elemental visions

The President's New Enemy

2007-02-18T20:37:00.000-05:00

This blog provides some startling insight on the President's newest favorite group - The Qods Brigade.

Watch out lawyers, they're coming for you now

2007-01-13T12:57:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 — The senior Pentagon official in charge of military detainees suspected of terrorism said in an interview this week that he was dismayed that lawyers at many of the nation’s top firms were representing prisoners at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and that the firms’ corporate clients should consider ending their business ties.

Yeah because it's way un-American to give people fair trials.

The comments by Charles D. Stimson, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for detainee affairs, produced an instant torrent of anger from lawyers, legal ethics specialists and bar association officials, who said Friday that his comments were repellent and displayed an ignorance of the duties of lawyers to represent people in legal trouble.

She seems shocked, apparently she doesn't know too many wingnuts.

The same point appeared Friday on the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal, where Robert L. Pollock, a member of the newspaper’s editorial board, cited the list of law firms...

We're blacklisting people again. This time though it's for acting in the belief that as Americans, we actually want to see justice, not just make it a talking point.

...and quoted an unnamed “senior U.S. official” as saying, “Corporate C.E.O.’s seeing this should ask firms to choose between lucrative retainers and representing terrorists.”

If they're terrorists, then why not just give them a fair trial where that can be easily proven?
Oh..

In his radio interview, Mr. Stimson said: “I think the news story that you’re really going to start seeing in the next couple of weeks is this: As a result of a FOIA request through a major news organization, somebody asked, ‘Who are the lawyers around this country representing detainees down there?’ and you know what, it’s shocking.” The F.O.I.A. reference was to a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by Monica Crowley, a conservative syndicated talk show host, asking for the names of all the lawyers and law firms representing Guantánamo detainees in federal court cases.

Ah yes, count on wingnut radio to try an undermine one of the most basic principles of American justice.

Karen J. Mathis, a Denver lawyer who is president of the American Bar Association, said: “Lawyers represent people in criminal cases to fulfill a core American value: the treatment of all people equally before the law. To impugn those who are doing this critical work — and doing it on a volunteer basis — is deeply offensive to members of the legal profession, and we hope to all Americans.”

What does the White House and/or Pentagon think of this?

Neither the White House nor the Pentagon had any official comment, but officials sought to distance themselves from Mr. Stimson’s view. His comments “do not represent the views of the Defense Department or the thinking of its leadership,” a senior Pentagon official said.

Yeah right

He would not allow his name to be used, seemingly to lessen the force of his rebuke.

Actually, it's to keep from getting thrown into Gitmo himself.

When asked in the radio interview who was paying for the legal representation, Mr. Stimson replied: “It’s not clear, is it? Some will maintain that they are doing it out of the goodness of their heart, that they’re doing it pro bono, and I suspect they are; others are receiving moneys from who knows where, and I’d be curious to have them explain that.”

If he's so curious about money trails maybe he should start at the White House and ask the Bush family how much money they've received from the Bin Ladens over the years.

Lawyers expressed outrage at that, asserting that they are not being paid and that Mr. Stimson had tried to suggest they were by innuendo. Of the approximately 500 lawyers coordinated by the Center for Constitutional Rights, no one is being paid, Mr. Ratner said. One Washington law firm, Shearman & Sterling, which has represented Kuwaiti detainees, has received money from the families of the prisoners, but Thomas Wilner, a lawyer there, said they had donated all of it to charities related to the September 2001 terrorist attacks.

A wingnut, wrong again?

Inconceivable!

And you thought Michelle Malkin was dumb.

2007-01-12T19:36:00.000-05:00

While she pretends to be doing something in Iraq, her guest posters step in to make her appear sane (of course not really).

First this guy plays architectural historian:

The Athens embassy, which started operating in 1960, was designed by famous architect Walter Gropius, which is supposed to resemble the nearby Parthenon and which evokes "transparency" with its large glass walls.

Reeks of plagiarism to me.

It was confusing though to think of a wingnut actually paying some respect to artistry of architecture (rather than accusing it of being a secret Islamic batsignal)

Don't worry, the Mankin comes around:

One of the basic functions of good architecture is defense.

Actually that depends on the intended use of the structure. This building was designed as an embassy - where diplomats work, you know diplomats, diplomacy - any of you wingnuts know what that word means?.

Oh right, nevermind

Today, trendy "modern" design failed in that function.

How fitting for a wingnut to degrade the work of one of the most important architects of the 20th century to something out of the latest Abercrombie catalog.

And because wingnuts are stupid AND pompous, he makes sure to call the structure a failure.

The Gropius building, however important from the standpoint of architectural history, placed the symbolism of transparency over the substance of protection.

Gropius' liberal use of windows does not take into account the Islamofacist threat we face today.

No one wants brutal, ominous citadels symbolizing America abroad. But they all are targets and we can't afford to pretend otherwise.

Apparently we also can't afford to make people stop hating us too. Instead of thinking, "hmmm, just 50 years ago, nobody would think America could be so hated around the world that an embassy in Greece would be a target - maybe we should work on our image," a wingnut will just shrug off hatred of America as jealousy (yes, apparently even people living on the Greek Isles are jealous of America) and demand we insulate and segregate ourselves further.

The most telling thing about the story? The bombers weren't Muslims, so put aside the shrieking hysteria and inane platitudes we've come to expect from this crowd, the bombing of an embassy by westerners warrants a discussion on architecture. I repeat, a wingnut trying to discuss art. Oh the humanity!

Michelle also has Mary Catherine Ham posting. I don't think I need to elaborate any further.

I know he has too much class

2007-01-01T14:48:00.002-05:00

But I would love to see Keith Ellison beat the shit out of Vernon Goode on the floor of the House - now that would be some good CSPAN.

Of course Ellison, in his typically classy way, chooses to be above the fray (and scumbags like Goode) with this, very under-reported reply:

Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, said Thursday that Goode and others had nothing to fear about Muslims. "They are our nurses, doctors, husbands, wives, kids, who just want to live and prosper in the American way."
Asked whether he thought Goode was a bigot, Ellison said, "I don't know the fellow, and I'd rather just say that he has a lot to learn about Islam. ... I don't want to start any name-calling."

All you need to know about the state of the Bush admin and the Republican party can be known by the amount of invective directed at minorities and immigrants. The more they lose, the worse they behave. It's only a matter of time before they are too much of an embarrasment to let out into public.

Apparantly, most of Goode's constituents agree with him. CNN doesn't seem to think there is anything wrong with that, frequently making excuses for their intolerance and ignorance, but I think it's just another reason to let the South go.

Update:

On his first day in Congress, Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minnesota, the first Muslim elected to Congress, finally met the Republican who criticized him for his decision to use the Koran at his ceremonial swearing in.

Ellison asked another Democratic member to introduce him to Rep Virgil Goode, R-Virgina, who spoke out against Ellison in a letter to constituents last month. Ellison told CNN that he approached Goode on the House floor and the brief meeting went well.

"I shook his hand and shook mine. We greeted each other." Ellison asked Goode to grab a cup of coffee with him soon and Goode accepted.

Asked if he was felt singled out as the first Muslim member, Ellison said no and added, "By reaching out to Congressman Goode I'm not trying to be accepted, I'm trying to build bridges. In this world there are too many misunderstandings. I want to put a human face on things."

via Liberty Street

Yep, way more class than Goode deserves.

You know what it means when he repeats things...

2007-01-01T14:48:00.000-05:00

He's catapulting the propaganda.

El Presidente Morono:

Today, Saddam Hussein was executed after receiving a fair trial -- the kind of justice he denied the victims of his brutal regime. Fair trials were unimaginable under Saddam Hussein's tyrannical rule. It is a testament to the Iraqi people's resolve to move forward after decades of oppression that, despite his terrible crimes against his own people, Saddam Hussein received a fair trial. This would not have been possible without the Iraqi people's determination to create a society governed by the rule of law.

i.e., His trial was a joke and they hanged the POS before he could rat out Ronnie, Rummy and the rest.

Words mean things?

2006-08-16T18:24:00.000-04:00

The worst part of Senator Allen's wanton racism and filthy comments towards an American of Indian decent is not that he hides his vinegary corpse behind PR flacks who keep trying to come up with the word he really meant to say. It's not that he obviously knows what "Macaca" means because his mother is French. It's not that he hasn't already shown signs of being a white supremecist or using such phrases to appeal to white suprmecists and those too cowardly to identify a such. It's not that major media doesn't care. I think the worst part is that he used the phrase "Welcome to America" to a fucking American because he had darker skin than him. This should serve notice to EVERY non white person in this country that the Republican party and the slimy right-wing cheerleaders who support these people do not think of us as Americans. Got that? Good.

2006-08-02T17:21:00.000-04:00

Why is it that people who post images like this:

are the first to bitch about how they are unfairly persecuted for being war mongers?

Pammykins - either you're for the cowardly slaughter of inncent kids from the skies above, both Lebanese and Israelis, or you're not.

Gaza forgotten? Business as usual. Media still licks Bush (and not in the good way)

2006-07-26T22:11:00.000-04:00

23 Palestinians killed in IDF raids in the northern Gaza Strip

I think it's sort of shocking to those of us who actually think there are 2 sides to every conflict that news coverage of the recent events in Lebabnon and Israel actually are somewhat balanced.

Sure there is the usual blathering from the usual susupects, AIPAC and the spineless Dems they own, on how Lebanon supports the terrorists and how the bombing of a UN post was an accident despite the UN asking them to stop bombing them 10 or 20 times and how Israel regrets every dead Lebanese child while Hezbollah celebrates every dead Israeli child. But for the most part, the coverage has been sort of fair (in the same way that we would all love to see $2.50 gasoline).

But how come the Palestinians can't get attention from American media? Sure they aren't as good looking as the Lebanese, and less Christian, but do they really deserve complete media blackout in the U.S.?

The media is allowed to cover the Lebanese plight because the Bush admin used the Lebanese situation last year as an example of their democracy spreading. So note to the Palestinians - if you do what the Bush administration wants, the media will give a shit about your deaths too!

Isn't it sad that despite being less popular that genital warts, the media still begs for the administration's permission?

Republicans treat American public like 10 dollar hookers. . .again!

2006-04-27T18:30:00.000-04:00

Ok well maybe not $10, more like $100 - don't you feel special?

Senators to push for $100 gas rebate checks

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Most American taxpayers would get $100 rebate checks to offset the pain of higher pump prices for gasoline, under an amendment Senate Republicans hope to bring to a vote Thursday.

What's the catch?

However, the GOP energy package may face tough sledding because it also includes a controversial proposal to open part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil exploration

Of course. Congratulations America, the people you voted into office think you can be bought for $100 bucks.

And does anyone remember way back before the Earth changed on 9-11-01 when President buy-my-love sent everyone $3-500 smackers because having a surplus of cash was such a bad thing?

How did that turn out?

The Outstanding Public Debt as of 27 Apr 2006 at 10:32:26 PM GMT is:

I don't even know what that number is.

And where is the golden goose crapping out all this money? The city of New Orleans is running out of rebuilding money (all the better for private investors to come in and steal public lands for nothing) and the war in Iraq costs about a billion a month or something and this is thier big idea to help us out?

Sorry senators, buying off the American people with a few bucks so your oil executive buddies can continue to make the highest profits ever recorded isn't going to work. Shit your base of half-ton pickup truck with gunracks drivers will barely be able to get a tank and half out of your c-note.

People will buy that about as much as the crazy Wall Street Journal lady (not Peggy Noonan, another one) on Jon Stewart's show last night that tried to tell people the high price of oil was due to ethanol!

What's next for the WSJ - Hybrids most popular vehicle for child molesters?

At what point do we get to say "Who cares?"

2006-04-26T21:28:00.000-04:00

Over at Gilliard's blog I stumbled upon another story in the same vein as the Danish Cartoon controversy - sort of.

Faculty members and administrators at Nova Southeastern University, in Davie, Fla., got more than they bargained for when they invited author Salman Rushdie to give this year’s commencement speech at the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences on May 7. They got controversy. Some student members of the International Muslim Association are protesting the invitation, presumably because they agree with those who regard Mr. Rushdie’s 1988 novel “The Satanic Verses” as a blasphemy against Islam and the Prophet Mohammed. (It’s the Danish cartoons all over again, only this time with an additional twist provided by the literary quality of the offending document.)

Like usual, Gilliard does a rational, intelligent analysis of the facts and explains how this situation is not like cartoon issue.

This isn't the same as the Danish cartoons for a couple of reasons. The first was that Rushie's "crime" was offending the Iranians, who had no possible justification to punish the British subject.

The cartoons was a direct insult from Danes to other Danes of another religion. It was designed to denigrate them. Most American papers treated them a culturally offensive and wouldn't run them, as they wouldn't for any other religion

Rushdie was not denigrating Islam. Also, no one sent hit teams to kill the cartoonists, most people simply protested, some rioted and died. Rushie's life was in real, verifiable danger and most importantly, state sanctioned. That is a world of difference than some ginned up mobs. The Iranian state wanted him dead, a person they had no control or contact over. It's called terrorism.

To think in 2006, people could be offended by him speaking is sad. But so what. Don't fucking go.

His partner Jen makes some typically ridiculous statements based on her typical knee-jerk reaction to what she refers to as "extremists" but what she actually means to say is "Muslims" (despite her ridiculous protests to the contrary).

Gilly, you have it wrong. The SAME sorts of people with the SAME interests and SAME insane sense of intolerance called for (and where necessary fabricated the materials) for both the Danish riots and the fatwah against Rushdie.

You can't pander to extremists, period.

. . .

I'll say it again: If your religion preaches the destruction of nonbelievers and nontheocratic systems of government, please stay the fuck out of Western civilization. Strawmen to the contrary be damned.

As of yet I've never heard her comment on, let alone get hysterical on every mention of, war criminals like Ariel Sharon, George Bush and countless other radicals that are born and bred in "Western civilization" but I'll leave it to you to decide what she really means when she criticizes "extremists."

But here's the real problem. So some students don't want to hear Rushdie because they believe he insulted their religion? So fucking what? That doesn't make them radicals. In my opinion they are stupid and should stay in school longer, but I think that about many religious people (though not most). But that doesn't make them radicals or terrorists or even a threat to democracy or free speech. Every time someone gets upset about something, there doesn't need to be news articles and blog posts and hand wringing and expletive laced comments made about it.

You think they shouldn't care about who speaks at their graduation? Fine, but I know I sure as hell wouldn't go to my graduation if Ann Coulter had been the key note speaker and she's an author too. Hell, George Bush was the keynote at Ohio State a couple of years ago and if I graduated that quarter I wouldn't have gone because of him either. That doesn't make me a radical or a hater of free speech, it just means I don't want to listen to someone I think is an asshole speak for an hour on a day I'm supposed to enjoy. Yeah the students may have "protested" the choice a little (there were no riots that I'm aware of) but they should be able to do that too, even if you think that makes them assholes. Lots of people protest stuff and look like assholes - that doesn't mean they shouldn't do it. Here's what people shouldn't do - they shouldn't pretend their not bigots when it's pretty obvious to anyone who can read critically that they are. Jen, you're a bigot just like Charlesmalkinschlusseljohnson and just because you hitch yourself to a liberal blog written by a black man doesn't mean you're not.

Consequences, Schmonsequences

2006-04-19T17:44:00.000-04:00

Scotty stepped down today after a long and sweaty journey.

The exchange was eerily similar to Looney Tunes: Back in Action:

~~Kate Houghton~~ Karl Rove: I need you to eject this duck.
~~DJ Drake~~ George Bush: Lady, this is ~~Daffy Duck~~ Scooter McDuck.
~~Kate Houghton~~ Rove: Not anymore; we own the name.
~~Daffy Duck~~ Scooter McDuck: Oh yeah? Well, you can't stop ME from calling myself D-(gasp)... D-(gasp)... well, whatayaknow.

Rest in Peace

2006-04-13T18:01:00.000-04:00

A great American died today.

American social activist Reverend William Sloane Coffin, known for for his fight against segregation and the Vietnam War, has died at the age of 81.

The major "news" outlets are too busy covering the shocking stories of a terrorist who wants to kill people and a blond girl who probably got stoned and walked into the ocean months ago, but the rest of us will take a moment to reflect on a life well served.

Yes I really am that bitter.

Gee, a terrorist wants to kill people?

2006-04-13T17:56:00.000-04:00

What's this world coming to?

This bit of sarcasm is brought to you by the folks at cnn who have been hanging on Zacarias Moussaoui's every word today.

Earlier it was BREAKING NEWS! Mousaoui wants to kill Americans!

No Shit?

Next up, a hard hitting story on how the sky is blue. Followed by an update on the Natalie Holloway case — she's still missing.

Iraq pt. II

2006-04-12T21:31:00.000-04:00

They aren't even going to bother changing the script even a little bit.

Iran Could Produce Nuclear Bomb in 16 Days, U.S. Says (Update1)

Of course the good news for the administration is that at least Iran admits it's enriching Uranium, unlike Saddam who was slightly more honest than Resident Evil when it comes to WMD.

From the Mailbox

2006-04-05T18:28:00.000-04:00

Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld are flying on the Air Force One to a gathering in San Francisco when Bush turns to Cheney and says, chuckling, "You know, I could throw a $1000 bill out the window right now and make someone very happy."

Cheney shrugs and replies, "Well, I could throw ten $100 bills out the window and make ten people Happy."

Not to be outdone, Rumsfeld says, "Well I could throw a hundred $10 bills out the window and make a hundred people happy." The pilot rolls his eyes and says to his co-pilot, "Such arrogant asses back there. Hell, I could throw all three of them out the window and make 132 million people happy."

I know, you saw it coming, me too.

Outrageous

2006-04-05T18:05:00.000-04:00

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. military on Wednesday called a video posted on the Internet purportedly showing the dragging of a U.S. flier's remains from a downed copter's wreckage "despicable."

We are outraged that anyone would create and publish such a despicable video for public exposure," military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Withington said in a statement. "The terrorists continue to demonstrate their immoral disregard for human dignity and life."

Yeah whatever.

Let's see, how did this shit start?

and then we had some of this

and about 150,000 of these

Oh yes - what they did to those soldiers was reprehensible and rotten. But Jonathan Withington and the U.S. Military ought to start taking a long hard look at why they are there in the first place.

Pantsload Syndrome

2006-04-02T22:23:00.000-04:00

Jonah then:

But Jill Carroll is increasingly starting to bug me. The details are still murky and it's hard to appreciate what she's been through. And maybe JPod's right about Stockholm syndrome.

Think Progress then called out Jonah on his obtuseness and he, predictably, squealed like a stuck piglet.

But come on. Does anyone in their right mind think that Think Progress would be rallying to this woman's side if she emerged from her captivity saying George W. Bush was right and the people who kidnapped her were terrorist animals? Please. They'd be prattling on about how she lost her mind.

Jill Carroll after being safe and sound away from her kidnappers:

"During my last night in captivity, my captors forced me to participate in a propaganda video," she wrote. "They told me they would let me go if I cooperated. I was living in a threatening environment, under their control, and wanted to go home alive. I agreed.

"Things that I was forced to say while captive are now being taken by some as an accurate reflection of my personal views. They are not."

She even lambasted her captors, who allegedly killed her interpreter, Alan Enwiya, when they abducted her in western Baghdad in January.

Jonah's ridiculous strawman just turned into real boy - would Think Progress suddenly turn on Jill Carroll like he predicted they would?

Of course not.

But could Jonah possibly rise above his own mendacious filthiness?

Of course not.

The same name-calling screachers who insisted that I was an ass for not taking everything Jill Carroll said at face value, are now emailing me to call me an ass because it now looks like I was right to be skeptical. They insist I should apologize for "judging" her. This strikes me as absurd. If you go back and read what I've posted, I said that Carroll's statements didn't scan.

Sure Jonah, you and your colleagues just made her out to be a mental patient - you meant no ill will at all. You were just concerned for her well-being. The fact that she didn't verbally felate the President and scream about Islamo-facists while still in the kidnappers custody had nothing to do with you, J-Pod, and KJ getting apoplectic about a woman who was just freed after 3 months in captivity.

And just to really drive home the point that he's a bland and caviling shithead:

In all sincereity: good for her. I take Carroll at her word and hope nothing but the best for her. I'm sure it was a terrible ordeal and I think, barring some major revelation, this should put an end to the criticism of her. Leave her be. I'm sorry for suggesting that she might have believed what she said. I hope there will be some apologies coming from those who did believe what she said.

Speaking of mental cases, Jonah needs to look up projection:

"A defense mechanism in which the individual attributes to other people impulses and traits that he himself has but cannot accept. It is especially likely to occur when the person lacks insight into his own impulses and traits."

2006-04-02T22:17:00.000-04:00

Jill Carroll Released

2006-03-30T10:29:00.000-05:00

WaPo

BAGHDAD, March 30 -- American journalist Jill Carroll, abducted in early January by gunmen in Baghdad, was released to a Sunni Arab political party in the capital Thursday morning after 82 days in captivity.

"I was treated very well. That's important for people to know," she said in an interview with an Arabic-speaking questioner at the headquarters of the Iraqi Islamic Party. "They never hit me, they never even threatened to hit me. I'm just happy to be free, and I want to be with my family."

The usual whiners can add this to their list of the good news that never gets reported from Iraq.

Low Tide

2006-03-29T15:54:00.000-05:00

A commenter on Steve Gilliard's blog directed me to Michelle Malkin's sewer to see pictures of seething immigrant rage and unprovoked anti-Americanism.

Well there was one picture of a Mexican flag above an upside down American flag. Let's ignore the fact that an unpside down American flag means distress and let's imagine that the it was meant to carry some anti-American connotation. The flag was hung by high school students and it is ONE FUCKING IMAGE of a few people's actions out hundreds of thousands of marchers and protestors. The rest of the pictures show people at a rally, some holding foreign flags, others with American flags (carried respectfully). I guess carrying flags of other countries is un-American so want to help Michelle be as vigilant in denigrating ungrateful people like these haters on St. Patricks day.

And check out this Islamofacist waving his Italian flag on Columbus day.

Apparantly, Michelle sees a few assholes out of a crowd of 500K and decide that's what most of the people were really like (but remember - she's not a racist, even if she argues in favor of Japanese internment and racial profiling). I wonder how much she would appreciate it if other people based their perceptions of Americans based on the actions of a few people.

Uh, bad example.

Anyhow, it's getting a bit ugly watching people slag the very people they use, both here and abroad, to have one of the highest standards of living in the world.

How long until we start tagging immigrants and shipping them off in cattle cars? Diane Feinstien and others are ready to grant legal status to farm workers! Gee Senators, sorry about that whole 13th amendmentthing, but Pedro here will pick your cotton.

If they really cared about immigration issues they would stop whining about immigrants using our health care system or sending their kids to school and take issue with the people here who hire them. But of course it's much easier to pick on the new guy.

The Minutemen, Lou Dobbs, Tancreepo - all chickshit xenophobes too frightened to actually admit they're the neo-nazis of our day. Blaming all the problems of our country on the people with the least amount of influence - how sad, but how familiar.

My brief comment on illegal immigration

2006-03-29T15:46:00.000-05:00

Americans can't face the fact that they fucked their own country by voting for the same monkey twice so now's a good time to pull out the immigrant bashing stick.

Lou Dobbs has been blathering on like this for years. No responsibility for insane fiscal policy - it's all about the greedy forners coming here to steal our lucrative grape picking and toilet scrubbing jobs.

Quasi-human Minutemen write a few letters, get blown off by the people they voted into office, then decide they need to play war buddy for a few days.

Americans need to address far more important problems than illegal immigration. We can start by changing foreign policy initiatives that effectively bankrupt South American countries.

Confederacy of Dunces

2006-03-27T17:30:00.000-05:00

US rebuffs Bin Laden 'truce call'

Osama Bin Laden:

"We do not mind offering you a truce that is fair and long-term... so we can build Iraq and Afghanistan... there is no shame in this solution because it prevents wasting of billions of dollars.

I admit, not the most trustworthy source. Of course this guy isn't much better:

US Vice-President Dick Cheney rejected an apparent offer of a "long-term truce", describing it as a "ploy".

First of all, does anyone still give a fuck about what Dick Cheney thinks?

Speaking on the Fox News TV network, Mr Cheney said it was too early to draw firm conclusions about the tape, but added that al-Qaeda was "unlikely" ever to sit down and sign a truce.

"I think you have to destroy them. It's the only way with them," the vice-president said.

And we're doing an awesome job of it. Granted it is sort of hard when everything you do seems to send more and more people into the waiting arms of the very people you're fighting.

On Fox News, Mr Cheney said: "Obviously no-one can guarantee that we won't be hit again. But our nation has been protected by more than luck."

Barely. Nothing this administration has done has protected anyone in anyway. In fact it's the exact opposite. That Al Queda hasn't reaped mass havoc on this country with Bushco in charge is either a testament to Al Queda's incompetence or laziness.

Or maybe it's something else

The speaker on the tape said the reason there had not been an attack in the US since 11 September 2001 was not because of superior US security, but because the group had been engaged in activities in Iraq

Hey they should put Bin on the payroll (as if he's not already) and trot him out to make the talking head rounds because he's really pulling the administrations "we fight them there so we don't have to fight them here" line. They work so well together. Remember when they trotted him out to make his Michael Moore style speech right before the election? Terrorist mastermind/RNC schill - good work if you can get it.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan quickly dismissed the truce offer saying: "We do not negotiate with terrorists. We put them out of business".

God it's hilarious when pudgy duckmen try to talk tough.

The west frequently negotiates with "terrorists" and other assorted troublemakers with successfull results. To dismiss any peace talks out of hand is an act of perfidy and pride at the expense of innocent people.

The whole "we don't negotiate with terrorists" thing is nearsighted and imbecilic. We no longer have any moral high ground to decide who terrorists are. We use first strike, pre-emptive violence (against civilians) as much as any terrorist does to assert power, gain control and effect political change. But what this really comes down to is that the neo-con agenda won't allow for negotiatoins with terrorists because peace isn't part of their plan and they will never have another an enemy this well suited for their Straussian fantasy world. The negotiations have already taken place and Bin Laden is their man. They aren't letting him go anywhere.

The Agony and Apostasy

2006-03-24T17:16:00.000-05:00

It's good that this story is getting so much attention:

KABUL, Afghanistan, March 24 — Afghan clerics used Friday Prayers at mosques across the capital to call for death for an Afghan man who converted to Christianity, despite widespread protest in the West.

Granted, if this guy hadn't converted to Christianity, and was going to be executed for say, being gay, it's doubtful it would have received much attention at all. Ok, it's not actually doubtful, it's certain not to have received any attention whatsoever unless Iran is involved, in which case you can be sure that the neo-con hawks and their dippy cheerleaders will be ~~using it to promote their agenda~~ all over it.

Now beyond the Christian aspect is the obvious P.R. issue for an Administration who frequently boasts of bringing freedom to the previously archaic Afghanistan. That their first democratic experiment is producing, well, no less barbaric results is somewhat embarrasing.

But to be fair to the administration, this isn't their fault. These allegedly moderate religious leaders make Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell (two men who also repeatedly call for executions and mass murder, by the way) look like hippies.

Check out this asshole:

Dr. Mohammad Ayaz Niyazi, an Egyptian educated in Islamic law, who attended one of the gatherings today, said, "There have been serial attacks on the Islamic world recently, starting with insulting the Holy Quran, insulting the prophet of Islam, and now converting to Christianity by an Afghan."

You know, I can understand the outrage over the Koran toilet thing because it happened during a war and was a larger symbol of western imperialism and cultural hegemony. I can understand the cartoons because it was a blatant attempt to smear an entire religion under the guise of an intellectual argument. But when one (1) guy converting to another religion shakes the foundation of your beliefs, your religion sucks and you should kill yourself for being such an unbelievable bane on humanity.

Condi's spinning her ass off being in the unenviable position of trying to stop a highly publicized human rights offense while still respecting the soveriegnty of the new country they just helped create. Now I know the though Afghani sovereignty is a joke and the U.S. caring about their autonomy even more laughable, but the fact is that it is important for Afghanistan to have the illusion of independance, even if its not accurate. To be too heavy handed in these cases reinforces the accurate perception that when we spread democracy what we really mean is we're making you our puppet. Yes the problem is the way we spread democracy and not the issues we choose to flex our muscles over, but its too late to debate that in this case - damage done, time for someone else to clean up the mess.

It's too bad Condi and the rest of the administration can't get off their asses a little more frequently to speak about the myriad of human rights violations, many which they support and helped create.

more to come...

Great News

2006-03-23T08:10:00.000-05:00

Peace group hostages freed in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- U.S. and British forces have freed three Christian aid workers held hostage in Iraq, ending a four-month ordeal in which an American captive was found dead on a Baghdad street.

No shots were fired and no captors were present when the hostages -- Briton Norman Kember, 74 and Canadians James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32 -- were freed early Thursday, officials said.

I would have liked to post without comment, but you know this is going to ruffle the usual chickhawk feathers:

Christian Peacemaker Teams posted a statement on its Web site expressing joy in the hostages' release but also criticizing the U.S.-led operation in Iraq.

"We believe that the illegal occupation of Iraq by Multinational Forces is the root cause of the insecurity which led to this kidnapping and so much pain and suffering in Iraq," the statement said. "The occupation must end.

"Harmeet, Jim and Norman and Tom were in Iraq to learn of the struggles facing the people in that country. They went, motivated by a passion for justice and peace to live out a nonviolent alternative in a nation wracked by armed conflict.

LGF hasn't mentioned this yet, he's still too busy reporting on the Danish Cartoon controversy (yes, still).

Michelle Malkin didn't waste any time before showing her indignance over the hostages beliefs. Er, well at least copying and pasting the indignance of one of her readers.

Not once do they thank or even reference the fact that a Special Forces team rescued these guys. In fact, the only reference to military at all is blaming them for the kidnapping in the first place. Nice!

Also on their home page is a long statement about how terribly treated terrorists are when detained by evil soldiers.

While I agree that the soldiers did a great thing by finding these guys, the fact is that this is another example of right wing jackasses trying to wash their hands of any responsibility for the cluster-fuck they helped to create.

I'm sure the Pentagon is pissed because the story reports that there were no captors present and no shots fired which means they can't spin this into some epic, Jessica Lynch style struggle for freedom. Combined with the lack of hero worship for their brave rescuers I can't see this getting much attention at all other than giving troglodytes like Michelle something else to get churlish about.

The good news is that these brave men, and yes right wing fucks, going into a war zone unarmed to help the people being brutally invaded (not liberated) is brave (see also Marla Ruzicka), are free to continue their work.

Things That Will Never Happen

2006-03-22T09:13:00.000-05:00

Grow Your Own Oil, U.S.

Researchers hoping to ease America's oil addiction are turning sawdust and wood chips into bio-oil, a thick black liquid that could become a green substitute for many petroleum products.

Great idea, we should get started on this right away!

Yeah Right

Terror in the Newsroom

2006-03-21T15:59:00.000-05:00

I decided to trudge over to the sewer that is Debbie Schlussel's blog to see what sort of hysterical Islamophobia I've been missing lately.

If you didn't know, Debbie Schlussel is like Little Green Footballs with tits and a blonde wig, turned up to 11.

It's pretty much impossible to report on all the insane things you can find on her site. In fact, it's pretty much impossible to read a single sentence without her screaming hysterically about evil Arabs and Muslims and linking otherwise innocuous public or quasi-public figures to all sorts of attrocious terrorist activity. To say that Debbie thinks she's living in a real life "24" is an understatemtent.

In one of her most recent posts, Debbie, who calls Al-Jazeera the Terrorist News Network, in no small part because she thinks they hate Jews, Israel and America, rips into them for, get this, hiring a Jewish news anchor!

In the fine tradition of other bigoted, low rent trolls such as Charles Johnson, Michelle Malkin, Debbie has castigated Al Jazeera for both hating Jews and embracing them all at the same time.

In another stunning display of bizarre casuistry, she rips into former Marine and Iraq-vet, Josh Rushing, for working with them, calling him their "American Monkey." Nice to see Debbie respecting the troops in this way.

Of course the supreme irony is that Debbie jumped at the opportunity to appear on the Terror News Network to discuss a film, Paradise Now, with the movie's director. Why Al-Jazeera would stoop to the level of this low-rent Ann Coulter is a testament to exactly the opposite of what Debbie and others like her think of Al Jazeera's role as Bin Laden's mouthpiece. From her own reports it sounds like she was given more than ample opportunity to make her points on the movie clear and was treated fairly and with respect (not that she didn't find something to bitch about).

Happy Anniversary

2006-03-20T09:29:00.000-05:00

Violence marks Iraq anniversary

Iraq on Monday marked the third anniversary of the US-led invasion with new bombings, more sectarian tension and continued indecision on government.

Well these last three years have been great, wish we could do it all over again.

Well since it's Persian New Year, which should be a good reminder to the President, who thinks everything's going great in Iraq, that it's about time to start a new war.

2006-03-17T10:41:00.000-05:00

Caring

2006-03-16T18:12:00.000-05:00

Pamela, aka Atlas Shrugged, has a whole series of posts about helping Sudan.

The fact that she only cares about the crisis because it involves Muslims persecuting people doesn't dhimminish (lol!!!!) it's importance or credibility.

The fact that they are persecuting other Muslims isn't important to Pamela - she only cares about ~~castigating Muslims~~ bringing attention to the problem.

And she's really not doing it because this human rights disaster gives her the opportunity to chastise the Muslim religion, the U.N. and Kofi Annan all at the same time.

Because as she states:

I am the pacifist.

And she back this up by stating in the very same post:

BREAKING NEWS: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) The American military has reported that U.S. and Iraqi forces launched the largest air assault since the U.S.-led invasion against insurgents north of Baghdad, in Salah ad Din. Go with G-d, fellas - we love you.

See - she's just like Ghandi or MLK and when she walks for Sudanese liberation, it's not because she hates Muslims or the UN or Kofi Annan, it's because of the children.

Not these children,

Because they're being liberated and if they get splattered, well we weren't actually targeting children and we try our best to avoid ~~civilians casualties~~ collateral damage as we dropped thousands of pounds of cluster bombs and bunker busters into residential neighborhoods. Plus you're an idiot if you think there aren't innocent victims in war. Plus, we were forced into this war - it was a last resort - we had no other choice. Its all the other people that target civilians - those children are innocent victims of very evil people and therefore they are the only ones you should care about because we are in a war for the very survival of our way of life and the Muslim hoardes are standing at the gates ready to kill or convert the entire western world. They're starting by killing people in Sudan, but you're next and that's why Pamela's on the front lines protecting your way of life.

Oh no more riots in Europe!

2006-03-16T17:41:00.000-05:00

Violence flares at French rallies

Protests have turned violent in France as at least 250,000 people rallied against a controversial new labour law.
. . .

The march in Paris, which police said was attended by 30,000 but which organisers put at 120,000-strong, was mainly peaceful.

However, a group of about 300 masked protesters threw missiles at police, who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.

A newspaper stand and a number of cars were set on fire and protesters at the symbolic Sorbonne University - where street protests shook France in 1968 - pelted police with stones and bottles and chanted slogans comparing them to the Nazi SS.

What? No cartoons? No Muslims? This isn't news! WTF is the BBC thinking?

Just look at all the real journalists who agree with me by not reporting on this 130,00 person riot:

CNN

Fox News

The bloggers are also doing there part to say non! to this dispicable reporting of non-news

Little Green Footballs:

Malkin:

Schlussel:

Keep in mind these were the same people that were vigilant in bringing you round-the-clock Muslim cartoon riot updates, so they know news when they see it!

Good News...Sort of

2006-03-16T12:06:00.000-05:00

US and Iran agree to Iraq talks

Iran and the US say they are prepared to hold bilateral talks on Iraq.

It would be the first public dialogue since the 1979 hostage crisis, after which the nations broke off ties, correspondents say.

This is a good first step. The fact that they're talking about anything is positive, even if they aren't talking about nukes.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the US ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, was authorised to talk to Iran about Iraq.

"But this is a very narrow mandate dealing specifically with issues relating to Iraq," he said.

They really should try to keep Scooter McDuck out of this.

Of course any notion of civil discourse must be tempered with shows of unbridled power and threats of brazen violence.

US backs first-strike attack plan

The US will not shy away from attacking regimes it considers hostile, or groups it believes have nuclear or chemical weapons, the White House has confirmed.

Gee, who could they be talking about?

In the first restatement of national security strategy since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the US singles out Iran as the greatest single current danger.

Of course. So out of one side of our mouth we're asking Iran for help in dealing with Iraq while threatening them out the other. That's productive.

But it stresses that continuing diplomatic efforts must succeed if confrontation is to be avoided, vowing to take "all necessary measures" to protect US interests against Iran.

That's exactly what they said (and still say) about Iraq.

"When the consequences of an attack with WMD [weapons of mass destruction] are potentially so devastating, we cannot afford to stand idly by as grave dangers materialise."

Sound familiar?

Spin harder

2006-03-14T10:39:00.000-05:00

In another fine example of Democratic submission, Dick Cheney dared Democrats to censure President Bush, and apparantly, they acquiesced.

Or at least that's how it's being spun by the blow hard right and headlines like Democrats Beat Quick Retreat on Call to Censure President. Ah yes, the old cut and run Democrats are at it again. Even Stephanie Miller was lamenting the weakness of Club Donkey in abondoning the man she refers to as her future husband, Russ Feingold.

To be fair to the press, the Dems recently pretended to ~~have spines~~ care about their constiuency, but when it comes to protecting the Constitution from power-mad neo-cons, and not having Arabs to scapegoat, they usually turn into pusillanimous children.

The Houston Times:

WASHINGTON - Democrats distanced themselves Monday from Wisconsin Sen. Russell Feingold's effort to censure President Bush over domestic spying, maneuvering to prevent a vote that could alienate swing voters.

Now we can be sure the Republican right is going to have a field day because V.P. 18 percent dared someone to do something and they did it.

But lets look closer:

WASHINGTON, March 13 — Senate Democrats on Monday blocked an immediate vote on a call by one of their own to censure President Bush for his eavesdropping program.

It doesn't actually sound like they want to quash censure, it sounds more like they don't want to vote on it today. I wonder why?

Democratic leaders held off the immediate vote that Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee requested. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said he didn't know if there ever would be one. Durbin said that Feingold had sought to use the censure resolution "as a catalyst" for thorough investigations.

Minutes before Senator Russell D. Feingold, Democrat of Wisconsin, formally introduced his resolution reprimanding Mr. Bush, Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee, the majority leader, said Republicans were ready to vote by day's end or Tuesday.

Oh, they just want an up or down vote.

"When we're talking about censure of the president of the United States at a time of war, when this president is out defending the American people with a very good, lawful, constitutional program, it is serious business," Mr. Frist said. "If they want to make an issue out of it, we're willing to do just that."

See, Bill said it was a lawful program, therefore there is no need to investigate, they should just vote now. This resolution deserves an up or down vote dammit!

Harry Reid thinks there should be an investigation.

"To try to limit debate on this most important matter that Senator Feingold is going to put before the Senate is not appropriate," said Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the minority leader.

Given how many Republicans are currently being investigated, it's easy to understand why they wouldn't want to see another one.

"The American people already made their decision," Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday in an appearance in Mr. Feingold's home state, The Associated Press reported. "They agree with the president."

And if Dick Cheney says the American people agree with the President, then they must agree with the President.

Except when they don't.

WASHINGTON - More and more people, particularly Republicans, disapprove of President Bush's performance, question his character and no longer consider him a strong leader against terrorism, according to an AP-Ipsos poll documenting one of the bleakest points of his presidency.
. . .
Personally, far fewer Americans consider Bush likable, honest, strong and dependable than they did just after his re-election campaign.

Given his 18% approval rating, I'm not sure Dick Cheney is really a reliable resource on what the American people think.

I'm going to use that awful talking point wingnuts love to use - "If you're not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about."

Well, Mr. Cheney and Dr. Frist, if you're doing no wrong, then you won't mind an investigation. And unlike wiretapping Americans without a warrant, a congressional investigation is legal!

The Truth Hurts

2006-03-13T13:56:00.000-05:00

Clooney

In 2003, a lot of us were saying, where is the link between Saddam and bin Laden? What does Iraq have to do with 9/11? We knew it was bullshit. Which is why it drives me crazy to hear all these Democrats saying, "We were misled." It makes me want to shout, "Fuck you, you weren't misled. You were afraid of being called unpatriotic."

Thanks George, for speaking the truth.

The government you deserve

2006-03-13T13:29:00.000-05:00

From the BBC:

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has appealed to the Iranian people - saying he wants to help them have a freer and more prosperous future.

In a speech in London Mr Straw said the Iranian people "deserved better" than their current government.

I totally agree, but this is who the Iranian people want. They voted for Ahmadinejad who rivals a post-9/11 George Bush in his ability to stoke nationalism and jingoist bravado. As much of an idiot as he sounds to us, with his holocaust denial and idle threats, he is giving the Iranian people exactly what they want to hear in light of hostile actions and words from the west, and in particular, America. Iran had moderated quite a lot of the last decade but that was all pissed away by one ignorant speech given by one ignorant asshole.

This isn't about what Iran deserves, but what the west wants. Well the west isn't going get what it wants because our invasion of Iraq has radicalized the region to the point where they are voting for hard line extremists like Hamas and Ahmadinejad. Our recent global embarrasment in the Dubai ports deal further emphasizes to mideasterners that moderation and modernization don't gain you any currency with America and the hard liners are more than happy to remind them of it.

As of right now, what little bread they have is buttered by extremists and we can expect more western hand-wringing over what to do about a problem we helped to create. Pleading with the Iranian people to get a better government than the one they elected probably isn't going to help. If we haven't sent our reputation too far into the gutter, we now need to treat hard-line governments like we would any other, then the people of those countries can judge their governments on their own merits rather than on our reaction to them.

horrible

2006-03-11T08:12:00.000-05:00

What could you possibly have gained by this?

An American who was among four peace activists kidnapped in Iraq last year has been found shot dead in Baghdad.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4795678.stm

You want to be an insurgent and protect your country? Whatever, fine, but killing these people truly makes you savages. Everytime you complain about being treated like barbarians - this is why.

Killing the best of humanity, the very people trying to help you - what do you gain from this senseless and ignorant violence?

One last port whine

2006-03-10T15:54:00.000-05:00

A lot of people have been saying the Dubai ports deal is dead.

No, nativists, the deal isn't dead, just the part that pertains to the 6 US ports, the main part of the aquisition, the part that includes ports in Europe, Australia and Asia will proceed as planned.

Now while it seems many Americans think the rest of the world is a loose series of mud huts and banana republics, where people burn embassies and chop off heads, there is a whole world out there that really couldn't give a crap about overtly hysterical Americans and their overwhelming sense of exceptionalism. It's amazing how we find new and creative ways each day to reinforce our new-found image as the world's isolated xenophobe.

The rest of the world will go about its business and jet off to party in Dubai, who they realize is a major player in the global economy. DPW will still be the third largest port operator in the world, they will still run the port that the U.S. Navy visits more often than any other outside the USA and virtually everything you buy is going to be going through the hands of someone most Americans fear (that is, everyone else).

Despite what most may think, it's not the Emiratis that are the most outraged by this.

It's remarkable how many people in Dubai now accuse the USA of being anti-Arab. And many of those who say it loudest are the Westerners.

. . .

Emiratis, as UAE residents are known, are far more discreet. The DP World takeover of 6 US ports is a business deal pure and simple, they say. Once Americans look into it, they'll see that's the case and approve it.

Whoops, looks like the Emiratis underestimated our ability to be thoroughly idiotic.

To sum up, this whole ports fiasco has got to be one of the most appalling displays of over-wrought hysteria and contemptuousness every witnessed by a country that is supposed to be the vanguard for decency and tolerance.

Bennish Death Threats

2006-03-09T15:19:00.000-05:00

Remember when all the "free speech advocates" were waxing hysterical about Muslim reaction to the cartoons?

Remember how they said the death threats made against the editors of Jyllen-Posten and others were evidence of the global conspiracy to turn everyone into Muslims?

Bennish's Dad Reports Death Threats Against Family

(AP) DENVER The father of a Colorado teacher who compared President Bush's State of the Union address to speeches made by Adolf Hitler said he and his family have received at least 12 death threats.

Since so many of them were so adamant about protecting free speech and western values in Denmark, I fully expect them to be balls out when it comes to defending the interchange of free speech and ideas in America.

Let's look at what they are saying:

Michelle Malkin:

and here's what Charles Johnson is saying in defense of our most cherished principles:

Cap'n Cubicle weighs in on this important issue:

The Jawa report, always a first rate source for information on how Muslims rape more women than other people*:

Jihad Watch who stands vigilantly against the dhimmification of our glorious country:

Debbie Schlussel:

Pamela:

Belmont Club:

With all these virulent anti-dhimmi, defenders of our way of life vociferously defending the free exchange of ideas, unlike those barbarians who make death threats when somebody says something they don't like, I feel much better.

*Actual rape rates from different areas around the globe:

Eastern Europe, 63 per million population
Western Europe, 63 per million population
North America, 392 per million population
Latin America, 112 per million population
Africa (sub-Sahara), 34 per million population
Arab States, 7 per million population
South Asia, 14 per million population
South East Asia, 49 per million population
East Asia, 63 per million population

Source: Global Report on Crime & Justice

Welcome LGFWatchers!

Ben Stein is an idiot.

2006-03-08T18:26:00.000-05:00

via Tittsie McRandy, we learn of Ben Stein's ridiculous review of the Oscars, which in high wingnut fashion, he didn't actually watch.

There were pitifully dishonest calls for peace

Because George Clooney, et al. really love war. That's why they were out pimping for war, like Ben did, in the run-up to Iraq.

The idea that it is brave to stand up for gays in Hollywood,

Considering how much of Hollywood is in the closet, considering Republicans believe real American marriage does not include gay people, I would say it is.

to stand up against Joe McCarthy in Hollywood (fifty years after his death),

Ok, even the stupidest wingnut kid could see that the movie was obviously analogous to our current political climate. And Ben is your "smart guy?"

to say that rich white people are bad,

Who said that?

that oil companies are evil

He's obviosly not familiar with economic hitmen, but the fact that they are making record profits off the suffering of others, including our troops that he, in a most maudlin fashion, pretends to care about should be justification enough.

The brave guy in Hollywood will be the one who says that this is a fabulously great country where we treat gays, blacks, and everyone else as equal.

Actually the brave guy would be the Republican that can admit that denying marriage rights to homosexuals means that homosexuals are not treated as equals. It is the fucking ignorant moron that thinks that gays, blacks and everyone else is treated as equal as we continue to pass legislation limiting the rights of gays and blame black people for being drowned in a hurricane.

The courageous writer in Hollywood will be the one who says the oil companies do their best in a very hostile world to bring us energy cheaply and efficiently and with a minimum of corruption.

They sure do everything that can to get that energy cheaply (see economic hitmen) - do they pass that savings on to "us"? Umm I'm going to say no.

They would be heroes if they said that Moslem extremists are the worst threat to human decency since Hitler and Stalin.

Yes, because in their caves, the terrorists actually have the largest and most technologically advanced army on Earth. They could run through Poland in a few days, right?

But someone might yell at them or even attack them with a knife if they said that, so they never will.

More likely they realize that using reactionary metaphors doesn't actually change anything, and instead use global outreach and compassion instead of carpet bombings to influence people around the world. Crazy actors.

Hollywood is above all about self: self-congratulation, self-promotion, and above all, self-protection. This is human and basic, but let's not kid ourselves. There is no greatness there in the Kodak theater. The greatness is on patrol in Kirkuk. The greatness lies unable to sleep worrying about her man in Mosul. The greatness sleeps at Arlington National Cemetery and lies waiting for death in VA Hospitals.

Apparantly to Ben, by caring about other people, both domestically and internationally, these actors spit on the grave of brave soldiers.

What a fucking tool.

If you were Rush Limbaugh

2006-03-08T17:49:00.000-05:00

or another conservative Republican in the Hannity/Coulter vein the following is all ok:

Mass Murder
Treason
Theft
Bribery
Perjury
Gerrymandering
Racism
Torture
Child Molestation
Rape and incest

It's all about values people.

Poll: Cheney Less Popular Than OJ

2006-03-08T15:09:00.000-05:00

He's also less popular than Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson, who was alleged of sexually harassing an underage boy, and American football player O.J. Simpson, who caused a huge clamor for being suspected of murdering his wife in 1994, each maintained 25 percent and 29 percent favorable impression rates, respectively.

To be fair, OJ and Michael were never convicted of any crimes and Cheney is a mass murderer.

Though Cheney shouldn't be too sad, there's still one person in America less popular than him:

The only person less popular than Vice President Cheney is Paris Hilton, the female actress. Hilton, who is the heiress of the global hotel chain Hilton Group, and who has a “blonde party girl” image, only got a 15 percent approval rating.

http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20060307110750680

Legislating women's health care

2006-03-08T14:58:00.000-05:00

Most reasonable people would consider the South Dakota anti-choice legislation barbaric. Even a Fox News poll showed most people were against the bill because it didn't allow exceptions for rape and incest even if they could care less about women's reproductive rights in general.

But emerging from this sewer of disregard comes a new voice of "reason":

BILL NAPOLI: A real-life description to me would be a rape victim, brutally raped, savaged. The girl was a virgin. She was religious. She planned on saving her virginity until she was married. She was brutalized and raped, sodomized as bad as you can possibly make it, and is impregnated. I mean, that girl could be so messed up, physically and psychologically, that carrying that child could very well threaten her life.

Apparantly non-religious, non-virgins aren't affected that much by rape. I'm glad to know that.

Brokeback Discrimination

2006-03-08T10:04:00.000-05:00

A co-author of Brokeback Mountain is accusing the Academy of discrimination.

Not against gay people, but rural settings.

Larry McMurtry, co-writer of ‘Brokeback Mountain,’ thinks the urban drama ‘Crash’ beat out his film for best picture because Academy members discriminate against rural stories.
. . .
He feels ‘Crash’ won because it was set in Los Angeles, where most of the Academy voters live.

I wonder how the Ann Althouse style whiners who complain about Hollywood not being in touch with 'normal Americans' feel about the writer of Brokeback standing up for them.

Its sort of like when our government aligned with Iran in a recent anti-gay vote in the U.N.

I wonder if they will ever notice that all their little culture war bullshit issues are invalidated by the overlapping biases and animosity of varied cultures, religions, nations, sexual orientations and races.

That's the problem with culture warriors - frequently their enemies take the same side as they do, and when they play the "enemy of my enemy is my friend" game it makes them hypocrits, about which they don't seem too concerned since they do it all the time.

U.N. Peacekeepers to Sudan?

2006-03-08T09:35:00.000-05:00

My first reaction was about damn time. But it isn't really that simple. For centuries African nations have been colonized by western ones who have treated the indigenous population like foreigners and left the countries much worse off than they were before.

Now add to this what people there are seeing of our involvement in Iraq and you get this:

Thousands of people have marched through the Sudan capital, Khartoum, to protest against UN plans to take over peacekeeping operations in Darfur.

Granted a lot of the protesters are organized by the Khartoum government and include their militias - the same ones causing the problem in the first place. But these protests include regular civilian Sudanese who are seeing what's happening in Iraq and fearing that western involvement will bring them the same nightmare. Islamic groups, in particular, are fearful of western intervention and threatening violence.

One commenter on the story from Kenya:

The United Nations should not take over the peacekeeping mission in Darfur. I smell a rat that the United States has a sinister motive - it wants to invade Sudan and cause mayhem and bloodshed like in Iraq. And Africa is not unable to solve problems, it can easily handle all issues concerning Africa, but alas it is our African leaders who are attending to the demands of USA. If the AU peacekeeping force is lacking funds why don't the international community intervene, it shows they are not serious about issues hurting Africans.

I can understand their concerns, and its just further shows how the disaster in Iraq is being felt globally.

Nonetheless, it is time for the U.N. to intervene, and use force if needed, to protect the refugees. Khartoum may not like it but they have had ample opportunity to correct the situation and have done nothing.

Cycle of Violence pt. MXMVLIII

2006-03-07T15:39:00.000-05:00

I wanted to write about how Israeli defence minister, Shaul Mofaz called for the assinations of democratically elected members of the Palestinian Authority.

Like usual, Richard Silverstein has already written a brilliant post on the matter so I'll just link to him since he says everything I would have, but he does it much better than I can.

I will just say that many people have made the point that this is election cycle posturing.

These statements may be election year posturing but it's a little irrational to make threats, ones that are legitimized by past actions, against a democratically elected government and not expect them to feel as though they need to defend themselves as well.

Also its not all just talk:

“Mr Mofaz’s comments came a day after two Islamic Jihad militants and three other Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike on a car in Gaza City.”

Can someone please point me to the Palestinian act of violence that prompted this action? Considering that the Israeli right (and some on the left) consistantly use the defense idiom whereby they only respond to violence as needed, it would be nice to know what action they are responding to considering innocent people have been killed.

Considering HAMAS has observed a ceasefire over the last year it seems downright idiotic to give them justification to start new attacks. Or is that the problem? Not enough blood spilt lately for right-wing politicians to make hay over?

Well I'm sure HAMAS is happy too, they're more than happy to use Palestinian suffering to promote their cause too. Looks like its a mighty good day for the pernicious.

Bennish Updates

2006-03-07T09:23:00.000-05:00

Colorado blogger Julie O. is all over the Bennish story.

This is one of the most important stories of the year as education is the front line in the War on Brains. Think how different this country would have been had Scopes gone the other way.

With all the Intelligent Design advocates trying to interchange Science and Magic Story Hour, your way of life is under attack. Be vigilant!

One thing that caught my eye was Allen's mom whining about "Sean's free speech."

First of all, this is a classroom and I don't recall students being given the opportunity to excercise their "free speech" on a regular basis, especially to voice opposition to the actual indoctrination that takes place through most of K-12.

But what's even worse about her whimpering is that Sean, and others, were not only given the opportunity to respond and ask questions, they were forced to question, criticize and analyze Bennish's statements:

Bennish, inviting a free exercise of speech in class: 'I'm throwing all this out to you guys. I want you guys to write about what I've said. I want you to take it apart. I want you to criticize it. I want you to analyze it, and if you do that I will give you extra credit. It doesn't matter what your position is - you can agree with me; you can disagree with me.'

So not only is Bennish right about everything he said (at least in my opinion), but he was secure enough in his statements to allow them to be questioned and challenged. These kids are lucky to have a teacher who pushes them to think for themselves.

Here's Sean Allen having his speech stifled:

Isn't there a difference of, of, having Hamas being like, we wanna attack Israelis because they're Israelis, and having us say we want to attack people who are known terrorists? Isn't there a difference between saying we're going to attack innocents and we're going to attack people who are not innocent?
Well, when people attack us on our own soil and are actually attempting to take American lives and want to take American lives, whereas, Israelies in this situation, aren't saying we want to blow up Palestine...
We gave it to them.
But is it [just] to say it's [ok] to attack Israel? If it's ok to attack known terrorists, it's ok to attack Israel?
But we did not have the intention of killing innocent people. We had the intention of killing an al Qaeda terrorist.
So, you're saying the U. S. has the intention to kill innocent people?
But what gain do we get from killing innocent people in the middle east? What gain does that pose to us? [ed: from Malkin transcript]
There's more in that. He stated that he's trying to kill innocents ...
That we, that, that we were the ones that were attacked first. On September 11th, 2001, we were the ones that were attacked. We were not attacking, we were not attacking anybody until that point, then we said, okay, we're going to go to Afghanistan, then we said, okay, the Iraqi government has ties with al Qaeda, we're gonna go into Iraq. We were the ones that were attacked.

Wow talk about indoctrination, Sean Hannity himself would be proud of those questions.

Complaining about being oppressed when you're actually the one holding all the cards? That's the most recognizable feature of the North American Wingnut.

This kid just looks like a future Fox talking head (i.e., a little fucking prick):

He and his mom should be thankful Bennish has the patience to try and educate his punk ass.

Iraq pt. II, presented by AIPAC

2006-03-06T17:49:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: If you think the following is anti-semetic, fuck off because it isn't.

It looks like the build up to war in Iran officially got kicked off this weekend at, of all places, the annual AIPAC conference.

Pamela, who is like Debbie Schlussel, but tanner, was there live-blogging. First up was David Kay. Yes the same David Kay who couldn't find WMD in Iraq, despite the fact that the UN said there were no WMD in Iraq.

"Iran has spent he last 20 years understanding the inspection process. They know how to get around the the inspection process." "The Iranians themselves have been inspectors." Essentially we can learn nothing from inspections."

And essentially Kay can learn nothing from previous mistakes.

"They [the Iranians}do not do their clandestine work at the sites that are inspected. They have become the world's best deceivers." "They have been lying for 20 years, this not from the US. this is from the IAEA."

Hmmm, "He ( IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei) told reporters that during the IAEA's inspections, it had not seen indications of diversion of nuclear material to nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices."

Of course this is the same Mohamed ElBaradei that Dick Cheney said with regards to Iraq, "I think Mr. ElBaradei frankly is wrong," Cheney said during the interview. "[The IAEA] has consistently underestimated or missed what it was Saddam Hussein was doing. I don't have any reason to believe they're any more valid this time than they've been in the past."

I don't know, call me crazy but where exactly does the credibility gap lie?

Back to Kay:

"Iranians lie."

Nothing ironic about broad, negative generalizations at a conference hosted by an Israeli PAC.

Everything is a struggle to understand.

Maybe it's their thick Persian accents?

"The culture of such institutions within the UN is the trouble they have making moral distinctions."

The U.S. and Israel are good, everyone else is ok, except the Muslim countries who are untrustworthy and dangerous.

"Until you can make those distinctions, weapons [ineffectual or not] are useless." Inspections inevitably produce ambiguous results.

Like they did in Iraq.

You can't throw someone against the wall and say ......"

John Bolton would.

"The fact is we won't know where Iran is in their nuclear weapons process until they test their nuclear bomb."

Because we have no interest in performing inspections that would tell us if they are making weapons.

"In closing, international inspections can not stop a nation state from producing nuclear weapons if that his intent."

Conclusion: we should commence carpet bombing immediately.

Next up, rabid sheepdog, John Bolton.

"Simply put, there will no destruction of the state of Israel."

Great, what a profound statement. For some reason, Pamela found this so profound that she bolded it. I for the life of me can't see why anyone would think it would be destroyed. Is Israel suddenly going to capitulate to the suicide bombings it currently uses to garner political sympathy? I especially wonder why this would need to clarified at an AIPAC rally?

"We must use all the tools of our disposal to stop Iran's clear and unrelenting drive to develop nuclear weapons."

Translation: We are going to bomb the shit out of Iran.

Let me clear, the longer we wait [to take action on Iran's development of nuclear weaponry] the harder it will be to solve. We must not ignore Tehran's refusal to engage the international community.

Translation: We are going to bomb the shit out of Iran.

Iran in talks [with Russia] doublespeak.

We're 2 for 2 in the "Iranians are liars" talking point. I look forward to months of hearing how Iranians are liars on CNN ad naseum.

There are a number of options available, failure to act is not one of them. The security council should note if they fail to act......it will do serious damage to the credibility of the council. Rest assured we are not relying solely on the security council ........

Translation: We are going to bomb the shit out of Iran.

may be too soon to begin sanctions but many countries are using such language. They [Iran] must be isolated.

Translation: We are going to starve Iran, then bomb the shit out of Iran.

Iran has long been a rogue state.

Probably because we isolate them.

The largest state sponsor of terror.

I thought that was the UAE?

It is surreal to hear the kind of rhetoric [from a nation's leader] that we thought was relegated to the historical dust bin.

He shouldn't talk about his boss that way. After all, Bush went out on a limb to appoint him during a Congressional recess.

"Iran has a far more dangerous foe -- democracy."

Actually, it's the bombs we're going to drop on them.

The US wishes to reach out t the Iranian people. The US fully supports their aspirations for a free and better future.

Translation: We are going to bomb the shit out of Iran.

A couple of months ago, AIPAC wasn't happy with George's handling of Iran (and thanks to their spies in the Pentagon, they have the inside scoop). I hope they feel better now that a couple of incompetent boobs have reaffirmed our mutual bloodlust for the punishment of any Muslim state that doesn't meet Israel's approval.

Oscar Wrap-up

2006-03-06T08:45:00.000-05:00

NO DON KNOTTS IN THE "IN MEMORIUM" SEGMENT?

We say Bullshit!

Otherwise, everything else was great. It seemed like they spread the wealth around pretty well, which is good since there were so many deserving films.

Good Night and Good Luch got screwed, which is too bad, it was a great movie. Stewart got a good crack in about how responsible journalism made it a period piece.

Paradise Now didn't win best foreign film which makes Debbie Schlussel happy, which is bad. Considering some groups launched an aggressive campaign against the movie to have it removed from consideration, and a general American malaise (sometimes rising to animosity) towards the Palestinians its not too surprising. Another thing I found interesting was the Academy's decision to go with Palestinian territories instead of their previous provenance of Palestine, something Debbie Schlussel freaked out about during the Golden Globes, and apparantly so did a lot of other people for them to have changed it. Ironically they are the same people that freak out when Arab countries refuse to recognize Israel.

Tsotsi is supposed to be excellent and Gavin Hood's acceptance speech was great. I haven't seen Tsotsi yet so I can't really say for sure, but a movie about a street thug's redemption doesn't seem as socially or politically impactful as Paradise Now. In a awards ceremony that celebrated social justice it would have been nice to see some attention brought upon the Palestinian situation.

At the end of the day it was probably the best and most socially relevant Oscars I can remember. Clooney summed it all up (or previewed it, since his was the first speech) pretty well :

I would say that, you know, we are a little bit out of touch in Hollywood every once in a while. I think it's probably a good thing. We're the ones who talk about AIDS when it was just being whispered, and we talked about civil rights when it wasn't really popular.

It's pretty sad that you have to be "out of touch" to care about deadly diseases and racial equality, but that is our society today. Good thing there are people like Clooney to tell those who are apparantly "in touch" that they are assholes.

Like the Iraq civil war, but less civilized

2006-03-03T17:53:00.000-05:00

Did you ever wonder what would happen if you took a "man" so heinous the thought of genocide gave him wood, and a woman so skanky she celebrates the death of innocent social workers, and thrust them into a war of invective, threats, and poop-throwing?

Could it go down in history as the most loathsome display ever witnessed on the internets? The question is, how could it not?

Ladies and gentlemen, ParrotLine presents
The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiller vs. Debbie Schlussel.

Tennis Anyone?

2006-03-03T11:31:00.000-05:00

What happens when you mix Debbie Schlussel, Sports Illustrated, Tennis and Dubai?

Well if you're a rational thinking person, you get a headache from the overwhelming idiocy of the situation.

First Sports Illustrated's John Weirtheim, writing about the tennis tournament in Dubai, uses the usual unsubstatiated slander against Dubai:

The current "ports controversy" has laid bare the United Arab Emirate's role as a financial and logistical hub in the planning of the 9-11 attacks. As for the tennis, as I wrote a few years ago, the U.A.E. does not exactly have a sterling record on women's rights.

Unfortunately John didn't provide a link to see what he was basing this on but its an Arab country so they probably do have a poor record on women's rights.

I know that we had looked into playing golf at the Emirates Golf Club, host to the Dubai Desert Classic, where Tiger, Vijay and Mark O'Meara regularly appear, they didn't allow women to golf there, which completely sucks, but in terms of that affecting the UAE's record on women's rights, well I just have two words - Augusta National.

Anyhow, that's the usual factless slander about the UAE that we've come to expect from a myriad of sources from Pelosi to Malkin, no big deal.

Let's throw some Debbie Schlussel into the soup to real up the crazy quotient.

Debbie starts her post on the tournament like this:

It's Official: Dubai Tennis Tourney Bans Jews; Shame on Agassi

Tennis vs. the Jews Update

In our ongoing coverage of the rotten Dubai Ports World deal to run American ports, we asked this question, yesterday: Does Dubai ban Israelis and Jews from this week's Dubai Open?

Well, now, it's official: YES!

Well, uh, no.

Debbie uses this line from Weirtheim's article as evidence that the tournament has banned Jews:

Reader Lance Harke called this link to our attention. Note this prominent line: "Nationals of 'Israel' may not enter the U.A.E."

To which Debbie says:

Shame on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for sanctioning this bigoted event. Sickening. And shame on Andre Agassi, Martina Hingis, and the others playing in this Judeinrein event. Disgusting.

Maybe Debbie should read a little more carefully. It is the UAE, not the tournament making this ridiculous edict, and the ban is not on Jews but citizens of Israel. I'm sure that was pretty apparant to all but the most ignorant troglodytes but even if it wasn't Weirtheim goes on to say:

We asked the ATP and WTA about this issue and both tours reported that before giving their sanction, they had assurances that no player would be denied entry into the Dubai event.

So really, not only are the details of Debbie's statement incorrect, everything about it is patently false, and if she had read (or not ignored) the rest of the article after the Israeli ban is mentioned she would have known that. Of course, then she wouldn't be able to scream about how Arabs are anti-semetic and pose prophetic in justified outrage.

As far as the UAE ban on Israeli citizens go, yes that is ugly. It is an issue that must be addressed as it is indicative of the issues that cloud the middle east and the rest of the world. The fact that the UAE puts quotes around the name Israel says enough about their feelings towards the country.

Of course Debbie is being hypocritical in her outrage towards the UAE's igonorance of Israel as she repeatedly claims that any map with a Palestinian state is a "map of hate," she was outraged about Paradise Now being nominated for the Golden Globes and Oscars because Palestine is not a country, and she pretty much takes any and all opportunities to castigate Palestinians as animals, Arabs as terrorists and Muslims as murderers as we can see with her manipulative facts surrounding the Dubai tennis tournament.

Weirthheim poses this analogy:

Would the WTA or ATP ever even think about sanctioning an event in a country or club that excluded African-Americans?

First of all, it probably has in the past, but more importantly is how this statement shows the standard view of the problem.

They don't see this as countries protesting Israel's treatment of the Palestinians, as in the case of apartheid-era South African divestment, they see these boycotts and bans as plain bigotry. To some extent, bigotry and anti-semetism is a factor, but the main issue is that while trying to call attention to the plight of the Palestinians, Arab and Muslim countries usually just end up making themselves look worse.

Good Students

2006-03-03T10:39:00.000-05:00

Teacher on leave for anti-Bush remarks

AURORA, Colorado (AP) -- About 150 high school students walked out of class to protest a decision to put a teacher on leave while they investigate remarks he made about President Bush in class, including that some people compare Bush to Adolf Hitler.

. . .

Sophomore Sean Allen recorded about 20 minutes of Bennish's class during a February 1 discussion about Bush's State of the Union speech and gave the recording to his father, who complained to the principal, Amole said.

"After listening to the tape, it's evident the comments in the class were inappropriate. There were not adequate opportunities for opposing points of view," she said.

Since when do High School kids get to hear opposing points of view?

In fact this is the opposing point of view from the usual indoctrination that is K through 12. These kids are some of the lucky few that actually get to hear what dissent sounds like - they actually get to hear the unvarnished truth.

Good for them in recoginizing the importance of this teacher (Jay Bennish) and standing up for him and against the surge towards totalitarianism this country seems bent on taking.

In related news:
Boy won’t be charged for anti-Bush essay

Update: I copped this portion of the transcript from Malkin who is having a hissy fit over this teacher (she never misses an opportunity to utilize the word "unhinged")

Teacher Jay Bennish: If you were Palestinians, who are the real terrorists? The Israelis, who fire missiles that they purchased from the United States government into Palestinian neighborhoods and refugees and maybe kill a terrorist, but also kill innocent women and children. And when you shoot a missile into Pakistan to quote-unquote kill a known terrorist, and we just killed 75 people that have nothing to do with al Qaeda, as far as they're concerned, we're the terrorists. We've attacked them on their soil with the intention of killing their innocent people.

1215

Student Sean Allen: But we did not have the intention of killing innocent people. We had the intention of killing an al Qaeda terrorist.

Bennish: Do you know that?

Allen: So, you're saying the United States has intentions to kill innocent people?

Bennish: I don't know the answer to that question.

Allen: But what gain do we get from killing innocent people in the Middle East? What gain does that pose to us?

Bennish: Let me ask you this. During the 1980s, Iran and Iraq were involved in an 8-year-long war. The United States sold missiles, tanks, guns, planes, to which side?

Unidentified student: Iraq?

Bennish: Both. The answer is both. Why would we send armaments to two sides that are fighting each other. That seems to be self-defeating. Don't we want one side to win? Not always! Sometimes you just want there to be conflict!

The British -- this is one of the grand strategies of the British imperial system--was to play local animosities off each other. To prevent them is to divide and conquer.

Do we really want the Middle East to unite as one cohesive political and cultural body?

No! Because then they could what? Threaten our supremacy.

We want to keep the world divided. Do we really want to kill innocent people? I don't know. I don't know the answer to that.

I know there are some Americans who do. People who work in the CIA. People who have to think like that. Those kind of dirty minds, dirty tricks. That's how the intelligence world works. Sometimes you do want to kill people just for the sake of killing them. Right?

Notice anything about the transcript? Far from the school prinicples assertation of an unchallenged monologue it seems the teacher did allow plenty of time for questions, including ones from the very kid who taped the class then ran home to tell his Fox News watching daddy about it.

Funny how "free speech champions" like Malkin squeal like piggies the second the speech doesn't follow the Toby Keith doctrine of American moral superiority.

Update II: CNN has updated its story with a picture of Jay Bennish from his highschool fucking yearbook!

That's the sort of treatment usually reserved for mass murderers and child molesters. Of course, to some segments of our society, Bennish is even worse for telling unpopular truths to children.

Video Friday

2006-03-03T10:13:00.000-05:00

Yellow Fever

A moving documentary about an asian guy's quest to find answers. (about 15 mins)

UNICEF: Pakistan's quake-affected children get winter supplies (about 2.5 mins)

Worst Job Ever (about 2.5 mins)

Chomsky, tin foil hats and the Pope

2006-03-02T14:34:00.000-05:00

This is interesting:

Soviets 'ordered Pope shooting'

An Italian parliamentary commission has concluded that the former Soviet Union was behind the 1981 assassination attempt on the late Pope John Paul II.

. . .

Turkish national Mehmet Ali Agca, now 48, shot the Pope in St Peter's Square on 13 May 1981, hitting him four times.

Agca never gave a motive, and mystery has continued to surround the shooting.

Ok let me be tinfoil hattish for a second. I'm not the sort to think there is a C.I.A. conspiracy behind every terrorist attack, but something about the London bus bombings really bothered me. I'm not saying it was a CIA, MI6 or Mossad plot, just that certain things just bugged me as too convenient given the timing of the incident during the G8 summit (the one where we were not too happy about talking about the environment instead of terrorism).

The bombers also didn't make sense - a newlywed Jamaican and Pakistani drug dealers don't sound like AQ fundamentalists to me, but they do make good patsies. This rundown of the events pretty much sums up my concerns and raises some interesting questions.

So I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this - over 20 yrs later we learn that the assasination attempt on the Pope which caused shockwaves around the world is now quietly reported as being an actual, real-life conspiracy orchestrated by a powerful government.

So why is it easy for us to accept this conspiracy but the thought of a western government spoofing an act of terrorism so hard to believe? That's where Chomsky comes in.

Chomsky would say that we, and our press, are more than willing to believe the most fantastic explanations and the most sordid stories about "the other," but never about ourlselves. Our media will happily castigate the Russian invasion of Afghanistan as barbaric, while downplaying, or ignoring, our own war crimes in the region, and the people will acquiescently buy into it - never questioning it for a second.

So were the London bombings a conspiracy? There was certainly a lot of heat coming from the administration over the emphasis on global warming and African aid at the G8. We know that elements of this government aren't above murder or using tragedy to suit a political end and we know Mossad has tried to create fake terror cells so while many will scream Occam's Razor, the simplest explanation is never satisfactory when discussing political hardliners and black operations.

Video Games

2006-03-02T09:06:00.000-05:00

Video shows Bush Katrina warning

Video showing President George W Bush being warned on the eve of Hurricane Katrina that the storm could breach New Orleans' flood defences has emerged.

The footage, obtained by the Associated Press, also shows Mr Bush being told of the risk to evacuees in the Superdome.

It appears to contradict Mr Bush's statement four days after Katrina hit, when he said: "I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees."

In the past, the president has said nobody anticipated a breach but the video shows Michael Brown, the top emergency response official who has since resigned, saying the storm would be "a bad one, a big one".

"We're going to need everything that we can possibly muster, not only in this state and in the region, but the nation, to respond to this event," Mr Brown says.

He also gives a strong, clear warning that evacuees in the Superdome in New Orleans could not be given proper assistance.

How incompetent is your administration when Brownie is the rock solid voice of reason?

Update: August Pollock has some advice for the media and the teh l4m3 informs us that K-Lo from the Corner is calling this an MSM fix-up. It looks like KJ is basing this on the analysis of callcenter manager, special Ed.

Ed uses this to explain how the evil MSM is manipulating the public:

The big question is going to be: will that top some of the levies? And the currrent track and the forecast we have now suggests there will be minimal flooding in the city of New Orleans itself (his emphasis)

However, the sentence continues. . .

but we're -- we've always said that the storm surge model is only accurate within 20 percent.

Funny how little things like context can be sort of important.

Then there's this:

I don't think any model can tell you with any confidence right now whether the levies will be topped or not, but that's obviously a very, very grave concern.

Gee what about "very, very grave concern" doesn't sound like a warning?

Ed claims that because they were concerned about the levees being "topped" and not "breached" that the President wasn't actually lying and the MSM caused the levees to break to spite George Bush.

Update 2: Add Powertools and Wizbang to the list of pathetic assholes who have to defend El Presidente's incompetence by using the semantics argument about "topped" vs. "breached."

An Open Letter

2006-03-01T18:44:00.000-05:00

I don't agree with everything in this letter, but I do think it touches on some very important issues and more importantly is, in a sense, a rebuttal to the right-wing freaks who keep repeating the same old mantras about Muslims, if only in the fact that it dispells some of the stereotypes they have about what Muslims think.

Since thousands of people visit here religiously each day (really, you didn't know that?), I figured I would help out with its distribution.

Go to Unwilling Self-Negation to read the whole thing with all the background information.

The Real Dubai

2006-03-01T09:18:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Nancy Pelosi went on the attack against the UAE and their treatment of women. Apparantly for Nancy, its an Arab country so they must treat their women poorly.

Here are some more "facts" about Dubai for Nancy to get jacked up about:

Guide to Dubai
With the world's eyes on Dubai over the ports controversy, here's a ten-point guide for foreigners considering a sojourn in the sandlands:

1. Language
You will need fluency in Arabic - including several Gulf dialects - to get by in Dubai, otherwise it will be impossible to even buy a loaf of bread or make a phone call.

2. Women
Traditionally, western expatriate women were required to live in a custom-built compound known as Jumeirah, which became increasingly cramped and run-down over the decades. The government has now built new, spacious enclosures for them in the middle of the desert, scenically and inaccurately titled "Hills", "Lakes", "Meadows" and so forth.

3. Driving
There are two types of driving license in Dubai. Category A is granted only to Arabs and westerners, and requires them to drive at no less than 200kmph on all major and minor roads. Purchase of a high-end four-wheel drive vehicle is mandatory with this licence. Category B is given to Asian expats, and requires that they drive below 60kmph in the fastest two lanes of all highways. Holders of Category B licences may only drive white Nissan Sunnies.

4. Locals
All locals in Dubai - that is to say the men in white and the women in black - have private oil wells in their palace gardens, giving them an average income of two million dollars each per week. When a child is born, a new well is drilled for it (similar to a "christening gift" in the west, but somewhat more useful).

5. Money
The money used in Dubai is called "wasta". A concept currency called the "dirham" also exists, but it is the equivalent to Green Shield stamps or internet "beanz" and has no real purpose beyond the UAE edition of Monopoly. To earn wasta, you visit important people and say appreciative things, and they may make a donation into your wasta pouch.

6. Sport
Sadly, the era of camel racing is long past, since foetal jockeys were forcibly repatriated to their mother's wombs in Bangladesh. Today's favourite competitive sport among UAE locals is a real-life version of Sim City, where families compete to build the biggest towers, earning bonus points if they max out Construction Chaos and achieve Gridlock Level 100.

7. Entertainment
All films are banned in the UAE due to various cultural sensitivities. But never fear! Cinema halls are far from silent: being filled instead with the haunting music of the Dubai Ringtone Symphony Orchestra.

8. Communication
Rather than having the internet, the UAE has a special communications system known as the Proxy, which consists of a few outdated html documents cached in a government office. To retrieve one of these documents, sandlanders must produce residence visas, passport copies and salary certificates in quadruplicate, and pay several thousand "wasta". Once the transaction is complete they can happily scan this document into their computer, and surf away! (That's if they're lucky enough not to get the notorious "Blocked" page, which accounts for 97.4% of all html documents in the cache).

9. Tourguides
As a tourism hub, hospitality in the sandlands is second to none. Any lost-looking visitors wandering around the streets, or entering a hotel, or just driving around in their car will rapidly be approached by one of tens of thousands of charming, multicultural "hostesses" who will help them feel very welcome. (Around 300 of the "dirham" Green Shield stamps is an appropriate tip for their services, perhaps 400 if they take you on a special tour of the back alleys).

10. Miscellaneous
Watches and other time-keeping devices are illegal in the sandlands, since punctuality is a serious affront to the local culture. Hazans are sufficient to wake residents up each morning. However, expats desperately wanting to know the time can drive to the Clocktower Roundabout in Deira (or walk, which is probably quicker) and get their horological fix.

lol

Atrios and the UAE Leadership

2006-02-28T14:50:00.000-05:00

I'm always a big fan of Atrios but I just read what may be the stupidest thing I've ever seen on his site.

It's not racist to object to us cozying up with truly shitty governments. I imagine the people of the UAE might be fine people. But the people who run the country are just a bunch of shitty human rights abusing suffrage opposing terrorist hanging out with assholes.

By comparison to other countries around the world, let alone that region, on human rights the UAE is a shining example of human freedom and dignity and hardly worse than the United States where we hold people without trial and execute children and the mentally retarded.

The issue of child labor and trafficing has/is being addressed. I don't like everything that happens in the UAE but they are willing to address, and fix, human rights complaints and labor issues, if even out of embarrasment.

By the definitions being bandied about, Clinton would be a shitty leader because we executed juveniles during his term. The Emirarti have been called out on their child labor practices and have changed them, unlike us who still execute children.

The UAE is the model of what an Arab aristocracy should be in that it takes its wealth and reinvests it in the people of its nation. That they have diversified from oil, liberalized their laws and welcomed foreigners is a testament to their foresight and effort to ensure a high standard of living.

That you preface your statement by claiming the people of the UAE might be fine people just highlights your fear of looking prejudicical when a complete understanding of the facts, such as the high standard of living enjoyed by most residents, would actually serve you better.

In no sense is the UAE above criticism or scrutiny but castigating the "the people that run the country" as "shitty human beings" shows an obvious lack of knowledge about the country and the Emirs and I suspect your misconception is based in a prejudicial image of 20th century Arab dictatorship.

If you don't even know the names of the people running the country, you need to find that out first before declaring them shitty.

Michelle, Michelle "A young girl's stupid, pointless journey from Damascus to Dubai"

2006-02-28T09:50:00.000-05:00

Michelle Malkin is hard at work trying to find anything negative to say about the UAE to justify her righteous anger about ~~Muslims~~ the DPW Ports deal.

Her latest one is about a school censorship issue reported in the Khaleej Times:

Over 100 copies of the social studies text book, 'World Cultures' taught to the sixth grade children were confiscated by the Ministry of Education yesterday, for allegedly presenting Islam and the Muslim countries including Gulf states in a negative light while glorifying Israel on the other hand, Khaleej Times has learnt.

Minsitry of Education? That has an ominous ring to it. And confiscating books sounds pretty totalitarian too.

Of course, I wonder how Michelle would react if American textbooks taught American children that American soldiers were butchers and occupiers. I wonder if she would like it if the Vietcong and Muqtada Al Sadr were portrayed as freedom fighters?

Nevertheless, whatever the issue may be with the UAE's Ministry of Education, I wondered what that would have to do with the Ports deal?

I guess you could say she figures censoring the classroom is an indictment on the character of the country. Interesting. . .

John T. Scopes was convicted in 1925 of teaching the evolutionary theory of Darwin's Origin of Species in his high school class.
Ulysses was barred from the United States as obscene for 15 years, and was seized by U.S Postal Authorities in 1918 and 1930. The lifting of the ban in 1933 came only after advocates fought for the right to publish the book.
1978 the Anaheim (California) Union High School District banned George Eliot's Silas Marner and Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind, for its depiction of the behavior of Scarlett O'Hara and the freed slaves in the novel..
Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice was banned from classrooms in Midland, Michigan in 1980
1996, Merrimack, NH schools had pulled Shakespeare's Twelfth Night from the curriculum after the school board passed a "prohibition of alternative lifestyle instruction" act.

Source http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/

In this same post she also mentions the fact that DPW "participates in the Arab boycott against Israel."

DPW is running the port according to the rules set forth by the government of the UAE - rightly or wrongly. There is no reason to think that such a boycott would be in effect in our ports.

On at least three separate occasions last year, the Post has learned, companies were fined by the US government's Office of Anti-boycott Compliance, an arm of the Commerce Department, on charges connected to boycott-related requests they had received from the Government of Dubai.

US law bars firms from complying with such requests or cooperating with attempts by Arab governments to boycott Israel.

If Michelle wanted to have a rational discussion on why Arab countries boycott Israel and what can be done to end such behavoir, I'm all for it. The problem is that underneath all their outrage, the Michelle, Debbie and Charles' love it because Arab childishness allows them to sustain their bigotry and self-importance.

Michelle ends her post by saying Go ahead. Yell "Islamophobia!"

Ok, Islamophobia! You're using cultural complications as an exucse to question the security of a business deal?

We may not like much about Arab aristocracies and the way in which they run their countries but that has nothing to do with DPWs ability to safely and legally operate ports.

Until Michelle becomes an outspoken advocate for human rights around the world (and there are places that need way more attention than the UAE) she should shut the fuck up or be prepared to field accusations of racism and bigotry, mainly because she is a racist and a bigot.

Stupid Wingnut

2006-02-27T17:11:00.000-05:00

In the never ending race to the bottom, another wingnut tries to outstupid the rest:

Via TBogg, we learn of VodkaPundit:

Let's get the bad out of the way first.

An Iraqi Civil War would be a disaster. Every bit of reconstruction, every small gesture of friendship between peoples and sects, every last chance of keeping Iraq viable and whole… well, that's probably all gone. Lacking professional armies and Western ideas of shame, modern Arab wars can drag on as guerilla actions for decades. Let's not forget that in the process, a lot of good people, ours and theirs, would die in Iraq.

Western idea of shame?
Interesting

Lots of people would die?

No Shit?

Now for the good news.

If we're looking at an Islamic civil war, then vast numbers of good people will die, from Libya to Oman. Luckily, they won't have to be our people. In the very worst-case scenario, the Middle East could blow up – and we could bug out, pronto. "This is the good news?" you ask. Yes, and I'll explain why.

Christianity was a violent religion until the Thirty Years War. That war lasted so long, and killed so many people (the population of Germany was reduced by a third), that Christendom lost its bloodlust.

And nobody was ever killed in the name of Christianity again.

EU steps up for Palestinians

2006-02-27T16:17:00.000-05:00

As we have discussed previously, the Palestinians risk further hunger and degredation due to the illegal withholding of tax revenues and our governments refusal to provide aid to democratically elected governments we don't like.

Fortunately, Sweden stepped up with offers of aid to help fill the gap:

"The humanitarian situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip has worsened," the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) said in a statement, adding that it would provide 50 million kronor (6.4 million dollars) to the United Nations' aid programs there.

Now the EU will be sending additional aid too:

Europe has approved a 120m-euro ($140m; £83m) aid package to the Palestinians, in an effort to save the current caretaker government from collapse.

The aid is designed to meet the "basic needs" of Palestinians and will be distributed by the United Nations.

Russia is meeting with HAMAS this week:

Russia wanted "to maintain the peace process on the basis of the roadmap and to continue seeking solutions that are acceptable to Palestine, Israel and the international community."

Not everyone is happy about this:

A Hamas delegation is due to visit Moscow on Friday for talks with Russian government officials.

The invitation angered Israel and was seen as an attempt to reinvigorate Russia's role in Middle East peacemaking.

Well god forbid another country attempt to find peace among you fucking assholes. Excuse the rest of the world for giving a shit as your pissing contest spills blood across the globe.

Anyhow, what are we, the freedom spreaders, doing?

Well we sent Condi to the Middle East to convince the Arab states to leave the Palestinians high and dry.

Love Is A Force Of Nature

2006-02-27T15:07:00.000-05:00

Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a teardrop (sniff).

From LGFWatch comes the touching story of a lizard and his President, and a love that was betrayed:

I'm no longer a President Bush supporter
Heres a copy of an email I just sent to the White House.

Mr President

I have fought for you tooth and nail untill now. But following your support for the government of UAE to own and operate our ports, I can no longer support you.

In this war on terror, you have just set us back further than any gains we have made up till now.

While I supported you I was a proud boisterous supporter. Now I feel betrayed and sickened. You hand the keys to our country to the as sick brother of our enemy. Hundreds of thousands if not hundreds of millions will suffer for this error you have made.

You gave the keys to the equally deranged brother of our enemy, and for this I can no longer support you as my President.

You cant undo this Sir. Its symbolic of something about you that I can no longer trust. And my heart is absolutley broken.

You were my first President. The first person for whom I ever voted. I have a feeling you dont care about those like me who have fought tooth and nail to support you. I think now you will try to shame us into accepting and supporting this horrible decision. It wont work Sir, we are running away from you at a speed much greater than the power you have to explain this one away.

I would ask you to reverse your decision to sell our ports to our enemy, but I doubt you would listen.

Danny [redacted]
Lexington Kentucky
USA

The simple manlove between a lizard and his Bush being torn apart by Arabs . Perhaps in the future, our society will be more accepting of the bigotry that all LGFers hold in their hearts, but for now, Bush must walk alone on that fine line between fear mongering and suckling the oily brown teet that feeds him.

Darfur? Yeah I think I heard something about it.

2006-02-27T08:28:00.000-05:00

When not actively engaging in it, this administration sets new standards in showing indifference to the suffering of others:

Professional asshole, and incompetent sheepdog John Bolton was recently asked 10 questions by Time magazine.

U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN HAS CALLED ON THE WEST TO STEP UP EFFORTS TO STOP THE KILLING IN DARFUR. IS GENOCIDE THE RIGHT TERM FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING?

Boltons answer: Sounds right to me.

Thanks for the deep concern, asshole.

This is so typical, not just of this administration, but of a continuing policy by this government and other western nations to just not care if their interests aren't served by our involvement.

The worst of this is their little language games - the ones in which they engage in amazing feats of verbal gymnastics to avoid having to say "Genocide" because then, they would actually be responsible for doing something about it.

Bolton, being the biggest disgrace in an administration of dishonor, can't even be bothered to pretend he cares. You'ld think they asked him if he wanted soup with his dinner.

SO SHOULDN'T THERE BE A MORE AGGRESSIVE RESPONSE?

Bolton: It's easy to be casual about putting military people into play when their lives can be lost. You could end up with a lot of dead military people and not save a single civilian. I don't think that's a sign of success.

No Shit?

You would think we could look back to long ago eras like the Clinton administration and remember the price of looking away.

Of course, in Rwanda, men like Romeo Dallaire, Philipe Gaillard, Gromo Alex, Mbaye Diagne and Carl Wilkens saved the lives of thousands of people without a single weapon.

But really, how much can one wittle Bolton do?

Maybe we're better off without him caring:

There was even a point … when African countries offered [more] soldiers, and all they needed was a few trucks and some airlift to get them in. The Americans even refused to do that. … The British government and the American government -- who send their politicians to Kigali and cry over the gravesites -- these are the same countries that refused to send soldiers to stop it happening, when they knew it was happening, not just because I was telling them that it was happening. … They deliberately tried to stop countries [from] sending troops to the U.N.

I, for one, Welcome our AIPAC Overlords

2006-02-24T14:05:00.000-05:00

Richard Silverstein has an excellent, though frustrating report about AIPAC's continuing, and effective work in determining our foriegn policy.

Not content with the current Bush Administration policy labeling Hamas a terror group and refusing to meet or do business with it, AIPAC has given marching orders to its congressional minions, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Tom Lantos, who will file the most punitive and draconian anti-PA legislation ever seen in this country

As they say, go read the whole thing.

Plunging the Palestinians into further poverty and oppression will certainly curb suicide bombers, right? I can hear the mullahs now - these are the rewards of democracy.

Various Muslim coutries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia are stepping in to fill the gap left by illegal tax withholdings.

This couldn't be more perfect for us and AIPAC. Iran has also offered funding to the HAMAS led government. So when innocent lives are blown up by desperate Arabs, we'll be able to tie the money directly to Iran. Voila! Instant neo-con paradise and "The Long War" gets an indefinite extension (as if one was needed).

Just for some good news, Sweden offers some hope of rationality:

I’m delighted to report that the Swedish government equivalent of the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID) is guaranteeing the PA $4.6-million:

“According to the fourth Geneva convention, the occupying power has a particular responsibility to support and ensure the human dignity of the occupied,” [Peter Lundberg of the group’s humanitarian unit] said.

“Since Israel is not living up to its responsibility under international law, large parts of the Palestinian population are now completely dependent on international humanitarian aid,” Lundberg added.

This seems to be how liberal democracy would want to represent itself. Unfortunately we seem to prefer representatives like this:

“It’s like a meeting with a dietitian. We need to make the Palestinians lose weight, but not to starve to death.”

Glad to see we're making such progress.

2006-02-24T13:42:00.000-05:00

Innocent Man Tortured for One Year - Abu Gonzalez elated

2006-02-23T11:14:00.000-05:00

Judge dismisses Canadian deportation suit

NEW YORK -- A federal judge has tossed out a civil rights lawsuit filed by a Syrian-born Canadian man who claimed U.S. counterterrorism officials deported him so he could be tortured in Syria.

Maher Arar had sued the officials in 2004 in what was believed to be the first case challenging extraordinary rendition - the policy of transferring foreign terror suspects to third countries without court approval.

U.S. District Judge David G. Trager rejected arguments that Arar was protected by the Torture Victim Prevention Act, which allows U.S. courts to assess damages for human rights abuses committed abroad.

Trager said that as a non-citizen, Arar couldn't demonstrate that he has a viable cause of action under that statute.

Citing "the national security and foreign policy considerations at stake," the judge said Arar had no grounds in a U.S. court to claim his constitutional right to due process was violated.

Arar, 35, holds dual Syrian-Canadian citizenship and was traveling on a Canadian passport when he was stopped in New York during a layover while returning to Canada from Tunisia. He was held for 12 days before being sent to Syria on suspicion of being a member of al-Qaida, an allegation he denies.

Arar maintains that once imprisoned in Damascus, he was tortured into making false confessions of terrorist activity. Arar said he was held for more than a year in a dark, damp cell, then was released without ever being charged.

The U.S. Justice Department has insisted that it had information linking Arar to al-Qaida, that Syria promised he would be treated humanely and that shipping him there was "in the best interest of the security of the United States." Syria has denied he was tortured.

Justice Department officials were pleased with the judge's ruling, spokesman Charles Miller said.

Attorneys for the Center for Constitutional Rights, which filed the lawsuit on Arar's behalf, said the ruling set a disturbing precedent.

"To allow the Bush administration to evade accountability and continue to hide behind a smoke screen of 'national security' is to do grave and irreparable damage to the Constitution and the guarantee of human rights that people in this country could once be proud of," attorney Maria LaHood said.

Undercover

2006-02-23T08:53:00.000-05:00

I thought I would head over to Al-Muhajabah Global this morning to see what was going on with Dennis Kucinich and Wes Clark and also found this story of Georgetown student, Kerry McIntosh and her experience spending the day dressed in a full Islamic veil in Cairo.

Wearing a veil is nothing out of the ordinary in Cairo, as many Muslim women wear the “hijab,” a scarf that covers the hair. The niqab, meanwhile, is worn by fewer women and covers the wearer’s head and face completely, except for an oblong slit at the eyes (think Zorro mask meets bridal veil.) Many women who wear the niqab also wear gloves, leaving virtually none of their skin exposed.
The niqab has caused controversy in Egypt in recent years, with its growing popularity among Egyptian women of all social classes increasingly seen by many in the secular government as a sign of a grassroots resurgence of more conservative strains of Islam. Egyptian courts have ruled that the wearing of the niqab is not specified as a duty in Islam, and therefore public institutions have a right to ban it. Many private institutions have banned the niqab as well, including the American University in Cairo.
Theological reasons for wearing the niqab in Islam are complex and numerous. The increasing popularity of the niqab and other more conservative forms of women’s dress may also reflect a backlash against the Western conceptualization of feminism and the objectification of women’s bodies in both Arabic and Western pop cultures.

The niqab can also be worn for more practical reasons. In Egypt, men vastly outnumber women in nearly every public setting, and even the most modestly dressed woman on the street is not immune to the incessant hissing, catcalls and sexual comments from men.

Kerry sums up her experience:

The niqab just wasn’t me. In my first semester I had gotten so used to my role as a Western student in Cairo, in filling that piece in the intricate puzzle that is Egyptian society and in all that came with it — from the hissing and comments to the assumptions that I spoke only English — that I just couldn’t pull off such a drastic role change. I only lasted three hours in the niqab before I opted to take it off and continue exploring the market as my normal, Western self.

To wear such a covering, to present oneself in such a way, takes an incredible amount of inner conviction, which I lack.

I don't think so.

Ebert & Roeper ( & Schlussel)

2006-02-22T20:16:00.000-05:00

Debbie Schlussel has taken a transcript of Ebert & Roeper's review of two movies about suicide bombers and talks to it. . . let's listen in....

> EBERT & ROEPER
> TRANSCRIPT OF "PARADISE NOW/THE WAR WITHIN" REVIEW
> TAPE DATE: 11-16-05
>
> TELEVISED AIR DATE: 11-19-05
>
> ROGER:
> Both films show men who believe they have a divine
> mission that justifies the murder of others. Both
> films show that there is no real response to
> religious zealots who believe their guidance comes directly
> from heaven.
[DEBBIE: YES, THERE IS, ROGER. DESTROY THEM. KILL THEM. DEFEAT THEM. DON'T MAKE ABSURD MOVIES SYMPATHIZING WITH THEM AND LYING THAT WE TORTURED THEM.]

Wow, this went right to the scary part.

>And both films end in essentially the same place.
[DEBBIE: YES, BOTH HOMICIDE BOMBERS BLOW THEMSELVES UP. GEE, I'D NEVER HAVE PREDICTED THAT.]

I think she's being sarcastic, but just last week Debbie was complaining because the homicide bombers in every movie turn out to be innocent passengers.

> And both films get thumbs up from me, but
> they may not be playing in your area right now . . . .
[DEBBIE: NO, "WAR WITHIN" ISN'T PLAYING IN MY AREA ANYMORE B/C, NO PUN, INTENDED, IT WAS A HUGE BOMB--THANKFULLY.]

lol

>
> RICHARD: Yes, two thumbs up for me for the films. . . .
> And I liked the fact that these films explore
> these very touchy subjects in a very respectful manner.
> They humanize the terrorists. . . . [T]hey're really
> to show the other side of things -
> it's just giving you, I think, two very accurate
> portrayals of what terrorists go through . . . .
[DEBBIE: ACCURATE? REALLY? DID WE TORTURE THE 9/11 HIJACKERS BEFORE THEY BLEW UP 3,000 AMERICANS? "WAR WITHIN" SAYS YES, THAT THEY COMMIT TERROR BECAUSE WE TORTURED THEM FIRST. DO JEWS POISON PALESTINIAN WATER TO DESTROY PALESTINIAN SPERM? THAT'S WHAT "PARADISE NOW" SAYS--AS ONE OF ITS JUSTIFICATIONS FOR HOMICIDE BOMBINGS. DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE WORKED, SINCE THERE ARE NOW 5 MILLION PLUS PALESTINIANS ENCROACHING UPON ISRAEL.]

Intersting, seeing as when Debbie was born, Israel wasn't a country and the entire population of the area was mostly Arab. But I guess after millions of Europeans migrated en masse to the area, kicked the Arabs out and established their own country, their hanging around would be sort of pestilent. Really we ought to just "DESTROY THEM. KILL THEM. DEFEAT THEM."

> ROGER: After my print review of "Paradise Now"
> appeared in the Sun-Times I got an e-mail from
> somebody who said that I was trying to humanize
> these animals. And I wrote back and I said, "By calling
> them animals you're thinking exactly the way that they
> think about you."
[DEBBIE: AND THAT'S A BAD THING? AS OPPOSED TO THINKING, HOW NICE AND PERSECUTED THESE POOR TERRORISTS ARE, AND HOW WE SHOULD BEND OVER BACKWARD (OR FORWARD) FOR THEM AS THESE MOVIES PRESCRIBE? YEAH, THAT'LL STOP TERRORISM, ROGER.]

Roger wasn't paying attention when she said earlier "DESTROY THEM. KILL THEM. DEFEAT THEM."

>
> RICHARD: And that makes it way too convenient. It's
> like the film we talked about - about the last days
> of Hitler where he's in the bunker and you see him -
> you see - just to call these people monsters is too
> easy. Too convenient. And these films are much
> smarter than that. . . .
[DEBBIE: NOTE TO RICHARD, RE-CHECK YOUR HISTORY. WE DEFEATED HITLER AND THE NAZIS BECAUSE WE DEMONIZED THEM. WE DIDN'T MAKE MOVIES TO "UNDERSTAND" OR SYMPATHIZE WITH THEM. DUDE, GET A CLUE. NOTHING "SMART" ABOUT THESE MOVIES, UNLESS YOU'RE AN ISLAMO-FASCIST PROPAGANDIST AND GOT A JEWISH CAPITALIST LIKE MARK CUBAN TO FINANCE THE TRASH, TO BOOT.]

And the Palestinians are just like Nazis in that they're the most powerful industrial country on Earth who want to conquer lands near and far. As opposed to say, just living in dignity and independance so we must "DESTROY THEM. KILL THEM. DEFEAT THEM."
>
> RICHARD: Two very good films.
>
> Two thumbs up for "THE WAR WITHIN."
> Two thumbs up for "PARADISE NOW"

BONUS: Debbie went on Al Jazeera to discuss Paradise Now. She actually spoke to Arabs like she didn't consider them sub-human - it was a mighty impressive display of just how full of shit she really is.

That anyone would consult with Debbie about, well anything, is rather amazing, but about movies? The woman has the intellectual capacity of a wild boar. Al-Jazeera's inclusion of her on their panel shows some seriously good humor on their part, kudos to them for their tolerance and open-mindedness.

Bang head, repeat pt. MCMXVLI

2006-02-22T17:33:00.000-05:00

People constantly wonder why people around the world hate us (and if you don't, they do, and you should start asking why).

It's probably because we talk about spreading democracy and freedom, and then when the people elect someone we don't like, we hurt, hinder and harm not only the elected government, but the people as well.

As predicted, when HAMAS took over majority governance of the Palestinian parliamen, most western governments cut off aid and funding. While this, like the sanctions on Saddam's Iraq, does nothing but starve and hurt the Palestinian people, I suppose it is their right.

Israel has refused to pay back the taxes and customs it collects on behalf of the Palestinians (taxes, customs fees, and other charges paid by Palestinians). That's unacceptable, its not their money and should be paid immediately or they should reliquish the collection duties (not to oversimplify the matter, but you can read about it elsewhere). Not paying back the taxes is their decision - they have to live with their decisions every day and suffer the results or benefits thereof. They can, and will continue to blame Palestinians for the same predictable violence while ignoring the very instigations, insults, forced poverty and hunger and violence that brings it about in the first place. Pretty typical stuff really.

HAMAS, of course, should STFU and recognize Israel and get the peace process back on track, though this editorial makes a good point in that Fateh recognized Israel and it didn't get them very far (though some progress was made).

Everyone who has said the Palestinians need a Ghandi couldn't be more right, its too bad though that they need either a Ghandi or a Godzilla. They should be entitled to live independantly and in peace.

But I'm getting off track. As they should, the Arab states have been paying most of the 1.9 billion dollars in aid the PA received previously and will be stepping up payments to bridge the gap left by westerners (which should have a great effect on our relationships over there).

So what do we do? We send Condoleeza Rice over there to convince the Arabs not to send them any more money.

"I would hope that any state that is considering funding a Hamas-led government would think about the implications of that for the Middle East and for the Middle East peace process,"

I would hope they would too. As in, how long do you starve a person before suicide bombing is a comforting option?

I wonder what her cousin, Constance Rice, who is smarter, hotter and not a robot would think of this, given she has devoted her life to helping the poor and weak.

Of course, the Arab states are not going to cut off funding, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, etc. all will continue and step up payments to the P.A. which means that they essentially own that government - sweet!

But what does all this say about our real feeling towards democracy? It's pretty clear - vote how we want or "go fuck yourself." That's not really democracy and its certainly not the best way to sell it. Why do we continue to shoot ourselves in the foot?

While I can see the troubling issues for the Bush administration and other western governments, its time to suck it up and deal with HAMAS as the legitimate governing body. There is no reason to expect them to act like a respectable government if they are not treated as one.

Note: No More Mister Nice Blog discusses Condi's trip to Egypt. Sounds like she was just as successful as war-mongering soccer mom, Karen Hughes.

Update: Richard Silverstein has an excellent post related to the Israeli tax withholding issue.

Port Whine

2006-02-22T10:01:00.000-05:00

So the President is really taking a big hit over the Dubai Port World deal, described by more hysterical types as "selling our ports to foreigners."

I happen to think the President made fantastic points about the deal and good for him for his level headed thinking on this issue.

Lou Dobbs is pissed because neither the Emiratis nor DPW will give him an interview. Lou, you're a hack, non-journalist whose career revolves around agitating panic-stricken white people into a frenzy about how brown people are going to rob, ruin and replace their very existence. Being the clever opportunist, Lou takes the rebuff as badge of honor. DPW or Emirates shouldn't go on Lou's show for the same reason people who don't suck shouldn't go on Bill O' Reilly's.

Lou's CNN partner Jack Cafferty pretty much guaranteed a terrorist attack.

The usual suspects like Michelle and Charles' heads should be exploding any day now as they are conflicted between their hatred of Muslims and their love of Bush (hate wins with them every time).

Politicians are being their usual obtuse selves trying to score fear points with their constiuents:

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y.. . . believes that aside from looking if there was anything flagrant in the company's file, there is "no reason to say this is safe,"

Of course, there's no reason to think that it isn't. I guess when it comes to Arabs, guilty until proven innocent is the rule.

"Since 9/11, we have to change the way we do things," Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said Sunday. "And I just don't think any foreign company, period, ought to be running our ports."

Said the Senator from the state with Chinese owned ports.

"Most Americans are scratching their head wondering why this company, from this region, now," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., added.

Lindsey, that's because people have been acting like paranoid bed-wetters for the last few years. Thanks for pretty much stating that, yeah, its them sorts thats the problem.

Liberals like Stephaie Miller and Rachael Maddow, continue to milk this issue. Miller, barely able to stop herself from blurting out "A-rabs" when trying to explain why they shouldn't be able to complete the deal - quickly changing it to the "country involved with 9/11," (despite any actual evidence of this "fact.") Stephanie is sort of a dope but I respect Rachael a lot, but she's wrong here. Many other liberals are making a lot of hay out of this without providing much more evidence for concern beyond "it's the United Arab Emirates!"

The funny thing, especially from liberals like Miller, is that they knew absolutely nothing about the UAE or DPW a week ago, yet suddenly they're experts on the history of the UAE and how they relate to international commerce and national security? I don't think so. That's what makes this out and out xenophobic hysteria.

At least Atrios had the good sense to not act like a freeper and question if this was prejudgmental before settling into the somewhat better, "no foriegn ownership of docks" which many liberals are using in the same vein as the "free speech" argument was used in the cartoon controversy.

As an avowed leftist, socialist, Chomsky-ite, I have to say the opinions coming from the left are embarrasing, repugnant and uneducated. They range from obvious, and admitted, political haymaking to sheer ignorance and fear.

Those on the right that think we on the left would not call out our own are incorrect. The root of this problem, for me, is Schumer, Clinton, Randi Rhodes, Stephanie Miller et al.. I don't care a bit that Santorum, Frist, Malikins, Coulter or Johnson jump on this train because I have no expectations of them to represent what I consider the moral high ground that I have come to expect from this country.

The problem is that except for a very few, most of the American political left is falling for this bullshit. Those of us who can maintain rational thinking in light of an opportunity to bash Bush are far and few between. Its too bad the majority of the critics of this deal can't pull their heads out of the asses long enough to see that Dubai is becoming the economic crossroads for Europe and Asia, and it is vital to our national security and ecomomic interest to be involved with Europe, Asia, and the Middle East co-operatively if we plan on mainting our lofty standards in the world.

Dennis the Peasant has another measured and rational post, exposing both the willfull ignorance involved with this story.

Not that it mattered much. Everyone from Senator Clinton to Senator Santorum understood what was going on... This is an election year. The issue was never "foreigners". The issue was Arabs, and by extension, Muslims. It was time to play The Muslim Card. It was time to ignore the reality that port security is in the hands of the federal, state and local governments and pretend that somehow having Dubai Ports World owning six port operating leases rendered every security agency in the country – from the Coast Guard to the Port Authority of New York – helpless. Senator Schumer, as well as Senators Clinton, Santorum and Frist (to name only a few) have decided to ignore the complex reality of U.S. national security and, instead, try to score some political points by indulging in the most blatant sort of racial (and religious) profiling on the most massive of scales.

This WaPo column hits the nail pretty hard too.

But those words, like that of almost all of the others, sound, well, tone-deaf to us. For one, the deal cannot "outsource major port security," because management companies that run ports do not control security. The U.S. Coast Guard controls the physical security of our ports. The U.S. Customs Service controls container security. That doesn't change, no matter who runs the business operations.

Justin Raimondo takes on the issue point by erroneous point:

Phony reason number two is that the 9/11 conspirators funneled money through Dubai-based banks. But Dubai is the major financial nexus of the Arab world, and, indeed, is right up there with any city in the West in that regard: funds traveling from sources in the Middle East are more than likely to have come through the U.A.E. in some shape, form, or manner. Targeting DP World on account of this is like embargoing Wal-Mart because the 9/11 hijackers bought their box-cutters there.

Because I said I would report on the liberal idiocy on this issue:

Randi Rhodes just said a black tar heroin epidemic is going to overtake New York when the DPW takes ownership of the ports.

6:10 pm est - Randi is now going on about 2 yr old camel jockeys who are being starved and abused apparantly unaware that's why they developed these robot jockeys and banned all jockeys under 16. It's not like I'm defending any camel racing, or care about it one bit as long as children aren't being abused. The point is that I like Randi, but she sounds like a fucking idiot going on about a practice that has been effectively ended as if its going on today. The other point is that while the UAE isn't perfect, they are more than willing to respond to Human Rights criticisms.

Tim Dickinson from Rolling Stone makes the precient point I've heard yet:

And just what is the insinuation being made here made by the alarmists? That Dubai Ports World is somehow going to collaborate with Al Qaeda to ease the entry of a radiological device through an American seaport? That's a pretty wild accusation. By that standard, shouldn't we have already banned Emirate airlines from flying into JFK? You know, because the pilots might gladly turn the company's Airbuses into jihadi missiles?

Deep-fried-stupidity-on-a-stick

2006-02-21T13:45:00.000-05:00

Feeling a little masochistic today, I decided to see what sort of insane, disjointed expositions Debbie Schlussel has manufactured recently.

First, Debbie wonders why the UAE banned Michelle Malkin's site - was it was over her posting on the DPW sale or the Cartoon Controversy?

Personally I would think its because she's a boring hack who wants to intern everyone who looks like them, but I think her commentary on DPW could also be the reason. The Cartoon Controversy? Puhlease, the UAE isn't Pakistan, that was so last week.

Debbie goes on to say:

Regardless of the reason, it's yet another reason we can't let them control our ports. If they'll censor out her site from over there, what will they do when they are controlling vital points of entry and shipping here in America?

See by owning our ports the Islamofacists will also be given the keys to our internet machine and ban Debbie too.

Ok, my stomach isn't as stong as I thought so I'm going to skip ahead to the part where Debbie compares her 2 favorite shows: 24 and Sleeper Cell.

Debbie loves these shows for 2 reasons:

they actually show terrorists who are 1) Islamic, and 2) not sympathetic."

That's why I watch TV - for the racial stereotyping and castigation.

Debbie also says:

On this site, I've repeatedly lamented the lack of movies about terrorism in which the terrorists are 1) Islamic (as in most of real life), and 2) not sympathetic (also, as in real life).

I agree, liberal hollyweird never makes movies about Islamic radicals. Well except this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, and this one.

See, most movie terrorists aren't unsympathetic and Islamic, therefore they aren't real terrorist.

Debbie is also disappointed in her shows because they seem to be repeating each other:

But after watching last week's episode of "24" and all ten episodes of "Sleeper Cell," I noted something else: Hollywood not only won't produce many of these shows, it also is not very creative in its choice of plots and actors.

NO WAY?!? You mean to tell me the same people that make 84 different shows about a fat guy, his good looking wife and kooky kids are unoriginal?

Same plots, same actors playing Slavic Muslim terrorists. That's what you get when most of Hollywood says "hands off" regarding the truth in the War on Terror, ie., not a lot of variety and a small pool of actors and ideas.

The lack of actors who can or want to play terrorists is small and hollywood isn't very original anymore so therefore they support Islamofacism.

Well I always feel ~~kicked repeatedly in the head~~ smarter after I read Debbie - don't you?

Bonus: Elle MacPherson is a HAMAS loving suicide bombing America hater because she reads Noam Chomsky! And also she was topless on the cover (along with 10 other models) proving that she is both a whore and traitor.

Well that was fun, but I've exceeded my hysteria quotient for one day.

Why the Death Penalty is Wrong pt. MMDLXXXVII

2006-02-21T10:21:00.000-05:00

Today's story about two Doctors who refused to participate in the execution of a convicted rapist and murderer is good - any story that challanges the humanity of state sposored execution is good.

the anesthesiologists issued a statement through the prison saying they were concerned about a requirement that they intervene in the event that Morales woke up or appeared to be in pain.
"Any such intervention would clearly be medically unethical," said the doctors, who have not been identified. "As a result, we have withdrawn from participation in this current process."

The Doctors weren't questioning the morality of the execution, at least not according to their statement, but maybe everyone else should be:

Prison spokesman Vernell Crittendon said the prison has until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday to execute Morales. After that, the "death warrant" expires and officials would have to go back to the trial judge who imposed the death sentence in 1983 for another warrant.

Seeking another warrant could prove difficult for the state, however, since the original sentencing judge, Charles McGrath, joined Morales this month in asking Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for clemency in the case.

McGrath said he no longer believed the credibility of a jailhouse informant whose testimony helped land Morales on death row.
(Emphasis added)

Yes, the issues are complex, and yes I am thinking about the victim and her survivors, but the state, using a completely fallible system, is in no position to involuntarily take someone's life.

Ignoring the fact that innocent people have been executed because you think the 'victim deserves justice' is not justice and makes you no better than a murderer.

Knee Jerks

2006-02-20T10:27:00.000-05:00

Its no surprise that people like Michelle Malkin, Debbie Schlussel and others would completely spaz out over what they, per their usual histrionics, think is surrenduring our ports to a bunch of Arabs.

But as the recent cartoon controversy has shown, even 'the left' can be just as xenophobic, especially if it gives them a chance to bash Bush. I agree that no opportunity to bash Bush should be passed up, but at least respect yourself enough to get the facts right before you start yapping your gums about something you know little about and falling victim to the very fear the neo-cons use to control their own minions.

This morning, the sometimes funny, though frequently misinformed on international issues, Stephanie Miller waxed hysterical about selling our security to that terrorist stronghold, Dubai! Her and her generally astute co-host repeatedly used innuendo and aspersion about Arabs to lambaste the Bush administration. A caller, who could barely pronounce Emirates is now talking about the Saudis, apparantly unaware that S.A. and the U.A.E. are not actually the same country.

First of all, the ports were already owned by a foreign company so its not like we just up and sold our ports - we had already done that a couple of years ago and nobody made a peep about it.

Next, we're talking about the sale of a multi-billion dollar corporation to another multi-billion dollar corporation. It's a business transaction, not an operational change so the U.S. will still maintain control of port operation and security. Of course in the fear factored USA, people like Chuck Schumer can make political hay by making people believe that a bunch of guys wearing Kafiyas with AK's are going to be actually running the ports.

Then there is the question of what Dubai is about. There are probably more white, Christian Europeans living there than Arabs and the Emirate is spending unbelievable amounts of money to lure more westerners there by building all the amenities and more that wealthy Europeans expect in their vacation and retirement paradises.

Unlike most Arab countries, liqour is legal, women have absolutely no dress restrictions - miniskirts are common and gambling is said to be on the horizon.

Knowing all this you would have to assume that the very last thing the Emirates would want is a terrorist attack even remotely related to a port that is even casually connected to them, let alone owned by them.

I wonder if critics on the left and right are aware of just how westernized Dubai actually is? Or do they just hear Arab and piss themselves, either out of fear in the Capt. Ed/Michelle Malkin vein or in an effort to show what a bad job Bush is doing in the Steph Miller/ Daily Kos analysis. For all the horrible things Bush does, to blame him for this legal business transaction doesn't seem to be very reasonable. Furthermore, for all the innuendo and conjecture that the UAE was involved in 9-11, someone should be able to easily trace that money or support. I'm not holding my breath.

'Aqoul has an excellent review on the details of the sale and here is an amazing post from Dennis the Peasant who flushes out the racism and bigotry shown by both the left and right.

Richard Silverstien writes thoughtfully on the issue, complete with historical analogies.

Torture, Inc.

2006-02-17T17:21:00.000-05:00

Many people have been talking about how the newest torture pictures will make American Service men and women and civilians more unsafe. This is of course, true as this administration continues to be the best recuiters Al Queda ever had.

It doesn't matter to this administration that their torture and murder of innocent people might cause more terrorism - for them its all the better.

Most people in this country won't remember, care or even slightly be able to link an act of terrorism to these deplorable acts and even if they could they would rationalize it by saying they were terrorists or that the attrocities were not equivalent ignoring that the equivalence is not in question, just the result of an action.

I'm also sure a large segment of our population just loves these pictures. They don't consider Muslims human so its not like they have to feel guilt about them. Many are so stuck in a 9-11 revenge fantasy that I'm sure the vast majority of the Bush base just feels like this is what they deserve. Un-Christian you say? Since when did Bush Christians ever behave like real Christians?

Seeing Palestinians dancing in the street, if real, was digusting. Smirking Republicans getting off on seeing sexual humiliation is not much better. Please spare us any outrage over moral equivalency.

And our priorities

2006-02-17T14:49:00.000-05:00

RPT-US lags behind al Qaeda in propaganda war - Rumsfeld

NEW YORK, Feb 17 (Reuters) - The United States lags dangerously behind al Qaeda and other enemies in getting out information in the digital media age and must update its old-fashioned methods, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Friday.

Well as the President always likes to say "you got to repeat your message over and over again in order to propell the propaganda"

He (Rumsfeld) lamented that vast media attention about U.S. abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq outweighed that given to the discovery of "Saddam Hussein's mass graves."

Hmm, could that be because when Saddam was killing all those people you were shaking hands with him? Could it be because your administration squawked about rape rooms and torture chambers for months in the lead up to the war just to replace them with your own? Could it be that many of the mass graves were dug by US Soldiers to bury some of the 300,000 killed in the first Gulf war? You should be thanking your PNAC handbook that people have forgotten about his mass graves.

Your propaganda doesn't sell because it all smells so bad only people stupid enough to trust the RNC minions and Fox News are buying it. Sorry Rummy, but people here and around the world are too smart to fall for your bullshit forever. While Al Jazeera is showing actual pictures and videos of people being raped, beaten and killed, you telling them "from your heart" that we're bringing them freedom rings a little hollow.

How about this for a plan - if you want to keep people to trust you, stop lying to them.

Priorities

2006-02-17T14:41:00.000-05:00

I am the last person to criticize Muslims for being pissed about the Mohammad cartoons, but this is getting ridiculous:

A Pakistani Muslim cleric and his followers have offered a $1m bounty to anyone who kills the Danish cartoonists who drew caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed .

Ok let's ignore the fact that murder for hire is wrong, we can all hopefully agree on that.

Pakistan is a poor country - instead of spending a million dollars to kill people who are guilty of, at worst, being assholes, try spending that money to feed, educate and heal the people, that as a cleric, I hope he feels some responsibility for.

"If the West can place a bounty on Osama bin Laden and Zawahri we can also announce reward for killing the man who has caused this sacrilege of the holy Prophet," he said.

Yeah, killing thousands of people and drawing cartoons - about the same.

The people that drew and published the offensive cartoons were dumb, racist idiots. They have to live with their petty hatred and fears. But besides the fact that people like this cleric turn them into victimized heroes, they also continue to stigmatize themselves and justify the very reason the cartoons were offensive to non-Muslims. That is, I don't think non-Muslims could care less about whether or not Mohammad was depicted (I certainly don't), I was just offended by the negative generalization of a race or a religion, in this case in the form of the bomb/turban.

Besides the defamation to your own character and people, not only are stunts like this taking valuable resources away from actually doing something useful, it just helps increase the poverty because what western or asian business would want to do business in a place like this?

Given the Musharraf government's crackdown on radicalism, this would be a splendid opportunity to show the clerics that making international death threats is not acceptable behavior.

Do you want your country to be perceived like this or like this. Decide yourselves - don't let Danish cartoonists decide for you.

Rush Limbaugh is not a racist

2006-02-16T16:57:00.000-05:00

Well at least he seems to be color-blind.

How much oxy-contin do you have to do before you think this man is black?

Well that's exactly what Rush said today.

Apparantly Rush spent part of his daily drug induced bloviation talking about the bullshit situation where our pathetic Dem leadership asked Iraq war vet Paul Hackett not to run against Ohio Congressman Sherrod Brown (shown above, and suspiciously not black) in the Democratic primary.

Now let me say first that I am pissed that the Democratic party thinks its ok to annoint our candidates rather than let us elect them, and you would think Rush would be more than happy to pounce on just that fact.

But not this fat, drug addled, bad golf playing fucknut - here's part of Rush's comment on the situation (as re-played on the Randi Rhodes show) he starts by talking about how the Democratic party running veterans is a political manuever but then lands this little elucidation:

...and don't forget that Sherrod Brown is black, there's a racial component to this as well..

First of all, how's about that for some major projection, but also, how lazy do you have to be when you can't even Google a congressman's name before blurting out this ridiculous assertation on your radio program carried on 600 stations so fat white men can feel oppressed.

Me thinks Rush has been sharing the good stuff with his staff. Rush's staff - check out this site when you come out of your stupors - http://images.google.com/.

BTW, Sherrod is a great candidate and probably more liberal than Hackett. A bag of hair would be better than Mike DeWine, and if Brown can take his seat it would be great.

What pisses me off is that the Dem leadership says they wanted Hackett to step down because Brown has raised more money. Funny how that happens when the DNC channels all the money to Brown's campaign and pulls it from Hackett's. I think the real reason is that they're scared of Hackett, who is very vocal about criticizing the President. Instead of asking him to sit down, the Dem leadership should take a lesson from him, maybe we could actually stop fucking over this country for 5 seconds if we had an opposition party that actually opposed anything with any degree of success.

Anyhow, being a huge hypocrite, Rush freaks out over Bryant Gumbel's statements on the Olympics:

So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world's greatest athletes, despite a paucity of blacks that makes the winter games look like a GOP convention.

I admit that's rude, not to the GOP, because that is an accurate observation (though I didn't notice any athletes mocking veterans with little purple band aids), but by suggesting that black people are not in the Winter Olympics. It is also slightly, but not really, offensive to other minorities and white people. Irregardless, for pigboy to call out Gumbel as being a racist is laughable. And typical.

You just know they posted this picture of Gumbel with his hot white wife just to get the all the poor, oppressed white folk uppity and indignant.

Decency v. Degenerate Racist

2006-02-16T10:43:00.000-05:00

Tedd Rall:

Republican columnist Ann Coulter spoke earlier today to the Conservative Political Action Committee, where the audience included 1000 right-wingers including Vice President Dick Cheney. There, among other things, she is reported to have said the following:

"Iran is soliciting cartoons on the Holocaust. So far, only Ted Rall, Garry Trudeau, and the NY Times have made submissions."

She lied. I have not submitted anything to any Iranian publication. I have no intention of doing so. And I have said that in public, repeatedly.

This is the same speech in which Coulter repeatedly used the term Raghead to the enthusiastic cheers of the wannabe Nazis in attendance.

Anyhow, Rall, as most of you know is a cartoonist with enough guts to speak truth to power no matter how unpopular. While other liberals parse their words and are too scared to really speak up for the little guys Rall puts his ass on the line with every comic he publishes. He isn't afraid to call out sacred cows like our military and tackles issues of moral relatavism and questions the hypocrisy of telling Iran not to have nukes when we're the only country to have ever used them. If you haven't read him, go to his archives now.

Well about this lawsuit - at this point, Rall's attorney believes there is a viable case against Coulter but it will be expensive. Astuteness doesn't equate to money in America so Rall is seeking support of this action which could take many years and lots of money.

At this point, Rall is seeking pledges to see if a lawsuit would be financially feasible. If you can, and you support the viewpoints of Rall, and feel he should be able to speak openly without being accused of being a Holocaust Denier by loathsome racists then go over to his blog and pledge to send him some money.

Update:From Ted's blog:

Editor & Publisher magazine has an update on right-wing author, syndicated columnist and frequent Fox News guest Ann Coulter's campaign to equate my opposition to George W. Bush with anti-Semitism:

Ann Coulter, in Her New Column, Repeats Holocaust Jab At 'NYT' and Rall
By Dave Astor
Published: February 16, 2006 4:30 PM ET

NEW YORK—In her latest print column, Ann Coulter repeats the verbal statement that caused much discussion in the blogosphere during the past week and drew a threat by editorial cartoonist Ted Rall to take her to court.

Coulter, a Universal Press Syndicate columnist, had said last Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C.: "Iran is soliciting cartoons on the Holocaust. So far, only Ted Rall, Garry Trudeau, and The New York Times have made submissions."

In her latest column, posted today on AnnCoulter.com, Coulter writes that one "Iranian newspaper is soliciting cartoons about the Holocaust. (So far the only submissions have come from Ted Rall, Garry Trudeau, and The New York Times.)"

When asked for his response, Rall told E&P today: "Now it's slander AND libel." He added that Coulter's decision to repeat her remark could make his case stronger.

As E&P reported earlier today, Rall said his attorney has told him he'd have a case if he sued Ann Coulter. But the cartoonist also said he'd need to raise more funds if he's going to take legal action.

Rall -- who, like Coulter, is syndicated by Universal -- said his supporters have pledged about $7,000 so far. Asked how much he would need to file a lawsuit and pursue it to the end, Rall said he's not sure yet. The cartoonist did emphasize that if he asks pledgers to actually send money for a lawsuit, the money would go straight into an account for his attorney. Rall said he would personally not touch that account.

If he won a lawsuit against Coulter, Rall said he would give any monetary damages to a political action committee or divide the money among those who donated to fund the legal action.

Some of the e-mails Rall received during the past week accused him of "dishing it out but not being able to take it." In response, Rall told E&P: "I'm as much a free-speech purist as it comes. But in my opinion, this is not a free-speech issue. This is about hijacking my politics and trying to equate my opposition to the Bush administration with anti-Semitism and Holocaust revisionism. Ann Coulter is planting the seed among millions of readers that I'm a Holocaust revisionist, which I'm not. I'm not going to tolerate that."

Many readers take the content of Coulter's column seriously, said Rall, even if she has claimed at times to be "joking."

Coulter's current column -- in addition to repeating the line about Rall, "Doonesbury" creator Garry Trudeau, and The New York Times -- also seems to stereotype all Muslims as violent.

Not only did Coulter slander me in front of a thousand conservatives at a speech attended by Dick Cheney in Washington (the night before his hunting accident in Texas), she put it into print in her syndicated column. Make no mistake, there is a case. But this is going to cost major bucks to pursue correctly.

Insults, vitriol and snotty comments are all part of free speech. Deliberately misrepresenting a person's opinions in order to shut them up is not. What we're witnessing here is no less than a return to the tactics of Senator Joe McCarthy during the 1950s "Red Scare"—which shouldn't be surprising considering that Ann Coulter wrote an entire book whose thesis was that McCarthy was a great guy who ought to be loved and respected.

If you're as tired as I am of Republicans smearing liberals and Democrats as traitors, un-American and sympathetic to terrorism, here's an opportunity to draw a line, to say "here's where it stops." I have already raised about $7,000 through my pledge drive, but unless I receive a higher level of commitment from progressives to fight this battle I will only be able to start it. As you probably know, I'm a fighter—but I fight to win. That means all the way, no matter what it takes.

So here's the deal. I am NOT asking those who have already made pledges to promise more. What I AM asking is for those who haven't done so to step forward. Small contributions are of course welcome. What will get us there faster will be one or two people who have the financial means to do what conservatives do for their pundits all the time: commit to the long-term legal battle that will undoubtedly ensue. If rich liberals won't help those of us who are down in the ideological trenches, they have no one to blame but themselves for yet another defeat.

And you thought the cartoons were bad

2006-02-15T18:42:00.000-05:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4715540.stm

An Australian TV channel has broadcast previously unpublished images showing apparent US abuse of prisoners in Iraq's Abu Ghraib jail in 2003.

The new images show "homicide, torture and sexual humiliation", SBS said.

The Hypocrite in Cheif (HIC):

For the vast majority of Iraqi citizens who wish to live as free men and women, this event brings further assurance that the torture chambers and the secret police are gone forever.

The BBC (a real news organization, antonym of CNN) continues:

One of the videos broadcast on the SBS programme Dateline on Wednesday appears to show prisoners being forced to masturbate for the camera.
Other video footage appears to show a prisoner hitting his head against a wall.
The channel said he was a mentally disturbed patient who became a plaything of guards who practised ways of restraining him.

That's sweet, pets for our troops.

Some photos are said to show corpses. There are also images of prisoners with body and head wounds.

SBS also said it had received reports that some prisoners were killed when US soldiers ran out of rubber bullets during a prison riot and started using live rounds instead.

The HIC:

I have a message for the Iraqi people: You will not have to fear the rule of Saddam Hussein ever again. All Iraqis who take the side of freedom have taken the winning side. The goals of our coalition are the same as your goals -- sovereignty for your country, dignity for your great culture, and for every Iraqi citizen, the opportunity for a better life.

Unless we round you up and stick you in a prison with no charges where 80% of the population is innocent. Then you can prey to your false god that we only force you to masturbate at gunpoint.

US defence department spokesman Bryan Whitman said the images "could only further inflame and possibly incite unnecessary violence in the world".

Gee asshole, this isn't a cartoon - it's not the images causing the violence this time.

He said: "[The images] would endanger our military men and women."

Again, not the images - its the torture, stupid.

Analysts say the reaction in the Muslim world may depend on how widely the images are shown.

Because I'm sure Al Jazeera won't want to show them. Oh wait...

Some of the pictures have now been re-broadcast on US networks and on Arab satellite channels al-Arabiya and al-Jazeera.....The BBC's Jon Brain in Baghdad says al-Arabiya is broadcasting half a dozen of the new Abu Ghraib images, though it has refrained from showing the most shocking.

Cue Michelle Malkin, et al complaining about how Al Jazeera and the liberal U.S. Media are Bin Ladens mouthpieces, and they're doing this just to be mean to President Bush. You know, for reporting the news and all.

Don't worry Michelle, nobody's paying attention, as Gilliard pointed out, we're all too concerned about Tom and Katie. If not that then Cheney can just shoot someone else in the face.

Again, our government's real concern isn't that we torture people, that we violate international law, that we undermine our credibility and our own self-respect:

The US has said the images could only "incite unnecessary violence" and endanger US military personnel.

Too late for unnecessary violence - that point came and went with Shock & Awe. How many times did Bush wag his fingers at Saddam's torture chambers as an excuse for war - will anyone in our pathetic media bring up the sheer hypocrisy and incessant lying of this administration ever?

International credibility was shot a long time ago too, I really don't see what we can do to not have 90% of the world 1 billion Muslims hate us.

As Gilliard poster Lyrebird_in_NYState pointed out:

All these things were done in order to humiliate the victims, and I wouldn't want to see concerned media outlets adding to the humiliation.

I totally agree and its also against the Geneva conventions - something that the wingnuts scream about when Al Jazeera airs images of captured US troops but when its Iraqi prisoners the only thing they cry about is that it makes us look bad. If you walk around with shit on your face, you're going to look bad.

The story still needs to be told and this whole cabal should tried on war crimes, just like Saddam should be in front of an international court, not some kangaroo court that will ensure none of our involvment with Saddam's crimes ever sees the light of day.

Roadmap: Shoot self in foot, repeat

2006-02-14T09:35:00.000-05:00

President Bush:

Freedom is not America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this world.

Over the next four years, we'll work to ensure that the gift of freedom reaches more men and women in the broader Middle East.

Meanwhile, back in reality:

U.S. and Israelis Are Said to Talk of Hamas Ouster

JERUSALEM, Feb. 14 — The United States and Israel are discussing ways to destabilize the Palestinian government so that newly elected Hamas officials will fail and elections will be called again, according to Israeli officials and Western diplomats.

Freedom. You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

The intention is to starve the Palestinian Authority of money and international connections to the point where, some months from now, its president, Mahmoud Abbas, is compelled to call a new election. The hope is that Palestinians will be so unhappy with life under Hamas that they will return to office a reformed and chastened Fatah movement.

Ah yes, I'm sure it will go exactly like that. Who comes up with these plans? Former Three's Company writers?

Israel has also threatened to cut off monthly transfers to the Palestinians of about $50 million from taxes and customs it collects for them, once Hamas takes power.

the Hamas government could be forced to enact widespread layoffs that would scotch the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian families.

Well being even poorer and more desperate probably won't cause a problem.

The strategy of bringing Palestinians to their knees by cutting off cash could easily backfire, however, with Palestinians blaming the U.S. and Israel - not Hamas - for their growing misery.

Oh.

The Times said the idea of forcing regime change by further impoverishing the Palestinians was being discussed at the highest levels of the U.S. State Department and the Israeli government.

Freedom is on the march.

Let's hear from the Palestinians

Mushir al Masri, a Hamas spokesman and incoming legislator, said attempts to bring down a future Hamas government were hypocritical.

Sort of.

"This is ... a rejection of the democratic process, which the Americans are calling for day and night," al Masri said. "It's an interference and a collective punishment of our people because they practiced the democratic process in a transparent and honest way."

Yep

"We need a firm Islamic and Arabic position to confront this challenge," al Masri added.

Wait, that doesn't sound good

On Monday, a Hamas leader said the group would annul landmark interim peace accords with Israel from the mid-1990s.

Shit.

Well yet another shining example of democracy and freedom in action, as spread by our dear leader.

Is this a Good Idea?

2006-02-10T15:06:00.000-05:00

Via LGFWatch, we learn that Israel plans to build 'museum of tolerance' on Muslim graves.

Skeletons are being removed from the site of an ancient Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem to make way for a $150m (£86m) "museum of tolerance" being built for the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Centre.

I wonder if this will affect the roadmap?

After a week of articles and debates about cartoons, this, which is seriously wrong, gets no attention at all (and probably never will). What's sad is that the Palestinians are fighting this the right way - in the courts which is another reason that you'll never hear a lot about this. As much as it sucks, they are correct that the only time anyone pays attention to them is when they riot, burn flags and blow shit up.

Osnat Goaz, a spokeswoman for the Israel Antiquities Authority, which is carrying out the excavations, said it was common in Jerusalem to build on cemeteries. Adding that in such cases the bones were reburied, she said: "Israel is more crowded with ancient artefacts than any other country in the world. If we didn't build on former cemeteries, we would never build."

Whatever.

Doughy Pantload v. Islamofacists

2006-02-09T17:17:00.000-05:00

From Crocheted Hats Jonah puts his ass on the line for America

Jonah Goldberg knows the Islamoterrorfascists want to destroy Western Civilization and bring back the iron rule of the global caliphate, and he's not going to put up with it! Jonah is shoving fear and cowardice aside and STANDING UP to the evildoers in a way that perfectly illustrates the kind of sacrifices the neoconservative right is willing to make for our freedom:

Last night the missus and I deliberately bought some imported havarti rather than the planned cheddar.

Huzzah! It takes manly strength and fortitude to purchase European cheese! And make no mistake, this wasn't some mere accident -- Jonah deliberately bought Havarti! Jonah says for us to put Havarti on our nachos for when we watch football!

Memo to right wing jack offs

2006-02-08T15:29:00.000-05:00

If people talk about civil and human rights, and you are offended by it, then its because you are a huge fucking asshole.

If being a decent human being is disagreeable to you, then admit you are a petty, hateful P.O.S., and don't whine about other people and the greatness to which they aspire.

The Sound of Silence

2006-02-07T10:59:00.000-05:00

Over the last week five churches have been burned in Alabama. 58 in the last five years.

I'm just saying because the usual suspects that are so quick to shreik hysterically at the extremely rare incidents of violence directed at Christian churches in the middle east are ridiculously silent about this.

These same people who have made a lot of hay out of the Muslim Cartoon riots are also conveniently ignoring this little fact:

Jyllands-Posten, the Danish newspaper that first published the cartoons of the prophet Muhammad that have caused a storm of protest throughout the Islamic world, refused to run drawings lampooning Jesus Christ, it has emerged today.

The Danish daily turned down the cartoons of Christ three years ago, on the grounds that they could be offensive to readers and were not funny.

Yeah, they're huge hypocrites but they're not as bad as some of the comments I've read that try to make excuses for this.

BTW, the Iranian cartoon BS about publishing Holocaust cartoons should put the argument in context. Its not what you can do, its what you should do. That some people can't admit it is the same as what the Danes did is just sad and proves the double standard and also pretty much makes the legitimate free speech argument null and void.

Also the Iranians should just stop being assholes for 2 seconds and if you can't do that drop the whole Jew thing - its getting really, really old.

That the Iranian paper is running the cartoons for the same bullshit reason Jyllands-Posten claimed to doesn't make it right, responsible or ok. Of course I said the same thing about the Danish paper - those who didn't but are now castigating the Iranians should jump in a lake because not only are you hypocrites, you destroy the very legitimate arguments, like free speech and protecting progressive society from theological rule, that you previously hid behind.

I go, Hugo

2006-02-03T19:51:00.000-05:00

The United States has ordered the expulsion of a senior Venezuelan diplomat in a tit-for-tat move.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4679266.stm

An oil rich country with a socialist presidente who actually cares about his people? No way we're letting that bullshit go on.

I'm counting the days until Chavez has a mysterious plane crash.

The US has expressed concerns about Venezuelan democracy under Mr Chavez and about the effect of his government's military purchases on regional stability.

However, the governments of Sudan, China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia - all cool.

Khartoons

2006-02-02T10:21:00.000-05:00

Over at The News Blog, Steve Gilliard perfectly nails the cartoon intifada currently going on in Denmark and the Middle East here and here.

Sadly some of his commenters are ignoring the reality of the situation and the right of Muslims to boycott, demonstrate and show their displeasure with the cartoons in any non-violent way. Many have already attached violent crimes to this debacle even though no known violence has yet occured. Still others have taken to the usual routine of castigating the Muslims as ungrateful and repressive animals who should shut up or "return to their shitholes."

Mostly though the issue has been about free speech and censorship. Many who are hiding behind this excuse have also tied this censorship exclusively to Muslims, pretending such things do not happen when Christians or Westerners are offended.

Um, no, Christian groups and our own government voicing their displeasure or calling for boycotts are plentiful and common. Just today we get these gems:

Via AmericaBLOG:

The Joint Chiefs of Staff just sent a menacing letter to the Washington Post over a cartoon.

Via Atrios:

Christian ministers were enthusiastic at the early private screenings of "End of the Spear," made by Every Tribe Entertainment, an evangelical film company. But days before the film's premiere, a controversy erupted over the casting of a gay actor that has all but eclipsed the movie and revealed fault lines among evangelicals.

. . . .

Kevin T. Bauder, president of Central Baptist Seminary in Minneapolis, stated in a Jan. 13 entry: "Granted, we must not overreact. And it would probably be an overreaction to firebomb these men's houses. But what they have done is no mistake. It is a calculated strategy."

(my emphasis)

People get pissed off by almost anything in this country. Let's stop pretending that Muslims getting pissed by what truly are quite offensive cartoons is something exclusive to their religion.

Lune Toons

2006-02-01T09:50:00.000-05:00

It looks like other European newspapers are reprinting the Danish cartoon that have upset some Muslim leadership and led to calls for boycotts and demonstrations.

I totally agree that no religion should be allowed to infringe on free expression, whether that be Muslims trying to stop papers from portraying images of Jesus to Christians or Jews protesting movies like "Last Temptation of Christ" or "Passion of the Christ."

But on the other hand, if you intentionally go out of your way to 1. portray their prophet knowing it is against their custom and then 2. make sweeping generalizations about the Muslim religion being extremist bombers then you're sort of an asshole and should expect people to be pissed.

The Jyllands-Posten apologized on Monday, saying it regretted offending Muslims. It said it had not broken Danish law by printing the cartoons, however its editor said Wednesday that he would not have printed them had he foreseen the consequences.

How much forsight does it take to forsee that Muslims would be offended by drawing an image of Mohamad and dipicting his turban as a lit bomb?

Personally as long as no violence is called for against Danes then I don't see a problem with calls for boycotts, but buring Danish flags in demonstrations probably doesn't help the image problem that led to the cartoon in the first place.

We Are Fucked

2006-02-01T09:04:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Peace activist Cindy Sheehan was arrested Tuesday in the House gallery after refusing to cover up a T-shirt bearing an anti-war slogan before President Bush's State of the Union address.

So now you can get arrested for wearing a T-Shirt?

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

Update: Matt Drudge being the huge fucking asshole that he is, had to quickly point out that a man was removed from Clinton's impeachment hearing for wearing a T-Shirt.

click to enlarge

Matt, like other pathetitic right-wing assholes, always have to equate the jack booted thuggish actions of the current admin to Clinton. Like usual, they are wrong:

The man at the Clinton trial was not arrested
The man at the Clinton trial was wearing a shirt during a trial that said "Clinton doesn't inhale, he sucks."

The only way this would be comparable is if Sheehan wore the shirt to Bush's war crime tribunal.

Update: Read what happened in Cindy's own words at the Daily Kos. It's even more unbelievable than you first thought.

I had just sat down and I was warm from climbing 3 flights of stairs back up from the bathroom so I unzipped my jacket. I turned to the right to take my left arm out, when the same officer saw my shirt and yelled; "Protester." He then ran over to me, hauled me out of my seat and roughly (with my hands behind my back) shoved me up the stairs. I said something like "I'm going, do you have to be so rough?" By the way, his name is Mike Weight.

This shithead, who this wanton bigot linked to, thinks he has parsed her speech. Here's a sample (I parse him in green):

She says, "I am speechless with fury at what happened . . ." and then proceeds to speak for another 18 paragraphs, 57 sentences.

Figures of speech confuse wingnuts

She says, "I did not wear it (a protest T-shirt under her jacket) to be disruptive, or I would have unzipped my jacket during George's speech." She could not have unzipped it during the president's speech because she was arrested 45 minutes before the speech started.

Timelines also confuse wingnuts. Obvious to everyone else in the world is that she would have waited until Bunnypants started his speech before unzipping her jacket.

She says that as she was being fingerprinted, "That's when the enormity of my loss hit me. I have lost my son. I have lost my First Amendment rights." Her son Casey was killed April 4, 2004 in Iraq. Her activities, from the protests outside the Crawford ranch all last summer to last week's appearence with Hugo Chavez and his stooge Harry Belafonte where she called George Bush "the greatest terrorist in the world" and "10 times worse than bin Laden" have been well documented. But, she just then (last night) realized her loss?

Once again, no dumbass, she probably meant for the first time that evening or the first time in a while or the first time in conjuction with the realization that her son died for naught seeing as the fucking freedom that the troops are allegedly fighting is gone.

Well that's enough of him. They really are that dumb, but this is a shining example of how incapable these people are of comprehending anything that doesn't come in the form of a RNC talking point.

Ward Sutton nails it as usual

2006-01-31T12:09:00.000-05:00

http://villagevoice.com/news/0605,sutton,71959,9.html

Oscar, the Gay Terrorist

2006-01-31T11:00:00.000-05:00

As I caught the Oscar nominations for best picture this morning on the way out the door, I was really, really happy to see that a couple of my favorites from the last year were nominated and I knew it would just make Debbie's day too.

The nominees for best picture are:

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
CAPOTE
CRASH
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK
MUNICH

Ok I've only actually seen Crash and Good Night, but since the other three really piss Debbie off I have to assume they are thoughtful, intelligent films worth seeing and I will see them as soon as I have a spare 6 hours or so (excuses, excuses).

I think Syriana should have gotten into this group, but at least George Clooney got nominated for Supporting Actor which also pissed Debbie off.

Debbie mostly rants about Munich because apparantly its an epic terror-loving, Israel-hating tome. I seriously doubt this is the case, and the reasons Debbie gave previously for not liking it are her usual list of fluff reasons like "the terrorists were good looking," and "the terrorists daughter played piano." Yeah, she really is that shallow. Debbie also hates it because the characters are complex. She hates when things aren't black and white - Israel good, Arabs bad. The funny thing here is that it is the Mossad agents that are complex. Like most other media covering anything Israel/Palestine, the Israeli side is usually portrayed as having complex emotions about having to take the violent actions they are forced into by barbaric Arabs who are unconflicted, automatonic killers. Most people would think that this would be pro-Israeli. Not Debbie, she's such a psychotic she thinks everyone's against ~~her~~ Israel, when at best the film is usually described as 'fair' and 'thought provoking.' In talking to some who have seen it, the Palestinians are not treated very fairly, though in a film about the Munich Olympics it would be hard to do that.

Debbie's also pissed because Paradise Now, another film she thinks validates terrorism, has been nominated for best Foriegn Film. I want to see this movie so much. It's a complex film that takes the viewpoint of two would-be suicide bombers who decide not to carry out their mission. You would think a movie that promotes not blowing up civilians would be a good thing, but not Debbie, she thinks its a pro-terror thesis mostly because the would-be terrorists are nice looking!

Of course she hates that Brokeback received 8 nominations because gay people shouldn't be allowed to be portrayed in film and its a personal insult to America that they are. Transamerica was also nominated. This movie is about a pre-op transexual. Why people like Debbie are so self-absorbed to think other people's personal lifestyle preferences (in a work of fiction, no less) are an affront to them, let alone any of their business is beyond me, but Debbie is a cunt so we shouldn't really be surprised. What is surprising is that she had no comments about Capote.

She didn't say anything about Crash but we can rest assured that she hates multi-culturalism so this is also another example of how "Hollywood Loves Islamic Terrorists! Especially Palestinian ones." If you think that makes no sense, please remember who we're talking about and ask yourself since when did 'sense' have even a casual relationship to Deb.

Where the Buffalo Roam

2006-01-31T10:12:00.000-05:00

Debbie posted a hiliarious column recently about how a recent study showing Indigenous Americans have an ear wax type more like Asians than Europeans proves that they migrated here from Asia.

But the study also found that "Native" Americans have dry ear wax and body odor similar to Asians, proving they migrated here from Asia.

Er, well I don't think that is actually proof, as much as I would say it is further evidence to support that theory. I would think a lawyer would be able to make that distinction, so I posed that question to Debbie in her comments section. My comment was something along the lines of:

I would think a lawyer would be able to discern between Proof and Evidence

I can't check what my actual comment was because it seems that Debbie deleted it. That seems a little thin-skinned, for a lawyer.

Debbie, like all hysterical freaks who like to act tough is just a thin skinned baby in reality. The list of these types are endless but it starts with George Bush and works its way down to fat trolls like Dean Esmay and the Charles Johnson.

Anyhow, here's the punchline to Debbie's post:

So who did THEY steal the land from? Somebody else, obviously. Yet, no "Dances With Wolves" and "Into the West" from Hollywood about that.

Yes, she really is that stupid.

Jusitce is served...poison

2006-01-30T17:06:00.000-05:00

Well at least in the violent fantasies of toxic transvestite, Ann Coulter:

"We need somebody to put rat poisoning in Justice Stevens' creme brulee," Coulter said. "That's just a joke, for you in the media."

Haha, Ann's so funny.

Hey Ann, I think we should guillotine your head off and shove it up your bony ass. LOL, just kidding!!!!!

Spreading Democracy

2006-01-30T09:07:00.000-05:00

After trying to interfere in the recent Palestinian elections, and failing miserably (what else is new), the chimp brigade is now going to punish the Palestinian people for not voting for who we wanted them to.

LONDON, England (AP) -- The United States wants other nations to cut off aid to a Hamas-led Palestinian government, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said ahead of an international strategy session on Mideast peace prospects.

Rice ruled out any U.S. financial assistance to a Hamas government.

Whether or not the U.S. or any other country provides financial assistance to Palestine or anyone else is not really my contention. What amazes me is how this government claims to love freedom so much, yet throws a hissy fit everytime something they don't like happens.

It's amazing that the morons running this country couldn't forsee this happening, but if you really want to spread democracy, as El Presidento Bunnypants keeps claiming he wants to, then you have to take the good with the bad.

You also have to allow these people to figure out what works for them. Maybe HAMAS will provide good and legitimate leadership, maybe they won't, then according to democratic principles they'll be voted out (though it isn't presently working here). Its not as if other political parties in the past didn't get into land struggles early in their conception.

And as we discussed earlier, it's a tad bit hypocritical of Israel to get in wad over this since they were instrumental in founding HAMAS.

Let's be honest here. The issue is NOT that HAMAS has been invovled in terrorism. The issue is that we didn't get our puppet and Condi knows there is no way that they can control an organization like HAMAS.

When this admin gets its head out of its ass and realizes everything they touch turns to shit a real peace process might develop, but that is unlikely since all parties involved are more than happy to maintain power via fear and violence.

This is what happens when you meddle in things that are none of your business.

Conflicted, Confused and Clueless

2006-01-27T16:29:00.000-05:00

You have to wonder how people like Debbie Sclussel, who hate both Muslims and gay people, would respond to:

a decision by the Bush administration to back a measure introduced by Iran denying two gay rights groups a voice at the United Nations.

In a vote Monday, the United States supported Iran's recommendation to deny consultative status at the United Nations' Economic and Social Council to the Danish National Association for Gays and Lesbians and the International Lesbian and Gay Association, based in Belgium.

Full Story

Clearly in Debs case she hates Muslims way more than gays, and would be more than happy to act as if she cared about gay people as long as Iran was involved in something hateful against them. Other, more evangelical types would probably more conflicted in their reactions. I would imagine the Pat Robertson/Jerry Falwells of the world heads are exploding right now (which is why they have to stick them so far up each others asses).

BTW, Fuck Off Iran, some of us are trying to have a civilization here. And a double Fuck You to George Bush and John Fucking Bolton, you stupid pieces of shit. Stop pretending like you bring anything of value to the civilized world.

Making Your Own Bed

2006-01-27T14:40:00.000-05:00

As the wingnuts freak out over the 'Hamas election' LGFWatch points us to an interesting article which describes how Israel actually help fund Hamas' beginnings.

Israel and Hamas may currently be locked in deadly combat, but, according to several current and former U.S. intelligence officials, beginning in the late 1970s, Tel Aviv gave direct and indirect financial aid to Hamas over a period of years.

Israel "aided Hamas directly -- the Israelis wanted to use it as a counterbalance to the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization)," said Tony Cordesman, Middle East analyst for the Center for Strategic Studies.
Israel's support for Hamas "was a direct attempt to divide and dilute support for a strong, secular PLO by using a competing religious alternative," said a former senior CIA official.

See what happens when you meddle in other people's affairs?

some in Israel saw some benefits to be had in trying to continue to give Hamas support: "The thinking on the part of some of the right-wing Israeli establishment was that Hamas and the others, if they gained control, would refuse to have any part of the peace process and would torpedo any agreements put in place," said a U.S. government official who asked not to be named.

The right-wing thinks that Palestinians refusing the peace process is a good thing, in case anyone was confused about the real intentions of the right-wing (both in Israel and here).

I wonder what Debbie would think of all this?

Actually I don't really care, since she would just stick her head in the sand and yell "Muslims Bad" over and over again.

On the HAMAS victories, even though we all know it elevated her blood pressure about 100 points, she's playing it cool in a post she titles On HAMASastan & "Democratic" Elections in the Muslim Mid-East.
(Debbie's big joke is to put 'STAN' after everything, isn't that original and hilarious?)

You can go read it if you have a strong stomach and don't mind reading a small, petty woman flinging around racial slurs mixed with half-truths and biased interpretations of a culture she hates or just let me sum it up for you: Arabs are animals who can't handle democracy, they're all terrorists so it doesn't really matter who wins, and Israel will be persecuted no matter what happens unless we kill all lots of Arabs (how many, you ask? she'll let us know).

Not so fast

2006-01-27T09:15:00.000-05:00

Debbie Schlussel took a break the other day from her near continous caterwauling about how oppressed ~~white people~~ she is by evil-doers to point out that Canada elected a Conservative. That Canada's conservatives are more liberal than our Democrats isn't something Debbie is going to concern herself with, or more likely isn't aware of.

Poor Debbie, looks like Stephen Harper is no Tony Blair:

Harper showed little hesitation in slapping down U.S. envoy David Wilkins for making critical remarks about Conservative plans to boost Canada's presence in the far north.

"The United States defends its sovereignty, the Canadian government will defend our sovereignty," Harper told reporters during his first news conference since the election.

"It is the Canadian people we get our mandate from, not the ambassador of the United States."

People like Debbie confuse conservative with ass-kissing the United States or Israel. Sorry Deb, that's not how it works.

Simple Schlussel should probably just stick to vilifing Muslims.

Happy Birthday Renee

2006-01-24T23:31:00.000-05:00

I love you, and hope to spend many more birthdays with you.

The Beast's Beasts

2006-01-24T15:53:00.000-05:00

Via Tbogg,

50 Most Loathsome People in America, 2005

Seriously, this is a must read but if you can't here are some highlights:

41. Charles Krauthammer

Charges: Considered an intellectual authority among neocons, Krauthammer, like his colleagues George Will and Tony Blankley, really only presents a passable facsimile of gravitas, substituting vocabulary for intelligence, mischaracterization for argument, and intolerable haughtiness for authority. The fact that this wanton fascist’s opinions are not only considered fit for mainstream consumption, but among the cream of the conservative crop, is a maddening indictment of both the media and conservative movement.

Exhibit A: Posed a hypothetical scenario involving 9/11 ‘architect’ Kalid Sheikh Mohammed to advocate legalizing torture, when the actual Kalid Sheikh Mohammed was actually tortured without any such legislation.

Sentence: Lockheed-designed bionic exoskeleton he receives from Dick Cheney in exchange for opposing stem cell research goes berserk, ignoring Krauthammer’s excited protestations as it uses its powerful titanium arms to pulverize his loved ones and donate his life savings to Hamas.

34. Scooter Libby

Charges: Known as “germ boy” within the administration for his obsession with creating panic over biological warfare in order to facilitate huge government vaccine purchases and alter markets to the benefit of big pharmaceutical industry stock holders like Rumsfeld, George Shultz and himself. Sound familiar? A high-level fall guy, responsible for leaking what was in the interest of profit, not leaking what wasn’t, and barking on cue to produce the noise of governance without the drawbacks of actual governance.

Exhibit A: “The Aspens turn in clusters,” or something.

Sentence: Raped by bear.

25. Paris Hilton

Charges: Won’t go away. A head so empty, the rails of coke that sustain her must dissipate in clouds around her ears; this residual high the only explanation anyone would come within five feet of her. Brainless, her spinal cord defies physics, like an Indian rope trick. Her Carl’s Jr. commercial, while an uninspired approximation of eroticism, was still hotter than her actual “sex” tape, in which she only made noise when she wasn’t screwing—that’s not hot. Squints inexplicably for photo ops, suggesting even minimal focus is beyond her. Her continued success as a celebrity famous for nothing, despite the eerie resemblance she bears to the inbred banjoist from Deliverance and a lack of talent so profound that others become duller as they approach her, indicates that something is fundamentally wrong with humanity.

Exhibit A: Somehow, everybody in America knew that this completely pointless person had lost her dog, and we are all diminished by the experience.

Sentence: Locked in a room with a high steel ceiling which lowers a centimeter per hour, until she either solves a Rubik’s cube or is crushed; whichever comes first.

16. R Kelly (ed. - For R.B.)

Charges: As if videotaping himself urinating on an underage girl wasn’t bad enough, Kelly decided to follow up by inflicting the worst piece of music in American history upon the public consciousness. Kelly claims he is a genius for squeezing out what are so far 12 installments of his “hip hopera,” “Trapped in the Closet” like so many virtually identical turds, with no variation in musical content and a story line so patently terrible that it soon became the subject of a parody-frenzy involving Saturday Night Live, South Park, Mad TV, Jimmy Kimmel, and the Upright Citizens brigade, among many others. Even his good songs all seem to be about fucking underage girls.

Exhibit A: Seriously—pissing on an underage girl.

Sentence: Trapped in a closet. Eventually dies of thirst.

15. Karl Rove

Charges: A greasy pig whose only distinction in life is his total lack of decency. Rove is decidedly not a genius; he is simply missing the part of his soul that prevents the rest of us from kicking elderly women in the face. His admirers have elevated fanatical, amoral ambition to the status of a virtue, along with lying, cheating, and negligent homicide, all in the name of “values.” Quite possibly the worst person in the worst White House in American history.

Exhibit A: “As people do better, they start voting like Republicans - unless they have too much education and vote Democratic, which proves there can be too much of a good thing.”

Sentence: Lowered head first into oil refinery smokestack.

5. Tom Delay

Charges: A politician so horrible, his prior career as an exterminator constitutes fratricide. Smiled for his mug shot like it was a campaign poster. Asked three young Katrina evacuees, “Now tell me the truth, boys, is this kind of fun?” One of an elite handful of white Americans still engaged in the time-honored tradition of screwing over Indians. Responding to a request he extinguish his cigar in a restaurant in accordance with federal regulations, Delay replied, “I AM the federal government.” Claimed that there was “no fat left to cut” from the federal budget to offset New Orleans reconstruction costs. So arrogant in abuse of power that he doesn’t even take time to construct plausible lies.

Exhibit A: Explaining his failure to enlist during Vietnam: “So many minority youths had volunteered…that there was literally no room for patriotic folks like myself.”

Sentence: Bashed to death with hammer.

2. Dick Cheney

Charges: At the forefront of nearly every administration effort to anihillate the constitution. A true psychopath with only one motivating force; insatiable greed. Insists that we can only remain "free" through torture, spying and secrecy. Bears the crooked ugliness of a man whose entire life has been devoted to a senseless pursuit of power, and whose most effective weapon is a total lack of ethics, or even decorum. So cartoonishly evil he defies parody.

Exhibit A: “I think they’re in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency.”

Sentence: Strapped to chair; eyes removed with melon baller. Nursed back to health. Lips sewn to a rubber hose connecting him to a 500 gallon nutrition shake. Nursed back to health. Fingers, hands, toes, feet, nose and genitals devoured by hungry pigs. Nursed back to health. Legs and arms ground to stubs with belt sander. Nursed back to health. Fitted with earphones that play only Christina Aguilera songs, and left alone to think about what he has done.

Oh heck they're all dead on accurate - just go read the whole thing, you'll feel better.

Supporting the Troops

2006-01-23T15:17:00.000-05:00

Interviews and internal company documents revealed that both Iraqi civilians and occupation troops at a U.S. military base in Iraq were exposed to contaminated water last year.

Who would do such a thing you might ask? You get one guess, but here's a hint - the Vice President continues to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars a year from this company in 'deferred salary'.

Well surely it was an accident you say? Yes, of course, and in these times competence is completely unrelated to performance.

But what really puts the Halliburton stamp on this story is this:

Halliburton employees couldn't get their company to inform camp residents

A cover up?

First time the problem was reported was by water expert, Ben Carter, to Halliburton officials on March 24, 2005 - an "incident report" from tests he performed the previous day.

"It is my opinion that the water source is without question contaminated with numerous micro-organisms, including Coliform bacteria," Carter wrote. "There is little doubt that raw sewage is routinely dumped upstream of intake much less than the required 2 mile distance.
"Therefore, it is my conclusion that chlorination of our water tanks while certainly beneficial is not sufficient protection from parasitic exposure."

Carter submitted his resignation in April after Halliburton officials refused to take any action to inform the camp population.

He told company workers at the base in Ramadi that they would have to notify the military. "They told me it was none of my concern and to keep my mouth shut," he said.

I found this story on Al Jazeera.com (not the same as the TV station).

Was it on CNN?

Click image to enlarge

Fox?

Click image to enlarge

Yeah right.

I guess the poisoning of the troops and the subsequent cover up don't register as stories of note in the liberal media.

Fox is busy covering something about a Spongebob lawsuit, probably to stop him from being gay.

Are the chickenhawk war bloggers who profess so much love and support for the troops on this story? I don't know, and I can't check until my biohazard suit is back from the cleaners

Compassionate Conservatives

2006-01-23T14:35:00.000-05:00

Conservative reaction to the killing of at least 14 civilians in Pakistan including women and children range from "too bad" to "its a good thing."

"Now, it's a regrettable situation, but what else are we supposed to do?" Sen. Evan Bayh

um, get your intelligence right before blowing up 3 different houses, maybe use ground forces? If you can't do that maybe pretend like you care a little bit.

Segregationist Trent Lott added:

"I would have a problem if we didn't do it."

John McCain:

"We apologize, but I can't tell you that we wouldn't do the same thing again."

Now if we thought terrorists were hiding out in a London suburb or even in a Riyadh palace, would we be indiscriminately firing missiles into civilian areas? Fuck no. Being poor in Pakistan doesn't get you any more decency from these people than being poor in New Orleans. If you're a shade darker than mauve and don't have a gold plated toilet you're not just expendable, you're worth killing to make a point.

psst, if you want to find Osama, check the basement of the White House.

Speaking of conservatives, Ward Sutton looks to the future of political debate

Super Bowl XL

2006-01-22T22:05:00.000-05:00

Seattle vs. Pittsburgh

This should be a great matchup of two teams that dominated their championship games today. As a Browns fan I hope to see the utter humiliation of the Squealers. It won't happen, but I have 2 weeks to hope that it does.

BTW, does anyone else really dislike the extra week between Championship Sunday and the S.B.?

A Great Idea

2006-01-22T21:11:00.000-05:00

Christiane Amanpour Day