy of him working for Newsweek is to perhaps secure a press "beach head" for this administration when it finally leaves office.. At least that way - some plans have been laid out for Bush's legacy.....
.... and oh - how wondrous that legacy continues to look..
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Defending Decisions
Bush recently defended his decision to go forward with spying on American people - all the while pushing to re-up the Patriot Act with some modifications....
There's a lot of things that are missing out of this puzzle.. Namely - if Bush wants to set forth and say that he was doing this out of protection for the American people, then I'd like to know exactly how many, out of the 30 times he has personally authorized this action - how many time this elicit spying actually worked to apprehend known terrorists who were plotting to attack our country..
I'm thinking if there was any success in these 30 opportunities to invade our privacy, that he would've made mention of it.. Because it would certainly bolster his argument that it was necessary for the security of this country.. Except I'm not really buying into this completely.. Not when the FBI was exposed by the ACLU that they were actively spying on peaceful members of the anti-war movement.. Even though the anti-war activists were peaceful and not a threat to national security, they were still monitored and spied on..
But how much of this is really necessary?? How much of this could've been averted had we merely listened correctly to the intelligence that was happening in normal surveillance and other information collection schemes?? Think back when the investigators into 9/11 uncovered a series, a flurry of intelligence that "something big is going to happen..." Moreover, when it's stacked against the pieces of the puzzle - then things add up.. Granted, they add up now and not at the time because I cannot believe that anyone in America would wantonly allow something like 9/11 to happen without some sort of horn or siren.. For Christ sake, even Paul Revere rode a pony......
What disappoints me more than this is the fact that this President has the audacity to blame those for leaking the story to begin with: "As a result, our enemies have learned information they should not have, and the unauthorized disclosure of this effort damages our national security and puts our citizens at risk," Bush said. "Revealing classified information is illegal, alerts our enemies, and endangers our country." And this is not the first time either:
1.) the Downing Street Memos: journalists were jailed and accused of treason (although I don't think formally charged) for leaking information that the US Administration had trumped up the facts to fit the justification for the war in Iraq.. (RESULT: No official investigation, yet a promise that the 2nd prong of the 9/11 Commission would begin looking into the Administration's role into 9/11 and beyond. Widely held in the media that this "is no surprise" which is why it's not being reported..)
2.) the Abu Ghraib jail scandal and subsequent abuses: deniability in disproportionate amounts.. Didn't happen, it must be a fabrication, we don't authorize that type of behavior.. (RESULT: Numerous soldiers were indicted, found or pled guilty to their role in the Abu Ghraib scandal)
3.) Torture Prison scandal: the US and British governments critically scorned and sought to punish those who leaked the story that the US was operating Torture Prisons in other countries.. Bush himself looked straight into the camera and said "WE DO NOT TORTURE..." But wait - an independent investigation by someone OUTSIDE of the country found that there is STRONG evidence that support the presence of Torture Prisons throughout Europe and now in northern Africa.. (RESULT: We're now running the prisons out of Morroco..)
4.) The infamous CIA-Plame leak story: "I don't know of anybody in my administration who leaked classified information. If somebody did leak classified information, I'd like to know it, and we'll take the appropriate action." Only to hear Bob Novak say: "I'm confident the president knows who the source is ... I'd be amazed if he doesn't." (RESULT: Libby - indicted, Rove - remains under investigation, others are still being investigated. Bush remains unknowingly oblivious during the whole affair.)
And yet, we're supposed to believe him that he's looking out for our security when he's spying on anti-war activists?? Not only does he NOT acknowledge that he made a mistake, he's DEFENDING the decision - saying that it's been CONSULTED to lawyers and Congressional leadership...
Oh boy - that makes me feel better...
But it's not good when members of your own party do not agree with the provisions for renewing the Patriot Act citing privacy concerns.. Not withstanding the latest rumor that Karl Rove is going to be indicted for hiding or destroying evidence linking him to the Plame-CIA leak.. This is a flagrant misuse of information - to attempt to extort to gain political capital on those that disagree with your policy.. Handing our privacy to this administration on a silver platter is flat out wrong..
Not when we continue to have hundreds of thousands men and women in harms way..
Not when we REMAIN under threat of attack when we have not done all that we can to secure the peace and security..
Not when we ISOLATE ourselves from the rest of the international community because we want the treasure trove of a country we've just conquered..
Not when this administration TALKS about morality without PRACTICING it..
Not when this administration FLOUNDERS when it comes to the leak investigation and the administration within the White House..
Not when this President is reactive instead of proactive..
Not when we rely on the think tank that perfectly executed a war into Iraq, but had no CLUE what to do afterwards..
Not when this President galavants across this country to sign a bill for a single brain-dead woman, but he remains on vacation when tens of thousands were affected by the Hurricanes of 2005..
Not when this President recommends his friends for positions in the government when they are neither qualified or responsible enough to execute their various offices..
Not when this President flagrantly disregards his responsibility to the American people by unilaterally initiating a spying policy on Americans or by imprisoning journalists because they were doing their job of exposing the corruption and decadence that this Administration employs..
Yet we live in a culture of blindness..
We live in a culture of deafness..
Those that continue to support this administration when we remain in CLEAR and PRESENT DANGER - do not understand the scope of what's happening.. This is not a President getting it on with an intern.. Lives are being lost.. Families are being ruined.. And soon, we will become a police state.. Hitler and Stalin immediately come to mind because as they sought for the good of their nations - they employed the same spying policy on their citizenry..
If this is okay with those that support this administration - then I'm not sure what to say about that..
There's a lot of things that are missing out of this puzzle.. Namely - if Bush wants to set forth and say that he was doing this out of protection for the American people, then I'd like to know exactly how many, out of the 30 times he has personally authorized this action - how many time this elicit spying actually worked to apprehend known terrorists who were plotting to attack our country..
I'm thinking if there was any success in these 30 opportunities to invade our privacy, that he would've made mention of it.. Because it would certainly bolster his argument that it was necessary for the security of this country.. Except I'm not really buying into this completely.. Not when the FBI was exposed by the ACLU that they were actively spying on peaceful members of the anti-war movement.. Even though the anti-war activists were peaceful and not a threat to national security, they were still monitored and spied on..
But how much of this is really necessary?? How much of this could've been averted had we merely listened correctly to the intelligence that was happening in normal surveillance and other information collection schemes?? Think back when the investigators into 9/11 uncovered a series, a flurry of intelligence that "something big is going to happen..." Moreover, when it's stacked against the pieces of the puzzle - then things add up.. Granted, they add up now and not at the time because I cannot believe that anyone in America would wantonly allow something like 9/11 to happen without some sort of horn or siren.. For Christ sake, even Paul Revere rode a pony......
What disappoints me more than this is the fact that this President has the audacity to blame those for leaking the story to begin with: "As a result, our enemies have learned information they should not have, and the unauthorized disclosure of this effort damages our national security and puts our citizens at risk," Bush said. "Revealing classified information is illegal, alerts our enemies, and endangers our country." And this is not the first time either:
1.) the Downing Street Memos: journalists were jailed and accused of treason (although I don't think formally charged) for leaking information that the US Administration had trumped up the facts to fit the justification for the war in Iraq.. (RESULT: No official investigation, yet a promise that the 2nd prong of the 9/11 Commission would begin looking into the Administration's role into 9/11 and beyond. Widely held in the media that this "is no surprise" which is why it's not being reported..)
2.) the Abu Ghraib jail scandal and subsequent abuses: deniability in disproportionate amounts.. Didn't happen, it must be a fabrication, we don't authorize that type of behavior.. (RESULT: Numerous soldiers were indicted, found or pled guilty to their role in the Abu Ghraib scandal)
3.) Torture Prison scandal: the US and British governments critically scorned and sought to punish those who leaked the story that the US was operating Torture Prisons in other countries.. Bush himself looked straight into the camera and said "WE DO NOT TORTURE..." But wait - an independent investigation by someone OUTSIDE of the country found that there is STRONG evidence that support the presence of Torture Prisons throughout Europe and now in northern Africa.. (RESULT: We're now running the prisons out of Morroco..)
4.) The infamous CIA-Plame leak story: "I don't know of anybody in my administration who leaked classified information. If somebody did leak classified information, I'd like to know it, and we'll take the appropriate action." Only to hear Bob Novak say: "I'm confident the president knows who the source is ... I'd be amazed if he doesn't." (RESULT: Libby - indicted, Rove - remains under investigation, others are still being investigated. Bush remains unknowingly oblivious during the whole affair.)
And yet, we're supposed to believe him that he's looking out for our security when he's spying on anti-war activists?? Not only does he NOT acknowledge that he made a mistake, he's DEFENDING the decision - saying that it's been CONSULTED to lawyers and Congressional leadership...
Oh boy - that makes me feel better...
But it's not good when members of your own party do not agree with the provisions for renewing the Patriot Act citing privacy concerns.. Not withstanding the latest rumor that Karl Rove is going to be indicted for hiding or destroying evidence linking him to the Plame-CIA leak.. This is a flagrant misuse of information - to attempt to extort to gain political capital on those that disagree with your policy.. Handing our privacy to this administration on a silver platter is flat out wrong..
Yet we live in a culture of blindness..
We live in a culture of deafness..
Those that continue to support this administration when we remain in CLEAR and PRESENT DANGER - do not understand the scope of what's happening.. This is not a President getting it on with an intern.. Lives are being lost.. Families are being ruined.. And soon, we will become a police state.. Hitler and Stalin immediately come to mind because as they sought for the good of their nations - they employed the same spying policy on their citizenry..
If this is okay with those that support this administration - then I'm not sure what to say about that..
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Not surprised...
All I've been hearing about is how the Supreme Court is so incredibly liberal..
All of the fingers point squarely on Ruth Bader Ginsberg..
I cannot begin to tell you how many times I've heard all of the talk shows saying that Bush needs to appoint someone just like how Clinton appointed Ruth.. That for some reason, there needs to be balance in the highest court of the land..
Okay..
If this were true, then why did Orin Hatch, the Senate Republican and Chairman of the Judiciary Committee warned then President Clinton to avoid naming a nominee that would face a tough political battle?? Those names that Senator Hatch offered were none other than Ruth .... Bader .... Ginsberg..... (as well as Stephen Breyer...)
This afternoon on CNN Senator Hatch hailed the Democrats to effectively accept Bush's recommendation and set aside the political obstructions that we faced with the latest rounds of confirmations..
If this isn't a shining example of political double talk - then I don't know what it is..
I do know this though, it's not limited to one party or the other.. I know the democrats do this as well, I know the Conservative and Liberal talkshows all slant accordingly to satisfy their contingency..
I just don't like it..
I don't care for it..
I hate it..
Politics has been bastardized into one fallen hypocritical disaster after another.. Just as the Liberal talkshows are holding Bush's feet to the fire about Karl Rove, the Conservative talkshows were just as critical when Clinton had oral sex in the Oval Office.
Yup - cuts both ways..
What was also realized today was one of the radio hosts I listened to said that we (liberals) have to win back the house and senate.. Ironically it's the same speech that conservatives were waiving when the likes of Newt Gingrich were in office.. Politics hasn't really evolved much.. It remains today, just as it did long ago..
That alone bothers me plenty..
Let alone how the rest of the world thinks we're total fuck-ups..
When we venture to our voting precincts to cast our one vote towards the betterment of society, there is an expectation that most people that *can* vote, don't vote.. And who can really blame them?? When there's the double-speak, the hypocrisy, the irresponsible, and flagrant disregard for the law, rules and ethics --- how can anyone realistically expect a better than majority turnout at our elections when crap like this goes on daily??
If politicians were to ever try to apply for a job somewhere - there is a thing called integrity that most employers look for.. And for some really bizarre reason - most everyone in politics lacks this attribute..
*ughs* - I should post more, but I'm tired..
All of the fingers point squarely on Ruth Bader Ginsberg..
I cannot begin to tell you how many times I've heard all of the talk shows saying that Bush needs to appoint someone just like how Clinton appointed Ruth.. That for some reason, there needs to be balance in the highest court of the land..
Okay..
If this were true, then why did Orin Hatch, the Senate Republican and Chairman of the Judiciary Committee warned then President Clinton to avoid naming a nominee that would face a tough political battle?? Those names that Senator Hatch offered were none other than Ruth .... Bader .... Ginsberg..... (as well as Stephen Breyer...)
This afternoon on CNN Senator Hatch hailed the Democrats to effectively accept Bush's recommendation and set aside the political obstructions that we faced with the latest rounds of confirmations..
If this isn't a shining example of political double talk - then I don't know what it is..
I do know this though, it's not limited to one party or the other.. I know the democrats do this as well, I know the Conservative and Liberal talkshows all slant accordingly to satisfy their contingency..
I just don't like it..
I don't care for it..
I hate it..
Politics has been bastardized into one fallen hypocritical disaster after another.. Just as the Liberal talkshows are holding Bush's feet to the fire about Karl Rove, the Conservative talkshows were just as critical when Clinton had oral sex in the Oval Office.
Yup - cuts both ways..
What was also realized today was one of the radio hosts I listened to said that we (liberals) have to win back the house and senate.. Ironically it's the same speech that conservatives were waiving when the likes of Newt Gingrich were in office.. Politics hasn't really evolved much.. It remains today, just as it did long ago..
That alone bothers me plenty..
Let alone how the rest of the world thinks we're total fuck-ups..
When we venture to our voting precincts to cast our one vote towards the betterment of society, there is an expectation that most people that *can* vote, don't vote.. And who can really blame them?? When there's the double-speak, the hypocrisy, the irresponsible, and flagrant disregard for the law, rules and ethics --- how can anyone realistically expect a better than majority turnout at our elections when crap like this goes on daily??
If politicians were to ever try to apply for a job somewhere - there is a thing called integrity that most employers look for.. And for some really bizarre reason - most everyone in politics lacks this attribute..
*ughs* - I should post more, but I'm tired..
Monday, July 11, 2005
Finding the right time....
Scott McClellan's press conference 07-11-05:
Q Do you stand by your statement from the fall of 2003 when you were asked specifically about Karl and Elliott Abrams and Scooter Libby, and you said, "I've gone to each of those gentlemen, and they have told me they are not involved in this" -- do you stand by that statement?
MR. McCLELLAN: And if you will recall, I said that as part of helping the investigators move forward on the investigation we're not going to get into commenting on it. That was something I stated back near that time, as well.
Q Scott, I mean, just -- I mean, this is ridiculous. The notion that you're going to stand before us after having commented with that level of detail and tell people watching this that somehow you decided not to talk. You've got a public record out there. Do you stand by your remarks from that podium, or not?
MR. McCLELLAN: And again, David, I'm well aware, like you, of what was previously said, and I will be glad to talk about it at the appropriate time. The appropriate time is when the investigation --
Q Why are you choosing when it's appropriate and when it's inappropriate?
MR. McCLELLAN: If you'll let me finish --
Q No, you're not finishing -- you're not saying anything. You stood at that podium and said that Karl Rove was not involved. And now we find out that he spoke out about Joseph Wilson's wife. So don't you owe the American public a fuller explanation? Was he involved, or was he not? Because, contrary to what you told the American people, he did, indeed, talk about his wife, didn't he?
MR. McCLELLAN: David, there will be a time to talk about this, but now is not the time to talk about it.
Q Do you stand by your statement from the fall of 2003 when you were asked specifically about Karl and Elliott Abrams and Scooter Libby, and you said, "I've gone to each of those gentlemen, and they have told me they are not involved in this" -- do you stand by that statement?
MR. McCLELLAN: And if you will recall, I said that as part of helping the investigators move forward on the investigation we're not going to get into commenting on it. That was something I stated back near that time, as well.
Q Scott, I mean, just -- I mean, this is ridiculous. The notion that you're going to stand before us after having commented with that level of detail and tell people watching this that somehow you decided not to talk. You've got a public record out there. Do you stand by your remarks from that podium, or not?
MR. McCLELLAN: And again, David, I'm well aware, like you, of what was previously said, and I will be glad to talk about it at the appropriate time. The appropriate time is when the investigation --
Q Why are you choosing when it's appropriate and when it's inappropriate?
MR. McCLELLAN: If you'll let me finish --
Q No, you're not finishing -- you're not saying anything. You stood at that podium and said that Karl Rove was not involved. And now we find out that he spoke out about Joseph Wilson's wife. So don't you owe the American public a fuller explanation? Was he involved, or was he not? Because, contrary to what you told the American people, he did, indeed, talk about his wife, didn't he?
MR. McCLELLAN: David, there will be a time to talk about this, but now is not the time to talk about it.
Red Rove-r.... red Rove-r......
Well, well, well....
After many months of speculation (by myself and anyone who can read a paper) Karl Rove has been implicated as being "one" of the secret sources that ultimately led to the revealing of the identity of an undercover CIA operative..
Hmmmm..
But the story even gets more twisted..
Plame's role, not her name - was revealed 3-days after Rove apparently met with Matthew Cooper - writer for Time Magazine.. So Rove's defense is simply: "I never revealed the name, just the role..."
Or did he??
From the Washington Post: "In the conversation, Rove gave Cooper a "big warning" that Wilson's assertions might not be entirely accurate and that it was not the director of the CIA or the vice president who sent Wilson on his trip. Rove apparently told Cooper that it was "Wilson's wife, who apparently works at the agency on [weapons of mass destruction] issues who authorized the trip," according to a story in Newsweek's July 18 issue."
Ohhhhhh, we're playing the "let's get specific game...." So Cooper already named Wilson, Rove merely said "Wilson's WIFE" as though "I didn't do anything wrong..."
Okay..
Remember not so long ago, right here in this galaxy when all of the talking heads and republicans were outraged when Clinton tried to wiggle about his definition of the word "sex??" Technically speaking?? Did Clinton have sex with Monica?? Hell yeah.. Was Bill looking for some wiggle room?? Of course - he's admitting he had an extra-marital affair!!
Oh - but we're supposed to sit blindly while RoveR decides he didn't do anything wrong by referring to Wilson's WIFE and pretend that he didn't offer up Plame's name...... *wiggle wiggle*
What RoveR decided to do was to cut the story before it was revealed.. Stealing the thunder, the growing mass of ick, before it became something much larger.. It's a way to lessen the impact of the story.. And by airing it out on the coattails of the bombing in London, Hurricane Dennis' soiree through Alabama and Florida - means that the story will get lost, buried under several news cycles.. As of this morning - only 97 google news hits on the story..
What will happen with it?? Probably nothing.. Remember the Downing Street memos?? Remember how the mainstream press basically ignored them on the basis that it's "old news, been there - done that, this was nothing new.." I predict the same thing will happen here.. (but I do hope I'm wrong..)
Why did it happen?? Considering how Plame's husband blamed the administration for outing his wife on account of his report that no evidence was found to an allegation that Iraq had bought stores of Uranium from Niger.. Joseph Wilson contends that the administration retaliated against him and his wife for the unfavorable report..
Of course - administration officials denied this..
They further denied any such leak.....
... until yesterday..
Even if Rove didn't say the name "Valerie Plame" in the 3-minute conversation with Cooper, he nevertheless actually *did* reveal her identity - even if in passing.. Did Cooper already have the name and was seeking further angles from the White House?? That's possible.. But if Cooper was trying to connect the dots - meaning that he had a pared list of which he needed confirmation before he ran the story - Rove graciously handed it to him..
Regardless, it's not exactly leaving me warm and fuzzy that Bush's chief advisor wantonly confirmed the operative's role.. That's almost as bad as someone leaking information about troop whereabouts at a time of war..
Remember how the press wasn't able to say their actual location because it could mean that it would endanger the troops of the company?? How is Rove's conduct any better than that?? The press during the war didn't name a name of a soldier, and they were restricted in terms of what they could report and what they couldn't..
Rove seems to have slipped up a bit..
Regardless - I'm convinced that the Teflon suit will prevail - only because we have a conservative-controlled government who will idly sit on their hands and do nothing..
hypocrisy galore..
If this were a democrat or some other liberal - I doubt the administration would be so silent....
After many months of speculation (by myself and anyone who can read a paper) Karl Rove has been implicated as being "one" of the secret sources that ultimately led to the revealing of the identity of an undercover CIA operative..
Hmmmm..
But the story even gets more twisted..
Plame's role, not her name - was revealed 3-days after Rove apparently met with Matthew Cooper - writer for Time Magazine.. So Rove's defense is simply: "I never revealed the name, just the role..."
Or did he??
From the Washington Post: "In the conversation, Rove gave Cooper a "big warning" that Wilson's assertions might not be entirely accurate and that it was not the director of the CIA or the vice president who sent Wilson on his trip. Rove apparently told Cooper that it was "Wilson's wife, who apparently works at the agency on [weapons of mass destruction] issues who authorized the trip," according to a story in Newsweek's July 18 issue."
Ohhhhhh, we're playing the "let's get specific game...." So Cooper already named Wilson, Rove merely said "Wilson's WIFE" as though "I didn't do anything wrong..."
Okay..
Remember not so long ago, right here in this galaxy when all of the talking heads and republicans were outraged when Clinton tried to wiggle about his definition of the word "sex??" Technically speaking?? Did Clinton have sex with Monica?? Hell yeah.. Was Bill looking for some wiggle room?? Of course - he's admitting he had an extra-marital affair!!
Oh - but we're supposed to sit blindly while RoveR decides he didn't do anything wrong by referring to Wilson's WIFE and pretend that he didn't offer up Plame's name...... *wiggle wiggle*
What RoveR decided to do was to cut the story before it was revealed.. Stealing the thunder, the growing mass of ick, before it became something much larger.. It's a way to lessen the impact of the story.. And by airing it out on the coattails of the bombing in London, Hurricane Dennis' soiree through Alabama and Florida - means that the story will get lost, buried under several news cycles.. As of this morning - only 97 google news hits on the story..
What will happen with it?? Probably nothing.. Remember the Downing Street memos?? Remember how the mainstream press basically ignored them on the basis that it's "old news, been there - done that, this was nothing new.." I predict the same thing will happen here.. (but I do hope I'm wrong..)
Why did it happen?? Considering how Plame's husband blamed the administration for outing his wife on account of his report that no evidence was found to an allegation that Iraq had bought stores of Uranium from Niger.. Joseph Wilson contends that the administration retaliated against him and his wife for the unfavorable report..
Of course - administration officials denied this..
They further denied any such leak.....
... until yesterday..
Even if Rove didn't say the name "Valerie Plame" in the 3-minute conversation with Cooper, he nevertheless actually *did* reveal her identity - even if in passing.. Did Cooper already have the name and was seeking further angles from the White House?? That's possible.. But if Cooper was trying to connect the dots - meaning that he had a pared list of which he needed confirmation before he ran the story - Rove graciously handed it to him..
Regardless, it's not exactly leaving me warm and fuzzy that Bush's chief advisor wantonly confirmed the operative's role.. That's almost as bad as someone leaking information about troop whereabouts at a time of war..
Remember how the press wasn't able to say their actual location because it could mean that it would endanger the troops of the company?? How is Rove's conduct any better than that?? The press during the war didn't name a name of a soldier, and they were restricted in terms of what they could report and what they couldn't..
Rove seems to have slipped up a bit..
Regardless - I'm convinced that the Teflon suit will prevail - only because we have a conservative-controlled government who will idly sit on their hands and do nothing..
hypocrisy galore..
If this were a democrat or some other liberal - I doubt the administration would be so silent....
Friday, June 24, 2005
The P.C. Debacle...
Oh – now it’s time for being politically correct…
It appears when Dick Durbin makes a reference to Gitmo as some sort of gulag – it’s horrifying. Yet when Rove complains that Democrats want terrorists to get therapy – that’s somehow okay..
Several years ago (back in the ol’ college days) – I recall having a discussion over the ramifications of having a politically correct society.. In that discussion – it was revealed that no matter what was said or done, it was a certainty that it would royally piss off *someone* regardless of how mundane or unequivocal the comment was crafted..
I was reading a local story this morning – about some sort of negative reference to James Dobson and Focus on the Family.. The chief complaint was that some group drew parallels of Dobson and his group to an Americanized version of the Taliban.. The group issued an apology, there were repercussions and the damage was done..
Wow..
What on earth has changed our ability to have independent thoughts, disagreements and criticisms?? Contrary to what a lot of people think, this is *not* a republican or democrat issue.. It’s not a Christian versus Islamic versus Muslim.. It’s the basis of having the freedom to compare Bush to whomever anyone wants to.. It’s the basis of calling Clinton any given name in the book.. It’s the basis to say when you’re pissed off or when you agree with someone..
Inflammatory?? Absolutely.. It can be.. So when the Republicans call for Durbin to apologize, and the Democrats call for Rove to resign – it’s leading us back to a sandbox squabble between infants.. But it doesn’t stop with politicians, everyone is doing it.. (I’ll throw myself into that mix as well..)
This vicious cycle of tit for tat is excruciating.. The mud-slinging capabilities by both sides are obvious, apparent and increasing on an continual basis..
Let’s face it: we have a lot of fucking upset people in the world..
But what if the complaints actually founded on a basis of truth?? Despite the rhetoric or other substantive comments made to draw conclusions or illustrations from the incorrigibles throughout history, what if there is a basis of fact in the parallel or the comparison?? Are we so polarized that we cannot see the truth for what it is??
Absolutely..
Whenever something major happens, or when someone says something – don’t we almost always seek out to hear what others are saying about it?? I’ve listened to Rush.. I’ve listened to Air America.. O’Reily, Hannity, Savage, Franken, Garafallo.. Any given topic – they churn out a series of talking points.. Those little niblets which causes us to jump on the bandwagon or shake our pointed finger..
But what everyone does – and I don’t care if this is a personality, a movie star, a columnist or a politician – is that they take the nibblet that is important for their argument and they run with it.. The substantive nature of the issue becomes fragmented and further distorted..
So when Hannity says that liberals are scum, is he right?? No.. When Garafalo banters of whether conservatives are pigs, is she right?? No.. They are fanning the flames to get people riled up for the causes that matter to them, their constituents, their sponsors, their crowd.. How about when Durbin refers to Gitmo as a nazi camp??
Does it offend me personally?? No.. I studied history – I draw upon unpopular conclusions all the time.. And you know what – I don’t care.. True historians leave bias from their findings.. True historians allow readers to draw their own conclusions based on the findings of the evidence.. True historians consult multiple sources that can accurately paint a true and responsible picture of a given topic..
Does Gitmo really resemble a gulag?? I don’t know.. I certainly do not believe the people who have been reporting it so far.. I certainly do not trust the administration because they are constantly reversing, traversing, readjusting, realigning, ultimately distorting the facts of any given subject.. I don’t trust the Dems for that matter either.. I certainly do not trust the press because they have a marketability bias.. ”That which sells, is printed or aired..”
There’s no real understanding of an event unless you have the capability of seeing it first hand.. Unless there are multiple sources that can paint a wide-breadth of the incident in question – then there’s no way to juxtapose an appropriate perception of the event.. Finding trusting, reliable sources in this day and age is next to impossible..
We shouldn’t be afraid to draw unpopular, politically incorrect parallels to anyone or anything – regardless of how popular, how important or how right or wrong consensus believes.. I don’t care.. Yet despite the parallels me, or anyone might draw, will be scrutinized and cast in an unpopular light.. Sometimes the truth sucks.. Slavery sucked.. The Nazis sucked.. Bin Laden sucks..
But there are some mildly important lessons buried in these areas.. One cannot fathom just how long slavery and rights for all Americans have gone this long, this unabated throughout our history.. One can’t imagine how incredibly talented of a speaker Hitler was.. One can’t imagine what it took to mastermind the 9/11 hijackings, the dedication and the process it took to make it happen..
History sucks..
But we can learn..
And this is what the American people has to realize at some point..
We can learn that the oppression of people is wrong.. We can learn to watch for those people who can stir hatred into a carefully woven righteous blanket that appeals to a segment of people.. We can learn that people can be motivated to die for a cause they believe in – when we have it within our capability to thwart such behavior if we just listen..
But we live in a society where these lessons are buried under a blanket of security and politically correctness.. I’m not saying we shouldn’t be sensitive, but we can’t forgo these important lessons if we can’t say what they are, how they are and what they mean.. The truth has to be correct; regardless of who it offends..
It appears when Dick Durbin makes a reference to Gitmo as some sort of gulag – it’s horrifying. Yet when Rove complains that Democrats want terrorists to get therapy – that’s somehow okay..
Several years ago (back in the ol’ college days) – I recall having a discussion over the ramifications of having a politically correct society.. In that discussion – it was revealed that no matter what was said or done, it was a certainty that it would royally piss off *someone* regardless of how mundane or unequivocal the comment was crafted..
I was reading a local story this morning – about some sort of negative reference to James Dobson and Focus on the Family.. The chief complaint was that some group drew parallels of Dobson and his group to an Americanized version of the Taliban.. The group issued an apology, there were repercussions and the damage was done..
Wow..
What on earth has changed our ability to have independent thoughts, disagreements and criticisms?? Contrary to what a lot of people think, this is *not* a republican or democrat issue.. It’s not a Christian versus Islamic versus Muslim.. It’s the basis of having the freedom to compare Bush to whomever anyone wants to.. It’s the basis of calling Clinton any given name in the book.. It’s the basis to say when you’re pissed off or when you agree with someone..
Inflammatory?? Absolutely.. It can be.. So when the Republicans call for Durbin to apologize, and the Democrats call for Rove to resign – it’s leading us back to a sandbox squabble between infants.. But it doesn’t stop with politicians, everyone is doing it.. (I’ll throw myself into that mix as well..)
This vicious cycle of tit for tat is excruciating.. The mud-slinging capabilities by both sides are obvious, apparent and increasing on an continual basis..
Let’s face it: we have a lot of fucking upset people in the world..
But what if the complaints actually founded on a basis of truth?? Despite the rhetoric or other substantive comments made to draw conclusions or illustrations from the incorrigibles throughout history, what if there is a basis of fact in the parallel or the comparison?? Are we so polarized that we cannot see the truth for what it is??
Absolutely..
Whenever something major happens, or when someone says something – don’t we almost always seek out to hear what others are saying about it?? I’ve listened to Rush.. I’ve listened to Air America.. O’Reily, Hannity, Savage, Franken, Garafallo.. Any given topic – they churn out a series of talking points.. Those little niblets which causes us to jump on the bandwagon or shake our pointed finger..
But what everyone does – and I don’t care if this is a personality, a movie star, a columnist or a politician – is that they take the nibblet that is important for their argument and they run with it.. The substantive nature of the issue becomes fragmented and further distorted..
So when Hannity says that liberals are scum, is he right?? No.. When Garafalo banters of whether conservatives are pigs, is she right?? No.. They are fanning the flames to get people riled up for the causes that matter to them, their constituents, their sponsors, their crowd.. How about when Durbin refers to Gitmo as a nazi camp??
Does it offend me personally?? No.. I studied history – I draw upon unpopular conclusions all the time.. And you know what – I don’t care.. True historians leave bias from their findings.. True historians allow readers to draw their own conclusions based on the findings of the evidence.. True historians consult multiple sources that can accurately paint a true and responsible picture of a given topic..
Does Gitmo really resemble a gulag?? I don’t know.. I certainly do not believe the people who have been reporting it so far.. I certainly do not trust the administration because they are constantly reversing, traversing, readjusting, realigning, ultimately distorting the facts of any given subject.. I don’t trust the Dems for that matter either.. I certainly do not trust the press because they have a marketability bias.. ”That which sells, is printed or aired..”
There’s no real understanding of an event unless you have the capability of seeing it first hand.. Unless there are multiple sources that can paint a wide-breadth of the incident in question – then there’s no way to juxtapose an appropriate perception of the event.. Finding trusting, reliable sources in this day and age is next to impossible..
We shouldn’t be afraid to draw unpopular, politically incorrect parallels to anyone or anything – regardless of how popular, how important or how right or wrong consensus believes.. I don’t care.. Yet despite the parallels me, or anyone might draw, will be scrutinized and cast in an unpopular light.. Sometimes the truth sucks.. Slavery sucked.. The Nazis sucked.. Bin Laden sucks..
But there are some mildly important lessons buried in these areas.. One cannot fathom just how long slavery and rights for all Americans have gone this long, this unabated throughout our history.. One can’t imagine how incredibly talented of a speaker Hitler was.. One can’t imagine what it took to mastermind the 9/11 hijackings, the dedication and the process it took to make it happen..
History sucks..
But we can learn..
And this is what the American people has to realize at some point..
We can learn that the oppression of people is wrong.. We can learn to watch for those people who can stir hatred into a carefully woven righteous blanket that appeals to a segment of people.. We can learn that people can be motivated to die for a cause they believe in – when we have it within our capability to thwart such behavior if we just listen..
But we live in a society where these lessons are buried under a blanket of security and politically correctness.. I’m not saying we shouldn’t be sensitive, but we can’t forgo these important lessons if we can’t say what they are, how they are and what they mean.. The truth has to be correct; regardless of who it offends..
Friday, June 17, 2005
It's wrong to be right...
Newsweek got it right, but yet they are still considered "wrong" after the premature leakage of the Koran (or Quran - depending how you spell it) issues in Gitmo Bay.. After an abomination and public lashing from administration officials - guess what?? They actually got it right.. (hm, imagine that...)
But the more I start looking at other recent events, there's really a lot of things that this administration was wrong and yet they go after those that try to expose it for what it is.. Real - Right - Truth.. Concepts that I realize may seem foreign, but it's time to wake up..
The obvious "duh" event in this administration: Iraq.. While they may think in retrospect that they had all the right intentions, looking for all those mean WMD's, then claiming the freedom of all Iraqi people as almost an after thought once they realized that no weapons were ever going to be found.. Clearly Saddam wasn't the enemy he was hoping for, but at least Bush had his heart in the right place..
Schiavo ... come to find out the courts were right.. Moreover the doctors were also right.. Bush, Frist and the other pundits who batted for the family in Florida were all wrong.. Yet even as the press conference revealed the investigation into Teri Schiavo, this administration maintains that they did nothing wrong by "siding with life.." Problem with that argument is the fact that Bush and "life" simply do not belong in the same sentence (ala all those he's sent to death in Texas and beyond...) Right intentions - sure but guess what?? They were still wrong..
Patriot Act ... 9/11 ... Terror terror terror!! Run for the hills!! Laws that make it safer for Americans.. Um.. Not so fast.. Most recently - a report came out that said that we are no safer than we were on 9/10.. Ouch.. What happened?? (more on this in a bit...)
Social Security ... Now I have a conflict here.. I've long since believed that there's no way I'm going to see much of any relief from my contributions to Social Security.. It's not due to mis-management, but simply resolving the reality of a growing cost of living and a seemingly very slow paced payment for contributions to the kitty.. As one part of the chart is soaring off into oblivion, the other part looks like an overweight 747 that is trying to take off or something.... It's unreasonable to expect both lines to even come close much less become more parallel.. It's not happening..
Bolton & our role in the world ... I have no defense to offer for this administration's lack of credibility.. They are doing it to themselves in ways that we can't even begin to say on here.. Administration policy - wrong.. Anything come from a box of Lucky Charms would venture a better chance at world stabilization than what this administration has offered......
And the list goes on and on for what seems like forever.. Taxes.. Education.. Censorship.. It seems like everything anymore slips into the yin/yang debate.. What bothers me more than anything is that we have a President who has no regrets for doing any of them.. In fact, you could say that he's running downhill with blinders on ....
.... with a continually growing steaming heap of hypocrisy dragging on behind him.....
At a time when the President advocates that every American is to be responsible - he still claims no responsibility for any of his actions.. Even Clinton apologized.. C'mon!! Instead, there is an irresponsible persistence that simply cannot be explained..
Frankly, I'm still at a loss.. At least when one is denial - there are conditions which support the logical reason why the person simply doesn't acknowledge the error.. When it grows to this kind of level - there has to be something else going on..
*sighs*
Ask anyone who really likes Bush - "Why do you like him?" and you'll get the standard confounding answers: People feel more protected under his watch.. People felt they needed a cleansing shower after the Clinton administration because of what happened during "the scandal.." People feel desperation because the world is in some sort of moral decline and they are looking to Bush as being some sort of savior that will deliver the world from the toils and pain..
Wow.. And here I was at a loss before; imagine my disbelief now?!?!?!!?!!
Alright.. It's no mystery that The Rove Mystery Machine is working overtime trying to keep the dam from breaking.. But when they have fundamentally failed on nearly every attempt at governing - I'm really afraid to consider what would it would take to institute a wide-spread mis-information campaign in order to further govern the way they want..
The Downing Street memos are really interesting.. Even if they hold an eighth of truth in them.. It clearly shows how the conspiracy to manipulate facts and other information for whatever political gains they wanted..
But is this really unique in our history??
Remember how propaganda was spread in order to further the causes of whatever rhetoric or other issues that needed to gain public support for?? The war posters?? Songs?? Rallies?? War Bonds?? Rationing?? All in support of the war effort.. Sounds almost like your average, run of the mill Iraqi insurgency..
But instead of being reflective, we are accused of drawing insignificant parallels and only attempting to incite some sort of evil, un-American sentiment.. Wow.. We can't even go back in our history, cite that which our country has already gone through - because it's somehow un-American..
Well, I'm going to do it anyway..
I remember the day when we feared, hated, and otherwise were weary of the Soviet Union.. The portrayal in movies, the endless barrage of speeches and other opinions carefully churned the right mixture of information with propaganda.. Too sweet - and the public would see right through it.. Too sour and the message would be lost..
It became an artform..
It became a ballet of excruciating painful precise movements..
Things were controlled..
Until..
"Gore invented the internet.."
The spawn of truth mixed with fiction grew in proportions no one could control.. There was no containment.. No direction.. People could now say what they wanted without malice, without facts, without ethical standards and with considerable bias.. The message gets swarmed by an avalanche of conjecture, conspiracy and mis-information.. Blogging has taken this idea and expanded it in ways that we cannot underestimate..
In an act of desperation, the media has responded..
The media companies were bought, conglomerated, and merged into outlet giants that would remain under the tight reign and control of a chosen few.. These people would remain the shepherds serving at the will of the Empire.. Carefully doting and guiding flocks to dangerous cliffs, the *word* is manipulated into an unrecognizable form..
Any dissent.. Any disagreement.. Any hint of splitting from the ranks meant a mounted campaign to punish you or your company.. The slightest protest, satire, or thought is derided as being un-American or a threat to national security.. CBS, Dan Rather, Newsweek to mention those in recent memory....
Think about that..
When the message.. When the thought.. When the voice is muted.. When government silently controls the strings guiding our thoughts, information and beliefs -- what is that??
Control..
Governmental Control..
Look into the world history of the last century.. What did we call it in the 70's and 80's?? Communism.. What was it in the 30's and 40's?? Socialism..
When Russia and Germany sought control of what information was being conveyed.. When those governments, under the guise of being a "proper citizen" or for the protection of the country, use the purges and other remedies to remove dissent within the citizenry, their rights were profoundly discarded..
"Remain in line, or suffer the consequences.."
This week, the House of Representatives shot down new provisions to the Patriot Act that would've allowed agencies to wantonly investigate what books you read from the library, what videos you rent, or what content you're reading.. Under the guise of preventing the next 9/11 attack .... I re-raise my own personal doubts of the effectiveness of the Patriot Act..
Imagine this.. One of the searches that the government was interested in was whether anyone had done a search on Bin Laden's biography.. Now imagine a typical Social Studies teacher in high school that assigns a current events paper.. An innocent student checks out a book on Bin Laden so that they can prepare their report for class.. Now imagine that this innocent student will now show up on the radar screen of Homeland Security..
This is absolutely insane!!
I believe that the next coronation of the Patriot Act really means that our government has lost its effective capability of gathering relevant, concise and on point intelligence using the existing means at our disposal.. What I adamantly disagree with is this Administration using the "perceived threat" of more terroristic activities to bolster the effectiveness of the Patriot Act.. It's not a revelation that this Administration has perfected the ability to utilize threats in order to push whatever agenda they so choose..
But the Patriot Act really does not address the intelligence gathering capabilities outside the United States - and let's not forget that.. We've heard testimony within the last several months that say that we're no more protected than we were before 9/11.. Now how in the hell does that happen when we've already sacrificed a nice thick layer of governmental intrusions on our own soil??
Instead, the newly found Patriot Act addendums are going after our children's social studies book reports and lord knows what else.. Cookie recipes?? Reading up on Melville, Plato, or Ginsberg?? If anything, it's another tragic reminder of how our government has lost the intelligence wars on our home field.. Now we're left with the fact that our government can't track of those terrorists that are already walking among us..
Yet, they are making sure we're reading the "right" reading material that suits the policy....
.... just like the daily media buffet offerings..
It's scary contemplate that this administration wanted to install a new set of rules that alleviate the need for judicial oversight so that they can conduct surveillance of one's behaviors and habits without any level of judicial oversight.. Meaning - no one checks to see whether they have a valid cause to check out my library records.. The Patriot Act already has given law enforcement more powers without oversight -- and they wanted more....
.... this after being told that we are faring no better than we were 9/10..
Regardless of what an agency might think, I'm not an anarchist.. I am a very proud American who believes differently than this administration.. Whether that's an act of deviance, or simply exercising the right to have freedom of thought, freedom of expression - this defines an absolutely bitter divide and subsequent gray area..
I cannot say if we're no better off, but I can say that I'm still deeply concerned over the information flow of our government and what it means in the shortrun and in our future..
But the more I start looking at other recent events, there's really a lot of things that this administration was wrong and yet they go after those that try to expose it for what it is.. Real - Right - Truth.. Concepts that I realize may seem foreign, but it's time to wake up..
The obvious "duh" event in this administration: Iraq.. While they may think in retrospect that they had all the right intentions, looking for all those mean WMD's, then claiming the freedom of all Iraqi people as almost an after thought once they realized that no weapons were ever going to be found.. Clearly Saddam wasn't the enemy he was hoping for, but at least Bush had his heart in the right place..
Schiavo ... come to find out the courts were right.. Moreover the doctors were also right.. Bush, Frist and the other pundits who batted for the family in Florida were all wrong.. Yet even as the press conference revealed the investigation into Teri Schiavo, this administration maintains that they did nothing wrong by "siding with life.." Problem with that argument is the fact that Bush and "life" simply do not belong in the same sentence (ala all those he's sent to death in Texas and beyond...) Right intentions - sure but guess what?? They were still wrong..
Patriot Act ... 9/11 ... Terror terror terror!! Run for the hills!! Laws that make it safer for Americans.. Um.. Not so fast.. Most recently - a report came out that said that we are no safer than we were on 9/10.. Ouch.. What happened?? (more on this in a bit...)
Social Security ... Now I have a conflict here.. I've long since believed that there's no way I'm going to see much of any relief from my contributions to Social Security.. It's not due to mis-management, but simply resolving the reality of a growing cost of living and a seemingly very slow paced payment for contributions to the kitty.. As one part of the chart is soaring off into oblivion, the other part looks like an overweight 747 that is trying to take off or something.... It's unreasonable to expect both lines to even come close much less become more parallel.. It's not happening..
Bolton & our role in the world ... I have no defense to offer for this administration's lack of credibility.. They are doing it to themselves in ways that we can't even begin to say on here.. Administration policy - wrong.. Anything come from a box of Lucky Charms would venture a better chance at world stabilization than what this administration has offered......
And the list goes on and on for what seems like forever.. Taxes.. Education.. Censorship.. It seems like everything anymore slips into the yin/yang debate.. What bothers me more than anything is that we have a President who has no regrets for doing any of them.. In fact, you could say that he's running downhill with blinders on ....
.... with a continually growing steaming heap of hypocrisy dragging on behind him.....
At a time when the President advocates that every American is to be responsible - he still claims no responsibility for any of his actions.. Even Clinton apologized.. C'mon!! Instead, there is an irresponsible persistence that simply cannot be explained..
Frankly, I'm still at a loss.. At least when one is denial - there are conditions which support the logical reason why the person simply doesn't acknowledge the error.. When it grows to this kind of level - there has to be something else going on..
*sighs*
Ask anyone who really likes Bush - "Why do you like him?" and you'll get the standard confounding answers: People feel more protected under his watch.. People felt they needed a cleansing shower after the Clinton administration because of what happened during "the scandal.." People feel desperation because the world is in some sort of moral decline and they are looking to Bush as being some sort of savior that will deliver the world from the toils and pain..
Wow.. And here I was at a loss before; imagine my disbelief now?!?!?!!?!!
Alright.. It's no mystery that The Rove Mystery Machine is working overtime trying to keep the dam from breaking.. But when they have fundamentally failed on nearly every attempt at governing - I'm really afraid to consider what would it would take to institute a wide-spread mis-information campaign in order to further govern the way they want..
The Downing Street memos are really interesting.. Even if they hold an eighth of truth in them.. It clearly shows how the conspiracy to manipulate facts and other information for whatever political gains they wanted..
But is this really unique in our history??
Remember how propaganda was spread in order to further the causes of whatever rhetoric or other issues that needed to gain public support for?? The war posters?? Songs?? Rallies?? War Bonds?? Rationing?? All in support of the war effort.. Sounds almost like your average, run of the mill Iraqi insurgency..
But instead of being reflective, we are accused of drawing insignificant parallels and only attempting to incite some sort of evil, un-American sentiment.. Wow.. We can't even go back in our history, cite that which our country has already gone through - because it's somehow un-American..
Well, I'm going to do it anyway..
I remember the day when we feared, hated, and otherwise were weary of the Soviet Union.. The portrayal in movies, the endless barrage of speeches and other opinions carefully churned the right mixture of information with propaganda.. Too sweet - and the public would see right through it.. Too sour and the message would be lost..
It became an artform..
It became a ballet of excruciating painful precise movements..
Things were controlled..
Until..
"Gore invented the internet.."
The spawn of truth mixed with fiction grew in proportions no one could control.. There was no containment.. No direction.. People could now say what they wanted without malice, without facts, without ethical standards and with considerable bias.. The message gets swarmed by an avalanche of conjecture, conspiracy and mis-information.. Blogging has taken this idea and expanded it in ways that we cannot underestimate..
In an act of desperation, the media has responded..
The media companies were bought, conglomerated, and merged into outlet giants that would remain under the tight reign and control of a chosen few.. These people would remain the shepherds serving at the will of the Empire.. Carefully doting and guiding flocks to dangerous cliffs, the *word* is manipulated into an unrecognizable form..
Any dissent.. Any disagreement.. Any hint of splitting from the ranks meant a mounted campaign to punish you or your company.. The slightest protest, satire, or thought is derided as being un-American or a threat to national security.. CBS, Dan Rather, Newsweek to mention those in recent memory....
Think about that..
When the message.. When the thought.. When the voice is muted.. When government silently controls the strings guiding our thoughts, information and beliefs -- what is that??
Control..
Governmental Control..
Look into the world history of the last century.. What did we call it in the 70's and 80's?? Communism.. What was it in the 30's and 40's?? Socialism..
When Russia and Germany sought control of what information was being conveyed.. When those governments, under the guise of being a "proper citizen" or for the protection of the country, use the purges and other remedies to remove dissent within the citizenry, their rights were profoundly discarded..
"Remain in line, or suffer the consequences.."
This week, the House of Representatives shot down new provisions to the Patriot Act that would've allowed agencies to wantonly investigate what books you read from the library, what videos you rent, or what content you're reading.. Under the guise of preventing the next 9/11 attack .... I re-raise my own personal doubts of the effectiveness of the Patriot Act..
Imagine this.. One of the searches that the government was interested in was whether anyone had done a search on Bin Laden's biography.. Now imagine a typical Social Studies teacher in high school that assigns a current events paper.. An innocent student checks out a book on Bin Laden so that they can prepare their report for class.. Now imagine that this innocent student will now show up on the radar screen of Homeland Security..
This is absolutely insane!!
I believe that the next coronation of the Patriot Act really means that our government has lost its effective capability of gathering relevant, concise and on point intelligence using the existing means at our disposal.. What I adamantly disagree with is this Administration using the "perceived threat" of more terroristic activities to bolster the effectiveness of the Patriot Act.. It's not a revelation that this Administration has perfected the ability to utilize threats in order to push whatever agenda they so choose..
But the Patriot Act really does not address the intelligence gathering capabilities outside the United States - and let's not forget that.. We've heard testimony within the last several months that say that we're no more protected than we were before 9/11.. Now how in the hell does that happen when we've already sacrificed a nice thick layer of governmental intrusions on our own soil??
Instead, the newly found Patriot Act addendums are going after our children's social studies book reports and lord knows what else.. Cookie recipes?? Reading up on Melville, Plato, or Ginsberg?? If anything, it's another tragic reminder of how our government has lost the intelligence wars on our home field.. Now we're left with the fact that our government can't track of those terrorists that are already walking among us..
Yet, they are making sure we're reading the "right" reading material that suits the policy....
.... just like the daily media buffet offerings..
It's scary contemplate that this administration wanted to install a new set of rules that alleviate the need for judicial oversight so that they can conduct surveillance of one's behaviors and habits without any level of judicial oversight.. Meaning - no one checks to see whether they have a valid cause to check out my library records.. The Patriot Act already has given law enforcement more powers without oversight -- and they wanted more....
.... this after being told that we are faring no better than we were 9/10..
Regardless of what an agency might think, I'm not an anarchist.. I am a very proud American who believes differently than this administration.. Whether that's an act of deviance, or simply exercising the right to have freedom of thought, freedom of expression - this defines an absolutely bitter divide and subsequent gray area..
I cannot say if we're no better off, but I can say that I'm still deeply concerned over the information flow of our government and what it means in the shortrun and in our future..
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
The DeLay mess / A Deficit Soars
He speaks, and everyone holds their breath..
No, I'm not talking about Bush or Michael Moore..
But whenever the PR machine doesn't go in favor of this administration or the republican party, Karl Rove usually appears at just the right time to quell any anxiety that is going on in the party..
And the press becomes enamored to the point of fear as a result of it..
The whole Tom DeLay thing is actually pretty comical.. He's nothing more than a political cartoon, a caricature of what really exists under the skin of some of the Republican regime.. He's the untamed animal in a zoo that, up until this point, was in clear control of their emotions..
The whole veiled threat things gets me..
Even tho the "talking heads" out there are basically saying that it was taken out of context.. So when Karl Rove emerges from the bunker - all is calm - all is quiet - all is well..
The Damage Control Specialist has spoken..
We can all put this behind us because it's trivial because it has no relevance of the man - even though he clearly violated the laws that govern the conduct of every senator and member of the House of Representatives..
Think of what we've "waived off" during this administration:
- the 9/11 commission findings
- rising gas costs (no investigation)
- the Terri Schiavo case (how this doesn't violate the Constitution is beyond me...)
- and the whole Tom DeLay affair/debacle
- the bankruptcy bill & rising deficits on an astronomical trend
With a soaring deficit, we should take solace that our Vice President has said: "Reagan taught us deficits don't matter."
Interesting viewpoint of someone who clearly benefits when we're fiscally irresponsible and let the deficits run free.. (ala Haliburton)
...but then again, I guess it's okay to tell everyone what they have to do, to be fiscally responsible, when they justify it in their minds that they don't have to..
No, I'm not talking about Bush or Michael Moore..
But whenever the PR machine doesn't go in favor of this administration or the republican party, Karl Rove usually appears at just the right time to quell any anxiety that is going on in the party..
And the press becomes enamored to the point of fear as a result of it..
The whole Tom DeLay thing is actually pretty comical.. He's nothing more than a political cartoon, a caricature of what really exists under the skin of some of the Republican regime.. He's the untamed animal in a zoo that, up until this point, was in clear control of their emotions..
The whole veiled threat things gets me..
Even tho the "talking heads" out there are basically saying that it was taken out of context.. So when Karl Rove emerges from the bunker - all is calm - all is quiet - all is well..
The Damage Control Specialist has spoken..
We can all put this behind us because it's trivial because it has no relevance of the man - even though he clearly violated the laws that govern the conduct of every senator and member of the House of Representatives..
Think of what we've "waived off" during this administration:
- the 9/11 commission findings
- rising gas costs (no investigation)
- the Terri Schiavo case (how this doesn't violate the Constitution is beyond me...)
- and the whole Tom DeLay affair/debacle
- the bankruptcy bill & rising deficits on an astronomical trend
With a soaring deficit, we should take solace that our Vice President has said: "Reagan taught us deficits don't matter."
Interesting viewpoint of someone who clearly benefits when we're fiscally irresponsible and let the deficits run free.. (ala Haliburton)
...but then again, I guess it's okay to tell everyone what they have to do, to be fiscally responsible, when they justify it in their minds that they don't have to..
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