Politics, society and Faith from a Christian liberal prospective. We believe that we can all accomplish great things in the world if we can just get past the lust of the powerful and the fear of the comfortable.
Her courage and tenacity are an inspiration to everyone who sees the corruption of this presidency. I hope she is the 'Rosa Parks' of the take America back from the Neocons movement. She is highlighting their arrogance and cowardness in their dealings with the American people.
I wrote this when she was arrested in front of the Whitehouse.
Free speech is under attack. The right of assembly is under attack. American freedom is under attack. Cindy should never have been arrested for practicing her constitutional rights. The ones who belong in jail are the criminals residing in the White House. They are the ones who lied our country into an illegal war and sent in an arsenal of war profiteers to enrich themselves. They intentionally stole the worlds struggle against terrorist acts for their own greedy agenda. They hold no respect or love for this country or its military or the families who comprise its ranks. They’ve sunken so low as to shamefully unleash their war profiteers on the hurricane victims. Cindy deserves the Medal of Freedom while the Bushies deserve international humiliation to go along with federal prison garb.
"Good Riddance Attention Whore" by CindySheehan Mon May 28, 2007 at 09:57:01 AM PDT
I have endured a lot of smear and hatred since Casey was killed and especially since I became the so-called "Face" of the American anti-war movement. Especially since I renounced any tie I have remaining with the Democratic Party, I have been further trashed on such "liberal blogs" as the Democratic Underground. Being called an "attention whore" and being told "good riddance" are some of the more milder rebukes. More at: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/5/28/12530/1525
Thank you very much for all that you did. You gave the movement a huge kick in the rear when it needed it most.
The general public has opinions but they really don't seem to care all that much; at least not to the point of having the huge commitment as demonstrated by you and Code Pink.
Congress stabbed us all in the back.
Rest and reclaim your family life. Once again thank you. You have been an inspiration to me and I always smiled whenever I saw your face on my screen or heard your voice.
I heard the words of this song spoken on the floor of the House of Representatives last week. Congress didn’t listen. Jackson Browne - Lives in The Balance
We've had PNAC, Patriot Acts 1 & 2, and now this!!!
National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive
NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/NSPD 51 HOMELAND SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/HSPD-20 Subject: National Continuity Policy Purpose (1) This directive establishes a comprehensive national policy on the continuity of Federal Government structures and operations and a single National Continuity Coordinator responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of Federal continuity policies. This policy establishes "National Essential Functions," prescribes continuity requirements for all executive departments and agencies, and provides guidance for State, local, territorial, and tribal governments, and private sector organizations in order to ensure a comprehensive and integrated national continuity program that will enhance the credibility of our national security posture and enable a more rapid and effective response to and recovery from a national emergency. Definitions (2) In this directive: (a) "Category" refers to the categories of executive departments and agencies listed in Annex A to this directive; (b) "Catastrophic Emergency" means any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions; (c) "Continuity of Government," or "COG," means a coordinated effort within the Federal Government's executive branch to ensure that National Essential Functions continue to be performed during a Catastrophic Emergency; (d) "Continuity of Operations," or "COOP," means an effort within individual executive departments and agencies to ensure that Primary Mission-Essential Functions continue to be performed during a wide range of emergencies, including localized acts of nature, accidents, and technological or attack-related emergencies; (e) "Enduring Constitutional Government," or "ECG," means a cooperative effort among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Federal Government, coordinated by the President, as a matter of comity with respect to the legislative and judicial branches and with proper respect for the constitutional separation of powers among the branches, to preserve the constitutional framework under which the Nation is governed and the capability of all three branches of government to execute constitutional responsibilities and provide for orderly succession, appropriate transition of leadership, and interoperability and support of the National Essential Functions during a catastrophic emergency; (f) "Executive Departments and Agencies" means the executive departments enumerated in 5 U.S.C. 101, independent establishments as defined by 5 U.S.C. 104(1), Government corporations as defined by 5 U.S.C. 103(1), and the United States Postal Service; (g) "Government Functions" means the collective functions of the heads of executive departments and agencies as defined by statute, regulation, presidential direction, or other legal authority, and the functions of the legislative and judicial branches; (h) "National Essential Functions," or "NEFs," means that subset of Government Functions that are necessary to lead and sustain the Nation during a catastrophic emergency and that, therefore, must be supported through COOP and COG capabilities; and (i) "Primary Mission Essential Functions," or "PMEFs," means those Government Functions that must be performed in order to support or implement the performance of NEFs before, during, and in the aftermath of an emergency. Policy (3) It is the policy of the United States to maintain a comprehensive and effective continuity capability composed of Continuity of Operations and Continuity of Government programs in order to ensure the preservation of our form of government under the Constitution and the continuing performance of National Essential Functions under all conditions. Implementation Actions (4) Continuity requirements shall be incorporated into daily operations of all executive departments and agencies. As a result of the asymmetric threat environment, adequate warning of potential emergencies that could pose a significant risk to the homeland might not be available, and therefore all continuity planning shall be based on the assumption that no such warning will be received. Emphasis will be placed upon geographic dispersion of leadership, staff, and infrastructure in order to increase survivability and maintain uninterrupted Government Functions. Risk management principles shall be applied to ensure that appropriate operational readiness decisions are based on the probability of an attack or other incident and its consequences. (5) The following NEFs are the foundation for all continuity programs and capabilities and represent the overarching responsibilities of the Federal Government to lead and sustain the Nation during a crisis, and therefore sustaining the following NEFs shall be the primary focus of the Federal Government leadership during and in the aftermath of an emergency that adversely affects the performance of Government Functions: (a) Ensuring the continued functioning of our form of government under the Constitution, including the functioning of the three separate branches of government; (b) Providing leadership visible to the Nation and the world and maintaining the trust and confidence of the American people; (c) Defending the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and preventing or interdicting attacks against the United States or its people, property, or interests; (d) Maintaining and fostering effective relationships with foreign nations; (e) Protecting against threats to the homeland and bringing to justice perpetrators of crimes or attacks against the United States or its people, property, or interests; (f) Providing rapid and effective response to and recovery from the domestic consequences of an attack or other incident; (g) Protecting and stabilizing the Nation's economy and ensuring public confidence in its financial systems; and (h) Providing for critical Federal Government services that address the national health, safety, and welfare needs of the United States. (6) The President shall lead the activities of the Federal Government for ensuring constitutional government. In order to advise and assist the President in that function, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism (APHS/CT) is hereby designated as the National Continuity Coordinator. The National Continuity Coordinator, in coordination with the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (APNSA), without exercising directive authority, shall coordinate the development and implementation of continuity policy for executive departments and agencies. The Continuity Policy Coordination Committee (CPCC), chaired by a Senior Director from the Homeland Security Council staff, designated by the National Continuity Coordinator, shall be the main day-to-day forum for such policy coordination. (7) For continuity purposes, each executive department and agency is assigned to a category in accordance with the nature and characteristics of its national security roles and responsibilities in support of the Federal Government's ability to sustain the NEFs. The Secretary of Homeland Security shall serve as the President's lead agent for coordinating overall continuity operations and activities of executive departments and agencies, and in such role shall perform the responsibilities set forth for the Secretary in sections 10 and 16 of this directive. (8) The National Continuity Coordinator, in consultation with the heads of appropriate executive departments and agencies, will lead the development of a National Continuity Implementation Plan (Plan), which shall include prioritized goals and objectives, a concept of operations, performance metrics by which to measure continuity readiness, procedures for continuity and incident management activities, and clear direction to executive department and agency continuity coordinators, as well as guidance to promote interoperability of Federal Government continuity programs and procedures with State, local, territorial, and tribal governments, and private sector owners and operators of critical infrastructure, as appropriate. The Plan shall be submitted to the President for approval not later than 90 days after the date of this directive. (9) Recognizing that each branch of the Federal Government is responsible for its own continuity programs, an official designated by the Chief of Staff to the President shall ensure that the executive branch's COOP and COG policies in support of ECG efforts are appropriately coordinated with those of the legislative and judicial branches in order to ensure interoperability and allocate national assets efficiently to maintain a functioning Federal Government. (10) Federal Government COOP, COG, and ECG plans and operations shall be appropriately integrated with the emergency plans and capabilities of State, local, territorial, and tribal governments, and private sector owners and operators of critical infrastructure, as appropriate, in order to promote interoperability and to prevent redundancies and conflicting lines of authority. The Secretary of Homeland Security shall coordinate the integration of Federal continuity plans and operations with State, local, territorial, and tribal governments, and private sector owners and operators of critical infrastructure, as appropriate, in order to provide for the delivery of essential services during an emergency. (11) Continuity requirements for the Executive Office of the President (EOP) and executive departments and agencies shall include the following: (a) The continuation of the performance of PMEFs during any emergency must be for a period up to 30 days or until normal operations can be resumed, and the capability to be fully operational at alternate sites as soon as possible after the occurrence of an emergency, but not later than 12 hours after COOP activation; (b) Succession orders and pre-planned devolution of authorities that ensure the emergency delegation of authority must be planned and documented in advance in accordance with applicable law; (c) Vital resources, facilities, and records must be safeguarded, and official access to them must be provided; (d) Provision must be made for the acquisition of the resources necessary for continuity operations on an emergency basis; (e) Provision must be made for the availability and redundancy of critical communications capabilities at alternate sites in order to support connectivity between and among key government leadership, internal elements, other executive departments and agencies, critical partners, and the public; (f) Provision must be made for reconstitution capabilities that allow for recovery from a catastrophic emergency and resumption of normal operations; and (g) Provision must be made for the identification, training, and preparedness of personnel capable of relocating to alternate facilities to support the continuation of the performance of PMEFs. (12) In order to provide a coordinated response to escalating threat levels or actual emergencies, the Continuity of Government Readiness Conditions (COGCON) system establishes executive branch continuity program readiness levels, focusing on possible threats to the National Capital Region. The President will determine and issue the COGCON Level. Executive departments and agencies shall comply with the requirements and assigned responsibilities under the COGCON program. During COOP activation, executive departments and agencies shall report their readiness status to the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Secretary's designee. (13) The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall: (a) Conduct an annual assessment of executive department and agency continuity funding requests and performance data that are submitted by executive departments and agencies as part of the annual budget request process, in order to monitor progress in the implementation of the Plan and the execution of continuity budgets; (b) In coordination with the National Continuity Coordinator, issue annual continuity planning guidance for the development of continuity budget requests; and (c) Ensure that heads of executive departments and agencies prioritize budget resources for continuity capabilities, consistent with this directive. (14) The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall: (a) Define and issue minimum requirements for continuity communications for executive departments and agencies, in consultation with the APHS/CT, the APNSA, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and the Chief of Staff to the President; (b) Establish requirements for, and monitor the development, implementation, and maintenance of, a comprehensive communications architecture to integrate continuity components, in consultation with the APHS/CT, the APNSA, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and the Chief of Staff to the President; and (c) Review quarterly and annual assessments of continuity communications capabilities, as prepared pursuant to section 16(d) of this directive or otherwise, and report the results and recommended remedial actions to the National Continuity Coordinator. (15) An official designated by the Chief of Staff to the President shall: (a) Advise the President, the Chief of Staff to the President, the APHS/CT, and the APNSA on COGCON operational execution options; and (b) Consult with the Secretary of Homeland Security in order to ensure synchronization and integration of continuity activities among the four categories of executive departments and agencies. (16) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall: (a) Coordinate the implementation, execution, and assessment of continuity operations and activities; (b) Develop and promulgate Federal Continuity Directives in order to establish continuity planning requirements for executive departments and agencies; (c) Conduct biennial assessments of individual department and agency continuity capabilities as prescribed by the Plan and report the results to the President through the APHS/CT; (d) Conduct quarterly and annual assessments of continuity communications capabilities in consultation with an official designated by the Chief of Staff to the President; (e) Develop, lead, and conduct a Federal continuity training and exercise program, which shall be incorporated into the National Exercise Program developed pursuant to Homeland Security Presidential Directive-8 of December 17, 2003 ("National Preparedness"), in consultation with an official designated by the Chief of Staff to the President; (f) Develop and promulgate continuity planning guidance to State, local, territorial, and tribal governments, and private sector critical infrastructure owners and operators; (g) Make available continuity planning and exercise funding, in the form of grants as provided by law, to State, local, territorial, and tribal governments, and private sector critical infrastructure owners and operators; and (h) As Executive Agent of the National Communications System, develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive continuity communications architecture. (17) The Director of National Intelligence, in coordination with the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall produce a biennial assessment of the foreign and domestic threats to the Nation's continuity of government. (18) The Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall provide secure, integrated, Continuity of Government communications to the President, the Vice President, and, at a minimum, Category I executive departments and agencies. (19) Heads of executive departments and agencies shall execute their respective department or agency COOP plans in response to a localized emergency and shall: (a) Appoint a senior accountable official, at the Assistant Secretary level, as the Continuity Coordinator for the department or agency; (b) Identify and submit to the National Continuity Coordinator the list of PMEFs for the department or agency and develop continuity plans in support of the NEFs and the continuation of essential functions under all conditions; (c) Plan, program, and budget for continuity capabilities consistent with this directive; (d) Plan, conduct, and support annual tests and training, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, in order to evaluate program readiness and ensure adequacy and viability of continuity plans and communications systems; and (e) Support other continuity requirements, as assigned by category, in accordance with the nature and characteristics of its national security roles and responsibilities General Provisions (20) This directive shall be implemented in a manner that is consistent with, and facilitates effective implementation of, provisions of the Constitution concerning succession to the Presidency or the exercise of its powers, and the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 (3 U.S.C. 19), with consultation of the Vice President and, as appropriate, others involved. Heads of executive departments and agencies shall ensure that appropriate support is available to the Vice President and others involved as necessary to be prepared at all times to implement those provisions. (21) This directive: (a) Shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and the authorities of agencies, or heads of agencies, vested by law, and subject to the availability of appropriations; (b) Shall not be construed to impair or otherwise affect (i) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budget, administrative, and legislative proposals, or (ii) the authority of the Secretary of Defense over the Department of Defense, including the chain of command for military forces from the President, to the Secretary of Defense, to the commander of military forces, or military command and control procedures; and (c) Is not intended to, and does not, create any rights or benefits, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by a party against the United States, its agencies, instrumentalities, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. (22) Revocation. Presidential Decision Directive 67 of October 21, 1998 ("Enduring Constitutional Government and Continuity of Government Operations"), including all Annexes thereto, is hereby revoked. (23) Annex A and the classified Continuity Annexes, attached hereto, are hereby incorporated into and made a part of this directive. (24) Security. This directive and the information contained herein shall be protected from unauthorized disclosure, provided that, except for Annex A, the Annexes attached to this directive are classified and shall be accorded appropriate handling, consistent with applicable Executive Orders. GEORGE W. BUSH
We all feel like we have been stabbed in the back.
My wife and I are vets. We are both disabled with MS and are living on a fixed income. We are struggling to raise three children at home in poverty. Illness has brought us low. They took away my medical care so I can't see a doctor any longer or take the meds I need for MS and high blood pressure.
NONE OF THIS, none of my problems are as important as ending the Iraq occupation, restoring constitutional order, having impeachment on the table and stopping war with Iran.Don't continue the occupation just to try and get some domestic policy victory. Don't sacrifice one for the other.
Monday, May 21, 2007
I'm not feeling very well right now, just an MS bump, so I'll be taking a couple of days to a week off.
All sides want us out; they believe its okay to kill our men and women and they are all going after us with great relish. Our troops are stuck in the middle of a brutal multi-faceted civil war where all sides are shooting at them and the enemy can not be easily discerned, if at all. They do not belong in the middle of this and it’s an illicit misuse of the military to expect them to. . Dress Blues--- Drive-By Truckers http://newwestrecords.com/dbt/media/dressblues.mov . from Reuters... Iraq is on the verge of collapse: report Thu May 17, 2007 3:05PM EDT By Ibon Villelabeitia
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's government has lost control of vast areas to powerful local factions and the country is on the verge of collapse and fragmentation, a leading British think-tank said on Thursday. Chatham House also said there was not one civil war in Iraq, but "several civil wars" between rival communities, and accused Iraq's main neighbors -- Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey -- of having reasons "for seeing the instability there continue." more... http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSKIM74750720070517 . Take Me Home----Arden Eaton http://ardensgarden.org/video.html
The most extreme conservative opinion, regarding undocumented workers and their families, is to arrest them all and ship them back to their country of origin. While there are people here illegally from many parts of the world this is first and foremost a reaction to the Spanish speaking Latinos from South of our border.
Massive roundups of those that are unjustly judged ‘unacceptable’ have never worked well for those being arrested or for the offending country involved. We have recent horror stories from Cambodia and Nazi Germany and in the United States with the Japanese internment and the Trail of Tears both of which were a disgrace. Tearing apart Latino families on our ‘liberty loving’ soil would be comparatively disastrous for obvious reasons for them but also for our national spirit which has suffered enough wounds already, most recently through the Bush years..
These people our not from the far flung reaches of the world, they are, especially from Mexico, our neighbors who share history with us. They are a part of the New World family, an ingredient of who we are. Their poverty and status has been used against them, as it was in the past for other immigrant groups deemed unacceptable, for the benefit of unprincipled business interests for many generations now.
It is immoral to use people then throw them away when they become inconvenient. Christian (isn't that the kind of country the religious right repeatedly says we have) kindness would dictate care and forgiveness for these people. Those who wear the bible on their sleeve should know very well how the Lord expects us to treat immigrants and all others who fall into need whether financial or medical. The arguments rationalizing this away do not come from God it comes from a much darker, hotter unholy place.
We need to protect the border as Democrats have been screaming about since 9-11, only to fall upon deaf administration ears. Many business interests seem to prefer the status-quo while others want the border closed simply out of unjustified prejudice. . Bring them into citizen ship in a manner that's just.
We need to have strict consistent punishment for all those who hire these people with the intent of misusing them for their own benefit.
Strong penalties need to be given for all those who pay substandard wages.
Any corporation that moves south of the border must pay livable wages and conform to rational environmental controls or risk a high tariff or lose the ability to trade with the United States. We must realize US involvement in many of the economic and political hardships suffered by others who share the Americas. We have a moral duty to work to make things right and that doesn’t begin with exploitation.
Any other solution that comes from Congress based on economic maltreatment or cloaked on hate and paranoia is unacceptable.
This amendment would have started bringing the troops home by October and to have it completed by March of ’08. It did not survive a cloture vote. This is a list of the good brave Senators who voted in favor of this amendment. Both of my good senators voted correctly. So did those running for president. All the Republicans wimped out.
With all the talk today about Falwell and what he stood for I couldn't help but remember this great man who stood opposite Rev. Falwell on the issue of liberty for South Africa.
"message of peace and reconciliation under almost all circumstances is simply incompatible with Christian teachings as I interpret them. This 'turn the other cheek' business is all well and good but it's not what Jesus fought and died for. What we need to do is take the battle to the Muslim heathens and do unto them before they do unto us." Jerry Falwell
“I heard about this danger not only at the White House but from other pro-family leaders that I met during that week in Washington…Many people in a position to know are talking about the possibility of losing a city to nuclear or biological or chemical attack. And if we can lose one we can lose ten. If we can lose ten we can lose a hundred, especially if North Korea and Russia and China pile on.” James Dobson, Focus on the Family founder after spending 90minutes with Bush.
Everybody they want to fight becomes Hitler and he’s coming to get us. No diplomacy, no containment only war will do.
Are the war nuts getting ready to blame Iran and those speaking out against the Iraq occupation for the problems in Iraq? Is one group destined for bombs while the other is destined for more suppression or worse?
We all need to be vocal, especially with the Senate, at this time about ending the Iraq occupation, no Iran war and finding some way to get ourselves back to dealing with the causes of terrorism and going after those who really did attack us on 9/11.
Among the conservative Christian right the flag and its pledge has risen to a station of an icon and its prayer. They worship at the Alter of Commerce in the Church of Supremacy. Their dungeons are full of skeletons and sinister secrets. Half truths, self- aggrandizement and trepidation are the subjects of their sermons. The virtues they cherish are greed, pride, gluttony and tyranny. The fruit they bare is misery, death and devastation. Darkness follows in their wake;And ruin is their toll.
These are far too important of news stories to be ignored. They don't want us there. We don't want to be there.Bring 'em home
Majority of Iraqi Lawmakers Now Reject Occupation By Raed Jarrar and Joshua Holland, AlterNet. Posted May 9, 2007. More than half of the members of Iraq's parliament rejected for the first time on Tuesday the continuing occupation of their country. The U.S. media ignored the story. On Tuesday, without note in the U.S. media, more than half of the members of Iraq's parliament rejected the continuing occupation of their country. 144 lawmakers signed onto a legislative petition calling on the United States to set a timetable for withdrawal, according to Nassar Al-Rubaie, a spokesman for the Al Sadr movement, the nationalist Shia group that sponsored the petition. more at... http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/51624/
WASHINGTON, May 9 — Moderate Republicans gave President Bush a blunt warning on his Iraq policy at a private White House meeting this week, telling the president that conditions needed to improve markedly by fall or more Republicans would desert him on the war.
The White House session demonstrated the grave unease many Republicans are feeling about the war, even as they continue to stand with the president against Democratic efforts to force a withdrawal of forces through a spending measure that has been a flash point for weeks.
Hugo Chávez is the democratically elected president of Venezuela. He has taken on social changes within the country that’s good for the poor but not so good for the very wealthy or corporations. That’s brought him a lot of trouble and friction from those who aren’t to happy about that but love from the neglected.
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He also seems to relish repeatedly sticking a finger in President Bush’s eye. Those things have made him a liked figure among some who have similar sorts of interests. His comment in front of the UN, while insulting to everyone here since it was made on our soil, is no great surprise either, "Yesterday, the devil came to the UN, and today, it still smells of sulfur and Bush". What should be shocking to us are the giggling, laughter, and applause, not just in the UN but globally. Why is it so often, for so many leaders around the world, advantageous at home and around their regions to knock Bush (and America, because of the way they’re running it)?
. It pinpoints a bright shining light on how the president and his neoconservative administration are viewed around the world. Much more than half the Americans, while not seeing him as literally the ‘devil’, do see the immorality of the way he conducts much of our nations business overseas and at home.
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Sadly Chavez is not a human rights star. He has loaded the courts, which sounds a bit like our president. There’s also police violence, torture and limits on freedom of expression that I’m sure the Neocons would love to have here. I would imagine that the police violence and torture are ingrained from past practices of many leaders but there’s no excuse for not having firm controls to stop this behavior. I can understand being paranoid about the US military but it is not a justification for limits on free expression or treating human rights groups with disrespect or suspicion.
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The respected view from Greg Palast on Hugo Chavez;
I know there’s a lot of overt propaganda from conservative circles in this country but I trust the information from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. There’s no cause for war here but there’s lots of room for dialogue and international pressure to bring them into what appears to be a dwindling number of human rights loving nations. Sadly the same could also be said of us nowadays. Heightened rhetoric and bravado from both us and President Chavez is only increasing distrust and the odds of conflict and should cease. A preemptive strike by us would be unjust and immoral and would once again create many more problems except for the profiteers. . Annual Report 2006 Venezuela http://www.amnestyusa.org/annualreport.php?id=ar&yr=2006&c=VEN
I know were supposed to be thinking about attacking Iran and threatening another nation with nukes and I wouldn’t be surprised if we were foolish enough to bomb Iran (I hope were not foolish enough to do to Iran what we did to Iraq. I know there's some really bad guys running Iran but military strikes would just open another horrible can of worms. But once again we’ve got two rabid leaders who just love to throw word bombs at each other.
I wish the presidents of Iran and Venezuela would realize that that kind of talk, while maybe elevating their stature a little at home and around the world, only plays into the hands of the neoconservatives and their calls to violence) I know it’s just speculation on my part but I can’t shake the feeling that Venezuela is on our list.
. The Neocons have little love for President Hugo Chávez since they’ve already tried to rid the world of him and failed. Thanks to our horrendous foreign policy in the region President Hugo Chávez has been cozying up some to Cuba and Iran. They accuse him of harboring terrorists. Besides its’ oil fields it is strategically located next to Columbia at the southern opening to the Caribbean. I think they’ll see this as a doable military campaign that won’t stretch our resources too far while bolstering the presidents sagging poll numbers and improving the national outlook toward neoconservative agendas. . You can hear them now! Banging their fists and waving the flag shouting about the eminent danger that can’t be tolerated in our back yard. They’ll even be able to scream about the communist menace again with its growing influence throughout Central and South America. . It will once again spark the fear and ignorance driven jingoism of their base which half the country follows so sheepishly behind. Many of the rest will tag along once troops are committed because of a misguided belief in what supporting the troop’s means. Dissent will be less tolerated because the problems in Iraq will have been blamed on liberal voices publicly venting their displeasure with the imperial goals of this administration. . I know this is just pure speculation and we seem to really have it in for Iran right now and the smart money is placed there.
We have a weakened, disliked and militaristic administration that worries me a great deal when they get backed into a corner like the one they currently find themselves.
This is a tragedy that has gone largely unremembered as time has passed. But its hard not to see this day in light of the recent events of the police riot in LA on May1 at the immigration rally. Is this how the Bushies plan to deal with all unwelcomed protests from now on?
Everyone must keep the pressure on Congress so that they don't give in to presidential bullying!!! They must keep up the good fight!!!
Please do not vote to weaken the stance taken by Congress. The troops must come home.
Al Qaeda is responsible for their share of the violence but it’s a relatively small percentage of the overall violence. The great enemy in Iraq is the power lust of the few (Kurd, Sunni, Shiite and the battles within each of those varying factions), along with the hate driven desire for revenge carrying fear and ignorance as its allies. The hate that exists is growing even stronger in an environment where fear and revenge has become the master.
All sides want us out; they believe its okay to kill our men and women and they are all going after us with great relish. Our troops are stuck in the middle of a brutal civil war where all sides are shooting at them and the enemy can not be easily discerned, if at all. They do not belong in the middle of this and it’s an illicit misuse of the military to expect them to.
Bush policies of rendition, torture, indiscriminate use of weapons improper among civilian populations, seriously overused troops in a deadly supercharged environment, profiteering, and negligent planning wrapped up in a refusal to admit any mistakes have made Bush Neoconservative’s opponents of peace toward the US and Iraq and the people of the region if the instability spreads. Those in charge are to blame for this mess because they’re the ones that put the horror in motion. Neocon policies have become the best recruiting tools for Al Qaeda and like-minded groups. Money has been wasted, misused and stolen causing us to rely on China and other nations to finance our illegitimate occupation while keeping the lifestyles of the powerful undisturbed. They’ve left the brunt of domestic sacrifice for this war of lies to be carried by the military families with little support from the Republican chicken hawks who so frequently love to envelop themselves with flags, yellow ribbons and military paraphernalia.
Our continuing occupation of Iraq is harming us while allowing Al Qaeda to grow in organization, strength and territory in other areas of the globe. If our presence in Iraq is futile or more destructive to them and us than our absence then we must leave.
Just a small handful of what these guys said about Kosovo.
"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is." George W. Bush
“I think it’s also important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be involved and when they will be withdrawn.” George W. Bush
"If we are going to commit American troops, we must be certain they have a clear mission, an achievable goal and an exit strategy." Karen Hughes, speaking for candidate George W. Bush
"You think Vietnam was bad? Vietnam is nothing next to Kosovo." Tony Snow
"You can support the troops but not the president" Representative Tom Delay
"Bombing a sovereign nation for ill-defined reasons with vague objectives undermines the American stature in the world. The international respect and trust for America has diminished every time we casually let the bombs fly." Representative Tom Delay
"I cannot support a failed foreign policy. History teaches us that it is often easier to make war than peace. This administration is just learning that lesson right now. The President began this mission with very vague objectives and lots of unanswered questions. A month later, these questions are still unanswered. There are no clarifiedrules of engagement. There is no timetable. There is no legitimate definition of victory. There is no contingency plan for mission creep. There is no clear funding program. There is no agenda to bolster our overextended military. There is no explanation defining what vital national interests are at stake. There was no strategic plan for war when the President started this thing, and there still is no plan today" Representative Tom Delay
"My job as majority leader is be supportive of our troops, try to have input as decisions are made and to look at those decisions after they're made ... not to march in lock step with everything the president decides to do." Senator Trent Lott
"Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may come home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their life?" Sean Hannity
"No goal, no objective, not until we have those things and a compelling case is made, then I say, back out of it, because innocent people are going to die for nothing. That's why I'm against it." Sean Hannity
"Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may come home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their life?" Sean Hannity
"These international war criminals were led by Gen. Wesley Clark ...who clicked his shiny heels for the commander-in-grief, Bill Clinton." Michael Savage . If I Tell You a Lie---Blame Sally http://www.blamesally.com/movie_lg.html
The president should sign the emergency supplemental but from my perspective its okay if he doesn’t because he will be giving us a chance at getting the troops home sooner. Conservatives like to claim that the liberals are to blame for the problems in Iraq. Complete nonsense. . “When history is written, Iraq will look just like a comma.” Zed Jones Unit http://iraqjustacomma.cf.huffingtonpost.com/ . The Republicans were in charge;
when warnings about terrorism were ignored before 9/11,
when Afghanistan and the battle against the Taliban and Al Qaeda was abandoned,
when a war of choice against a country that was not an imminent threat was begun,
when a war in Iraq was begun based on lies,
when this ill-advised war was begun without a cultural understanding of the people,
when far too few troops were used for that illegal action in Iraq,
when lawlessness and looting were tolerated,
when the Iraq army was disbanded,
when troop armor and gear were kept sup-par for the mission,
when a forced vote was held too early before Sunni concerns were addressed,
when torture was allowed to become administration policy,
when illegal detentions became administration policy,
when spying on Americans became administration policy,
when support for war profiteers became administration policy,
when habeas corpus became something not available to all,
when posse comitatus became abandoned,
when spying on American citizens became an okay thing to do,
when a culture of corruption was allowed to flourish at home,
when congressional oversight was abandoned,
when doing the same failed thing over and over without success became the plan,
when our war dead became something to hide in shame,
when the injured military and their families were treated without proper care or respect,
when terrorism was allowed to grow world wide while claiming success,
when fear became a weapon of propaganda against the American people,
when failure became always someone else’s fault,
and when lies and propaganda became an acceptable substitute for truth when dealing with the public.
“In Germany, they first came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist....
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.....
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist....
Then they came for the Catholics
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Catholic....
Then they came for me –
and by that time there was nobody left to speak up.”.....
Martin Niemoller
