Exchange of Political Views

Thanks to Pat Fields and to Adamaria Francis:

Dear loving Friends of the Heart,

In a recent issue, Boone Posey wrote about some minority political feelings. We feel that we owe it to our readers to give both sides of a controversial issue; but we also owe them a response to every serious inquiry, or any serious challenge.

Thus, we have written the following letter to you, our peace-loving
friends:

[NOTE:] We will place the original letter in quotation marks, and our responses will be outside the marks:

"Dear Barbara,

Over the past few months, I have read your contribution to this newsletter, and I have a few comments. I wish that this type of political comment were a part of this newsletter, as it was intended, I believe, to be a forum for positive and more spiritual banter and good information."

Yes, we do work hard and consistently to keep the uld ["Universal Love Digest"] spiritually relevant. Spirituality implies positivity, but our real world is not some "Pollyannish" dream without negativity. Exposing negativity is a part of the positive path.

The areas that appear political, on first glance, are really not about mere politics at all, but about spiritual principles. We know that the shame and greed of foolish leaders is against not only our country, but crimes against ecology and humanity. They are truly spiritual concerns.

They need to be exposed. And spiritually educated people need to be introduced to these lies, crimes, and acts of horrible violence. Exposing lies and liars has always been a part of truth-teaching. [Jesus set a good example in Matthew 23.]

"I believe it has been used as a political 'soap box' for too many things."

We have tried hard to "cut down" the number of articles that we share with you, our beloved efamily, with the public, and with other friends. We have had much to say about the interfaces between politics and compassion-- especially when the never-elected administration has broken all the rules of decency, resulting in the deaths of four thousand American girls and boys, and perhaps, a million others, including women and children.

You say that "too many things" have been considered in the ezine. But, actually, in the tens of millions of books written about politics and morality, we have considered only one subject: The failure of the present administration, which claims to be "Christian," to live up to simple and clear guidelines of compassion, and to serve greed. That is not many, but only one subject!

For us to keep silent about these issues would make us appear as apathetic, or even supportive of evil-- which we will never be!

"And most of these political statements is to trash our President."

He might well be your president, but he is not mine. I have had no president since the year twenty-hundred.

And those sound and solid, fact-based criticisms were elicited by his behavior. Very few have turned against bush because they simply don't like the man. Instead, he has become the primary representative of greed, of corporation-rule (a definition of "fascism"), division, murder, and general hatred. His policies have made America the most feared country in the world, according to 71% of Europeans. The Europeans and other foreign people have come to hate America, once the "light upon a hill" to the world. For the U.S., under bush, has actually invaded a third-world country, and a very poor one, to steal its oil for a few rich bush-cronies. Do gallons of oil really cost gallons of blood?

"I admit that he made some mistakes and is not one of the best leaders we
have had,..."

It is good as a reality-test that you can at least create some agreement in your heart about this. Jimmy Carter expressed the shared thought of tens of millions of Americans when he said that bush was "the worst president in history."

From the beginning, he was a man unfit for leadership. He has proved beyond the shadow of any reasonable doubt that he is incompetent, inept, and woefully ignorant.

"but I think he deserves some respect in the fact that he still is our President and the office alone deserves some consideration and respect."

Until this monstrous administration began to ruin the environment, give corporate welfare to giant corporations, and to murder American children for oil, I would have agreed one hundred percent with you.

This is a common, and tired, old argument: "If you don't respect the man, at least respect the office." But this is a very fine, and often impossible, distinction. For, during any administration, the officer is the office, for all practical terms. As I was growing up, I went to a public school; in that school, we were drilled thoroughly to be patriotic, to love and respect our country. We were taught to honor the office of president above all. And I did greatly honor it, until it was
revealed that a rich daddy could buy the office for mere bucks, and then, lie it in the lap of an uneducated, ignorant, and foolish son. Any office that can be "bought" does not deserve our respect-- much less, the profound respect that virtually everyone used to share for this high office. And when the office becomes the source of policies and laws that are anti-ecological, anti-economic, and anti-middle class, it is no longer possible to respect that office.

"I don't agree with war as a solution to any problem..."

Well, then, once again, we are in agreement. But can you not see that by supporting a "war-president," you are in fact supporting all the blood, agony, and torture, rape, and starvation that inevitably comes with any war?

"...but he did what he did because of the advisors around him,..."

What a false and manufactured argument! Bush has grandiosely reminded us, more than once, that he is "the decider." You are, for some reason, trying to clear the record of this man, who is more criminal and thief than president. He himself brags continuously about how he personally made all the important decisions. He sees some of his most horrible mistakes as a "legacy," about which he is very concerned. And he should be! Although he is parading around the country, blowing his own trumpet, boasting of what a "great president" he was, no one is really taking this blow-hard seriously. He has worked hard to cultivate the worst record in history; every time that he could have made a major error, by making the wrong decision, he did make that wrong decision.

"and so we are into two wars."

Yes, this is part of the bush legacy. He has made it clear that he would be doing just fine if we entered a third war, in Iran. The man is psychopathic. (He does not have a conscience.) When five hundred thousand women, children, and innocent men die agonizing deaths, they are just numbers on a report to george. His anti-ecology proves that he has no respect for life, and his eagerness for war proves that he does not know the value of human life either!

"The original war, with Afghanistan, was to retaliate for the attack on 9-11,..."

Maybe. But the bin Laden family had close economic arrangements interwoven with bush's own bank account. One of bush's companies even made fire-arms, making war profitable for both him and Cheney (big-buck connections with Halliburton). War was a delightful win-win! Except for all those inconvenient dead bodies. But they really didn't matter; they were "only" bad guys, "only" Muslims.

So, bush, for money, refused to attack the Middle Eastern country responsible for 9-11, which was Saudi Arabia. No, too many bucks from bush and company's personal bank accounts. But to appear "tough," he attacked a pitifully puny country with a rag-tag "army" whose "soldiers" were sometimes twelve-year-olds!

"and the Iraq war, was to keep the spread of support for Al-Quaida (sp?)..."

When george was told, by a reporter, that Al Queda (Al Chaida) was not even in the entire country of Iraq until the U.S. Invasion, do you know what he nefariously said? He said, "So what?"

"For all the wrong decisions he made, he still has keep the terrorists on the run, and they have not been able to launch another attack on our soil, since 9-11."

This is a tired and wearisome argument, but it says absolutely nothing about bush's competence or incompetence. It is a medal to be pinned, not on george's chest, but on all the hundreds of thousands of women and men in law-enforcement and national protection-- people who carefully did their jobs, often while george slept, or went on another of his interminable vacations to Crawford, TX.

"Now, the future Obama administration has already said that they will slacken up on the security of this country, by not tapping anyone's phones, or keeping a close eye on suspected terrorists groups in this country."

You seem to be missing the entire point that people are willing to sacrifice their rights in order to feel safe. But, in sacrificing their human rights, they also sacrifice mine. Ben Franklin said that if one were willing to give up her freedom in order to be "safe," then she deserved neither safety nor freedom. Bush has voluntarily and deliberately trashed even the most sacred political document in our
history, the Constitution, only because it was convenient. His profile is one of a dictator, not an elected president. He got away with an administration polluted and corrupted with scandal, bribery, dishonesty of many kinds, and a general attitude that the common person did not even matter. All who mattered were his "crony-buddies," the oil-billionaires, plus the billion--dollar corporations. In all of his legislative history, bush never once stood up for the common man, but did so
repeatedly for the corporations. Far from being "a man of the people," he was the perfect "corporation man."

"He [Obama] will be putting us in more danger by doing this and he doesn't think it is a bad decision."

First of all, you have no proof that Obama is adopting, or considering, any legislation, or any action, that will make the common person less secure. If Obama can raise our level of respect as Americans, if he can open diplomatic relations with Middle Eastern countries, then Americans will be safer than ever-- on their own soil, and around the world! For bush has made it clear that he hates all Middle Eastern peoples, and all Muslims, and so they naturally despise him. A president whose middle name is "Hussein" might do wonders for American International politics. The texture of the geopolitical map is going to change; and it is so pitiably ugly, destructive, anti-human, and irrational that it almost has to get better!

"He has also chosen a man to head up the CIA that has no experience in this type of responsibility, and would probably mess it up worse than it was when the Clintons were in the White House."

Not everybody agrees that the FBI was in worse shape when Clinton was in the White House; many say that it became worse, and weaker, under the lawless attitudes of bush and co. At any rate, when it comes to appointments, let's please keep in mind two principles: 1) Almost never is it possible to "hook up the perfect person wit the perfect job." Everyone is imperfect; everyone lacks education and/or experience in some areas. And 2) You can never please all the people all the time. Even the very best of presidents will, from time to time, have less than ideal people working for her. This is where the art of forgiveness interfaces with politics. In time, we all must learn to forgive even george.

"I hope and pray that the new President will succeed in leading this country on a peaceful path, and show great leadership in solving our economic crisis."

We are in fullest agreement here, my friend. Obama has been left a huge pile of unsolved problems; the stacks of paper are ten feet tall!

"I want him to have every success and hope he governs like he said he would in his campaign, by reaching across the aisle to show cooperation with both parties in Congress."

His history in working with Congress is very promising.

"But, I think he has already made some bad decisions in his choices for his cabinet, and this has shown that he may be in for some long and hard confirmations from the Congress."

Congress is notoriously difficult to please, as it should be, in a polycultural society. But Obama has a fine way with words, and has even written a couple of books. If you have not read them, they do come highly recommended!

"I could be wrong about this, but I think there will be some controversy about the new cabinet and how well they can perform their duties."

No doubt; every new cabinet in history has stirred controversy-- often, not surprisingly, from the losing party. There has never existed a "perfect president," "perfect Congress," or "perfect cabinet." But Obama is, so far, surrounding himself with people largely of wisdom, well-educated, and with shining reputations for integrity. There are no perfect people on this planet, so let us be careful not to demand perfection! But when an honest cabinet replaces the likes of Cheney and Rice, that very honesty can lift our country together into a new feeling
of hope and optimism.

"As you can probably tell from all I have said, I lean toward the republican side of the political spectrum."

Yes, your lean to the right is a part of your pattern of selfexpression. But beware the tendency of rightwingers to see only themselves as right, and to paint all disagreement as "unpatriotic or even "evil."

"I did vote for McCain/Palin, as I thought they had a better chance of achieving the change in Washington that we needed."

Unfortunately, and a bit amusingly, John McCAin stole the theme of "change" from Obama. Johnny, you will remember, first ran on a ticket of "experience," until the inexperienced and comical Palin got on board!

"I hope that Obama will do a good job, as I have said before, and I will support him in his efforts where I can."

I think that this is a healthy and rational decision.

"I also hope that any decisions made about our national security will be made with the utmost of care and that we don't end up fighting the terrorists on our soil and possibly having a major conflict right here in our own back yard."

I am certain that Obama shares this concern, as do the hundreds of thousands trained in emergency-management, law-enforcement, military strategy-- in other words, the large ocean of people who will still be carefully guarding Americans against fanatics and crooks.

"A lot more Americans will be in danger and we will suffer more losses than we ever did on 9-11."

Yes, that would be true; but, at the moment, this is nothing but science-fiction. So, let's keep our heads, and not panic! Terrorists have their reasons for attacking America; but so far, the reasons not to attack have been stronger and more valid. (This has almost nothing to do with who is president, btw.)

"I hope you and your supporters have given this some thought."

Of course we have. We are not idiots! My friends, if anything, are more intelligent, educated, and observant of the world-situation than are average people.

"Fighting on our own soil will change the whole picture of this 'war on terror'"

Yes, but let's always remember that it has not happened. It is the negative illusion, the favorite scare-tactic, of some rightwingers-- nothing more.

"I just hope that the liberals won't do away with gun ownership before this happens."

This is another matrix-threat of the right. They have an almost "armageddonish" approach to the future, bathed in blood and horror. In this scenario, everyone grabs as many dried bananas as she can, and shoots with her handy little machine-gun anyone who threatens her bananas. And there are always "hordes" of mobs trying to get her bananas! It's all just bad science-fiction.

"I have carried on long enough, but wanted to reply to your comments, both the recent ones and the past ones. I feel this country is one of the best in the
world to live in."

I, and most of my friends, might surprise you when we agree with you. We also love America. The right has no monopoly on this, whatever they tell you about those "evil liberals who hate our country." This is sheerest nonsense, and anyone who is a "liberal" or who has "liberal" friends will deny this false accusation. In fact, it can be strongly argued that we progressives care more for our country than those who care only for dollars. For those on the right, anything can be justified-- war and ecological ruin, for example-- if it brings in enough dollars. This utter consumption by materialism and bucks is a major disease that severely infects the Republican Party. Until they relax a little, and loosen up, they will continue to drive away the young, and anyone else with a conscience. (Did you notice that almost everyone in the McCain/Palin crowds were white and old? There's a reason for this!:)

Anyway, we progressives are not from another planet. We share the strongest values with most Americans. We believe in the sacredness of life; kids should not be murdered out of greed for gold, nor should others.

We are delighted with the great blessings of this country; in fact, the way that we celebrate that freedom is by speaking our minds. Those who celebrate freedom, and yet, would like for the progressive side to shut up and sit down are mere hypocrites. For the founding fathers and mothers of our country were often "radical liberals," from the vantage point of the Crown. And, at any rate, they lived-- and died-- so that all voices could be heard.

We love and treasure our country so much that we work every day to preserve laws that guarantee liberty. We also work to save our country-- its ecology, clean air, and pure water. There are no better ways to love one's country.

Joy and Peace,

the staff of the uld

Exiting Iraq isn't fraught with danger

Thanks to Barbara Baty.

Exiting Iraq isn't fraught with danger
Wednesday, December 3, 2008 3:22 AM
By ANDREW OLDENQUIST

The problem of how to exit Iraq recalls for me a scene from the movie Gandhi where, at a table with high-ranking British officers in 1947, Mohandas Gandhi is asked how in the world the huge British military and colonial establishment can leave India. Gandhi replies, "Put them on boats."

We are constantly told that if we leave Iraq precipitously, Sunnis and Shiites might fight forever or Iran occupy Iraq's Shiite south.

What of it? How about a little more national self interest? I'm not one who waves the flag at every opportunity, but I recommend waving it now. We have been spending about $3 billion a week on Iraq. The tab is nearly $1 trillion since we invaded that country in March of 2003.

If we must choose between exacerbating the recession in the U.S. and Iraq falling into chaos, let it be chaos in Iraq. Our government's commitment to Iraqi democracy cannot compete with its obligation to our own people's homes and jobs. Even if the United States didn't confront its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the case for leaving Iraq quickly would still be strong. Invading Iraq never had anything to do with fighting terrorism, nor are we obliged to continue a war simply because we started it.

Neither must we fight until we "win," whatever that means, lest our fallen soldiers have died in vain. They performed their duty and are properly honored, whatever the future course of the war, which is also why those Support Our Troops bumper stickers offend logic. The troops follow their orders; they do not make war policy. Supporting them requires respecting them, equipping them with properly armored vehicles and ensuring they receive first-class medical care back home. It does not require supporting our government's war policies.

Let us get our priorities right. What happens to Iraq is less important to America than the state of our health-care system, our education system and our economy. Gambling at $3 billion a week plus future casualties that a stable democracy will form is well below the threshold of sanity: Even if we win, we lose because it is not worth those costs. The odds are poor that Iraqi democracy, such as it is and assuming it lasts awhile, will influence Iran, Syria, Jordan or Lebanon to become more democratic than they already are.

Iraq deserves no more from us than any other country in the Middle East, or in the world for that matter. And in the long run what happens in the Middle East will have little to do with our military action in Iraq.

It is said that if we leave Iraq without establishing a stable democracy we will be seen as foolish and irresolute, which will shame us and embolden our enemies. So the conclusion is that abandoning Iraq would jeopardize our national interest by embarrassing our country.

A little thought shows that this argument is self-serving sophistry. It is less about what benefits Iraq or America than it is about the reputation and honor of American office-holders.

One's country could be hit by a plague, invaded or financially ruined; these harm one's country. But blame, shame, dishonor and mistakes apply to individuals, not to countries.

Thus when our leaders say leaving Iraq without victory would be a concession of failure and irresoluteness, this shows that their fear of personal blame has more of their attention than does the good of their country. They are not trying to spare their country criticism, they are trying to spare themselves criticism. At most, blame or disdain can be toward a country only by temporary proxy via its leaders and it is washed clean when they leave.

Blame and shame for failed policies lie only with individuals; pretending that the country itself is at moral risk is just a device to justify large, long-term military action. Our country is not stuck with the problem, the officials who are to blame for it just need to leave. As for material harm to our country, it is continuing and only quitting Iraq will end it.

There is no such thing as a nation's honor or dishonor, there is only the honor or lack thereof of individuals, who take it with them when they leave. It is time to wish Iraq well and come home. It is far away, their problems are different from ours and we have expensive, more pressing business here.

Andrew Oldenquist is professor emeritus of philosophy at Ohio State University.

The "Old Testament" tales and Iraq

Thanks to Mick Gallagher.


*******

One of the great crimes committed against the people of Iraq was the looting of the Baghdad Museum and the destruction of many important ancient sites inside Iraq.
As the drums beat for more war in Iran, there is a valid concern that Iran's ancient archeological sites face risk of destruction. I agree. And more to the point, I think that destruction of ancient sites is deliberate policy.

Egypt is literally littered with the ruins of the ancient temples and palaces of her rulers. As much as has been found, it is estimated that only one-third of Egypt's archeological wonders have been uncovered. A newly discovered temple was uncovered while digging a sewer line, and a cache of finely preserved mummies was literally stumbled over by a cow in a pasture.

Iraq's ancient heritage was enshrined in its ancient sites and museum. As a result of the war, many of those sites have been damaged or destroyed. Part of the ancient city of Ur now lies underneath a US air base runway. The treasures of the museum have only partly been recovered. The treasures from the looted archaeological sites have been scattered to the world.

Now we take aim at Persia, and as the illustrations in this National Geographic article show, there is a rich cultural heritage of artifacts and ancient sites facing the bombs.

All of this wealth of archaeological treasures must, of course, annoy Israel. We are reared, from birth, with "Old Testament" tales of the greatness of the ancient Israelites, of the powerful kingdoms of Solomon and David, and the first temple. Yet Israel, while rich in antiquities, is almost totally devoid of artifacts from this supposedly glorious time in her history [c. 1000 BCE]. The existence of the fabled First Temple was supported with just two artifacts, a carved staff ornament in the
shape of a pomegranate, and the Jehoash tablet. Both of these artifacts have been exposed as frauds. We are told that once there was a magnificent temple on that hill, but it "all went away." The wonders emerging from the soil of Egypt, Iraq, and Iran serve as a constant reminder that ancient buildings of such a scale... simply do not vanish without a trace.

There is considerable reason to suspect that the tales told in the Hebrew Scriptures are just that-- tales. The Bible is not science; it is the collected stories of a primitive tribal people telling each other how important they are. And like fishermen talking about the won that got away, or Ramses with his temple carvings of the did-not-really-happen victory over the Hittites at Kadesh, the writers of the ancient testaments assumed that the people they were telling stories to had no way to verify the claims for themselves. So, "embellishment" was a low-risk activity.

We do know from the available archaeological evidence that the Exodus probably actually happened to the Hyksos, not the Israelites. We know that the story of Moses is suspect because no Egyptian princess would hide a Hebrew child inside Pharaoh's household, then give the kid a Hebrew name ["Moses" is actually an Egyptian title meaning "Prince" and is included in the names of many Pharaoh's names such as Tut-Moses, Ah-Moses, Ra-Moses (Ramses, etc.)] But a good story is a good story and the writers of the ancient texts were probably not thinking much further into the future than the guys who pen the "Celebrity dates space alien" stories you see at supermarket checkout lines. The fact that the celebrity is a real person does not prove that the space alien exists. It's just a story.

But, over time, entire religions with attendant wealth and power structures have been built on the premise that these Biblical stories really happened exactly as written. And today, here in the twenty-first century world, technology has started to catch up with these ancient legends and call many of them into doubt.

So, for a nation that justifies its existence on the writings of the Old Torah, the plethora of sites and artifacts confirming the ancient histories of Egypt, Iraq, Iran, etc., must seem a dire political threat for a nation whose own ancient history seems to have left little if any traces.

In that context, the strange behavior of the US military, which posted guards around the Iraq oil ministry, while leaving the Baghdad museum unguarded, suddenly starts to make sense, if the supporters of a very insecure nation decide that leveling the archaeological playing field is preferable to allowing the obvious disparity in archaeological proofs of claimed ancient histories to stand clear...!
*******

A Nightmarish War

*******

Today is March 19, 2008. That means that today is the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq. I am not one of those extremists, who can be both dangerous and wrong, who say that the U.S. is always wrong, that it is the "big bad guy."

But in this case, the U.S., a military giant, did attack pre-emptively, a third-world country. (Among its "soldiers" were twelve-year-olds.) The U.S., in other words, began this war. That in itself is indefensible.

During the war, its aftermath, and in conflicts, skirmishes, and other extenuating circumstances, it has been estimated that a full one million people-- many of them women and children-- have been murdered during the "shock and awe" of this nightmare. Also, four thousand American girls and boys (never to become women and men) have been slaughtered. These will, tragically, never again kiss their mothers or hold their babies.

They will never contribute a penny to the struggling American economy; they will never make important discoveries that could help the world.

They will never again do anything on earth. Each of these four thousand could have changed history for the better.

And, on top of those Americans murdered senselessly by this war, there are tens of thousands who have suffered permanent and irreversible injuries-- including many serious, incurable brain-injuries. These will live the rest of their lives in hell-- in institutions and/or in bodies with brains that no longer serve them.

And, speaking of the struggling economy, in which two million plus families are being thrown out on the street (73% are African or Hispanic American), this nasty, wasteful, destructive war has sucked a full one trillion dollars from the American economy! That is one thousand billion, or one million million, dollars! This is enough money that the government could afford to send you, me, and each and every other American man, woman, and child a check for over three thousand dollars!

It is also enough to rebuild most of our roads, bridges, schools, libraries, and other infrastructure within our country.

So, in terms of both human and financial resources, this war has been hideously expensive! Nothing can un-do the horrors created by it, or its irreversible effects on millions of lives.

As george bush's recent defense of torture proves, war is the opposite of Love. We need to embrace in Love our Middle Eastern sisters and brothers, not to label them "enemies," and then, slaughter them!

In the end, we must ask, Why was this war even begun?

A couple of viable and reasonable answers are suggested by the available
data:

The war did rid our planet of a cruel dictator. But why was this dictator selected from among the dozens of others that stain our world? Simple: He put out a contract on the life of george bush, sr. This is never mentioned, but it was a major reason, imperialism aside, for the war. The incompetent georgie wanted to make sure that his daddy was not in trouble.

Also, secondly, there was the weird fantasy that, if the U.S. could grab the land, its leaders would own the oil beneath it! So, they grabbed the land, expecting to get millions of barrels of free oil, which bush and his buddies could sell for a whopping, immense, gigantic profit! (They will not rest until we are all paying $10 for a gallon of gas.) It was as if the naive attackers/invaders actually believed that the whole population would welcome them with garlands of roses! It was as if they believed that there would be no resistance, no so-called "insurgents,"
which might be called "patriots" in Iraq. (If this country were invaded by a greedy foreign country, would not our "best patriots" resist with everything that they've got?)

It was because of these two, and other, sick fantasies that the American people were lied into this nefarious and greedbased war. And it was the "commander-in-thief" himself who lied us into it. For bush cares nothing for Americans generally; he cares,and has always cared, for only the very rich, and for corporations, as well as for his own bank-account. (He has become enormously, but secretly, very wealthy as president.)

So, the U.S. started a war; it did it for all the wrong reasons; and it ruined the economy in order to pay for it. Our children's children will look back on us, laughing and crying, and wonder what plague of insanity infected our brains that we could ever have stupidly followed a very stupid leader into an extremely stupid war.

Let us think, meditate, and pray seriously over this matter. For thousands of girls and boys have paid the ultimate price for the greed of a few old men. And that is so very sad that words cannot even express it.
*******

Stories from Alternative News

Thanks to Mick Gallagher.

thepeoplesvoice.org Newsletter
092107

A Fed Panic and a Massive Bailout of American Banks Paid For by the Entire World - Rodrigue Tremblay

"Manias, panics, and crashes are the consequence of an economic environment that cultivates cupidity, chicanery, and rapaciousness rather than a devout belief in the Golden Rule." - Peter L. Bernstein, Foreword to Manias, Panics, and Crashes (4th ed.) by C. P. Kindleberger

"In a crisis, discount and discount heavily." - Walter Bagehot (1826-1877), British economist

AMERICA, THE ONCE FREE - Peter Fisk

I have grown sick, embarrassed and, ultimately disillusioned with what
has happened to my country. The United States of America- at one time
those five magical words mesmerized both citizens and foreigners alike.

ORB Survey And 1.2 Million Iraq Deaths Ignored By Australian And Anglo-American Media - Dr Gideon Polya, Countercurrents

In February 2007, as we approached the Fourth Anniversary of the US-UK-Australian invasion of Iraq, I published an article in Countercurrents entitled "US Iraqi Holocaust and 1 million Excess Deaths". I detailed and documented the following horrendous circumstances in Occupied Iraq:

"as of February 2007:
(a) the accrual cost has been $2.3 trillion;
(b) there are 3.7 million Iraqi refugees;
(c) the post-invasion excess deaths (avoidable deaths, deaths that did not have to happen) total 1.0 million (ONE MILLION);
(d) post-invasion under-5 infant deaths total .6 million;
(e) there were 1.7 million excess Iraqi deaths associated with the Western-imposed 1990-2003 Sanctions War;
(f) there were 1.2 million under-5 year old infant deaths in the 1990-2003 Sanctions War; and
(g) Coalition deaths total about 3,360."

It is now September 2007. And after a further SEVEN months of US-UK-Australian war and occupation, the horrendous human and economic cost has inevitably increased.

George W. Bush's Thug Nation - Robert Parry, Consortium News

It's said that over time, Presidents-- especially two-termers-- imbue the nation with their personalities and priorities, for good or ill. If that's true, it could help explain the small-minded, mean-spiritedness that seems to be pervading the behavior of the United States these days, both at home and abroad. On a global level, the world reads about trigger-happy Blackwater Security contractors mowing down civilians in Baghdad, the U.S. military killing unarmed people under loose rules of engagement in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and the CIA rendering suspected Islamists to secret prisons or to third-country dungeons where torture is practiced. Inside the United States, too, a police-state mentality is taking hold.

ACTION ALERT: Stop the Unconstitutional 'Protect America' Act - Michael Boldin

The single largest anti-Constitutional contribution to the Bush Regime by the Protect America Act (PAA) is its effective cancellation of legislative and judicial oversight on warrantless wiretapping. It authorizes open-ended surveillance of Americans' overseas phone calls and emails without a warrant. When this bill was signed into law on 08-05-07, legislative and judicial power in the executive branch instantly grew by several orders of magnitude. The Constitution's separation-of-powers principle had its arms ripped off.

09/20/07

Condoleezza Rice: saleswoman of lies - Palestinian Information Centre, From Khalid Amayreh in occupied East Jerusalem

Condoleezza Rice, the unglamorous American Secretary of State, arrived in Occupied Palestine on Wednesday to promote the putative American-proposed peace conference, slated to take place in November. Rice will meet with Zionist political and military leaders in an effort to convince them to show some flexibility vis--vis the so-called core issues that define the Palestinian question. These include, inter alia, ending the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 as well as finding a solution to the plight of nearly five million Palestinian refugees brutally uprooted from their homes by Zionist terror when Israel was created six decades ago.

Bush Speech on Iraq and Democrats on Impeachment - Stephen Crockett

Since George W. Bush is completely ignoring the views of both the vast majority of American citizens and the majority of the members of Congress concerning the ending of the Iraq War, impeachment hearings should be started. Bush will not conform to democratic norms. He will not respect public opinion or democracy. There are plenty of reasons to hold immediate joint impeachment hearings for both bush and cheney.

THE END OF AMERICA - THE POLICE STATE IS RIGHT HERE - RIGHT NOW - Carolyn Baker

As nightfall does not come all at once, neither does oppression. In both instances, there is a twilight when everything remains seemingly unchanged. And it is in such a twilight that we all must be aware of change in the air--however slight-- lest we become unwilling victims of the darkness. - Justice William O. Douglas

Wolf's just-published book, The End Of America: Letter Of Warning To A Young Patriot,... offers an even fuller picture-- a succinct and engaging explanation of how our civil liberties have been hijacked in the past decade. It is the most poignant, powerful, genuinely patriotic piece of literature I have encountered since Thomas Paine's Common Sense. No wonder then, that the book's cover greatly resembles that 46-page tract by Paine written in 1775-- as well it should.

Bush Nominates 9-11 Zionist Judge as Attorney General - Christopher Bollyn, Truth Seeker / Rumor Mill News

It is widely reported that george w. bush will nominate former Manhattan federal Judge Michael [Bernard] Mukasey to replace Alberto Gonzales as attorney general. With the fraudulent "War on Terror" in full swing and with 9-11 cases in legal limbo, this is a critical appointment at a crucial time. As I had expected, bush has appointed a radical Zionist with close ties to the State of Israel. Mukasey, if confirmed as U.S. Attorney General, will protect the Zionist state and its agents who are suspected of involvement in the false-flag terror attacks of 9-11.

The Crushing of Fallujah - James Petras, Global Research

The mass propaganda media has taught the US public to believe that the extermination of thousands of Iraqi citizens is in their best interests: they can sleep sound, as long as 'our boys' kill them 'over there'. Almost the entire population of Iraq is opposed to the US military and its puppet regime--yet the media refer to the patriots defending their country from the imperial invaders as "insurgents," minimizing the significance of a nation-wide patriotic liberation movement.

I am reading William Shirer's Berlin Diary, a journalist's account of Nazi political propaganda during the 1930's, as I watch the US 'news' reports of the violent assault on Fallujah. The US mass media 'reports', the style, content, and especially the language, echo their Nazi predecessor of 70 years ago to an uncanny degree. Coincidence? Of course! In both instances, we have imperialist armies conquering
countries, leveling cities, and slaughtering civilians-- and the mass media, private in form, state appendages in practice, disseminate the most outrageous lies, in defense and praise of the conquering 'storm troopers. Call them SS or Marines. Both in Nazi Germany and the contemporary US, we are told by the mass media that the invading armies are "freeing the country" of "foreign fighters", "armed terrorists", who are preventing "the people" from going about their everyday lives. Yet we know that of the 1,000 prisoners there are only 4 foreigners (3 Iranians and 1 Arab); Iraqi hospitals report less than 10% of foreign fighters. In other words, over 90% of the fighters are Iraqis--most of whom were born, educated, and raised families in the cities in which they are fighting.

Bush, Iran, and Israel's hidden hand - Kathleen and Bill Christison, Redress Nuclear hypocrisy in the Middle East

Former CIA analysts Kathleen and Bill Christison argue that a US and/or Israeli attack on Iran to bring about regime change and strengthen US and Israeli dominion over the Middle East is likely to take place before the Bush administration leaves office unless a concerted effort is made to impeach bush and cheney. The internet is loaded these days with reports of the inevitability of a US, or a US-Israeli, attack on Iran. Some writers allege that the attack is imminent. Others, including the writers of this article, argue only that the attack will happen sometime before January 2009, when the bush administration leaves office. Many of these stories have by now been picked up by the mainstream media. In fact, it is probably safe to say that today, a majority of the traditionally cautious and so-called respectable foreign policy experts in the US think it is at least possible that bush will attack Iran before he leaves office.

Palestinian Propaganda Prize for Israel- Nicola Nasser

The inter-Palestinian war of words and the mutual violations of the freedom of press and expression by the Hamas - led government of Ismael Haniyyeh in the Gaza Strip and the Fatah-led government of Salam Fayyad in the West Bank have presented Israel with its biggest propaganda prize that is overshadowing the violations of human rights committed by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT).

Nablus Fierce Battle Killed & Injured Israeli State Terrorist Unit - Hiyam Noir, PalestineFreeVoice

Gaza City September 18 2007: Invading Israeli State Terrorist units launched wide scale attacks into the Al-'Ayn refugee camp in Nablus in two stages on Tuesday morning. In the first incursion, more than fifty Israeli armed vehicles stormed the camp just before dawn, and imposed a curfew. Members of the Israeli State Terrorists units seized four Palestinians and blasted through the walls in the alleys between the buildings, trespassed through Palestinian territorial land - and stationed themselves inside Palestinian homes.

George W. Bush: The Quiet Dictator - Irregular Times

As of this week, the bush administration's descent into totalitarian depravity has reached a new low so despicable that even a few Republicans are beginning to criticize it. It was revealed this week that the bush administration is planning to keep people as prisoners for their entire lives, even though there is no evidence that those people have committed any crime against the United States. The lack of evidence against these people is so striking that the American government does not even have enough grounds to bring them before a form of military tribunal that has been set up by George W. Bush precisely for the purpose of evading the standards of justice set by the United States Constitution.

Bush Must Be Impeached for this Criminal War

Thanks to Mick Gallagher.

BUSH MUST BE IMPEACHED FOR THIS CRIMINAL WAR
*******

Cindy Sheehan marches, soldiers speak out, and momentum builds for September 15th

Click here to vote in the referendum to Impeach Bush!

The response has been overwhelming to the September 15 March on Washington D.C. With the help of you and thousands of others, we can make the call for the impeachment of bush and cheney resound throughout the land.

September 15 is the date that General David Petraus, representing the bush administration, must report to Congress on the Iraq war. The eyes of the world and national media will be on Washington, DC as bush tries to spin this criminal endeavor in Iraq one more time. We are mobilizing with the anti-war movement to ensure that the demands of the people are heard loud and clear. Bush must be impeached for this criminal war, which was based solely on bold-faced lies to Congress and to the people.

Between now and September 15, there will be a series of high visibility actions demanding: Impeach Bush and Cheney. Cindy Sheehan and others are in the middle of a dramatic march from Crawford, Texas that will arrive in Washington DC on July 23. Cindy will lead a march on July 23 from Arlington Cemetery in nearby Virginia to the House of Representatives. They are insisting that the elected officials initiate Articles of Impeachment. ImpeachBush.org is mobilizing support for this action. Cindy is posting her blog for the Journey for Humanity at the ImpeachBush.org website.

Veterans for Peace and many Iraq war veterans will also be organizing through the summer and playing a major role in the September 15 March on Washington.

The war in Iraq stands as one of the great crimes of the modern era. We, the people, must act with all of our energy to end the war and to impeach bush. This is not a partisan political act. It is a constitutional imperative.

As Ramsey Clark, in his appeal to the impeachment movement, wrote on July 2:

"-- US violence has brought death to hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and physical injury to millions.

Hundreds of billions of dollars in property destruction caused by U.S. aggression will take decades after peace to rebuild.

2.2 million Iraqi's, nearly one in ten, have fled their country to foreign exile, refugee camps and a doubtful future; while at least 2 million more have fled their homes and communities to furtive lives of quiet desperation, to inadequate housing within Iraq, without jobs or schools.

3/4's of the people do not have safe drinking water.

Iraq's internationally acclaimed and free health care system is a shambles.

Since "Shock and Awe" began in March 2003, infant mortality in Iraq has increased radically to the highest death rate of all nations.

Iraq is the most unstable country in the world.

The sight and sound of violent death has created a pervasive state of constant devastating fear.

It must be clear to every informed and thinking person that bush has no concern for human suffering, truth, freedom, democracy, peace, justice, human rights, or the Constitution of the United States. His words and acts are designed only to increase his personal power and achieve his personal agenda and that of those who share his goals and hatred."

On September 15, 2007 Iraq war veterans and their families will be in the front ranks of the demonstration. It is no wonder that they have turned against bush and cheney.

The New York Times reported in a major front page story on Sunday July 15 that soldiers and marines and their families, even those who had earlier supported bush, have turned decisively against the administration after having witnessed first hand what the war is really about.

"Among military members and their immediate families who responded to a national New York Times/CBS News poll in May, two-thirds said things were going badly, compared with just over half, about 53 percent, a year ago. Fewer than half of the families and military members said the United States did the right thing in invading Iraq. A year ago, more than half held that view, according to a similar poll taken last July.

"The New York Times: For some, the Army's efforts have come too late. Penny Preszler, 46, a furniture refurbisher in Phoenix, said she had stopped wearing red on Fridays as she had done for the past year to honor the war effort. "It was when my son started saying he wished he could be injured so he could come home," Ms. Preszler said.

"There was no pride left in his voice, just this robotic sense of despair," she said, describing a telephone conversation with her son, Skyler, 24, an infantryman on his second tour of duty in Iraq. "Mom, we killed women on the street today. We killed kids on bikes. We had no choice," she recounted his saying.

The same week, she said, her son told her he thought he had seen the worst when he had to pick up the body parts of his dead buddy, but then he saw an Iraqi boy picking up "what was left of his dead father."

We are printing 500,000 leaflets, flyers, and stickers, and setting up outreach committees for the September 15th March in Washington all over the country. We are renting buses to bring people from around the country for the demonstration. We are planning newspaper ads. All of this costs money. The struggle for justice and for government accountability will not be funded by Corporate America. It depends on you and the commitment of thousands of people who understand the stakes.

Please donate today by clicking this link

We can organize, arouse public opinion, and raise funds over the summer to bring a massive turnout on September 15 in Washington DC, demanding Impeachment and an end to the war.
If you want to be listed as an endorser and supporter of the September 15th demonstration, you can do so by clicking this link.

**********************
Click here for the ImpeachBush Resource Center.

Why Virginia Tech shootings happened

A Statement from the International Action Center
Why Virginia Tech shootings happened

Yet another rampage has occurred at a school, this time leaving 33 people dead at Virginia Tech — the worst such incident ever at a U.S. college campus.

The news media seem stunned and surprised, yet their coverage sounds so similar to the stories about Columbine eight years ago. They dwell on the personality of the young man the police say did the shooting, before killing himself. They talk about him being a "loner," depressed, perhaps angry at women.

But aren’t there lonely and depressed people all over the world? Many countries have high suicide rates. Why is it that here some become mass murderers?

The U.S. is the world leader in seemingly random acts of violence by individuals. Why?

President George W. Bush rushed to Virginia to speak at a large convocation the day after the killings and tried to set the tone for what could be said about them. "It’s impossible to make sense of such violence and suffering," he said.

Don’t ask why, don’t try to understand. It makes no sense. "Have faith" instead, was Bush’s message.

But there ARE reasons these things happen here, and they are pretty clear to the rest of the world. It’s just in the United States that no one is supposed to talk about the reasons.

What distinguishes this country from the rest of the world? It is neither the most affluent nor the poorest. It is neither the most secular nor the most religious. It is not the most culturally homogeneous nor is it the most diverse.

But in one area, it stands virtually alone. It has the biggest arsenal of high-tech weaponry in the world, way surpassing every other country. It has military bases spread all over; most countries have no troops outside their borders.

It is conducting two hot wars at the moment, in Iraq and Afghanistan, and has sent hundreds of thousands of troops abroad over the last few years. Every day, the public here is supposed to identify with soldiers who burst into homes in Baghdad, round up the people and take them away for "interrogation"—which everyone knows now can mean torture and indefinite detainment.

It also sends heavily armed "special ops" on secret missions to countless other countries, like the ones who just facilitated the invasion and bombing of Somalia, or the ones who have been trying to stir up opposition in Iran. This is documented in the news media.

The immense brutality of these colonial wars, as well as earlier ones, is praised from the White House on down as the best, the ONLY way to achieve what the political leaders and their influential, rich backers decide is necessary to protect their world empire. Do lots of people get killed? "Stuff happens," said former war secretary Donald Rumsfeld. "Collateral damage," says the Pentagon.

At home, the U.S. has the highest rate of incarceration in the world. Over 2 million people are locked up in the prison system each year, most of them people of color. When commercial armed security guards are also taken into consideration, the U.S. has millions of employees who use guns and other coercive paraphernalia in their jobs.

In the final analysis, the military and the police exist to perpetuate and protect this present unjust system of capitalist inequality, where a few can claim personal ownership over a vast economy built by the sweat and blood of hundreds of millions of workers.

And the more divided, the more polarized the society becomes, the higher the level of coercion and violence. Assault weapons are now everywhere in this society, as are Tasers, handcuffs, clubs and tear gas. They most often start out in the hands of the police, the military and other agents of the state, and can then turn up anywhere.

Violence is a big money maker in the mass culture. Television, films, pulp novels, Internet sites, video games—all dwell on "sociopaths" while glorifying the state’s use of violence, often supplemented by a lone vigilante. By the time children reach their teens, they have already seen thousands of murders and killings on television. And these days even more suspense is added in countless programs that involve stalking and terror against women—and increasingly children.

As the Duke rape case and so many "escort service" ads show, women of color are particularly subject to exploitation and have little recourse to any justice. And as the murders along the border show, immigrants of color are fair game for racist killers.

The social soil of capitalism can alienate and enrage an unstable and miserable person who should be getting help but can’t find it. If, as reports are saying, the young man accused of these killings was on anti-depressant medication, it is all the more evidence that, at a time when hospitals are closing and health care is unavailable for tens of millions, treating mental health problems requires more from society than just prescribing dubious chemicals.

Many liberal commentators are taking this occasion to renew the demand for tougher gun laws. Yes, assault weapons are horrible, but so are bunker buster bombs, helicopters that fire thousands of rounds a minute, and the ultimate—nuclear weapons. Disarming the people is not the answer, especially when the government is armed to the teeth and uses brutality and coercion daily.

The best antidote to these tragedies is to build a movement for profound social change, a movement directed at solving the great problems depressing so much of humanity today, whether they be wars or global climate change or the loneliness of the dog-eat-dog society.

International Action Center- 55 West 17th St, 5C, New York, NY 10011

Contact us
Donate to help with organizing
Become an IAC intern

Support Feingold's Effort to End the War

From: "Senator Russ Feingold [CLW]
Subject: Support Feingold's Effort to End the War

Dear Friends,
Council for a Livable World has always been there when I needed them most. Whether supporting my re election efforts over the years, or providing important legislative advocacy on countless foreign policy issues, I know that I can always count on your support.

I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this support as I fight to end the tragic and misguided war in Iraq. Council for a Livable World has been a critical ally in my efforts to redeploy our troops out of Iraq and I'm proud to announce the next step toward ending the war in Iraq.

Become a Citizen Co-Sponsor of the Feingold-Reid Bill

As you know, just last month the House and Senate approved binding timetable legislation that would force the President to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq – as I first called for in summer of 2005. While it was long overdue, and not yet a full solution, it was a major step in the right direction.

Unfortunately the President shows no signs of changing direction or fixing his failed Iraq policy. He has threatened to veto the recently passed legislation that both fully funds and supports the troops and also puts forth benchmarks to redeploy our brave men and women in uniform out of Iraq. So, to that end, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and I are already working on the next step. Our new legislation uses Congress's constitutional 'power of the purse' authority to safely redeploy our troops from Iraq by March 31, 2008.

Become a Citizen Co-Sponsor of the Feingold-Reid Bill

Our bill requires the President to begin to safely redeploy U.S. troops from Iraq 120 days from enactment - as required by the emergency supplemental spending bill.

Feingold-Reid ends funding for the war on March 31, 2008 and after that date, the President could only spend money in Iraq for three very limited functions. To be clear, our bill funds the troops, it just de-funds the war.

Over the last few months, I've been pushing for Congress to use its 'power of the purse' authority to safely redeploy our troops out of Iraq. With Senator Reid's support of this bill, combined with his continued leadership on this issue, we're taking yet another important step toward ending one of the biggest mistakes in the history of our country. But Senator Reid and I can't do it alone. We need your help and support.

Please take a moment and become a citizen co-sponsor of the Feingold-Reid 'power of the purse' legislation.

Become a Citizen Co-Sponsor of the Feingold-Reid Bill

Thanks to you, Democrats control Congress and Harry Reid is our Majority Leader. We've made significant progress in the past few months, but much more work needs to be done to get our country back on the right path. By continuing to work together, there isn't anything we can't accomplish.

With high hopes,

Russ Feingold
United States Senator
Honorary Chair, Progressive Patriots Fund

© 2006 Council for a Livable World

A Man (Most Deservedly) Alone

*******

Several politicians and newscasters have recently described george bush as a "man alone." While at one time, his corporate-supportive and ecologically destructive policies were supported by several Republicans and conservatives among leaders, today, he has alienated even the people (including "Christians") of his own party. Even the most vociferous supporters have abandoned his sinking ship. In the elections of twenty-oh-six, politicians fled from being photographed with him, and backtracked from any apparent agreement with this little dictator.

Some see him as an inept incompetent, others as a simple moron. (His i.q. is only 90.) Still others present him as deliberately evil, despite his incompetence. In his deliberate policies, he has clearly sided against the people, and firmly placed himself squarely on the side of evil.

It is difficult to dispute the portrayal of the man as a sociopath. Strong evidence indicates that he has no conscience. That he cares not at all for human life was clearly demonstrated by his reaction to the Katrina catastrophe; and he has continued to disregard the value of human lives in Iraq. (Some estimate that he has been responsible for the murder, through war, of 600,000 Iraqis, including many women, and many children. (To be a formal, official "soldier" in Iraq, a child of twelve can qualify.)

Besides mass-murder, and hideous neglect, bush has consistently acted in favor of large corporations, and against the best interests of the average working man and woman. He has resisted several programs designed to aid the poor and the challenged, while spending many billions on bombs and other instruments of death and torture for his war.

He has severely, extremely, and consistently resisted and opposed laws that restrict pollution; indeed, for the sake of the rich, he has even attempted to reverse these, moving some industries backwards towards the tragic situation of the 1970's. He has proved in several ways to be a "backwards thinker." His priorities are topsy-turvy, upside-down, and backwards. For him, it is clear that money is much more important than human life. Indeed, if enough money is involved, human life is quickly sacrificed to the demon of gold.

This is his real and only "god." In blowing his own trumpet-- loudly and repeatedly-- on what a good "Christian" he is, bush has brought only shame to this fine and beautiful faith. In his crooked politics, his past history, his hatred for Mother Earth, his zeal for a nightmarish war, his negligence of the value of human and other life, and other ways, he has shamed Jesus Christ. We recall that Jesus was a radical, and terrified the conservatives of his day with the simple message of Love. (He would likely be kicked out of many modern "Christian" fundy churches.)

So, the evidence is very strong that bush has been an utter and abominable failure-- as a man, as a businessman, as a politician, and certainly, as a Christian. His implicit approval of torture and dishonesty prove that he is a puppet of corruption. His evil life has already set the wheels of karma rolling for the next few hundred centuries.
*******

Response to Nuclear Disaster for Profit

Thanks to Mick Gallegar, who sent this letter to the "Universal Love Digest" Efamily (in response to the previous post on nuclear disaster for profit). If you can "plow your way through," it's worth reading!--

editors
*******
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 10:44:08 -0500 (GMT-05:00)
Subject: Fw: The Universal Love Digest Digest Number 803

It's A Corpratocracy,and always has been. And I must say that bush wasn't the first stooge to carry the water for Wall Street, and lie us into immoral wars. Remember LBJ. The Tonkin Gulf Incident never happened. But they needed a catalyst to get it all started. The Industrial Military Complex was pushing really hard for that. It was the same with the Joint Chiefs wanting to bomb the hell out of Cuba. Years later, we learned what even most of them didn't know: They were loaded up with nuclear missiles. Also, we didn't know that Castro was more upset with Kruschev than with JFK for putting the weapons there. For he knew that Cuba would become a target for U.S. attack. Remember, Castro came to the US first--for help. The US rejected him; and then, he went to the USSR. ... Mobsters--and all their Gambling, prostitution, drug running, etc.,etc/{Myer Lansky(Zionist Mob), Traficanti, Gambino, etc}.

2nd one, if true, {Dem-stonewalling}--solidifies belief that both parties are complicite..in the corp warmongering(oil/gas), and the Likudniks, through Zionist Lobbyist groups...pushing us into eliminating Israels enemies,etc. Re-shaping the M.E., A New Jerusalem', etc Drive the Arabs out, and in the extreme--Armeggedon. The Christian Zionists mixed with the hard liners in the Likud party of the Knesset...have been gaining ground--and were the driving force, along with Fortune 1000 companies, bankers, Military Ind Complex in to this fiasco in Iraq, Afghanistan,
Iran next, then Syria, Lebanon, possibly Saudi Arabia...sometime in the future.

Nothing to do with a terrorism threat. That was the 'Manufactured Crisis'---to enable this insane Imperialist Hegemony--that began during Ford's time, with Kissinger, Cheney, Rumsfeld, who brought in Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, Douglas Feith, Robert Kagan,etc., etc

Oh ya--Wm. Kristol...they all were protege~ of Leo Strauss (Univ Chicago) 1938...lineage of--'The Protocols of the Elders of Zion'. Don't take my word for it--look it up, then pass the word, please.

It's all public record---including the collusion of the Bush Dynasty with these folks--including trading with the 3rd Reich right up to mid-1942....through Hamburg Steam Lines, Wall St. Bankers (Bush's, Walkers); Thysson-Krup Steel Companies. G.O.P. Strategist Kevin Phillips great book: "American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush".

is but one of many great books that expose the true people's history of the U.S. mercantile madness...and great achievements as well. That's why Hitler really admired people like Henry Ford, etc.

One of the Bush brothers ya don't hear much about was Samuel Bush--who owned Buckeye Steel in Col., Ohio---and they all had connections, {esp Herbert Walker, who really carried the heavy change-back then}--with early oil companies in good old Oil City, Pa. Also--the big railroads based around Pittsburgh, PA.!!! Yeowzza!!

Have a splendidly Sunday--fellow time traveler's!!

Cheney Impeachment

Cheney Being Targeted for Impeachment

"Around the world, as a second carrier group moves toward the Persian Gulf, and White House threats against Iran are repeated on a daily basis, it is recognized that the only certain path to stopping the planned attack on Iran is the impeachment of Dick Cheney, who today, just as in the case of the Iraq War, is running the "team" and the policy for "regime change" in Iran."

"Together with the vice-president, Mr. Libby launched the push to invade Iraq .... And, together with Cheney, Libby has "worked hard to block signs of engagement with Iran, resist direct talks with North Korea, and undermine U.S. legislation prohibiting torture and degrading treatment of detainees."

(Thanks to Mick Gallagher)

War with Iran?

(Thanks to Mick Gallagher.)

Dear Friends of the Heart,

On Tuesday, a second US aircraft carrier arrived in the Sea of Oman off the southern coast of Iran1 giving a whole new meaning to the term "escalation." The bush administration is hell-bent on sending 21,000 troops to Iraq against the wishes of most Americans, but now it seems as if it might not stop there.

While the war in Iraq grows worse by the day, the White House seems to be turning its sights toward neighboring Iran, which could escalate the current conflict into a regional one. This reckless move comes despite the fact that most experts believe diplomacy is the way to go with Iran. President bush is out of control, and Congress needs to step in immediately to rein him in. Please sign this petition to Congress asking that it require the president to seek its authorization before taking
military action in Iran. Clicking here will add your name to the petition.

The President claimed that Iran is aiding the Iraqi insurgency, but analysts continue to cast doubt on the evidence. Even General Peter Pace of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has questioned the claims that the Iranian government is directly involved. After all, we are already in a war founded on disproved claims of WMDs.

But the reporting of this news is just the latest. Already we have two aircraft carriers in the region--unprecedented outside of war--and Patriot missiles have been deployed. Neither of these will help to protect our troops in Iraq, where most of the fighting is on the ground.

One thing is clear: Military action in Iran would further endanger our troops in Iraq, and threaten to destabilize the entire Middle East. It could even prop up the Iranian president, who is quickly losing popularity in his own country.

We have options: Experts say that sanctions and diplomacy can work. They just worked with North Korea, where we reached a deal last week for them to disarm. And we owe it to our troops to use all of our resources before sending them into harm's way. UN sanctions just went into effect yesterday; we need to give them a chance to work before provoking a regional conflict. It would be a mistake of historical proportion if the Administration thought that the 2002 resolution authorizing force against
Iraq was a blank check for the use of force against Iran-- without further Congressional authorization. Nor should the President think that the 2001 resolution authorizing force after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, in any way, authorizes force against Iran. If the administration believes that any use of force against Iran is necessary, the president must come to Congress to seek that authority.

Can you send a message to your representatives in demanding that Congress check our out-of-control president?

Clicking here will add your name to the petition:

Please also support General Wesley Clark and Iraq veterans, who have also mounted a petition against war with Iran, just announced today at:
http://www.StopIranWar.com

General Wesley Clark helped them launch their effort with these words:

War with Iran is not the answer now. We must work with our allies, talk with Iran, and use all diplomatic, political, and economic options at our disposal. Military force in Iran is not the solution.

Thank you for all you do.
Ilyse, Wes, Mari, Justin and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Thursday, February 22nd, 2007

Sources:

1. "USS Stennis Carrier Group Deploys Into Gulf Region," Bloomberg News,
February 20, 2007

2. "Pace Questions Whether Iran Arming Iraq," ABC News, February 13, 2007

3. Hillary Clinton for President. Transcript of floor speech. February
14, 2007

Support our member-driven organization: MoveOn.org Political Action is entirely funded by our 3.2 million members. We have no corporate contributors, no foundation grants, no money from unions. Our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. If you'd like to support our work, you can give now at:
http://political.moveon.org/donate/

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

A Madman, not a Doofus

*******
Not Only the Worst President, but the Worst Possible President by Jane Smiley, HuffingtonPost.com

How do you build yourself a madman? Well, first you flatter him, and then you try never to make him angry, and then you feed him ideas that flatter him even more by making him seem to himself sentimentally visionary and powerful and righteous. You appeal to his already evident mean streak and his hot temper by reminding him all the time that he has enemies, and you cultivate his religious side so that the sense of righteous victimization inherent in extreme religion comes out. If he were not already an ignorant, dependant, fragile, and rigid person, he would not be susceptible to this sort of conditioning, but by temperament and practice, he has nothing of his own to counter your efforts. Then you hire a few shyster-sycophants like John Yoo to tell him (ignorant as he is, with no actual understanding of the Constitution), that as president he can do whatever he wants.

So, here he is, Little George, caught between the devil (Cheney) and the deep blue sea (fifty-some years of being infantilized by B/S/B). Cheney and Rumsfeld, aided by Rice and Miers and Hughes, convince him that his masculinity will only be enhanced by doing all the masculine things he missed out on over the years, especially making war. And Gerson gives his war a virtuous, godly gloss. And Gerson's words come out of his mouth so often that he believes them and thinks they are his. In the meantime, Karl Rove continues to think that he is the maestro, playing Little George (and his base and the rest of the nation) like his own personal piano. Playing the president, for Rove, means enhancing LIttle George's actual dependency while encouraging him to think that he's the boss (allowing him to call you "Turdblossom", for example, and isn't it telling that "turd" seems to be Bush's favorite imprecation, rather than, say, "fuck"?).

Bush is the worst possible president because he is simultaneously unusually ignorant for a president and unusually shallow, as well as desperate for a success he can call his own. I can see how in a certain sort of era--say an era of prosperity and world peace (can you think of one? I can't) an unusually ignorant and shallow man could bump along in the presidency for a few years without creating havoc and destruction, but these years didn't happen to be peaceful and prosperous, they happened to be delicate and dangerous. Clinton knew that, and he approached his compromising and self-contradictory foreign policy tasks with care. But Bush and his fellow boors were so blind that they adopted as their motto "anything but Clinton", sheer contrarianism and resentment. It wasn't enough to them for the US to be powerful, as it was in the Clinton years, or to be generally respected and appreciated--they wanted something more sensational--power they could feel, power that was erotic and fetishistic, power that was uncomfortable for others, power that would make them feel big by making others feel small, power that would show Clinton up. That's the tit Little George has been sucking for the last six years--the deluded propaganda of the neocons, addressed first to him and through him to the rest of us. What we saw the other night, when he proposed more war against more "foes" was the madman the last six years have created. This time, in his war against Iran, he doesn't even feel the need for minimal PR, as he did before attacking Iraq. All he is bothering with are signals--ships moving here, admirals moving there, consulates being raided in this other place. He no longer cares about the opinions of the voters, the Congress, the generals, the press, and he especially disdains the opinions of B/S/and B. Thanks to Gerson, he identifies his own little ideas with God (a blasphemy, of course, but hey, there's lots of precedent on this), so there's no telling what he will do. We can tell by the evidence of the last two months that whatever it is, it will be exactly the thing that the majority of the voters do not want him to do, exactly the thing that James Baker himself doesn't want him to do. The propaganda that Bush's sponsors and handlers have poured forth has ceased to persuade the voters but succeeded beyond all measure in convincing the man himself. He will tell himself that God is talking to him, or that he is possessed of an extra measure of courage, or he that he is simply compelled to do whatever it is. The soldiers will pay the price in blood. We will pay the price in money. The Iraqis will pay the price in horror. The Iranians will pay the price, possibly, in the almost unimaginable terror of nuclear attack. Probably, the Israelis will pay the price, too.

Little George isn't the same guy he was in 2000, the guy described by Gail Sheehy in her Vanity Fair profile--hyper-competitive and dyslexic, prone to cheat at games, always swinging between screwing up and making up, hating criticism and disagreement, careless of others but often charming. He is no longer the guy who the Republicans thought they could control (unlike, say, McCain). The small pathologies of Bush the candidate have, thanks to the purposes of the neocons and the religious right, been enhanced and upgraded. We have a bona fide madman now, who thinks of himself in a grandiose way as single-handedly turning the tide of history. Some of his Frankensteins have bailed, some haven't dared to, and others still seem to believe. His actions and his orders, especially about Iran, seem to be telling us that he will stop at nothing to prove his dominance. The elder Bush(es), Scrowcroft, Baker, and their friends, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Gerson, and the neocons have made the monster and in the process endangered the country, the Constitution, and the world, not to mention the sanity of wretches like Jose Padilla (for an analysis of the real reason Gitmo continues to exist, see Dahlia Lithwick's article in Slate, here. Maybe the bums planned this mess for their own profit, or maybe they planned to profit without mess; maybe some of them regret what they have wrought. However, they all share the blame for whatever he does next.

Read the whole article

(Thanks to Teresa Ramsey.)