The Cancerous Right-Wing

It is unconscionable that Bush, his administration, Rush Limbaugh and other right wing conservatives continue to claim there is no evidence for Global Warming. Are these people really that ignorant or does the fact of global warming and admitting it make it more difficult for them to support programs that profit them monetarily while the earth and its people suffer the results? We know the truth - the majority of climatologists and other scientists all agree that global warming is taking its toll and that the damage to our ecosystem will continue to grow with evermore disastrous results. The people who make fun of these scientists and deny we are destroying our environment are the most despicable people on this earth - those who would destroy the earth for personal gain. Just like cancer that destroys it's host and dies along with it, these evil bastards are equally as deadly and as malevolent. Here's more proof of global warming as if it were needed.

Core Evidence That Humans Affect Climate Change
By Usha Lee McFarling
An ice core about two miles long - the oldest frozen sample ever drilled from the underbelly of Antarctica - shows that at no time in the last 650,000 years have levels of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane been as high as they are today.

Drugs and Prisons

I learned a long time ago from visiting with County Sheriffs all over Tennessee (It was my job) that, no matter what the county's population size, If a county had a jail that houses 200 inmates they would fill it. Once a referendum was passed and a new modern jail housing 400 prisoners was completed - they would fill that one in short order.

Theoretically, if a county of 50,000 population were to build a jail that could house 50,000 prisoners the only thing that would keep the authorities from filling it would be a lack of funding. A sizable tax base is needed to support a jail and the law enforcement system that feeds it - so they couldn't lock up everyone unless it was paid for by federal funds. In that event, the only people in that county that would not be in jail would be the county sheriff, his officers and jailers and a minimum of one judge to sentence anyone that slipped through the cracks and to return those to jail that served their time for the first offense.

A jail and the law enforcement employees that are needed to support it is a business - and a profitable one. Just ask Corrections Corporation Of America that privately operates prisons and jails across the nation. It was formed and has it's headquarters right here in Nashville, Tennessee. CCA now has a capacity of 70,500 in it's prisons and maintains a 95% occupancy rate which is much better than most major hotels. They generated $1.16 billon in revenues last year and recently increased their prisoner capacity to shore up profit margins. .

The total number of prisoners in US federal prisons and state jails was 2,131,180 in 2004 and is increasing about 3.5% per year. The figure from the following report that jumps out at you is that 60% of federal prisoners housed are drug prisoners. That's probably true of local jail populations as well - or perhaps a much higher percentage. The link below addresses this problem and discounts the contention that locking up drug offenders decreases crime rates and makes drugs less available.

In fact, locking away drug users has been shown to create more criminals by placing these basically law-abiding drug offenders in long-term contact with hardened criminals. The severe prison sentences handed down to recreational drug users make them bitter towards society for violation of a law they consider unjust in the first place. For example, contrary to popular belief, marijuana smokers users do not automatically graduate to stronger, more addictive and deadlier drugs nor do they get involved in crime other than the one violated in the course of marijuana procurement, distribution and use. The fact that the criminal and often violent element of society also uses marijuana is no indictment of the majority. The same element also use alcohol.

Most of us are likely to know people who either regularly or occasionally use marijuana or even cocaine - perhaps you are one of them. Regardless of what you may think of these people, those that I have come into contact with over the years are neither criminally inclined or a menace to society. Quite the contrary, I have found many if not most are good people with great talents who would never break any laws except the one in question, a law they feel is wrong to begin with. Willie Nelson, an American icon, is one of the more notable persons who "reputedly" uses marijuana and is revered by many as a great American - even by many of our nation's leaders. Willie, despite his reputation, is embraced by the Christian community as well as the secular. Hypocrisy and whoredom know no theocratic or philosophical boundaries.

I realize that some of the current cheap and easily manufactured drugs now destroying lives have become a real problem but incarceration is an ineffective deterrent as everyone knows. If the same amount of money spent on housing all drug offenders was spent on educating the most serious drug offenders and addressing their immediate problems, many if not most would become productive members of society. Instead we keep creating an industry that creates profits for a few and greater problems for our society. When will self-righteous arrogance and ignorance end and the compassionate, fair and just world envisioned by Jesus, the Buddha and Muhammad arrive?

Gary

Population Bomb Behind Bars
http://www.cato.org/dailys/02-23-00.html

The Chronological History Of A Lie

The following list is amazing. And true! The search for WMD in Iraq officially ended shortly before Christmas 2004 but none of the people quoted below will admit they were lying or that they were wrong. What does that say about their character, their judgment or their qualification to lead?

Below is a chronological history of these lies and the people who told them - everyone of them were aware they were either lying or exaggerating to the American people and to the world at the time. Even if you argue they "thought" what they were saying "might" be true, they didn't bother to qualify those statements as pure guesswork and convenient supposition designed to support the illegal invasion of another country. They were adamant that they were telling us the truth and as leaders essentially placed their integrity and the public's confidence in them as leaders on the line.

These lies represent the biggest and most costly lies of this century (so far). They have been recorded and are awaiting truthful historians to record the effects on our world. The claims that these lies were based upon information provided by our intelligence agencies is disputed by many within these agencies claiming that their recommendations were not heeded or were ignored by an administration drunk with power and one staffed by people that were predetermined to invade Iraq prior to Bush becoming president. There are no excuses and no redeeming consequences that can absolve these people from their actions and only the most dishonest historians will attempt to glorify another shameful and misguided military conflict that looks and smells like Viet Nam but with the potential for much more disastrous and long term results.

Any student of middle east history, Egypt, Israel and the Islamic culture could have easily predicted what the results of this action would likely be given the history of conflict between the Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds. To pretend there was no other way to remove Saddam was the first of many lies and misrepresentations. The idea that American troops would be greeted as liberators was pure fantasy to even those with only a casual familiarity with the world of the middle east. Any Israeli, Palestinian, Pakistani, or Egyptian street vendor could have told them what to expect.

Nearly every one of the quotes below are egregious, boldface lies. They span 2 1/2 years from 2/1/200 to 7/9/2003. My comments are in parentheses.

THE SETUP - "How the United States should react if Iraq acquired WMD. The first line of defense...should be a clear and classical statement of deterrence-- if they do acquire WMD, their weapons will be unusable because any attempt to use them will bring national obliteration." - Condoleeza Rice, US National Security Advisor - January/February 2000 issue of Foreign Affairs 2/1/2000

(Oh, that really makes sense to threaten a nation with obliteration. This blustery threat was made a full 18 months prior to 9/11/2001. Tell me that doesn't sound like the chest beating bluster of Kim Jong-IL or the threats of Khrushchev. Is this rhetoric by Rice the setup for invading Iraq which was planned long before 9/11? But before going to war they had to move public opinion and what greater way than instilling fear of an attack on America? And then 9/11 happened. What a stroke of luck. Remember Bush chuckling that he had hit the Trifecta?)

LIE - "We are greatly concerned about any possible linkup between terrorists and regimes that have or seek weapons of mass destruction...In the case of Saddam Hussein, we've got a dictator who is clearly pursuing and already possesses some of these weapons. A regime that hates America and everything we stand for must never be permitted to threaten America with weapons of mass destruction. " - Dick Cheney, Vice President - Detroit, Fund-Raiser 6/20/2002

LIE - "Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction." - Dick Cheney, Vice President - Speech to VFW National Convention 8/26/2002

(A clear lie - there was plenty of doubt cast by the CIA, the UN Inspection Team and other Saddam watchers.)

LIE - "There is already a mountain of evidence that Saddam Hussein is gathering weapons for the purpose of using them. And adding additional information is like adding a foot to Mount Everest." Ari Fleischer, Press Secretary - Response to Question From Press 9/6/2002

LIE - "We don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud." - Condoleeza Rice, US National Security Advisor - CNN Late Edition 9/8/2002

LIE - "Right now, Iraq is expanding and improving facilities that were used for the production of biological weapons." - George W. Bush, President - Speech to UN General Assembly 9/12/2002

(Not that "we suspect" or "we are led to believe" but this claim is stated absolutely.)

LIE - "Iraq has stockpiled biological and chemical weapons, and is rebuilding the facilities used to make more of those weapons. We have sources that tell us that Saddam Hussein recently authorized Iraqi field commanders to use chemical weapons -- the very weapons the dictator tells us he does not have." - George W. Bush, President - Radio Address 10/5/2002

(These sources were most likely Chalabi, his relative Curveball and the other expatriates that were being paid for information and expected to get positions of power once Saddam was defeated. Only a fool would not be cautious concerning anything they told you. I guess that explains it.)

LIE - "The Iraqi regime...possesses and produces chemical and biological weapons. It is seeking nuclear weapons. We know that the regime has produced thousands of tons of chemical agents, including mustard gas, sarin nerve gas, VX nerve gas." - George W. Bush, President - Cincinnati, Ohio Speech 10/7/2002

LIE - "And surveillance photos reveal that the regime is rebuilding facilities that it had used to produce chemical and biological weapons." - George W. Bush, President - Cincinnati, Ohio Speech 10/7/2002

LIE - "After eleven years during which we have tried containment, sanctions, inspections, even selected military action, the end result is that Saddam Hussein still has chemical and biological weapons and is increasing his capabilities to make more. And he is moving ever closer to developing a nuclear weapon." -George W. Bush, President - Cincinnati, Ohio Speech 10/7/2002

LIE - "We've also discovered through intelligence that Iraq has a growing fleet of manned and unmanned aerial vehicles that could be used to disperse chemical or biological weapons across broad areas." - George W. Bush, President - Cincinnati, Ohio Speech 10/7/2002

(This is an obscene lie meant to scare Americans into believing they could be attacked in the US. Why would an American President repeat this claim which was considered by almost all other nation's intelligence people and even many within our own CIA as false? )

LIE - "Iraq, despite UN sanctions, maintains an aggressive program to rebuild the infrastructure for its nuclear, chemical, biological, and missile programs. In each instance, Iraq's procurement agents are actively working to obtain both weapons-specific and dual-use materials and technologies critical to their rebuilding and expansion efforts, using front companies and whatever illicit means are at hand." _ John Bolton, Undersecretary of State for Arms Control - Speech to the Hudson Institute11/1/2002

(This false claim is from the man who now represents this nation to the United Nations. Who among other nations will ever trust this man?)

LIE- "We estimate that once Iraq acquires fissile material -- whether from a foreign source or by securing the materials to build an indigenous fissile material capability -- it could fabricate a nuclear weapon within one year. It has rebuilt its civilian chemical infrastructure and renewed production of chemical warfare agents, probably including mustard, sarin, and VX. It actively maintains all key aspects of its offensive BW program." John Bolton, Undersecretary of State for Arms Control - Speech to the Hudson Institute 11/1/2002

(Same comment as for preceding lie)

LIE - "Iraq could decide on any given day to provide biological or chemical weapons to a terrorist group or to individual terrorists...The war on terror will not be won until Iraq is completely and verifiably deprived of weapons of mass destruction." - Dick Cheney, Vice President - Denver, Address To Air National Guard 12/1/2002

( Although they didn't exist prior to the "war" Iraq is now "deprived" of WMD but has the "war on terror" been won as Cheney said it would be?)

LIE- "If he declares he has none, then we will know that Saddam Hussein is once again misleading the world." - Ari Fleischer, Press Secretary - Press Briefing 12/2/2002

(Who now appears to have misled the world?)

LIE - "The president of the United States and the secretary of defense would not assert as plainly and bluntly as they have that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction if it was not true, and if they did not have a solid basis for saying it." - Ari Fleischer, Press Secretary - Response to Question From Press 12/4/2002

(By Fleischer's own admission he has lied. He said they would not say it if it wasn't true - and it was not true - he lied - they lied!)

LIE - "We know for a fact that there are weapons there." Ari Fleischer, Press Secretary - Press Briefing 1/9/2003

LIE - "I am absolutely convinced, based on the information that's been given to me, that the weapon of mass destruction which can kill more people than an atomic bomb -- that is, biological weapons -- is in the hands of the leadership of Iraq." - Bill Frist, Senate Majority Leader - MSNBC Interview 1/10/2003

(Frist was also convinced that Terry Schaivo was not brain dead - and now he wants the American voters to elect him as president - someone so easily misled, who rushes to judgment without studying the facts and is guilty of careless decision making. God forbid!)

LIE - "What is unique about Iraq compared to, I would argue, any other country in the world, in this juncture, is the exhaustion of diplomacy thus far, and, No. 2, this intersection of weapons of mass destruction." Bill Frist, Senate Majority Leader - NewsHour Interview 1/22/2003

LIE - "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa. Our intelligence sources tell us that he has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes suitable for nuclear weapons production." - George W. Bush, President - State of the Union Address 1/28/2003

LIE -"Our intelligence officials estimate that Saddam Hussein had the materials to produce as much as 500 tons of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent." - George W. Bush, President - State of the Union Address 1/28/2003

(They thought this because the US provided Saddam these agents to use against Iran - the same US that is adamantly opposed to the spread and use of biological and chemical warfare by other nations.)

LIE - "We know that Saddam Hussein is determined to keep his weapons of mass destruction, is determined to make more." - Colin Powell, Secretary of State - Remarks to UN Security Council 2/5/2003

LIE - "There can be no doubt that Saddam Hussein has biological weapons and the capability to rapidly produce more, many more. And he has the ability to dispense these lethal poisons and diseases in ways that can cause massive death and destruction. If biological weapons seem too terrible to contemplate, chemical weapons are equally chilling." - Colin Powell, Secretary of State -Addresses the U.N. Security Council 2/5/2003

(Powell's marching orders were to scare Americans and other nations into supporting the illegal invasion of Iraq)

LIE - "In Iraq, a dictator is building and hiding weapons that could enable him to dominate the Middle East and intimidate the civilized world -- and we will not allow it." - George W. Bush, President - Speech to the American Enterprise Institute 2/26/2003

(Guess who it is who wants to dominate the middle-east and who the rest of the civilized world considers dangerous and intimidating? Just guess!)

LIE - "If Iraq had disarmed itself, gotten rid of its weapons of mass destruction over the past 12 years, or over the last several months since (UN Resolution) 1441 was enacted, we would not be facing the crisis that we now have before us . . . But the suggestion that we are doing this because we want to go to every country in the Middle East and rearrange all of its pieces is not correct." - Colin Powell, Secretary of State - Interview with Radio France International 2/28/2003

(This is the lie of all lies. This poor fool embarrassed himself and lost any credibility he had with the American people. He was a pawn of the Bush administration.)

LIE - "I am not eager to send young Americans into harm's way in Iraq, or to see innocent people killed or hurt in military operations. Given all of the facts and circumstances known to us, however, I am convinced that if we wait, a threat will continue to materialize in Iraq that could cause incalculable damage to world peace in general, and to the United States in particular." - Bill Frist, Senate Majority Leader - Letter to Future of Freedom Foundation 3/1/2003

(I repeat, you were also convinced that after seeing a video of Terry Schaivo that she was not brain dead and was responding to questions, etc. You are a dangerous man to be in a leadership position.)

LIE - "Iraq is a grave threat to this nation. It desires to acquire and use weapons of mass terror and is run by a despot with a proven record of willingness to use them. Iraq has had 12 years to comply with UN requirements for disarmament and has failed to do so. The president is right to say it's time has run out." Bill Frist, Senate Majority Leader - Senate Speech 3/7/2003

(Scott Ritter, Hans Blix and all the other weapons inspectors clearly concluded there was no evidence of WMD or that Saddam had not complied with UN demands.)

LIE - "So has the strategic decision been made to disarm Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction by the leadership in Baghdad? . . . I think our judgment has to be clearly not." - Colin Powell, Secretary of State - Remarks to UN Security Council 3/7/2003

LIE -"Getting rid of Saddam Hussein's regime is our best inoculation. Destroying once and for all his weapons of disease and death is a vaccination for the world." - Bill Frist, Senate Majority Leader - Washington Post op-ed 3/16/2003

(Frist obviously thought his training as a doctor allowed him to use this pathetic play on words to appear clever. What an arrogant jerk this guy is.)

LIE - "Let's talk about the nuclear proposition for a minute. We know that based on intelligence, that Saddam has been very, very good at hiding these kinds of efforts. He's had years to get good at it and we know he has been absolutely devoted to trying to acquire nuclear weapons. And we believe he has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons." - Dick Cheney, Vice President - Meet The Press 3/16/2003

LIE - "Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised." - George W. Bush, President - Address to the Nation 3/17/2003

(Obscene scare tactics. If any of the agencies attempted to gather intelligence from George W Bush they would come up empty handed. He possesses no intelligence.)

LIE - "The United States . . . is now at war so we will not ever see what terrorists could do if supplied with weapons of mass destruction by Saddam Hussein." - Bill Frist, Senate Majority Leader - Senate Debate 3/20/2003

(Brilliant! Another revelation from The Mad Hatter. Frist sounds disappointed but he should not despair. Now that the number of terrorists have been increased exponentially the chances for us seeing what they could do are a thousand times greater thanks to him and his colleagues. On the other hand if the American people are wise, we will not ever see what Frist could do if he became president. Pray with me!)

LIE - "Well, there is no question that we have evidence and information that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, biological and chemical particularly . . . all this will be made clear in the course of the operation, for whatever duration it takes." - Ari Fleischer, Press Secretary - Press Briefing 3/21/2003

( We might be in for quite a wait. It might take longer than it takes OJ to find the murderers of his wife.)

LIE - "There is no doubt that the regime of Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction. And . . . as this operation continues, those weapons will be identified, found, along with the people who have produced them and who guard them." - General Tommy Franks, Commander in Chief Central Command - Press Conference 3/22/2003

(Gosh, if they just happened to find some Iraqis guarding something in Iraq wouldn't they be suspicious by now?)

LIE - "One of our top objectives is to find and destroy the WMD. There are a number of sites." Victoria Clark, Pentagon Spokeswoman - Press Briefing 3/22/2003

(Well here ya go! This is obviously someone who knows where those sites are - and how many! Someone should have given Bush her phone number.)

LIE - "I have no doubt we're going to find big stores of weapons of mass destruction." - Kenneth Adelman, Defense Policy Board member - Washington Post, p. A27 3/23/2003

LIE - "We know where they are. They're in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat." - Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense - ABC Interview 3/30/2003

(Aha! Rumsfeld knows where they are! You notice he covered the four compass points . . . . . . somewhat. Since he knew where they were he should be fired for not sharing this information with the rest. Maybe Bush and Rumsfeld are saving these weapons to give to China to use against North Korea like when we gave these same weapons to Saddam to use against Iraq. Yeah - that must be it. Brilliant! )

LIE - "We simply cannot live in fear of a ruthless dictator, aggressor and terrorist such as Saddam Hussein, who possesses the world's most deadly weapons." - Bill Frist, Senate Majority Leader - Speech to American Israel Political Action Committee 3/31/2003

( Although this statement was a lie I saw this almost identical statement which IS true: "We simply cannot live in fear of a ruthless dictator, aggressor and terrorist such as George Bush, who possesses the world's most deadly weapons." ~ Undisclosed UN Member)

LIE - "We still need to find and secure Iraq's weapons of mass destruction facilities and secure Iraq's borders so we can prevent the flow of weapons of mass destruction materials and senior regime officials out of the country." - Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense - Press Conference 4/9/2003

( Uh - when - uh - do you think that will be completed? Isn't it a little late to plan the very first thing that should have been done? Unless of course you knew there were no WMD"s in the first place.)

LIE - "You bet we're concerned about it. And one of the reasons it's important is because the nexus between terrorist states with weapons of mass destruction ... and terrorist groups -- networks -- is a critical link. And the thought that ... some of those materials could leave the country and in the hands of terrorist networks would be a very unhappy prospect. So it is important to us to see that that doesn't happen." Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense - Press Conference 4/9/2003

(So when does that plan go into effect?)

LIE - "Obviously the administration intends to publicize all the weapons of mass destruction U.S. forces find -- and there will be plenty." - Robert Kagan, Neocon scholar - Washington Post op-ed 4/9/2003 (Did I miss it?)

NOT A LIE - "I think you have always heard, and you continue to hear from officials, a measure of high confidence that, indeed, the weapons of mass destruction will be found." - Ari Fleischer, Press Secretary - Press Briefing 4/10/2003

(This is not a lie. We heard this loud and continuous - but now we don't hear it so often since they've run out of places to look.)

LIE - "But make no mistake -- as I said earlier -- we have high confidence that they have weapons of mass destruction. That is what this war was about and it is about. And we have high confidence it will be found." - Ari Fleischer, Press Secretary - Press Briefing 4/10/2003

( Ari tells us to make no mistake and he claims this is the only reason for this war. He didn't explain there would be four more reasons that cancelled out each one before it. )

LIE - "Were not going to find anything until we find people who tell us where the things are. And we have that very high on our priority list, to find the people who know. And when we do, then well learn precisely where things were and what was done." - Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense - Meet the Press 4/13/2003

( After saying just 15 days before that he knew exactly where the WMD were now Rumsfeld says "We're not going to find anything until we find people to tell us where the things are." Which is it Rummy? You either know or you don't. )

LIE - "I have absolute confidence that there are weapons of mass destruction inside this country. Whether we will turn out, at the end of the day, to find them in one of the 2,000 or 3,000 sites we already know about or whether contact with one of these officials who we may come in contact with will tell us, 'Oh, well, there's actually another site,' and we'll find it there, I'm not sure." - General Tommy Franks, Commander in Chief Central Command - Fox News 4/13/2003 (The last three words in the above comment is the only truth.)

LIE - "We are learning more as we interrogate or have discussions with Iraqi scientists and people within the Iraqi structure, that perhaps he destroyed some, perhaps he dispersed some. And so we will find them."George W. Bush, President - NBC Interview 4/24/2003

LIE - "There are people who in large measure have information that we need . . . so that we can track down the weapons of mass destruction in that country." - Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense - Press Briefing 4/25/2003

LIE - "We'll find them. It'll be a matter of time to do so." George W. Bush, President Remarks to Reporters 5/3/2003

LIE - "I'm absolutely sure that there are weapons of mass destruction there and the evidence will be forthcoming. We're just getting it just now." - Colin Powell, Secretary of State - Remarks to Reporters 5/4/2003

(That was 2 1/2 years ago. Powell was required to lie to keep his job.)

LIE -"We never believed that we'd just stumble over weapons of mass destruction in that country." - Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense - Fox News Interview 5/4/2003

(Absolutely a lie. Rumsfeld continually said we know exactly where they are.)

LIE - "I'm not surprised if we begin to uncover the weapons program of Saddam Hussein -- because he had a weapons program." - George W. Bush, President - Remarks to Reporters 5/6/2003

(Now it's a weapons program - not the actual weapons.)

LIE - "U.S. officials never expected that 'we were going to open garages and find' weapons of mass destruction." Condoleeza Rice, US National Security Advisor - Reuters Interview 5/12/2003 (obvious lie)

LIE - "I just don't know whether it was all destroyed years ago -- I mean, there's no question that there were chemical weapons years ago -- whether they were destroyed right before the war, (or) whether they're still hidden." - Maj. Gen. David Petraeus, Commander 101st Airborne, Press Briefing 5/13/2003

(Those were the ones we gave or sold Saddam - that's why he was certain. Saddam used them on Iraq and the Kurds while the US winked and nodded with approval.)

LIE - "We said all along that we will never get to the bottom of the Iraqi WMD program simply by going and searching specific sites, that you'd have to be able to get people who know about the programs to talk to you." Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary of Defense - Interview with Australian Broadcasting 5/13/2003

(Talk about lying and backing off what was previously said.)

LIE "Before the war, there's no doubt in my mind that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, biological and chemical. I expected them to be found. I still expect them to be found." - Gen. Michael Hagee, Commandant of the Marine Corps - Interview with Reporters 5/21/2003

(I repeat: Those were the ones we gave or sold Saddam - that's why he was certain.Saddam used them on Iraq and the Kurds while the US winked and nodded with approval. The should have said "has weapons" - a Freudian slip?)

LIE - "It's going to take time to find them, but we know he had them. And whether he destroyed them, moved them or hid them, we're going to find out the truth. One thing is for certain: Saddam Hussein no longer threatens America with weapons of mass destruction." - George W. Bush, President - Speech at a weapons factory in Ohio 5/25/2003

(It's sad isn't it - that this man is our president rather than Al Gore)

LIE - "Given time, given the number of prisoners now that we're interrogating, I'm confident that we're going to find weapons of mass destruction." - Gen. Richard Myers, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff - NBC Today Show interview 5/26/2003

LIE - "They may have had time to destroy them, and I don't know the answer." - Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense - Remarks to Council on Foreign Relations 5/27/2003

(Defensive backpedaling - still not admitting their reason for going to war was false.)

LIE - "For bureaucratic reasons, we settled on one issue, weapons of mass destruction (as justification for invading Iraq) because it was the one reason everyone could agree on." Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary of Defense - Vanity Fair interview 5/28/2003

(This is not a lie and instead is a rare glimpse of the truth. They wanted to invade, planned to invade, but knew American citizens and the rest of the world would not accept an invasion for reasons of oil and American empire. They had to make Saddam out as an immediate threat to the world and knew they would have to lie and fabricate evidence of WMD. The majority of Americans and people around the world now realize this.)

LIE - "The President is indeed satisfied with the intelligence that he received. And I think that's borne out by the fact that, just as Secretary Powell described at the United Nations, we have found the bio trucks that can be used only for the purpose of producing biological weapons. That's proof-perfect that the intelligence in that regard was right on target." - Ari Fleischer, Press Secretary - Press Briefing 5/29/2003

(These trucks were determined to be for commercial use and had no capabilities for making biological weapons. To read how the US was duped by Chalabi and his relative, the intelligence source referred to as Curveball, go here - http://www.blogger.com/ )

LIE - "We have teams of people that are out looking. They've investigated a number of sites. And within the last week or two, they have in fact captured and have in custody two of the mobile trailers that Secretary Powell talked about at the United Nations as being biological weapons laboratories." Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense - Infinity Radio Interview 5/30/2003

( These turned out to be water purification units or something on that order)

LIE - "But for those who say we haven't found the banned manufacturing devices or banned weapons, they're wrong, we found them." - George W. Bush, President - Interview with TVP Poland 5/30/2003

(How can the president of the United States be led to make such false statements which were later proved false? If you were president wouldn't you want to make sure any charge so serious was fully documented as true before making it? This is the same strategy used in the elections. Claim those who oppose you are wrong despite evidence to the contrary and keep repeating it. Too many Americans trust that our leaders would not lie to us.)

LIE - "You remember when Colin Powell stood up in front of the world, and he said Iraq has got laboratories, mobile labs to build biological weapons ...They're illegal. They're against the United Nations resolutions, and we've so far discovered two...And we'll find more weapons as time goes on." George W. Bush, President- Press Briefing 5/30/2003

NOT A LIE - "It was a surprise to me then -- it remains a surprise to me now -- that we have not uncovered weapons, as you say, in some of the forward dispersal sites. Believe me, it's not for lack of trying. We've been to virtually every ammunition supply point between the Kuwaiti border and Baghdad, but they're simply not there." - Lt. Gen. James Conway, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force - Press Interview 5/30/2003

( This one is not a lie - how did they allow this guy get out there and make this statement?)

LIE - "Do I think we're going to find something? Yeah, I kind of do, because I think there's a lot of information out there." Maj. Gen. Keith Dayton, Defense Intelligence Agency - Press Conference 5/30/2003

Question for Wolfowitz: The fact that there hasn't been substantial cache of weapons of mass destruction -- is that an embarrassment?

Wolfowitz: No. Is it an embarrassment to people on the other side that we've discovered these biological production vans, which the defector told us about? - Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary of Defense - CNN Interview 5/31/2003

(Who is the other side that Wolfowitz refers to? Those who were proven right? These vans were later proven not to be Winnebagos of Death. Is Wolfowitz capable of embarrassment? If this brazen man, who designed and planned this illegal war, isn't incompetent and dangerous - no one is.)

LIE -"This wasn't material I was making up, it came from the intelligence community." - Colin Powell, Secretary of State - Press Briefing 6/2/2003

LIE - "'We know that some of them, especially the biological weapons, were being destroyed,' Hastert said, adding that it would 'take a little while to find weapons of mass destruction... and we're going to continue to do it.'" Dennis Hastert, House Speaker R-IL - Press Briefing 6/4/2003

( We knew they were being destroyed because the weapons inspectors supervised it.)

LIE - "We recently found two mobile biological weapons facilities which were capable of producing biological agents. This is the man who spent decades hiding tools of mass murder. He knew the inspectors were looking for them. You know better than me he's got a big country in which to hide them. We're on the look. We'll reveal the truth." George W. Bush, President - CAMP SAYLIYA, Qatar 6/5/2003

(The truth has been revealed and the truth is Bush was lying and knew it as he was doing it.)

LIE - "I would put before you Exhibit A, the mobile biological labs that we have found. People are saying, 'Well, are they truly mobile biological labs?' Yes, they are. And the DCI, George Tenet, Director of Central Intelligence, stands behind that assessment." Colin Powell, Secretary of State - Fox News Interview 6/8/2003

(George Tenet was honored by George Bush for being incompetent and for falling on his sword.)

LIE - "No one ever said that we knew precisely where all of these agents were, where they were stored." Condoleeza Rice, US National Security Advisor - Meet the Press 6/8/2003

(Liar Liar, Liar! It was claimed over and over the Bush administration knew exactly where the weapons were. See the above documented statements.)

LIE - "What the president has said is because it's been the long-standing view of numerous people, not only in this country, not only in this administration, but around the world, including at the United Nations, who came to those conclusions...And the president is not going to engage in the rewriting of history that others may be trying to engage in." Ari Fleischer, Press Secretary - Response to Question From Press 6/9/2003

LIE - "Iraq had a weapons program...Intelligence throughout the decade showed they had a weapons program. I am absolutely convinced with time we'll find out they did have a weapons program." George W. Bush, President - Comment to Reporters 6/9/2003

(At that point Bush was beginning to hedge over whether Saddam had actual WMD to claiming that Saddam had a WMD program.)

LIE - "The biological weapons labs that we believe strongly are biological weapons labs, we didn't find any biological weapons with those labs. But should that give us any comfort? Not at all. Those were labs that could produce biological weapons whenever Saddam Hussein might have wanted to have a biological weapons inventory." - Colin Powell, Secretary of State- Associated Press Interview 6/12/2003

LIE -"Those documents were only one piece of evidence in a larger body of evidence suggesting that Iraq attempted to purchase uranium from Africa ... The issue of Iraq's pursuit of uranium in Africa is supported by multiple sources of intelligence. The other sources of evidence did and do support the president's statement." Sean McCormack, National Security Council Spokesman - Statement to press 6/13/2003

(Do you think maybe Sean is in somebody's pocket?)

LIE - "My personal view is that their intelligence has been, I'm sure, imperfect, but good. In other words, I think the intelligence was correct in general, and that you always will find out precisely what it was once you get on the ground and have a chance to talk to people and explore it, and I think that will happen." -Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense - Press Briefing 6/18/2003

LIE - "I have reason, every reason, to believe that the intelligence that we were operating off was correct and that we will, in fact, find weapons or evidence of weapons, programs, that are conclusive. But that's just a matter of time...It's now less than eight weeks since the end of major combat in Iraq and I believe that patience will prove to be a virtue." - Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense - Pentagon media briefing. 6/24/2003

(Defensive backpedaling, obfuscation and refusing to admit mistakes are not virtues. )

MS. BLOCK to Colin Powell : There were no toxins found in those trailers.

LIE - Secretary Powell's answer: "Which could mean one of several things: one, they hadn't been used yet to develop toxins; or, secondly, they had been sterilized so thoroughly that there is no residual left. It may well be that they hadn't been used yet." - Colin Powell, Secretary of State - All Things Considered, Interview 6/27/2003

(Embarrassing defensive backpedaling. He forgot to mention that maybe they had not been built for developing toxins (which later proved true) and had not yet been redesigned for that purpose.)

LIE - "That was the concern we had with Saddam Hussein. Not only did he have weapons -- and we'll uncover not only his weapons but all of his weapons programs -- he never lost the intent to have these kinds of weapons." - Colin Powell, Secretary of State - All Things Considered, Interview 6/27/2003

LIE - "I think the burden is on those people who think he didn't have weapons of mass destruction to tell the world where they are." - Ari Fleischer, Press Secretary - Press Briefing 7/9/2003

(This amazes me. Absolutely straight out of Alice in Wonderland - Mad Hatter/White Rabbit flabbergasting! Where are the weapons that were not there? Does this not call for a psychiatric review of Fleischer?)

The Hunt For WMD is Over The hunt for biological, chemical and nuclear weapons in Iraq came to an end nearly two years after President Bush ordered U.S. troops to disarm Saddam Hussein. The top CIA weapons hunter came home, and analysts are back at Langley. Officials who served with the Iraq Survey Group (ISG) said the violence in Iraq, coupled with a lack of new information, led them to fold up the effort shortly before Christmas 2004. Charles A. Duelfer, who led the weapons hunt in 2004, submitted an interim report to Congress that contradicted nearly every prewar assertion about Iraq made by top Bush administration officials. ISG's final conclusions were published this past spring.

Any half competent attorney could take the list of lies above and other supporting evidence and convict the Bush administration of crimes against the world and this nation. Those lies along with the campaign to justify this war by manipulating public opinion to believe that there was a connection between Iraq and the 9/11 terrorist attack, the torturing of prisoners, the outing of a covert agent, the inept response to Katrina, the failure to secure and protect our borders, the corrupt political and corporate cronyism and theft of our tax dollars, the massive debt, etc. etc. are more than enough to convict Bush and this administration and call for his resignation.

All the above and the Ohio and Florida election fraud allowing Bush to take office for consecutive terms is destroying our democratic form of government. Democracy cannot survive without honest elections and without honest leaders in the White House. If we allow voter suppression and dirty tricks to go uncovered and unpunished, these tactics will become more virulent in future elections.

The neo-cons believe that our constitution, our form of government and all of our institutions are no longer relevant to the modern world and need to be changed to support the corporate model. All nations in history that allowed fascist governments to become established have all suffered violence and turmoil before recovering their freedoms and a semblance of peace. In all dictatorships a wealthy class made up of a select group supports the dictator, helps him to ascend to and maintain power until the masses finally organize and gain enough power to overthrow them. The underpinnings of fascism and military rule are now taking shape in the US. Is a revolution necessary to prevent this? Jefferson thought not. It seems he had this difficult time we are now experiencing in mind when he made this statement

"A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are suffering deeply in spirit, and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public debt. If the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at stake " - Thomas Jefferson 1798"

You just gotta love Jefferson.

Gary

Debating The Right-Wing

Not long ago I had an on-line debate with a right-winger, a Limbaugh sycophant. Following are his comments and my responses. At the end is this wonderful piece by Peter Freundlich commenting on the Bush-Cheney rationale for the invasion oh Iraq.

RW: Your arguments definitely slant Dem. By your rhetoric you support with your vote the philosophy and policies of the Dem party.
ME: Of course, I support the majority of Dem positions but not all and certainly not all the players. I've always been a Democrat and very proud of it.
RW: You do not rail against the stupid assholes like Kennedy, dean, and Reid who are viciois on more than a regular basis with traitorous speech some of which does help the enemy ferment vile that gets our boys killed.
ME: That's an absurd and vicious charge. I would say what gets "our boys" (men and women troops) killed is unnecessarily putting them in harms way (like pre-emptive war) and taunting the terrorists with machismo bravado like" Bring it on!" . Why would I rail against Howard Dean? He is a good countervailing force to Rove, Cheney and the right wing attack dogs.
RW: If I heard more of your real views like you stated with abortion you would clarify your points in a more reasonable way.
ME: In other words if I would agree with your other views only then would I appear reasonable and sane since you are right and I am wrong. How generous of you.
RW: Most of what I hear from your rhetoric does sound sometimes very anti-American.
ME: Any opinion that disagrees with the radical right wing is labeled "anti-American". It's a Karl Rove tactic. My country right or wrong, one party rule, extreme nationalism and religious fundamentalism are all very dangerous to any culture or people - they are the conditions that create fascist governments. Our founders framed the constitution against these dangers and to give us the freedom to question our leadership, they warned and encouraged Americans to speak out against the very kinds of fascist leaning corporatists that are now in power.
RW: Legitimate criticism is something anyone can see. Your points all seem to take the view you have some deep inside info no one else has. I don't buy that at all, and it does sound elitist.
ME: I read a lot but I don't pretend to have information that is not available to anyone else. I have conviction concerning my beliefs, the rational discursive thought, natural intuition and common sense that lead me there. When one gathers knowledge, challenges themselves and tests their theories against what others believe they must come to a reasonable and logical conclusion or decide to let others think for them. I refuse to let others think for me. While I rely on others to verify or justify the direction of my thoughts I don't allow their conclusions to be the end-all final arbiter of truth. Truth is constantly revealing itself. I accept that what is considered truth today may be untrue tomorrow - but one must always seek verification and operate from the most reasonable version at hand. I was raised to follow the teachings of Jesus which are hard for anyone to discount as backwards or misdirected. With Jesus as a general litmus test I find nothing wrong with my conclusions. I don't accept that perception is reality. Elitist means : 1. The belief that certain persons or members of certain classes or groups deserve favored treatment by virtue of their perceived superiority, as in intellect, social status, or financial resources. a. The sense of entitlement enjoyed by such a group or class. b. Control, rule, or domination by such a group or class.

I don't see anything elitist about my political philosophy but everything about the right wing appears exactly that.

RW: I do not like the pork barrel spending that the congress has once again gotten away with that Bush was supposed to control. There will always be some corruption in industry and politics.
ME: Agreed. I don't believe there will ever be Utopia.
RW: It seems at least under Bush industry criminals are starting to go to jail.
ME: Bush is one of them. Bush has too many criminal supporters as most elected Democrats do. There are far too few corporate criminals that are being punished. Martha Stewart was a sacrificial lamb and a distraction. Martha is a liberal who crossed the line and was a perfect target - red meat thrown to the rabid right. Martha was convicted of obfuscating only. She didn't really harm anyone by her actions. By comparison where is Ken Lay and the Enron crooks who destroyed people's lives? Bush is dragging his feet and would pardon all of them if he thought he could get by with it.
RW: I didn't see any of those same fellows go to jail under a Dem administration. In fact most of the corruption that was done was passed over and participated in by the Dems under there own watch. But if a GOP gets in office or a GOP congress all the GOP are corporate raiders when Enron. Global Crossing, Lorral all got fat on Clinton's watch along with Marc Rich, Soros, Lewis, McCaulif, and the rest. If you are going to nail somebody nail them on both sides.
ME: I couldn't agree more! You act as if I defend criminality and complicity as long as they are Democrats. I don't support or excuse corruption in any form but I can understand how people fall victim.
RW: I am for any and all criminals and corporate raiders to be caught and pay the price. Including Hillary and Bill for helping destroy that little savings and loan in Arkansas.
ME: PLEASE! I have seen no proof of this and the courts couldn't either. Approximately $70 MM was spent on this right wing witch hunt that turned up nothing. With all that power and money aimed at destroying the Clintons are you acknowledging the right wing is that bumbling and incompetent? Why doesn't the great Rush use some of his millions in profits to get the goods on his arch enemy? But then it would take away a lot of his attraction if he didn't have an evil Darth Vader to rail about. He helped create the myth for his own profit - why would he want to destroy his own personal Frankenstein? Isn't it odd that Fitzgerald has only spent $2 MM to indict the White House?
RW: If they get the goods on Bush or any other GOP for true crimes let the dice roll. (The dice are rolling, - hee, hee, hee.)

RW: It would be ludicrus for the US to not want or be the number 1 economic and military power.
ME: At any cost or Faustian bargain? No matter what immoral or criminal act against the world community and humanity? Was our country formed to become the number one world power? Is that what our forefathers had in mind? Did we set out to dominate all other nations?
RW: I am not trusting of the good intentions of the majority of tyrannical and dictatorial countries out there. If we stop all of our covert operations do you think the rest of the world would quit. I don't think so. The Muslim religion has as a goal the overt conversion of the rest of the world. Just like the crusades with Chrisianity. And no even though I am a Catholic do I condone torturing people till they convert then killing them so they go to heaven.
ME: I don't think the Catholic church operates that way any longer - do they?
RW: The vast majority of the world countries are the ones violating your principles and ethics. In comparison the degree that other countries violate those principles and ethics is not even comparible with the amount of evil and corruption that they do. The UN should be proof of that with their own members raping and piliging.
ME: This point could be debated at length, especially the theory that you must commit evil to combat evil. If one keeps trying to outdo the other where does it end? How can one or the other continue to think that God will choose the one who is less evil and support them? How fucking ludicrous! And to think that these madmen who think they communicate with and are pleasing God are running the world. If I were God, who is supposed to be omniscient and omnipotent and all that other end-all omni-stuff, I would have to be omni-omni-tolerant of man's idiocy, arrogance and evil nature. If I had created this mess and such imperfect creatures I would be tempted to discard it and start over. I guess as long as there are a few redeemable souls God figures it 's a worthwhile investment. Hopefully God didn't place all his/her bet on this one planet and there are others that are proving more deserving of care and protection. Maybe that's the problem. God has written off Earth and is investing in a different human colony on some distant planet.

Although it's unfortunate it has to be so, I grudgingly accept the yin and yang of existence, the bi-polar nature of life, that in order to exist in it's dynamic form life must have a negative force in order for a positive force to exist. Without anything to blow against there would be no wind. Mark Twain states the current truth when he said, "Peace by persuasion has a pleasant sound, but I think we should not be able to work it. We should have to tame the human race first, and history seems to show that that cannot be done." Twain accepted that war would always exist and had wisely given up on the human race and saw how completely ridiculous and unredeemable man is. But that in no way excuses man's relentless desire to war with one another and take possession of resources that rightfully fall to some other nation and their people.

Here's what PETER FREUNDLICH said back during the invasion of Iraq as he guides us down the rabbit hole.

All right, let me see if I understand the logic of this correctly. We are going to ignore the United Nations in order to make clear to Saddam Hussein that the United Nations cannot be ignored. We're going to wage war to preserve the UN's ability to avert war. The paramount principle is that the UN's word must be taken seriously, and if we have to subvert its word to guarantee that it is, then by gum, we will. Peace is too important not to take up arms to defend. Am I getting this right?
Further, if the only way to bring democracy to Iraq is to vitiate the democracy of the Security Council, then we are honor-bound to do that too, because democracy, as we define it, is too important to be stopped by a little thing like democracy as they define it.
Also, in dealing with a man who brooks no dissension at home, we cannot afford dissension among ourselves. We must speak with one voice against Saddam Hussein's failure to allow opposing voices to be heard. We are sending our gathered might to the Persian Gulf to make the point that might does not make right, as Saddam Hussein seems to think it does. And we are twisting the arms of the opposition until it agrees to let us oust a regime that twists the arms of the opposition. We cannot leave in power a dictator who ignores his own people. And if our people, and people elsewhere in the world, fail to understand that, then we have no choice but to ignore them.
Listen. Don't misunderstand. I think it is a good thing that the members of the Bush administration seem to have been reading Lewis Carroll. I only wish someone had pointed out that "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass" are meditations on paradox and puzzle and illogic and on the strangeness of things, not templates for foreign policy. It is amusing for the Mad Hatter to say something like, `We must make war on him because he is a threat to peace,' but not amusing for someone who actually commands an army to say that.
As a collector of laughable arguments, I'd be enjoying all this were it not for the fact that I know--we all know--that lives are going to be lost in what amounts to a freak, circular reasoning accident.
________________________________________________________
"Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people. To destroy this invisible government, to befoul the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first task of the statesmanship of the day."--Theodore Roosevelt, April 19, 1906
"They could be made to accept the most flagrant violations of reality, because they never fully grasped the enormity of what was demanded of them, and were not sufficiently interested in public events to notice what was happening. By lack of understanding they remained sane.”--George Orwell: 1984, talking about the brainwashing of the worker class that happens in authoritarian societies.
"Once a government resorts to terror against its own population to get what it wants, it must keep using terror against its own population to get what it wants. A government that terrorizes its own people can never stop. If such a government ever lets the fear subside and rational thought return to the populace, that government is finished."--Michael Rivero
"To plunder, to slaughter, to steal, these things they misname empire; and where they make a desert, they call it peace."-- Tacitus
"War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today."--John F. Kennedy

Creeping Fascism

Many have warned of creeping fascism since the establishment of the Bush administration. The fascists are constantly looking for toeholds to sneak over the bulwarks of our democracy. Here's one sneaky move to give the military more power and give the federal government more control over state governments. Fascism is essentially a military dictatorship. It would never happen suddenly here in the US as a coup like it has occurred in less established democracies. Instead, it creeps up on the inattentive masses and establishes new tentacles that reach out and strangle slowly so as not to arouse attention. Please recall that Bush ran on a platform of strengthening states rights but look at his record. Bush and The Fascists are trying an end move masked as a response to regional or national disasters and emergencies using the active military. This would be the first step in phasing out state National Guard units while expanding the role of active military to include civil affairs. Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana is all over it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/04/AR2005110401258.html

Something Big Is Coming

Beware of Bush!

During the first year of his presidency Bush's approval numbers were declining and then 9/11 happened. The nation went into shock and rallied behind Bush lifting his approval numbers to an undeserved yet amazing 90%. I remained part of the 10% who disapproved of Bush. I can't imagine who they were polling to get to 90%because most of the Dems I knew were still smarting from the stolen election. Who made up these 90% other than Republicans?

Regardless, in 2004 Bush's approval rating was hovering at 46-47% prior to the election - but he "won re-election" anyway - by the thinnest of margins - by about 1%. I choke on the word "won" because I honestly doubt he actually won in 2004 and on the word "re-election" because in 2000 it has been proven Bush didn't win and was never "elected" in the first place. How could he be re-elected?

And here we are in the first year of his second term and his approval ratings have fallen to 35% - a record low number he historically shares with just one other president, Richard Nixon, right before Nixon resigned from office.

So, what do you think will happen now? What will happen to protect Bush's approval ratings from sinking into new territory where no president has ever been before? What could happen to rescue him?

Here's what we might expect.

A new terrorist attack against the United States is a very likely possibility that would frighten Americans and allow Bush to dress up and play like our savior and protector. Believe it or not, this could be "arranged" by our CIA, the same CIA that was once directed by Dubya's father.

Or, there could be a suspicious attempt on Bush's life that would rally sympathetic Americans to support him.

Or, an alleged serious threat of nuclear attack by a terrorist group or by a nuclear power such as Iran, Pakistan, North Korea or even China.

Or, maybe something you can think of that I haven't at this posting.

Regardless of what might "happen" it wouldn't surprise me. The Bush administration has already proven they are capable of just about anything to further their personal goals and those of their corporate cronies. Whatever it takes to hold on to power and the keys to our treasury.

Colin Powell's Fall From Grace

Have you ever wondered why Colin Powell didn't run for president in 2000 when popularity polls suggested he stood an excellent chance of election? Is it too wild to suggest that he understood all too well the CIA apparatus once headed by George H W Bush and decided it was too risky to go up against George Jr? Or maybe he felt like some did that the first black man to run for president was likely to be assassinated by right-wing, white supremacists? Or maybe there are things he did in his past that would likely surface and embarrass his family? It's a perplexing mystery.

Regardless of what prevented him from taking a run at the office there is no question he blew a chance of historic proportions that he will never get back. Instead he accepted a position that required he kiss-ass, back-pedal, do constant damage control for and support the policies of a president and administration that he obviously never respected or believed in. Bush and his administration (including Rumsfeld) constantly put Powell in compromising positions over and over again by ignoring him, reversing his decisions and stepping on his authority. Powell should be extremely embarrassed over the lies he was told that led him to stand before the UN and announce that it was known fact that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction and was planning to use them, that we had concrete evidence supporting this including proof of mobile WMD production facilities and Saddam's attempts to get uranium from Niger - all lies. Now that Powell is no longer part of this administration it just doesn't make sense that Powell feels any loyalty or love for these people. If he truly loves his country he would speak out. What could it be but fear of those in office?

And just recently Powell was faced with another conflict out of the many put upon him by Bush and company - the nomination of Tom Bolton for Ambassador to the UN. Bolton - self exposed as a chicken hawk, an arrogant and angry right-winger - the Walrus-looking Wilford Brimley of the beltway obviously had no respect for Powell. The Washington Post reports Powell privately told two of three GOP members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Bolton is a very problematic government official, according to Republican sources. The Post says Powell " - did not advise the senators to oppose Bolton, but offered a frank assessment of the nominee as a man who was challenging to work with on personnel and policy matters. A Powell spokesperson said, "He has not reached out to senators" and considers the discussions private."Bolton served under Powell as his undersecretary of state for arms control, and the two were known to have serious clashes. "Powell has stayed out of the confirmation fight in public. It is not Powell's style to weigh in strongly against a former colleague, but rather direct people to what he sees as flaws and potential problems." Bolton, who is charged with among several other things of trying to destroy an underling for withholding information from him, has been indicted for previously withholding critical information from Powell himself when Powell was Secretary of State. You would think Powell would feel an obligation to the American people and could convince others from his first hand experience that Bolton is unfit for this critical position. Withholding critical information from a superior officer would get you thrown in the brig in the military I served in.

And now that Scooter Libby has been indicted for lying to the special prosecutor about his outing of covert agent Valerie Plame, and now that it has become abundantly clear the White House conspired to deceive the American people and other nations concerning Saddam and WMD's, you would think that Powell would want to vindicate himself by stepping forward and apologize to our country for his role in this deception. And for sending our nation's troops to die in an unnecessary preemptive invasion that has taken thousand upon thousands of innocent people's lives, made our nation measurably less safe and has caused other nations to lose all respect for the US as the world's defender of truth and freedom.

I think it's time for Powell, as someone who at one time honorably and fearlessly served his country, to grow his balls. Maybe it's not the way he did it during his rise to power within the ask-no-questions-just-follow-orders military but that's the past. Apparently he took that Commander-in-Chief thing too seriously. The civilian arena Powell now operates in is free of that sworn allegiance, obey your superior, ass-kissing philosophy.

Powell has embarrassed his true supporters enough with all the compromising, waffling and boot-licking during his term as Secretary of State. If avoiding confrontation is his "style" he would have made a damned poor president anyway. If Powell loves his country and truly wants what's best for it he needs to throw off the mysterious yoke of impotency he believes is around his neck. He might never again have the chance to be our president but he can redeem himself with those he has disillusioned by apologizing to our nation and by speaking the truth with authority and conviction.

Gary

Drive A Hummer For God

God Wants You To Super-size It!

It amazes me in one way - but then considering the trends of the last 20 years it doesn't surprise me that the spread of the idea that bigger-is-better has continued to drive men to destruction. Where will this all end? What will be the outcome of this Wal-mart orgy to create the titanic of all corporate entities or the behemoth of all cultural empires? How big does something have to get before it's legs will no longer support it and it sinks into the ground unable to move or sustain it's own life?

As Wal-mart bullied its way through small town and suburban America the local small business retailers of those invaded communities faltered and dropped like flies in a mist of deadly bug spray. This pattern has repeated itself as corporate conglomerates have taken over independent and family owned insurance agencies, banks, office suppliers, funeral homes, used car dealerships, and you name it. Where will it end and what will be the effect on our culture?

I sampled this theory first hand as a member of several corporations whose philosophy was to grow at any cost or by any means necessary to overcome competition. Cheating, lying, under-the-table payments, breaking laws, sacrificing individuals were methods all considered fair as long as it was being done in the interest of the corporation and the American economy. If it was illegal, by way of lobbyists, you petitioned (bribed) elected representatives to clear the way for big business by passing laws to make it legal. Elected officials have always been on the take in one fashion or another, but the big payoff has always been the funding of reelection campaigns to perpetuate their Faustian compacts and keep the most productive courtesans in office.

Employees are expected to worship the corporate entity that pays their salary - the corporation becomes your God and you are considered sacrificially expendable to the benefit of the entity. As the corporate high priests demanded more and more sacrifice from the workers they continued to build their power and income at the expense of the laity.

Personal greed and avarice has never had a better avatar than the leaders of corporations and the investment community. If corporate activity could be identified as unethical, corrupt, or it was known to be illegal, it was skillfully hidden or paved over with creative bookkeeping, smooth dodges by corporate attorneys and outright bribery. The consumers, employees and other middle and low income taxpayers are the rubes to the carneys' who prey on ignorance and naivete by using the same techniques that have been perfected by scam artists since the beginning of the merchant class. In the name of God, they profit from a perpetual war of economic conflict with other nations and allow that our nation's economy comes first and foremost and the promoters of that economy becomes the final arbiter of what is considered unscrupulous, corrupt or is favored by God. They actually think the idea of maintaining hegemony by economic and military might grants absolution from God for any sins committed in the process since we are good and all others are evil - or at least unworthy of God's blessings.

Some years ago consumers began to honor and worship the biggest corporations, those that generated the biggest illusion of greatness like the designer clothing and sporting goods giants, the food and soft drink manufacturers, car manufacturers, electronics, etc. Consumer loyalty took on a new and strange feel as followers began to buy and wear clothing that advertised these corporations and their products, like Coca Cola, Nike, Sony, Disney, Tommy Hilfiger, you name it. There is an element of people in society that somehow feel they add to their self-worth, influence and chance for success by identifying with successful brand names and supporting those in power they consider winners. The psychological technique of creating illusions and feeding off human ignorance, weakness and perceived needs has reached new levels of proficiency and success. In the America I remember so fondly, the only person who wore a shirt emblazoned with Coca Cola was the guy who drove the soda truck and he took it off as soon as he got off work. They used to pay people to advertise their products, now they charge you for the privilege.

Even small churches are no longer immune to this shift towards a universal corporate philosophy, to building brand name, consumer loyalty and offering glitzy services that you are told you just can't live without. Older and traditional congregations are now becoming victims of this bigger-is-better movement to super-size our lives. In recent reports, in rural communities and cities across the nation, congregations of fewer than 100 members are shutting their doors at a rate of 60 a week. Newly formed megachurches, meanwhile, have increased in number by 30 percent in the last four years. Half of these new churches belong to no traditional denomination and are part of the new apostolic reformation and, compared to their corporate counterparts, are being referred to as McChurches or Wal-Mart churches by those who are dismayed by this trend. Just like large corporations, parishioners of these large congregations appear to be caught up in the idea of mass marketing, continued growth and the power of large numbers as the supreme benchmark of redemptive success. Call me alarmist or old-fashioned but somehow I do not accept the premise that large, wealthy church communities are better than small ones.

Nature has proved otherwise as has history. The largest always outgrow their own ability to control themselves and either self-destruct or become vulnerable to unforeseen negative forces like corruption of purpose, disease of one manner or another and the demand of more and more energy needed to sustain it. Consider the fate of the biggest of all animal life and the biggest of all empires, the biggest dictators. Man is on the road to extinction if we think that nothing matters as long as we keep expanding our population, expanding our use of energy and production, expanding our markets, growing the size of our institutions, expanding empires and developing bigger and more destructive weapons to protect them from others. The natural order of things in the end will enforce the limitations set by God no matter how strong or powerful any entity thinks they have become. The quest for the biggest Gross National Product, global trade and most successful economy of scale cannot lead to God or will it lead to a better life. I find it difficult to equate God's blessings with the prosperity of the powerful over the powerless. My God is bigger and stronger than your God is a sentiment we don't want to hear on school playgrounds much less voiced by both our elected representatives, our military leaders and our clergy and aimed at those of other denominations or faiths.

The madness and corruption of religious orders has always existed but the combination of "big" religion with extreme militancy and corporatism has prompted a ministry that hawks Christian prosperity as a promise of God and one they can deliver. Are you struggling to meet your bills and in need of a better job? Are your kids doing poorly in school and are you tired of driving a ten-year old car? Do you want to own a new $500,000 home in the suburbs, send your kids to private school, drive a Hummer and enjoy a guaranteed annual income from a successful investment portfolio? Well, God wants you to have all this and more! This is his promise! Come celebrate with us and join others who have been rewarded by God for answering the alter call to Fernwood Evangelical and committing their life to the Lord. A life of luxury and ease will be yours for the asking. See what miracles God will bestow. Warning: May cause temporary headaches, palpitations, stress, dependency, delusions of grandeur, unfulfilled expectancy, disappointment and possible death. No guarantees or implied warranty. Not responsible for trance induced behavior or violent self-righteous acts committed while under the spell of this organization. All contributions and assignments of property are irrevocable and become the property of Fernwood Evangelical.

Never was this commercialized brand of Christianity more evident than on a vanity plate I saw the other day attached to a Hummer, a commercial version of the same patrol vehicle our troops use in Iraq. The license plate read U2RBLSD - an aphorism for "you too are blessed". Will this vehicle that has become the symbol of our military might and the spread of military power, and commercially an icon of environmental destruction, economic excess and gross consumption of energy, also become the icon of the Christian prosperity philosophy? Would Jesus drive a Hummer?

The idea that God wants us to multiply and be prosperous in the most egregious and destructive manner possible is anathema to the reality of our situation which is a finite availability of natural resources and an alarming and growing rate of harm to our planet from non-sustainable industrial and energy consumption that has created global warming and a dire warning from climatologists of impending destructive weather patterns. The reckless belief that God has ordained one nation's people as the only worthy humans, has given them carte blanc to run roughshod over the earth doing whatever pleases them, that God will deliver the technology just in time to save us in the end, that God condones war and violence as a means to control others, and the equivocation of monetary prosperity with those who become Christians, has got to rank up there with the most ignorant and insane religious philosophies of all time.

I suppose once the prophecies of Revelation are fulfilled those who are "left behind" will not be driving Hummers or living the good life. All the Hummers, the money and the other good stuff will be raptured up to that big Wal-mart in the sky with the select group that God has chosen to reward. I say the sooner it happens the better. The earth can only take so much elitist and unfettered Christian evangelistic imperialism.

Gary