Where is bin Laden?

Does bin Laden have more propaganda value to Bush and Co. if he remains free and can be perceived as a major threat in the "War on Terror"?

----------------------------------------------------------                      

   

Exclusive: CIA Commander: U.S. Let bin Laden Slip Away

      http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8853000/site/newsweek/

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have long suspected that there were more reasons than meet the eye for the seeming abandonment of the war against the Taliban and bin Laden in Afghanistan.

To maintain a constant state of war, one's enemy must remain alive and healthy.

Expensive gasoline in Iraq?

One of the rationals for the Iraq invasion, was that the oil we gained would help cover the cost.

NO WAY!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From World News Australia

"The tripling of Iraq's heavily subsidized gasoline price has sparked demonstrations in several Iraqi provinces. "

Check the link for more.

http://www9.sbs.com.au/theworldnews/region.php?id=126529&region=6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

All that oil under Iraq, and the price of gasoline is going up. How can this be? Maybe someone should ask Bush. He seems to have an answer for everything.

Bush and Iraq

Substitute "Dubya" for the title of the poem. Shelley was a prophet and a keen observer of human failure.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                 Ozymandias

I met a traveler from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read,
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed,
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

-Percy Bysshe Shelley
1792-1822

Hurricane Katrina and systemic failure

I was just watching "Hardball" with Chris Matthews. Chris was recapping the tragedy of New Orleans and the failure of the Bush administration to adequately address the crisis.

A thought came to mind. During the "Cold War" any failure of the system in the Soviet Union was trumpeted by our side as a failure of communism, and the superiority of our capitalistic system.

What can we say now? The system failed New Orleans. Where is the fault? To whom or what do we attribute fault in this horrible situation?

I don't believe it's due to our system of government or our economic system. The failure is in the incompetence of people that the citizens have entrusted with responsibility for the welfare of the country and it's people.

The time for change has come.

 

Which security agency does what?

There sure is  lots of controversy in the media concerning which security agency has authority in which area, and what and where their authority extends.

Maybe we have too many agencies. There's the NSA, the CIA, the FBI, and who knows what else. Maybe we need to combine them into one super agency. We could call it the KGB.

To satisfy the Bush-Cheney-Rice triumvirate, it would have virtually unlimited spying powers, and only one medium would be allowed to report any news about the KGB. That medium would be, of course, FOX News, the Republican Pravda.

 

 

The camel is sneaking into the tent

------------------------------------------------------------

Purely domestic calls were intercepted
Secret surveillance program apparently broke its own rules

James Risen, Eric Lichtblau, New York Times

Wednesday, December 21

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The link is to the full article. Beware the camel.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/12/21/MNGQ6GB5LM1.DTL&hw=Purely+domestic+calls&sn=001&sc=1000

Watch what you say. Big Brother may be listening.

Is Democracy in danger?

Bush seems to believe that since we're at war, he has the legal right to authorize wiretapping of American citizens. No need to get a court order as the law requires.

How many more laws can Bush ignore and circumvent while we're at war? I think that the citizens of this country should be concerned that if a "state of war" can be prolonged indefinitely, then the presidency may  become a dictatorship. There is an old story about the camel putting his nose in the tent because the night was cold. This wasn't stopped, so eventually the whole camel was in the tent.

Beware the camel, fellow citizens!

U.S.Constitution on the Presidency

From the Constitution of the United States.

Article II, Section 1

Clause 8:

Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:--"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

George W. Bush swore to uphold the Constitution. When he authorized illegal wiretapping of American citizens, he broke his oath and violated the Constitution. This is an impeachable offence.

Now it's time for our elected representatives to do their job.

Peace on Earth-----------

------------------------and Goodwill to all People

So-called "Patriot Act"

http://news.com.com/Senate+rebuffs+Bush+on+Patriot+Act/2100-1028_3-5998538.html

I glad that there are apparently enough members of the Senate that understand the words of wisdom by the great American patriot, Ben Franklin, and are putting the brakes on the denigration of liberty by some of the provisions of the "Patriot Act"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

Democracy in Iraq?

Bush thinks that there will be a viable democracy in Iraq, and when there is, and the Iraqi army can provide adequate security, we will be able to withdraw our troops.

In a word: HOGWASH!

If there is a democratic government in Iraq, it isn't likely to survive without our soldiers there to make sure it does. If our soldiers aren't there, a democracy created as a result of our invasion will be viewed by the surrounding Islamic states as a client government of the United States, and therefore a continual threat to the surrounding states, and one that must be eliminated. Do you remember when we invaded, how quickly the Iraqi army folded? Why would it be different the next time?

Are we facing perpetual war with Islam? Can we survive such a scenerio?

I believe with certainty that we invaded Iraq to gain control over a very large oil reserve, and divide Iran and Syria geographically with a military base, all the better to protect Israel, and enrich our oil companies.

Bush and the neo-cons have put us in a severe bind, and the end is not is sight.

In 17th century Europe, there was a 30 year war. Is that what we are facing in the Mid-east?

Citizens of the United States should think long and hard about what we may be facing and what may be the cost.

Mr. Enron, Ken Lay, is innocent!

Read all about the poor persecuted fellow:

 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/12/13/financial/f143839S87.DTL&hw=Enron&sn=001&sc=1000

Poor Ken Lay, the founder of the late and unlamented Enron Corp. He is simply the innocent victim of scheming underlings who were committing evil acts that he was blissfully unaware of. Does the above remind anyone of another president who claims to be the victim of "faulty intelligence" that caused him to make decisions that have cost thousands of lives? These protestations of innocence should fall on deaf ears. The man at the top must always be held accountable for acts committed on his watch.

"Oh what a tangled web we weave---------------

--------When first we practice to deceive".  Sir Walter Scott

 

December 11, 2005 latimes.com : National News   THE WORLD French Told CIA of Bogus Intelligence

The foreign spy service warned the U.S. various times before the war that there was no proof Iraq sought uranium from Niger, ex-officials say.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-niger11dec11,0,3678379.story?coll=la-home-headlines

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Bush and the neo-cons were so anxious to invade Iraq, that they would seize on any untruth to stir public opinion to support the war. The link is to the Los Angeles Times article concerning the supposed uraniun from Niger.

In light of all the proven lies, how can anyone in their right mind believe anything these scoundrels say?

Democrat disarray

I just heard a statement attributed to some Republican or other that went something like this: Bush's best friends concerning Iraq are Howard Dean and Nancy Pelosi.

Reminded me of a famous quote:

"I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat."
Will Rogers

A Wolfowitz in sheep's clothing

Ex-neocon hawk Paul Wolfowitz now touts peace
World Bank chief tries to distance himself from Bush

Dana Milbank, Washington Post

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/12/08/MNG75G4IM51.DTL&hw=Wolfowitz&sn=001&sc=1000

This is amazing. One of the main neo-cons and architect of the Iraq war, now wants to be "The Prince of Peace". Verily I say unto thee, it doth boggle the mind.

Read and boggle!

 

Belay Tom Delay----------------

------------and send him away.

Tom Delay is under indictment for a felony, and Dick Cheney is in Texas to make a fund raising speech for him. The chutzpah of these folks knows no bounds. I suppose that they think they can do almost anything they want, and get away with it. They surely do believe in the Barnum theory that there's a sucker born every minute.

I can only hope that a saying, maybe mistakely ascribed to Abe Lincoln, will come to bear on these scoundrels.

"You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time."

President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned us about the "military-industrial complex" gaining too much power. He should have said. "the military-POLITICAL-industrial complex".

The link is to an article in the San Diego Union-Tribune online version that outlines some of the rampant corruption involving Duke Cunningham and many others. It's a long read and a real eye opener.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/cunningham/20051204-9999-1n4adcs.html

"The evil that men do lives after them,-----------

-------------the good is oft interred with their bones" Shakespeare.

In Iraq, evil is being done, but the evil doers are far away and safely enconsed in cushy positions of great power and influence.

It's the young, the good, and the brave whose bones are being interred as they die in a war, for which the reasons and logic are increasingly being called into question, and "stay the course" is the weak battle cry. Anytime now, I expect the Vietnam War "Light at the end of the tunnel" crap to surface.

The latest fiasco to come to light is the story today about some shadowy propaganda outfit unfortunately named "Lincoln Group" that is paying Iraqi journalists to plant feelgood stories in local press.These stories are written by our people, translated into Arabic and printed as legitimate news. More of our tax money down the rathole.

http://www.freemarketnews.com/WorldNews.asp?nid=2836

 

 

 

Bush the Crusader

I have long contended that George W. Bush is a radical evangelical and his presidency is driven by his religious beliefs.

Seymour Hersh who may be the greatest living investigative reporter, has written an ominous article in the current NEW YORKER magazine concerning Bush, the war in Iraq, and the direction it may take between now and the 2006 election.

It's understandable why a vast number of Islamic people believe, rightly or wrongly, that we are engaged in a religious war against Islam, much as the Crusaders were pursuing 1000 years ago

The link is to the full article. Read it and weep.

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/051205fa_fact

Another example of Republican corruption

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California Republican Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham pleaded guilty in San Diego federal court on Monday to conspiracy and tax evasion for taking money from a defense contractor in exchange for supporting its efforts to secure Defense Department contracts.

Cunningham, 63, an eight term Congressman and decorated Vietnam War veteran, has been under federal investigation for his ties to Washington-based defense contractor MZM Inc. since the summer.

He has said he will not seek re-election in 2006. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 27.

© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Republican Party, so called "conservative", self styled "religious", and all round pretenders to the moral highground, have allowed power, arrogance and hubris to corrupt them and send their moral compass spinning out of control. 

There is only one answer for this, send the scoundrels packing.  Imprison those such as Delay and Cunningham and cause them to suffer as they have caused our country to suffer.

Enough is enough!

Update.

Cunningham has done one honorable act . He resigned from Congress. If he was an honorable samurai, there would be one more act involving a white robe, a poem and a very sharp sword.

 

Bush doing fireside chats? Spare me!

From AOL news: GOP Senator Calls for Bush to Broadcast Iraq Updates WASHINGTON (Nov. 27) - The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Sunday suggested that President Bush use an FDR-style presentation to update people on progress in the war in Iraq.

Sen. John Warner, R-Va., recalled that during World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt often went on the radio in "fireside chats'' to explain to the nation in detail the conduct of the war in Europe and Asia.

"I think it would be to Bush's advantage,'' said Warner, who served in the Navy during the war.

"It would bring him closer to the people, dispel some of this concern that understandably our people have, about the loss of life and limb, the enormous cost of this war to the American public,'' he said.

----------------------------------------------------------------

I can see it now. Bush is wired, and Karl Rove is feeding him lines from backstage.

What can Warner be thinking? Bush has lost so much credibility that he may as well make a guest appearance on the "Simpsons" spouting platitudes and drivel. The idea that Bush could emulate FDR is rediculous. I remember FDR. Bush is no FDR.

Our young people are dying in a vain cause, our standing in the world community has never been lower, and we are sinking into a morass of debt and economic malaise.

"When will they ever learn"?

 

Chutzpah of the Year Award-------

-----------(drumroll please)------------------ goes to former FEMA Director Michael Brown, who is starting a disaster preparedness consulting firm.

Only some poor fool who has been living on another planet would hire this example of gross incompetance.

Can you believe it? Those that can, DO. Those that can't, become consultants.

(All you legitimate consultants out there, no offense intended)

Something to be thankful for on Thanksgiving Day

The link below is to a column in the San Francisco Chronicle of November 24th by Joan Ryan. It concerns her father, a lifelong Republican who, like Saul of Tarsus, has had a vision of the error of his ways and will no longer vote Republican. A good read!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/11/24/BAGBNFTM7H1.DTL

Will General Motors go bankrupt?

The automobile industry in the United States, once pre-eminent in the world, is sinking, and showing signs of being diminished to a shadow of what it once was. No doubt there are many reasons for this, some economic, and some due to mis-management and poor product lines that fail to meet market needs.

I heard part of an interview with Senator Biden today. Regarding the plight of General Motors, he made a telling statement. His contention is that GM operates at a 14% disadvantage to the foreign competition because of health care costs in the U.S.

Here is an example of rightwing ideology as relates to the role of government in the management of healthcare in this country that's putting our essential industries at risk, and putting the welfare of workers and their families at risk. And, at the same time impacts the well-being of the economy in general.

Several years age, Hillary Clinton tried to start a dialog in this country concerning healthcare, and was viciously savaged by  rightwing zealots.

Will we sacrifice our industry on the alter of ideology, or start taking a more pragmatic view of the necessary partnership between government, business, and workers? Nothing less than our survival as a major world power may depend on the answer to this question.

China is gaining fast.

11/23/05 follow up. The link will give an example of healthcare cost and inefficiency.

Click here: Paperwork is 21% of health costs / $ each year in state 26 billion goes to administration

11/24/05 Another nail in the coffin.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051124/BIZ/511240312

Bush-Cheney making nice

Do you suppose that Karl Rove told his "bosses" that the Attack Doggy Dogg tactics they have been using for years are wearing thin with the voters? All of a sudden the rhetoric has toned down and criticism is ok. Well, maybe a little bit ok.

Don't be fooled folks. This is a trojan horse if I ever saw one. We have, as Pogo said, met the enemy and he is us, and if we don't keep our guard up, these guys will con us into believing more of their strange stories.

Troop withdrawal from Iraq

Regarding a "troop withdrawal plan", I'm sure there isn't one, nor was there ever intended to be one. If the real reason for invading Iraq was, as some believe, to gain a military base in the Middle East flanking Iran and Syria, then withdrawal was never intended. Also, there's the oil, maybe the largest reserve outside of Saudi Arabia. If we were to gain control, why would we give it up?

For the Bush family, already well connected in Saudi Arabia to become major players in world oil, there would be no incentive to pull out.

The attack on Congressman Jack Murtha

Following is the text of an email to my congressman concerning the attacks on Jack Murtha.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Congressman Lantos                                                            

If the Republicans are allowed to get away with a Swift Boat type of attack on Jack Murtha, the Congress will be in a state of deep disgrace. I sincerely hope that you and all your fellow congress members will take swift and severe action against these people. No more of the shame and  the evil perpetrated on Kerry, McCain and Cleland. Nothing less than the fate of civility and democracy rests on your shoulders.  

 

Patriot (?) Act

All those that back the renewal of the so-called "Patriot Act" should ponder the words of a great American patriot from the past.

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

 

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

Power corrupts

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/18/MNG10FQFP91.DTL&hw=Robert+Stein&sn=001&sc=1000

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

History may view the Bush-Cheney administration as one of the most corrupt in United States History.

One shudders to think what corrupt and desperate men may do when their backs are to the wall.

 

 

Lord Acton's epic warning that "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"

     Historian Lord Acton (1834-1902) issued epic warnings that political power is the most serious threat to liberty.

    

The Military-Industrial Complex

In 1961, President Dwight D. Eisenhower made his farewell speech as he prepared to leave office. A section of that speech was remarkable. As a former career military officer, General Eisenhower warned the country about giving too much power to, as he called it, the "military-industrial" complex.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Ike's words:

"This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence -- economic, political, even spiritual -- is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the militaryindustrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ike was a wise man and a prophet. We are now in the grip of those we were warned against.

In the political climate we find ourselves in today, Bush and Cheney would brand President Eisenhower as "irresponsible".

 

Hawks flying toward the sunset

Hawkish Democrat Calls for Immediate Iraq Pullout Murtha, a Vietnam Veteran, Voted for War By LIZ SIDOTI, APWASHINGTON (Nov. 17) -- An influential House Democrat who voted for the Iraq war called Thursday for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, another sign of growing unease in Congress about the conflict.

(from AOL news)

------------------------------------------------------------------------  

The hawks are starting to fly away from the stench of the battlefield. Do they fear another Vietnam with 50,000 dead and nothing to show for it but stories of political stupidity filling the pages of history books for generations to read and wonder how could this have happened? I find it noteworthy that many of those that are questioning the war are veterans of war. Those who have lead us into war seem to be mainly those who were able to avoid service in the past. Vietnam for instance. Bush got a cushy National Guard slot because he had a powerful and wealthy family. Cheney conveniently impregnated his wife in time to avoid the draft. If they had served and seen the horror and futility, how would they have reacted in this situation? A line from a popular song from the 'Nam era. "When will they ever learn?"

"When--        --will they                       --ever learn? " 

WMD was a crock

The "nattering nabobs" are still noodling on about weapons of mass destruction as the reason to invade Iraq. What a crock!

The planning to invade Iraq began around 1998, well before Bush and the Supreme Court stole the 2000 election. The gang of neo-cons in the Pentagon, Wolfewitz and company wanted to invade Iraq to create a military base flanking Iran and Syria, and to gain control over a vast oil reserve. This is not just my theory. The well credentialed conservative, Pat Buchanan has been heard to say the same thing on "Hardball".

It would have been difficult to make a case to the voters based on this scenerio. The tragic events of 9-11 gave Bush and company the perfect excuse to invade. Note I said "excuse", not "reason".

No doubt it was Karl Rove who concocted the WMD story to scare the citizens and politicians into supporting this misadventure. Bush has raved on and on about Saddam and terrorism and made the suckers believe that Saddam was connected to 9-11. Lest we not forget, the vast majority of 9-11 perpetrators were from Saudi Arabia. Their leader was Osama bin Laden, a member of a powerful and well connected Saudi family. Their connections extend to the Bush family. Can there be any connection between this and the fact that bin Laden escaped from Afghanistan and whose whereabouts is still unknown.

Now thousands are dead, no good has come from it, and probably never will.

Very tragic.

Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke

It would appear that Ben Bernanke is on course for easy confirmation as Chairman of the Federal Reserve, replacing Alan Greenspan.

There can be no doubt of Dr.Bernanke's academic qualifications. However, his political and economic background as viewed in light of his time in the White House raises questions in my mind. As economic advisor to Bush, he was deeply involved in the ruinous economic and tax policy  decisions that have diminished the middle class, created economic malaise, wiped out the surplus left by the previous administration and ballooned the National Debt.

In the best of all worlds, the job would be strictly non-partisan, and maybe the most qualified person would rise to the top. Many think, including me, that Robert Rubin would be the logical choice. Rubin was former head of Goldman-Sachs, and a consummate Wall Street professional. His economic and monetary qualifications are without question. Many commentators have said that Rubin was the best Secretary of the Treasury since Alexander Hamilton.

If Dr. Bernanke is unable to rise above his White House days, we may be in for serious trouble.

The link is to the National Debt clock. You should worry about this.  http://www.worldnewsstand.net/history/your_debt.htm

The Ship of State is sinking. Will the rats desert?

"WASHINGTON (Nov. 15) - The GOP-controlled Senate rejected a Democratic call Tuesday for a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq but urged President Bush to outline his plan for "the successful completion of the mission" in a bill reflecting a growing bipartisan unease with his Iraq policies." (from AOL news)

There will be an election in '06, with many Republican Senators forced to run for re-election in an atmosphere of growing voter unease and distrust of the current administration and their disasterous policies. The Republican Senators are happy to wave the flag and spout patriotic slogans as long as the President's poll numbers are high. Now that his  numbers are in the tank, the White House is stumbling over scandal, and the war is in trouble, all of a sudden they aren't so happy to be allied with Bush. How many of them do you think will want Bush to visit their states during campaign time? They'll be avoiding him like the plague. Bush is getting so unpopular that he's forced to give most of his speeches at military bases where he has a captive audience.

How the mighty have fallen. Ignorance, arrogance and hubris have taken their toll.

 

Is privacy and freedom of speech in danger?

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/11/13/Columns/National_security_let.shtml

  I feel quite certain that Pres. Bush and his neo-con cohorts will ignore their culpability and responsibility in the horrific events in Jordan. Maybe they are incapable of understanding that the war in Iraq has created a terrorist state that will further destabilize the Middle East and increase the likelihood of more terrorist attacks on our shores. Saddam is gone, but a greater evil will take his place and we will rue the day.    

The followers of Islam throughout the world number in the billions. I expect that a large majority of them view our presence in Iraq not as liberators, but as "crusaders". They see it as a war between Christianity and Islam that started with the Crusades 1000 years ago, continued through European colonialism in the 18th-20th centuries, and continues on conducted by the radical evangelicals, Bush and Rice.

This war is unwinnable. There will be no victors. No flag waving parades and glorious hymns. Only death, destruction, and a diminution of our power and resources. The British learned this early in the last century. How ironic that they are our allies in this doomed undertaking.

Bush

  Bush calls critics of the Iraq war "irresponsible". I'll tell you what's irresponsible.  Starting a war under false pretenses, faulty intelligence, and outright lies, now that irresponsible. Did I say "irresponsible"? It's far worse than that. Thousands are dead. A country is slowly being destroyed. Physically, it's Iraq, and morally it's the United States. What are supposed to be policies, tactics, and strategies  to ameliorate terrorism have in fact served to exacerbate it, and there is no end in sight. We are making more enemies than friends, and no good will ever come from that. Saul of Tarsus saw the error of his ways. Is there any hope for George of Texas?