In a day and age when Iran can grab British Royal Navy sailors out of the Persian gulf with impunity, Nancy Pelosi should be careful where she travels. Her visit to Syrian President Bashar Assad may not amount to a violation of The Logan Act, as I have read, nor might it constitute treason in any other way. On the other hand, she might well be guilty of some violation. I’m not an expert so I’ll reserve judgment one way or another.
I will say one thing though unequivocally. You don’t have to be an expert to see that this was an act of political grandstanding. I’m not really sure what she thought she was going to accomplish, but it looks like a make-believe overture to show her own personal constituents, as well as the overall Democratic voter base, that she, as the head of the Congressional Democrats, second-in-line to the Presidency in her role of Speaker Of The House Of Representatives, is demonstrating that the Democratic Party stands for diplomacy and the hopes and prospects for peace.
The symbolism is obvious. Bush will not talk to Assad. Pelosi will. The Republicans don’t know anything about peace, they are all about belligerence and warfare. The Democrats are all about negotiation and peace. The bumbling misstep when Pelosi informed Assad that the Israelis were wanting to make peace with the Syrians was easily rectified by Prime Minister Ohlmert, who immediately let it be known that any peace deal was dependent on certain conditions that Nancy, being Nancy, neglected to point out.
All of this bothers me, the missteps, the obvious political grandstanding to the Democrats leftist base, the potential violation of The Logan Act or other laws. What some people don’t seem to get by pointing out that some congressional Republicans accompanied Pelosi on this trip, and have indeed made other trips, is that those individuals are not in the position to formulate policy nor are seen as doing so.
Arguably, the office of Speaker Of The House Of Representatives is the second most powerful office in the country, more powerful technically and legally than Vice-President, whose true power is limited to casting a tie-breaking vote in the Senate when necessary. Otherwise, none of his duties really constitute any kind of auhority. This may be different in Cheney’s case, true, but I am speaking in historical and legal terms. There have been times when the Speaker was more powerful than certain Presidents. John Tyler, for example. There have been times when there was a complete shutdown of government due to friction between the two offices. Bill Clinton’s Presidency, of course, as well as Andrew Johnsons, were paralyzed by a kind of political civil war waged by an ambitious Congress and/or House Speaker.
Pelosi seems to have wanted this type of power, and foresaw the same kind of political showdown that would get the Democratic base all fired up. When this ended up failing to materialize in the form of the war funding package, to which Pelosi inadvisably attached a troop deadline withdrawal which was slated for a month before the ’08 elections, Pelosi was left with no other option but to back down. Of course, the Democrats are not going to withhold funds from the troops.
Now this, a chance for Pelosi to redeem herself and stick it to the Republicans at the same time. And though Assad, it has been said, preferred to spend his time at a soccer game, he did agree to put aside some time for the strange little woman from San Francisco who appeared before him in the traditional Arab head covering as a sign of respect.
That is what I guess bothers me as much as anything. By appearing with this garment on her head, whether she sees it this way or not, Pelosi was in a very real and symbolic way projecting an image of submission to Assad. And Assad’s Syria, by and large, is arguably the major player in the constant Middle East friction regarding Israel and to the dismay of many observers is primarily responsible for a good deal of the Sunni insurgent violence in Iraq. It is by way of his borders that most of the non-Iraqi Sunni insurgents travel, after all.
Nor are they all Syrians. Many are Saudis, while a good many as well are Jordanians,in fact from all areas of the Middle East and other Muslim nations. Pelosi is not qualified to engage in diplomacy with him in any event, whether or not her trip constitutes any kind of breach or willful violation of US law. But for her to appear under these further conditions is incredible. A San Francisco woman, representing a constituency which is a bedrock of liberalism and feminism, to appear in an attitude of subjugation before the head of a country where the rights of women are held to be secondary at best, is at least surreal.
And it is not even as though Syria is the worse offender in this regard, in fact, a Syrian woman is probably by and large better off than a woman in, say, Pakistan, or Saudi Arabia, or most other Arab or Muslim nations, due to the fact that Syria is after all ruled by a secular regime that does not abide by shariah law. There is a good argument to be made for engaging Assad diplomatically, actually for a variety of reasons, the secular nature of his regime being one of them. Personally, I think the main reason he is lax at his borders has as much to do with wanting these religious radicals out of his country as it does with wanting to cause a problem for the US and the present Iraqi government. If they get killed by us as a result, I doubt he is shedding any tears for them.
But Bush is doggedly determined that the entire Middle East will be democratized, feeling the overall result of this will be peace and economic progress in the region, and long term stability. I think he is wrong, I think it would result in nation after nation adopting a form of shariah law which will then be considered the final word on the matter.
After all, the people will have voted for it, right? That is what they will have said they wanted, correct? End of story. Democracy has spoken, why second guess it every four years or so?
Womens’ rights? Minority rights? Religious rights? Of course they all have rights? There is no need whatsoever in spelling that out in a national constitution. Their legitimate rights have already been spelled out, in the words of the Holy Qu’ran. How could the law of man possibly improve on that?
This is the true irony, the fact that governments like Assads, and yes, Saddams, were in some ways an actual improvement over what would otherwise be the case, and what will in the majority of cases be the reality if Bush and the Neo-Cons get their way in the Middle East.
That is not to say that a constitutional democracy will never take hold in the Middle East. Just that if it does, it is still a hell of a long way off. Three or four lifetimes, at the very least, and very likely longer than that. And yes, very possibly never. People point to the success ultimately in removing communism from the Soviet Union and it’s sphere of influence particularly in Eastern Europe, as proof that it is possible, but there is only minimal comparison between the two.
Communism is unnatural, so much so it could only be maintained through fear and force, even by imprisonment of it’s peoples within it’s borders, by uprooting entire populations in some cases. The difference between communism and Islam is profound in this regard. Islam is, or seems to be, perfectly suited to the nature of it’s adherents. It has had fourteen hundred years to take root in the psyche of the Arab people of the Middle East, and many hundreds of years as well in the cases of other peoples. And it wasn’t that hard to take hold in any event, as it itself was in many cases and in many ways an improvement over what those people had experienced previously.
With Islam, they were given a sense of unity, of cultural identity, of spiritual meaning, of assurance, stability, security. They got all of this without really having to give anything up, for the most part, with the exception of a few ancient idols that were quickly forgotten, and constant intermittent tribal feuds. With Islam, they went from being dessert varmints to an actual civilization to be reckoned with, and everyone was an integral part of that.
Then there is the Qu’ran itself, written in Arabic, one of the worlds great languages, which lends itself easily to poetry, which is what the Qu’ran is, a poetic rendition of what amounts to a mixture of Arab tribal laws and adaptations from various faiths, including Judaism and Christianity, with just enough remaining of the ancient Arabic pagan religion to provide a cultural anchor.
Converts to Islam are encouraged whenever possible to learn Arabic, to travel to the Middle East and study there, especially the language, and I suspect that it is because the Arabic language makes the Qu’ran more particularly compelling to the student who meditates and prayers and recites it on an on-going, regular basis.
You can make the case that it amounts to a form of brainwashing. In this regard it is certainly on a much higher level of efficiency than, say, “Das Capital”. Try reciting that five times a day while bowing towards Moscow. Then you’ll see why Assad and Saddam had to exercise such brutality in the manner in which they kept these people in line. Life is seldom pretty, but when the caliphate fell in the aftermath of World War I, after which came such things as western colonialism on it’s last legs, culminating in the British Mandate, the UN Charter, and finally, Soviet expansionism and the ever growing and constant need for oil, you can begin to understand the pattern that emerges.
All of this used to be pretty much understood, of course. There was never any idea that democracy versus socialism was a viable or winnable ideological contest in the context of the Middle East countries, that is why there were few differences of distinction between Western allies and those nations that fell under the Soviet axis.
The lesson should have been quickly learned when the Afghan mujahadeen fighters repulsed the Soviets with our aid and support. Those same mujahadden to a large extent went on to make up the Taliban. Not exactly a stellar example of freedom on the march, is it? Well, it depends on what your definition of freedom is, I guess. And that is just the problem the West can’t wrap it’s head around. Freedom, in the context of Middle Eastern Arab and Islamic culture, does not seem to equate to democracy and civil rights.
But again, both sides have it wrong. To the Right, the speak softly and when necessary whack ‘em with a big stick approach will work over time, and when the people see the long term benefits of a free market economy, they will gradually change. Yeah, like China. Like Russia. I guess when you stop to think about it, ancient Babylon, the wealthiest nation by far at it’s apex of power, must have been a “free market economy.” But let’s not dwell on that, why disturb the fantasy?
The make nice approach of the left isn’t any better, though in the long term it may also not be any worse when it comes to encouraging democracy and civil rights. Their approach seems to hinge on the threat of imposition of economic sanction, or the promise of removal of same, under the auspices of the UN. In the meantime, a firm diplomatic stance involving aid and international low interest loans and grants will serve best to ease the restrictions on those same peoples rights to vote for or against the imposition of shariah Islam.
The people will vote in their own best interests, and will more likely do so the more they are exposed to the ideals of democracy, freedom, and civil rights. After all, they certainly want to be a part of the world community, no one wants to remain isolated for the sake of some ancient religion, right?
Okay, here’s the problem with both approaches. They are arrived at from the narrow perspective of Western concepts of justice and idealism, and history. Both of these conclusions have been reached from a Western mind-set with little if any regard for the fact that we are dealing here with a society and culture that, to all intents and purposes, has so little in common with our own way of life and philosophy, they might as well be from the far side of Andromeda galaxy.
Arrogance, is what it amounts to, and on such a remarkable level it is beyond description. And the sad thing is, it is in the long run only going to result in more tragedy, more ruined lives, more wasted resources, and ever more bitterness and hatred. To an extent it might have been unavoidable in any event. But that reality should have been faced squarely.
It’s like telling a fat, profoundly ugly woman that she is the prettiest woman you have ever seen in your life. You might think you are sparring her feelings and might make her feel better about herself. Well, if she has any kind of sense of reality, all you are really going to do is piss her off and make her hate and resent you more than she already might. So the only sensible alternative is to see her for what she is, help her improve her situation to the extent she wants to and can improve, and help her in the meantime to focus on developing her potential by way of what strengths and talents she might actually possess. But you have to do so in a kindly but firmly diplomatic way. Otherwise, you just let her go on and live her life as is. There is only so much, after all, you can do.
All the bombs and military force in the world is not going to change reality. Neither is appearing as a woman in a diplomatically miscalculated pose of subjugation. The only thing that is going to do it, is strength, the kind of strength that realizes the simple fact that all nations, all people, all cultures, are in fact different to a degree, sometimes to the point that there is nothing in a relationship between the two that is redeemable, or workable. Sometimes, unfortunately, you just have to go your separate ways, and live your own lives.
Unfortunately, that requires the setting of firm boundaries, and the promise of the assurance of firm reaction when those boundaries are breached. And that is something that neither culture can tolerate. What puts the West for now at the most severe disadvantage is that here, while neither the left nor the right can stomach it, they are both so divided as to how to deal with it , that neither side can come to grips with any semblance of the reality.
The Islamists are all too aware of this, and play it for all it is worth. And they are by no means divided, at least not when it comes to that.
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Wet Dreams And Democrats
The current war funding bill, what little I know of it, is generally a good bill. Sure, there is some pork in it, as with all bills. But when you scrutinize it, even the pork isn’t all that bad, for the most part. A good deal of it is involving relief for farmers that have suffered through recent droughts, flooding, temperature extremes, etc. It’s easy to criticize such measures as that. Pay ten dollars for a grapefruit and you will see them in an entirely different perspective, however.
No, the problem with the bill isn’t the porks-it’s the dorks. The kind of dorks that just had to insist on a withdrawal of our forces in Iraq that oh my, what the fuck do you know, just happened to have been slated for the October before the next elections in 2008. My, what an amazing coincidence.
Of course, the bill will be vetoed, then we’ll see what happens. We’ll see what happens for example to the money allotted by the Democrats for veterans health care, and for making sure the troops receive the appropriate training before they are sent to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Yeah, like I said, it’s a good bill, were it not for that one provision. Take that one provision out, and it could well be one of the best bills ever considered, and certainly one of the best ones ever passed by Congress. But what good is it? You can go out on a date with the most beautiful woman the world has ever seen, she can fall madly in love with you and be willing to do anything you want. She can be charming, witty, and intelligent. She can make every man's head turn and every woman green with envy with just a glance. Despite all this you can rest assured she is all yours. But if you take her to your bedroom and lustfully undress her only to see maggots crawling out of her pussy, what good is it?
Well, in the case of this bill it's not quite that bad, but only because it is not too late. When Bush vetoes it as we all know he will, this provision can be excised, which it should be. Then, the Democrats can pass this bill otherwise intact. Bush wouldn’t dare then veto it on the grounds of pork, if he does, I will agree he’s as fucking stupid as a lot of people say he is. But he’s not that stupid, so he wouldn’t.
By excising this provision,the Democrats will have salvaged their chances of winning the ’08 elections, which if they win, then they can devote their agenda to ending the war on their terms, with control of the executive branch and both houses of Congress, it would be an almost sure bet the war would be ended by the next mid-terms.
Otherwise, if this provision is kept, the Democrats might be sabotaging their chances of winning, at the very least it will be a huge negative against them, and the Republicans will probably win for this as well as other reasons. Then, the war will more than likely go on longer, which may or may not be as big a catastrophe as a premature withdrawal. Still, it will go on longer than it will if the Democrats win. But with this provision in an otherwise excellent bill, they have pretty much screwed themselves.
I have never fucked a woman with maggots crawling out of her pussy, and it’s just as unlikely that Bush will ever pass this bill with this provision intact. As for the Democrats, I hope they are experiencing one hell of an orgasm right now, because they sure are fucking themselves.
No, the problem with the bill isn’t the porks-it’s the dorks. The kind of dorks that just had to insist on a withdrawal of our forces in Iraq that oh my, what the fuck do you know, just happened to have been slated for the October before the next elections in 2008. My, what an amazing coincidence.
Of course, the bill will be vetoed, then we’ll see what happens. We’ll see what happens for example to the money allotted by the Democrats for veterans health care, and for making sure the troops receive the appropriate training before they are sent to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Yeah, like I said, it’s a good bill, were it not for that one provision. Take that one provision out, and it could well be one of the best bills ever considered, and certainly one of the best ones ever passed by Congress. But what good is it? You can go out on a date with the most beautiful woman the world has ever seen, she can fall madly in love with you and be willing to do anything you want. She can be charming, witty, and intelligent. She can make every man's head turn and every woman green with envy with just a glance. Despite all this you can rest assured she is all yours. But if you take her to your bedroom and lustfully undress her only to see maggots crawling out of her pussy, what good is it?
Well, in the case of this bill it's not quite that bad, but only because it is not too late. When Bush vetoes it as we all know he will, this provision can be excised, which it should be. Then, the Democrats can pass this bill otherwise intact. Bush wouldn’t dare then veto it on the grounds of pork, if he does, I will agree he’s as fucking stupid as a lot of people say he is. But he’s not that stupid, so he wouldn’t.
By excising this provision,the Democrats will have salvaged their chances of winning the ’08 elections, which if they win, then they can devote their agenda to ending the war on their terms, with control of the executive branch and both houses of Congress, it would be an almost sure bet the war would be ended by the next mid-terms.
Otherwise, if this provision is kept, the Democrats might be sabotaging their chances of winning, at the very least it will be a huge negative against them, and the Republicans will probably win for this as well as other reasons. Then, the war will more than likely go on longer, which may or may not be as big a catastrophe as a premature withdrawal. Still, it will go on longer than it will if the Democrats win. But with this provision in an otherwise excellent bill, they have pretty much screwed themselves.
I have never fucked a woman with maggots crawling out of her pussy, and it’s just as unlikely that Bush will ever pass this bill with this provision intact. As for the Democrats, I hope they are experiencing one hell of an orgasm right now, because they sure are fucking themselves.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Begging Your Pardon, Mr. President
The pardon the agents petition that is the subject of this post can be accessed by clicking on the post title, which contains the link to the site which is promoting the petition, which can be likewise accessed by a link at the upper right hand of that page. Also, a hat tip to Lemuel Calhoun of Hillbilly White Trash, who kindly posted the link on his blog at my request, as well as this one here which also goes into some detail as to the chain of events which lead to this controversy.
If you want a job where you are treated with respect, it seems the last thing you might want to consider is the life of a government employee, in at least some cases. And the lower you go down the totem pole, the worse off you are. You get about as much respect in some cases if you’re a burger flipper or 7/11 clerk. Of course, to see the idiot smiles on the faces of actors portraying clerks in tv commercials, you would think they live the life of reilly. Yeah, what do you want your daughter to bring home from Pizza Hut? A supreme with extra cheese and breadsticks, maybe, but certainly not the clerk, if she does that you’ll probably send her back.
Now, you might think you’d be proud if your daughter brought home a government employee, but you might want to rethink that a bit.
Military enlistees are, technically speaking, “government employees”, and they get little respect. Oh, sure, we all “support the troops”, some would even go so far as to say they “love” them, but where does the lip service end and the reality begin? You can leave all that love and respect right outside the door of the Walter Reed Outpatient Treatment Center, thank you very much, it might damage the decorative mold.
Or, if your daughter brings home a US Attorney, you might consider wondering just what you did wrong. Can’t your daughter find a decent tort attorney with a real job?
But it seems these days like if you really want to scrape the bottom of the barrel, you might come out with an INS border security guard. Talk about getting no respect. Here are these two guys that went out of their way to apprehend an illegal Mexican alien who was smuggling some 74 pounds or so of marijuana across the border, whom the two guards thought was armed, and when he tried to escape they shot him in the ass.
They were then tried and convicted of numerous trumped up charges, including civil rights violations.
Now, after this trial, at which three of the jurors involved later claimed they were coerced into delivering a guilty verdict, (the prosecutor, incidentally, is under investigation for prosecutorial misconduct due to his part in the trial) they have been sentenced to twelve and thirteen years in prison, where one of them was recently brutally beaten by Mexican inmates who demanded “death to the border guards.”
They were convicted in part due to the testimony of the illegal alien drug smuggler, who was granted immunity in return for his testimony. But why the hell were they even charged and tried to begin with? According to some reports, this was done at the instigation of the Mexican government itself. Now, I don’t know if that is true or not, though I certainly believe they at least encouraged it, along with the other usual suspects, the pro open borders and amnesty crowds and open immigration factions among the liberal left and the various other immigrant advocacy groups.
In the meantime, these men have gotten little in the way of support from among the conservative forces that would ordinarily be up in arms about these kinds of shenanigans. Of course, as usual, both parties for the most part care more about kowtowing to the far left (in the case of Democrats), or to the business oriented open borders, free trade neo-cons (in the case of Republicans), while both are trolling for as many Hispanic votes as they can muster. It’s fucking shameful. Out of all the members of Congress, only twelve-all Republicans-have gone on record as actively opposing this shameful sham of a trial and demanding that the border agents be granted a presidential pardon.
It is not looking good, however. Although he could definitely grant the men a pardon at a drop of a sombrero, Bush seems to be hiding behind the excuse that pardons are typically granted only after time has been served. Of course, there are numerous instances where this was not the case. Clinton’s pardon of billionaire tax cheat and fugitive from justice Mark Rich comes to mind. Granted, these two men don’t have wealthy wives who can contribute hefty sums of money to a presidential library. Nor are they former high ranking cabinet officials, as in the case of former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, pardoned for his role in Iran-Contra by President George Herbert Walker Bush. Nor are they former Presidents, such as Richard M. Nixon, pardoned by Gerald Ford before he was ever even tried.
They are however men who were merely doing their jobs, maybe not perfectly, but still putting their lives on the line for little in the way of appreciation, renumeration, and respect. Now, they may be compelled to spend the best remaining years of their lives in a federal prison.
If you feel the way I do about this shit, you can click on this link, which will take you to a page where you can donate money to keep the cause alive or, at least as good and maybe even better, in the upper right hand corner of the page you will see a link to a page where you can sign a petition to President Bush encouraging him to grant these men the pardon I honestly feel they should receive as quickly as possible.
I also personally feel they should be granted a public apology, and back pay, in addition to a hefty amount of money for their pain and sufferring. In addition, they should receive an extra amount for whatever harassment they received while in prison, and the warden should be fired for not insuring their safety.
Yes, prison is rough, but all prisoners who are deemed to be potential targets are typically afforded some degree of protective custody, and this would obviously have been the appropriate precaution in the case of these two men.
You see, these two men are both Hispanics, and so in addition to the “crime” of being border agents, to the Hispanic street trash thugs who threatened them and attacked one on at least this one occasion, they are also doubtless viewed as “race traitors”.
Still, for the time being, let’s concentrate on getting them freed. Copy and paste the link and send it to as many people as you can think of to sign and forward to the President.
Like I told Lemuel Calhoun, of Hillbilly White Trash, who was kind enough to post these links on his blog at my request, if Bush would actually do the right thing in this regard, it might go a long way toward demonstrating evidence of this stiffened spine and backbone he allegedly has that we are always hearing so much about.
And I might add one other thing. I know that some that might peruse these links might have a knee jerk reaction to one of these sites, WorldNet Daily, but please try to think outside the box. You don’t have to agree with them on everything, or even on most things. I know I don’t. But when you're right, you’re right. If you agree with me that this is one of the times when they are right, not wrong-and there is little if any gray area here, in my opinion-then get over your initial objections to the site and support this petition drive.
And do more than that. Forward these links to your House Representatives and Senators. I think it’s a disgrace that no Democratic Congressmen or Senators have supported these two men. But that should be considered more a reflection of the Democratic leadership than on the individuals. After all, committee assignments might be in danger if they were to engage in an activity that goes beyond the accepted parameters of the House and Senate leadership as it currently stands. To say nothing of endangering funding of congressional projects and support for sponsored bills. Still, you would think at least one would have the balls (or ovaries) to stand up for what’s right. In all fairness, as I said, only twelve Republicans have done so, as of the writing of the petition.
The drug smuggler in question, by the way, has sued the US government for five million dollars. Like they say-only in America.
If you want a job where you are treated with respect, it seems the last thing you might want to consider is the life of a government employee, in at least some cases. And the lower you go down the totem pole, the worse off you are. You get about as much respect in some cases if you’re a burger flipper or 7/11 clerk. Of course, to see the idiot smiles on the faces of actors portraying clerks in tv commercials, you would think they live the life of reilly. Yeah, what do you want your daughter to bring home from Pizza Hut? A supreme with extra cheese and breadsticks, maybe, but certainly not the clerk, if she does that you’ll probably send her back.
Now, you might think you’d be proud if your daughter brought home a government employee, but you might want to rethink that a bit.
Military enlistees are, technically speaking, “government employees”, and they get little respect. Oh, sure, we all “support the troops”, some would even go so far as to say they “love” them, but where does the lip service end and the reality begin? You can leave all that love and respect right outside the door of the Walter Reed Outpatient Treatment Center, thank you very much, it might damage the decorative mold.
Or, if your daughter brings home a US Attorney, you might consider wondering just what you did wrong. Can’t your daughter find a decent tort attorney with a real job?
But it seems these days like if you really want to scrape the bottom of the barrel, you might come out with an INS border security guard. Talk about getting no respect. Here are these two guys that went out of their way to apprehend an illegal Mexican alien who was smuggling some 74 pounds or so of marijuana across the border, whom the two guards thought was armed, and when he tried to escape they shot him in the ass.
They were then tried and convicted of numerous trumped up charges, including civil rights violations.
Now, after this trial, at which three of the jurors involved later claimed they were coerced into delivering a guilty verdict, (the prosecutor, incidentally, is under investigation for prosecutorial misconduct due to his part in the trial) they have been sentenced to twelve and thirteen years in prison, where one of them was recently brutally beaten by Mexican inmates who demanded “death to the border guards.”
They were convicted in part due to the testimony of the illegal alien drug smuggler, who was granted immunity in return for his testimony. But why the hell were they even charged and tried to begin with? According to some reports, this was done at the instigation of the Mexican government itself. Now, I don’t know if that is true or not, though I certainly believe they at least encouraged it, along with the other usual suspects, the pro open borders and amnesty crowds and open immigration factions among the liberal left and the various other immigrant advocacy groups.
In the meantime, these men have gotten little in the way of support from among the conservative forces that would ordinarily be up in arms about these kinds of shenanigans. Of course, as usual, both parties for the most part care more about kowtowing to the far left (in the case of Democrats), or to the business oriented open borders, free trade neo-cons (in the case of Republicans), while both are trolling for as many Hispanic votes as they can muster. It’s fucking shameful. Out of all the members of Congress, only twelve-all Republicans-have gone on record as actively opposing this shameful sham of a trial and demanding that the border agents be granted a presidential pardon.
It is not looking good, however. Although he could definitely grant the men a pardon at a drop of a sombrero, Bush seems to be hiding behind the excuse that pardons are typically granted only after time has been served. Of course, there are numerous instances where this was not the case. Clinton’s pardon of billionaire tax cheat and fugitive from justice Mark Rich comes to mind. Granted, these two men don’t have wealthy wives who can contribute hefty sums of money to a presidential library. Nor are they former high ranking cabinet officials, as in the case of former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, pardoned for his role in Iran-Contra by President George Herbert Walker Bush. Nor are they former Presidents, such as Richard M. Nixon, pardoned by Gerald Ford before he was ever even tried.
They are however men who were merely doing their jobs, maybe not perfectly, but still putting their lives on the line for little in the way of appreciation, renumeration, and respect. Now, they may be compelled to spend the best remaining years of their lives in a federal prison.
If you feel the way I do about this shit, you can click on this link, which will take you to a page where you can donate money to keep the cause alive or, at least as good and maybe even better, in the upper right hand corner of the page you will see a link to a page where you can sign a petition to President Bush encouraging him to grant these men the pardon I honestly feel they should receive as quickly as possible.
I also personally feel they should be granted a public apology, and back pay, in addition to a hefty amount of money for their pain and sufferring. In addition, they should receive an extra amount for whatever harassment they received while in prison, and the warden should be fired for not insuring their safety.
Yes, prison is rough, but all prisoners who are deemed to be potential targets are typically afforded some degree of protective custody, and this would obviously have been the appropriate precaution in the case of these two men.
You see, these two men are both Hispanics, and so in addition to the “crime” of being border agents, to the Hispanic street trash thugs who threatened them and attacked one on at least this one occasion, they are also doubtless viewed as “race traitors”.
Still, for the time being, let’s concentrate on getting them freed. Copy and paste the link and send it to as many people as you can think of to sign and forward to the President.
Like I told Lemuel Calhoun, of Hillbilly White Trash, who was kind enough to post these links on his blog at my request, if Bush would actually do the right thing in this regard, it might go a long way toward demonstrating evidence of this stiffened spine and backbone he allegedly has that we are always hearing so much about.
And I might add one other thing. I know that some that might peruse these links might have a knee jerk reaction to one of these sites, WorldNet Daily, but please try to think outside the box. You don’t have to agree with them on everything, or even on most things. I know I don’t. But when you're right, you’re right. If you agree with me that this is one of the times when they are right, not wrong-and there is little if any gray area here, in my opinion-then get over your initial objections to the site and support this petition drive.
And do more than that. Forward these links to your House Representatives and Senators. I think it’s a disgrace that no Democratic Congressmen or Senators have supported these two men. But that should be considered more a reflection of the Democratic leadership than on the individuals. After all, committee assignments might be in danger if they were to engage in an activity that goes beyond the accepted parameters of the House and Senate leadership as it currently stands. To say nothing of endangering funding of congressional projects and support for sponsored bills. Still, you would think at least one would have the balls (or ovaries) to stand up for what’s right. In all fairness, as I said, only twelve Republicans have done so, as of the writing of the petition.
The drug smuggler in question, by the way, has sued the US government for five million dollars. Like they say-only in America.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
American Wake
I've run into a bit of a snag in my efforts at researching an aspect of the Iraq War, so rather than just post what amounts to little more than a personal opinion, with no facts to back it up (for now), I decided there is something else that needs to be said that requires no proof, only powers of observation.
I think the idea that America is still a free and democratic society is every day becoming more of a delusion than an ideal to be grasped and nurtured. Just look at the current political season, the race for the two major parties presidential nominations, and you have to wonder, is there ever a break from this shit?
After the election of '04, the pundits were already discussing in earnest prospects for the '08 election, as well as the then next '06 mid-terms. It has been non-stop.
There used to be a saying to the effect that the only two things that kept the American economy going were war and Christmas. Soon, you might well be able to add politics to the list.
So, what is the reason for this? It looks to me like we are heading back to the days when political conventions picked their candidates in the confines of the proverbial "smoke filled rooms", only we are fed the illusion that the people actually have a say in the process.
And, with the internet, it looked for a while as though the people might actually be given a voice after all, might actually make an impact. In the '04 elections, it started to look as though former Vermont Governor Dr. Howard Dean might well have succeeded in translating a grass roots internet based campaign into the surprise nomination of the century. However, the power brokers of the Democratic Party, fearful of a general election debaucle, joined forces to derail Dean by the time the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primaries rolled around. By the time of the South Carolina primary, his campaign was obviously done.
To his credit, he parlayed his initial success into a movement to take over successfully the chairmanship of the DNC, after which he initiated the "50 state strategy" that was of paramount importance to the Democrats electoral mid-term victories in '06.
Though Dean is unfairly, in my opinion, maligned by the right as a "far leftist", his strategy has actually presented a problem for the entrenched leftist majority of the Democratic party. After all, the success of Dean's strategy depended on the enlistment of centrist candidates to run in states like Montana, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. The danger here, of course, is that these candidates might actually turn out to be legitimate centrists (as opposed to moderates of convenience, like Hillary Clinton) and so actually bring the party over toward the center, where of course is where most people in America reside. True, this would make the party all but unbeatable, but the left PAC gravy train would be seriously in jeopardy. Also, the people that make up the majority of Americans-the moderate majority-would tend to actually hold them or any political party accountable for their actions-something most parties aren't used to from their established bases of support.
So, how best to derail this movement than by moving the primary season up and compressing it into a time span early enough in the year so that both parties will have chosen their candidates by early April, at least. This gives the party power brokers the opportunity to insure that their chosen candidates have the money to get their message out before a lesser known candidate, such as Dean, has time to get off the ground, financially or otherwise.
The end result of this is that in order to be competitive, candidates must begin their campaigns ridiculously early, thus we have this phenomenon of the never ending campaign. But unless you're a Hillary Clinton or a Rudy Giulliani, it's a losing proposition. A whole year of tilting at windmills during an off year leading up to the legitimate and traditional campaign season is not a recipe for success. By the time the campaign starts in earnest, the establishment candidates have all their papers in order, their war chests overflowing, and their talking points memorized. They also have the state party machines lined up, as well as most media outlets who are ready to fawn over their every utterance, as they have for the most part throughout the off year.
It is almost a sure fire bet that Hillary Clinton will be the nominee of the Democratic Party, and though the Republican outcome isn't nearly as certain, the smart money is on Giulliani, for now. Of course, the uncertainty of the Republican outcome is based on a lot of soul searching and angst over the last electoral defeat, not over the viability of the system at large.
But the people at large have less say about these matters, as the PACS, other big money contributors, and the party elites, and all those who by and large profit from the system as it is, will do anything to protect their own interests, which sometimes dovetails with the national interest, but at least just as often does not.
But who cares about all that? There's a party going on-a political party primary season, that is. Get out early when it comes to your state, make sure you dress warmly, and vote early and often. This year, your state could well put the winning nominee over the top. Wave at the nice cameraman. Remember, if you are lucky enough to be singled out by a reporter, you are the face of your state and region. Act appropriately.
And remember-though this might be like a wake, of sorts, for American politics, at least it will give the local economy a shot in the arm.
I think the idea that America is still a free and democratic society is every day becoming more of a delusion than an ideal to be grasped and nurtured. Just look at the current political season, the race for the two major parties presidential nominations, and you have to wonder, is there ever a break from this shit?
After the election of '04, the pundits were already discussing in earnest prospects for the '08 election, as well as the then next '06 mid-terms. It has been non-stop.
There used to be a saying to the effect that the only two things that kept the American economy going were war and Christmas. Soon, you might well be able to add politics to the list.
So, what is the reason for this? It looks to me like we are heading back to the days when political conventions picked their candidates in the confines of the proverbial "smoke filled rooms", only we are fed the illusion that the people actually have a say in the process.
And, with the internet, it looked for a while as though the people might actually be given a voice after all, might actually make an impact. In the '04 elections, it started to look as though former Vermont Governor Dr. Howard Dean might well have succeeded in translating a grass roots internet based campaign into the surprise nomination of the century. However, the power brokers of the Democratic Party, fearful of a general election debaucle, joined forces to derail Dean by the time the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primaries rolled around. By the time of the South Carolina primary, his campaign was obviously done.
To his credit, he parlayed his initial success into a movement to take over successfully the chairmanship of the DNC, after which he initiated the "50 state strategy" that was of paramount importance to the Democrats electoral mid-term victories in '06.
Though Dean is unfairly, in my opinion, maligned by the right as a "far leftist", his strategy has actually presented a problem for the entrenched leftist majority of the Democratic party. After all, the success of Dean's strategy depended on the enlistment of centrist candidates to run in states like Montana, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. The danger here, of course, is that these candidates might actually turn out to be legitimate centrists (as opposed to moderates of convenience, like Hillary Clinton) and so actually bring the party over toward the center, where of course is where most people in America reside. True, this would make the party all but unbeatable, but the left PAC gravy train would be seriously in jeopardy. Also, the people that make up the majority of Americans-the moderate majority-would tend to actually hold them or any political party accountable for their actions-something most parties aren't used to from their established bases of support.
So, how best to derail this movement than by moving the primary season up and compressing it into a time span early enough in the year so that both parties will have chosen their candidates by early April, at least. This gives the party power brokers the opportunity to insure that their chosen candidates have the money to get their message out before a lesser known candidate, such as Dean, has time to get off the ground, financially or otherwise.
The end result of this is that in order to be competitive, candidates must begin their campaigns ridiculously early, thus we have this phenomenon of the never ending campaign. But unless you're a Hillary Clinton or a Rudy Giulliani, it's a losing proposition. A whole year of tilting at windmills during an off year leading up to the legitimate and traditional campaign season is not a recipe for success. By the time the campaign starts in earnest, the establishment candidates have all their papers in order, their war chests overflowing, and their talking points memorized. They also have the state party machines lined up, as well as most media outlets who are ready to fawn over their every utterance, as they have for the most part throughout the off year.
It is almost a sure fire bet that Hillary Clinton will be the nominee of the Democratic Party, and though the Republican outcome isn't nearly as certain, the smart money is on Giulliani, for now. Of course, the uncertainty of the Republican outcome is based on a lot of soul searching and angst over the last electoral defeat, not over the viability of the system at large.
But the people at large have less say about these matters, as the PACS, other big money contributors, and the party elites, and all those who by and large profit from the system as it is, will do anything to protect their own interests, which sometimes dovetails with the national interest, but at least just as often does not.
But who cares about all that? There's a party going on-a political party primary season, that is. Get out early when it comes to your state, make sure you dress warmly, and vote early and often. This year, your state could well put the winning nominee over the top. Wave at the nice cameraman. Remember, if you are lucky enough to be singled out by a reporter, you are the face of your state and region. Act appropriately.
And remember-though this might be like a wake, of sorts, for American politics, at least it will give the local economy a shot in the arm.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
What Do You Say To A Potential Recruit?
Frankly, I tell them the way it is. I tell them, if you join the military, don't necessarily believe everything the recruiting officer tells you. Once your time of enlistment is up, it is a part of your military contract (one that no one will go out of their way to point out to you) that you will be expected to stay past that expiration time, if needed. In fact, you might even be expected to serve for two or three terms, maybe even more. Joining the national Guard and Army Reserves, in the meantime, is no assured way to get out of combat. It may have been at one time. But that was in the distant past. Now, it is almost a sure thing you will be called to duty in Iraq. As of the present, there is no end in sight to this situation. As a result of this, recruitment is down, across the board, in the traditional military, as well as in the Guard and Reserves.
Parents, as well as some peace activist organizations, have lately taken to protesting the presence of military recruiters on high school and college campuses. As a result, some of these groups are being branded as unpatriotic. Personally, I have mixed feelings about the war, but one thing I am definitely clear on. When a naive young man or woman, particularly one fresh out of high school, is led to enlist in the armed services of this country, be it for patriotic reasons, altruistic ones, or merely out of a sense of respect for family tradition, or even for the more selfish reasons a good many especially poorer recruits choose this route (see the world, education, job training-or simply for a temporary paycheck) then the military has a moral and ethical obligation-and as far as I'm concerned a legal one-to live up to the terms of their contract. By keeping these young people in past their originally agreed time of enlistment, they are breaking faith with their soldiers, their parents, and the American public. And it is counterproductive. They have made matters worse as far as enlistment goes by this action, when a simple substantial increase in pay would help to solve the problem. Ensuring that they are properly supplied with the equipment they need in a timely manner would help at least as much.
If it smells like a lemon, it only makes good lemonade with the right amount of sugar and water.
Parents, as well as some peace activist organizations, have lately taken to protesting the presence of military recruiters on high school and college campuses. As a result, some of these groups are being branded as unpatriotic. Personally, I have mixed feelings about the war, but one thing I am definitely clear on. When a naive young man or woman, particularly one fresh out of high school, is led to enlist in the armed services of this country, be it for patriotic reasons, altruistic ones, or merely out of a sense of respect for family tradition, or even for the more selfish reasons a good many especially poorer recruits choose this route (see the world, education, job training-or simply for a temporary paycheck) then the military has a moral and ethical obligation-and as far as I'm concerned a legal one-to live up to the terms of their contract. By keeping these young people in past their originally agreed time of enlistment, they are breaking faith with their soldiers, their parents, and the American public. And it is counterproductive. They have made matters worse as far as enlistment goes by this action, when a simple substantial increase in pay would help to solve the problem. Ensuring that they are properly supplied with the equipment they need in a timely manner would help at least as much.
If it smells like a lemon, it only makes good lemonade with the right amount of sugar and water.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Michael Schiavo Should Sue The Schindlers
Most of even the supporters of Michael Schiavo seem not to have noticed the real story behind the efforts of the Schindler family over the last decade. A time line might prove helpful in discerning certain facts. The Schindlers first sued for custody of their daughter, Terri Schiavo, within a year of Michael Schiavo winning a lawsuit which netted him 1,000,000 dollars for the care of his wife. It is easy to see that, had they won this initial custody suit, Michael would have been obliged, potentially, to hand over the money he had won in this lawsuit. Now, here is the important thing to consider. It was not until three years after this lawsuit initiated by the Schindlers, that Michael petitioned the courts to remove Terri's feeding tube. Take the time to digest that simple fact. When the Schindlers started their shit, it was three years before Michael petitioned the courts to have the feeding tube removed. Here comes a chronology.
1992: Michael Schiavo wins settlement of 1,000,000 plus dollars for the care of his wife.
1993: The Schindler family initiates a lawsuit to gain custody of their daughter from Michael Schiavo.
1994: Michael Schiavo petitions the courts to remove Terri Schiavo's feedign tube.
So what was the reason for the initial lawsuit on behalf of the Schindlers. It can only be money. Of course, this money was long since dissipated in the course of the numerous lawsuits filed by the Schindlers, which Schiavo was obliged to fight. But the Schindlers cause became the cause celebre' of Right wing Christians and social conservative politicians across the country, so they received, I would suggest, a great deal of metary support for their continuing endeavors. Look out for the book. And for the movie.
Michael Schiavo is a hero in my opinion, one of the few true American heroes (a term which is oft used and abused). And now that the final autopsy report has been released, verifying that Terri was indeed in a persistent vegetative state, the Schindlers, as I predicted, could not let it go. They are still insisting the doctors are wrong, even implying that they are lying, or hiding the truth to protect their reputations, with the assistance, no doubt, of the courts and state agencies which were involved in the matter and had decided time after time on behalf of Mr. Schiavo. Other amongst their long-time supporters will hold fast to the belief that regardless of the veracity of the autopsy, it was still morally wrong to remove the feeding tube. And then there is Governor Jeb Bush, who, in an effort to regain favor with ths crowd, which was tested severely when he refused to intervene with an emergency order to prevent the tube from being removed, has now stated the time line should be investigated as to how long it took Michael Schiavo to contact emergency personnel upon Terri's collapse, implying of course the potential for foul play on Michael's part.
Yet, no one has questioned the Schindler time line, and their obvious, to me, grasping for money and influence. I would strongly suggest that Michael Schavo should sue the Schindlers, as well as several of their supporters, including possibly their priest. Jeb Bush, too, might be considered by some a tempting target, including me. What Michael Schiavo has been going through over the last twelve years amounts to libel and slander of the most obscene variety. A good stiff lawsuit against the perpetrators might send a well needed message to them, and to the right wing smear merchants in general. It's time to bring this shameful episode in American jurisprudence to a close.
1992: Michael Schiavo wins settlement of 1,000,000 plus dollars for the care of his wife.
1993: The Schindler family initiates a lawsuit to gain custody of their daughter from Michael Schiavo.
1994: Michael Schiavo petitions the courts to remove Terri Schiavo's feedign tube.
So what was the reason for the initial lawsuit on behalf of the Schindlers. It can only be money. Of course, this money was long since dissipated in the course of the numerous lawsuits filed by the Schindlers, which Schiavo was obliged to fight. But the Schindlers cause became the cause celebre' of Right wing Christians and social conservative politicians across the country, so they received, I would suggest, a great deal of metary support for their continuing endeavors. Look out for the book. And for the movie.
Michael Schiavo is a hero in my opinion, one of the few true American heroes (a term which is oft used and abused). And now that the final autopsy report has been released, verifying that Terri was indeed in a persistent vegetative state, the Schindlers, as I predicted, could not let it go. They are still insisting the doctors are wrong, even implying that they are lying, or hiding the truth to protect their reputations, with the assistance, no doubt, of the courts and state agencies which were involved in the matter and had decided time after time on behalf of Mr. Schiavo. Other amongst their long-time supporters will hold fast to the belief that regardless of the veracity of the autopsy, it was still morally wrong to remove the feeding tube. And then there is Governor Jeb Bush, who, in an effort to regain favor with ths crowd, which was tested severely when he refused to intervene with an emergency order to prevent the tube from being removed, has now stated the time line should be investigated as to how long it took Michael Schiavo to contact emergency personnel upon Terri's collapse, implying of course the potential for foul play on Michael's part.
Yet, no one has questioned the Schindler time line, and their obvious, to me, grasping for money and influence. I would strongly suggest that Michael Schavo should sue the Schindlers, as well as several of their supporters, including possibly their priest. Jeb Bush, too, might be considered by some a tempting target, including me. What Michael Schiavo has been going through over the last twelve years amounts to libel and slander of the most obscene variety. A good stiff lawsuit against the perpetrators might send a well needed message to them, and to the right wing smear merchants in general. It's time to bring this shameful episode in American jurisprudence to a close.
Saturday, June 18, 2005
George Bush To Go On Drunken Binge, Might Have Affair
The following Tarot Reading is for George W. Bush. The thing about this reading is, I did it with no one in particular in mind. I just said to myself, now what is going to be news worthy here in the near future that is just now bubbling beneath the surface. The following is what I came up with.
The TEN OF CUPS is the SIGNIFICATOR, and speaks of a feeling of permanent attachment, which could describe Bush and his feelings in several ways, toward the nation, his wife and family, his moral and religious principles, etc. However, the COVERING CARD is the SIX OF SWORDS, which means that Bush is now on a hard but necessary journey in this present time of his life as regards to his feelings. Ostensibly, it is a challenge he knows he must face head on, and he is willing to do so. However, his CROSSING CARD is THE FOOL, which indicates a tendency to rush into making snap judgements and rash decisions. His CROWNING CARD is THE DEVIL, which might indicate here a sudden reversal of his prior life style changes, and a jump into binge drinking. This is something I have been expecting to occur for some time now, actually, as Bush has always seemed like a ticking time bomb to me. This might have all ready occurred, the thing of it is, Bush may not be an alcoholic in the way most people define the term. If he hasn't done so yet, this almost certainly implies he will shortly, and in addition, this might lead to a sexual liason, or vice versa. At THE BASE OF THE MATTER, we have the card of THE EMPEROR, which describes the forces at work below the surface of conscious awareness. In other words, this might be Bush's own stubbornness and arrogance getting the better of him. In other words, basically he will fall to this level of behavior just because he can (shades of Clinton), and Bush, maybe as much or more than anybody, is used to getting his way. A part of him wants this, and as a compensation for his recent failings and shortcomings, it is all the more powerful an inner drive. At the position of PASSING INFLENCES, we find the card of SIX OF PENTACLES, which means that e is feeling a slipping away of prior support, and this is or will be reflected in terms of a decrease in financial contributions to Republican and conservative causes. In UP-AND-COMING INFLUENCES we see the card of the EIGHT OF CUPS, meaning that Bush is going to feel more and more alone as the days progress, and will all but give up insofar as accomplishing certain items on his agenda. Suddenly, we jump to a period of about two months from now, where we find the card of THE MAGICIAN in the position of WHERE YOU FIND YOURSELF, indicating that Bush will suddenly reach out to the American people in more effective ways than previously has been the case. It is quite possible that he will give the best speech of his life during this period, and will make an emotional connection to the public in ways unseen since the days immediately following 9/11. The untold story, behind the scenes, could very well be that he is speaking and acting under the influence of alcohol during these times. But it won't be the tough guys, cowboy avenger that is speaking, but a more feminine aspect of his personality, and he will seem at first glance very appealing and likable. His poll numbers might well shoot up to the high fifties or even the sixties. This is all foretold in the card of KING OF CUPS in the position of VIEW OF OTHERS, which rules how others see you based on the way in which you see and project yourself. The card for the position of HOPES AND FEARS here is seen as the ACE OF PENTACLES, which might best be described as Bush seeking to capitalize on his newly regained popularity, and turn it into yet new capital with which to recapture the momentum toward accomplishing items on his agenda, and setting the stage toward a Republican victory in '06. However, disaster will loom in the form of the FIVE OF CUPS in the position of FINAL OUTCOME, which might suggest a betrayal of Bush by someone close to him. Whether this is his wife, or someone close to him in is administration, or the discovery of some form of shenanigans it is hard to say. But suffice it to say that it could very well, and probably will, drive a wedge between Bush and his supporters, and a rupture that will be hard pressed, if not impossible, to be healed.
The TEN OF CUPS is the SIGNIFICATOR, and speaks of a feeling of permanent attachment, which could describe Bush and his feelings in several ways, toward the nation, his wife and family, his moral and religious principles, etc. However, the COVERING CARD is the SIX OF SWORDS, which means that Bush is now on a hard but necessary journey in this present time of his life as regards to his feelings. Ostensibly, it is a challenge he knows he must face head on, and he is willing to do so. However, his CROSSING CARD is THE FOOL, which indicates a tendency to rush into making snap judgements and rash decisions. His CROWNING CARD is THE DEVIL, which might indicate here a sudden reversal of his prior life style changes, and a jump into binge drinking. This is something I have been expecting to occur for some time now, actually, as Bush has always seemed like a ticking time bomb to me. This might have all ready occurred, the thing of it is, Bush may not be an alcoholic in the way most people define the term. If he hasn't done so yet, this almost certainly implies he will shortly, and in addition, this might lead to a sexual liason, or vice versa. At THE BASE OF THE MATTER, we have the card of THE EMPEROR, which describes the forces at work below the surface of conscious awareness. In other words, this might be Bush's own stubbornness and arrogance getting the better of him. In other words, basically he will fall to this level of behavior just because he can (shades of Clinton), and Bush, maybe as much or more than anybody, is used to getting his way. A part of him wants this, and as a compensation for his recent failings and shortcomings, it is all the more powerful an inner drive. At the position of PASSING INFLENCES, we find the card of SIX OF PENTACLES, which means that e is feeling a slipping away of prior support, and this is or will be reflected in terms of a decrease in financial contributions to Republican and conservative causes. In UP-AND-COMING INFLUENCES we see the card of the EIGHT OF CUPS, meaning that Bush is going to feel more and more alone as the days progress, and will all but give up insofar as accomplishing certain items on his agenda. Suddenly, we jump to a period of about two months from now, where we find the card of THE MAGICIAN in the position of WHERE YOU FIND YOURSELF, indicating that Bush will suddenly reach out to the American people in more effective ways than previously has been the case. It is quite possible that he will give the best speech of his life during this period, and will make an emotional connection to the public in ways unseen since the days immediately following 9/11. The untold story, behind the scenes, could very well be that he is speaking and acting under the influence of alcohol during these times. But it won't be the tough guys, cowboy avenger that is speaking, but a more feminine aspect of his personality, and he will seem at first glance very appealing and likable. His poll numbers might well shoot up to the high fifties or even the sixties. This is all foretold in the card of KING OF CUPS in the position of VIEW OF OTHERS, which rules how others see you based on the way in which you see and project yourself. The card for the position of HOPES AND FEARS here is seen as the ACE OF PENTACLES, which might best be described as Bush seeking to capitalize on his newly regained popularity, and turn it into yet new capital with which to recapture the momentum toward accomplishing items on his agenda, and setting the stage toward a Republican victory in '06. However, disaster will loom in the form of the FIVE OF CUPS in the position of FINAL OUTCOME, which might suggest a betrayal of Bush by someone close to him. Whether this is his wife, or someone close to him in is administration, or the discovery of some form of shenanigans it is hard to say. But suffice it to say that it could very well, and probably will, drive a wedge between Bush and his supporters, and a rupture that will be hard pressed, if not impossible, to be healed.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Kinky For Governor-Really Now
Sometimes comedians, like con artists, start to take themselves way too seriously, and it starts to show, it's almost a sign of a disintegrating personality disorder. Kinky Friedman is a 60 year old singer and comedian, and native of the Lone Star State, who has been involved in politics on various levels for years now. But it was always more or less taken to be a kind of satire, sort of like Pat Paulson's run for the Presidency during the 1968 election campaign. His forum at this time was the old Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. He seemed to be dead serious, in that deap-pan sort of way he had, but of course no one took him serious, even if at times you really had to wonder if he might have been.
With Kinky it's a different story. A good many of his positions belie any notion of seriousness. For example, his solution to the Mexican Border problem involves something called :The Five Mexican General's" Plan. As he explained this morning on radio's "Imus In The Morning", the plan is simplicity itself, and foolproof. You pay five Mexican generals to patrol five distinct areas of the Mexican/Texas Border, to the tune of a million dollars per year, for each general. You put this money into a special fund for each one, a fund to which they have no access until the end of each year. During that time, you subtract five thousand dollars for each Mexican caught at the border of any given general's jurisdiction. At the end of the year they receive the balance, at which point another million dollars is put into the fund for the next year.
He has a slew of celebrity supporters, many of whom he has promised to appoint to various posts of his administration. Willie Nelson, for example, he has suggested as the head of what would be the newly created department for the development of Bio-Diesel fuel. He has further promised that he would be the first Texas Governor to have an open telephone line. Any constituent can call him at any time he or she wants, to voice any complaints. Well, you don't say.
Don Imus, a long-time friend of Kinky's, seems to be struggling with the notion of making a political contribution, something he did once before in years past when "The Kinkster" ran for some minor post. He also seems to be struggling with the notion that this campaign might actually be becoming a serious proposition. After all, who could resist supporting a man who runs for the governorship of texas with complaints against the on-going "wussification" of Texas? A man who points out that, if elected, he would be the first independent Governor of the state since Sam Houston?
Your immediate sentiment is to support him, to hope that he wins, if for no other reason than to send a message about the political corruption and cronyism inherent in the states two party political process, enhanced and broadened over the years by career politicians and their big-money contributors, as well as the myriad of pencil pushing bureaucrats who are doing little more than living off the public dime. In the meantime, very little gets done, in texas, like in a great many other places. Maybe the recent elections of Arnold Schwarzeneggar, and Jesse Ventura of Minnesota before him, have emboldened the aging cult star. He does seem serious. But then again, remember, so did Pat Paulson.
In a way, I admit it, I hope he wins, even though I don't honestly believe he has a chance. At least I hope he manages to get on the ballot. If he gets the fifty thousand signatures he needs, which he has to accumulate after the up-and-coming party primaries in Texas, he is on. Of course, those who vote in the primary will be ineligible to sign his petition, and so, in what may be a concise clue as to the seriousness of his intentions, he is encouraging Texas voters to not vote in the primary, in order to sign said petition. I do hope he gets on, and I do hope he wins. If he is serious about running, there's a good chance he all ready realizes that being the governor of Texas is no laughing matter, though for a very short time it might be one.
With Kinky it's a different story. A good many of his positions belie any notion of seriousness. For example, his solution to the Mexican Border problem involves something called :The Five Mexican General's" Plan. As he explained this morning on radio's "Imus In The Morning", the plan is simplicity itself, and foolproof. You pay five Mexican generals to patrol five distinct areas of the Mexican/Texas Border, to the tune of a million dollars per year, for each general. You put this money into a special fund for each one, a fund to which they have no access until the end of each year. During that time, you subtract five thousand dollars for each Mexican caught at the border of any given general's jurisdiction. At the end of the year they receive the balance, at which point another million dollars is put into the fund for the next year.
He has a slew of celebrity supporters, many of whom he has promised to appoint to various posts of his administration. Willie Nelson, for example, he has suggested as the head of what would be the newly created department for the development of Bio-Diesel fuel. He has further promised that he would be the first Texas Governor to have an open telephone line. Any constituent can call him at any time he or she wants, to voice any complaints. Well, you don't say.
Don Imus, a long-time friend of Kinky's, seems to be struggling with the notion of making a political contribution, something he did once before in years past when "The Kinkster" ran for some minor post. He also seems to be struggling with the notion that this campaign might actually be becoming a serious proposition. After all, who could resist supporting a man who runs for the governorship of texas with complaints against the on-going "wussification" of Texas? A man who points out that, if elected, he would be the first independent Governor of the state since Sam Houston?
Your immediate sentiment is to support him, to hope that he wins, if for no other reason than to send a message about the political corruption and cronyism inherent in the states two party political process, enhanced and broadened over the years by career politicians and their big-money contributors, as well as the myriad of pencil pushing bureaucrats who are doing little more than living off the public dime. In the meantime, very little gets done, in texas, like in a great many other places. Maybe the recent elections of Arnold Schwarzeneggar, and Jesse Ventura of Minnesota before him, have emboldened the aging cult star. He does seem serious. But then again, remember, so did Pat Paulson.
In a way, I admit it, I hope he wins, even though I don't honestly believe he has a chance. At least I hope he manages to get on the ballot. If he gets the fifty thousand signatures he needs, which he has to accumulate after the up-and-coming party primaries in Texas, he is on. Of course, those who vote in the primary will be ineligible to sign his petition, and so, in what may be a concise clue as to the seriousness of his intentions, he is encouraging Texas voters to not vote in the primary, in order to sign said petition. I do hope he gets on, and I do hope he wins. If he is serious about running, there's a good chance he all ready realizes that being the governor of Texas is no laughing matter, though for a very short time it might be one.
Terri Schiavo-Autopsy Report Due Today
The Schiavo controversy may be due this day for a resurrection of sorts, when the final autopsy report is finally made public. There are hopes that the report will prove conclusively that Terri Schiavo was indeed NOT in the vegetative state that her husband, scores of doctors, and a variety of court judges decided that she was, before the feeding tube that kept her wasted body going was finally removed, resulting in her death some nearly two weeks later. But just who is it that hopes for this? Her family, of course-her mother, father, brother, and sister-and one would assume their myriad supporters among the politicos, pundits, and religious figures ranging from the catholic hierarchy, to right wing evangelists such as Jerry Falwell and Doctor James Dobson, to Jesse Jackson. In other words, all of them are waiting on pins and needles in the hopes that poor Terri did, indeed, suffer grievously during her final days and hours.
In the event this does indeed turn out to be the case, hold your breath-and your nose-for the release of the numerous prepared statements to the press excoriating the widower Schiavo and his supporters. In the event that the opposite turns out to be the case, you can count on a separate variety of prepared statements from the same circle of allies, only in this case it will probably be a play in two acts.
Act One will contain the story of how the courts, the media, and Schiavo's attorneys have doubtless all conspired to lie on the documents for political, monetary, and legal reasons. A type of cover-up, if you will. They might maintain that this conspiracy has been on-going from day one, from the day Terri first suffered the on-set of her mysteriously degenerating condition, in the case of Mr. Schiavo and his shadowy supporters. Others might maintain the cover-up came after the fact of the death, in the case of political considerations of a good many of Mr. Schiavo's political supporters. There will be accusations of bribery and corruption in high places.
Act Two will come somewhat later, and will develop into an excoriation of the all-pervading "culture of death" that is all too ready to end a human life at the first convenience, and on the slightest pretext. And, once again, the culture wars will be in full fury, with the smiling, unaware face of Terri Schiavo the poster child of the Far Right, invoking the kindness of compassionate conservatism.
Only this time, the play will be performed to a nearly empty house, and will close after a very brief run, in the event that Mr. Schiavo's and his supporters claims turn out to be verified. Still, in the unlikely event that it does indeed turn out that Ms. Schiavo suffered form excruciating pain and agony during her last few days, as a result of Mr. Schiavo and his supporters selfishly removing the feeding tube, and it is proven that Terri was not, after all, in a persistent vegetative state, but had minimal consciousness and feeling-then, the family of Terri Schiavo and their friends and supporters will have a reason to smile. Of course, they will try not to, but, like Terri, hopefully they would be unable to control themselves.
In the event this does indeed turn out to be the case, hold your breath-and your nose-for the release of the numerous prepared statements to the press excoriating the widower Schiavo and his supporters. In the event that the opposite turns out to be the case, you can count on a separate variety of prepared statements from the same circle of allies, only in this case it will probably be a play in two acts.
Act One will contain the story of how the courts, the media, and Schiavo's attorneys have doubtless all conspired to lie on the documents for political, monetary, and legal reasons. A type of cover-up, if you will. They might maintain that this conspiracy has been on-going from day one, from the day Terri first suffered the on-set of her mysteriously degenerating condition, in the case of Mr. Schiavo and his shadowy supporters. Others might maintain the cover-up came after the fact of the death, in the case of political considerations of a good many of Mr. Schiavo's political supporters. There will be accusations of bribery and corruption in high places.
Act Two will come somewhat later, and will develop into an excoriation of the all-pervading "culture of death" that is all too ready to end a human life at the first convenience, and on the slightest pretext. And, once again, the culture wars will be in full fury, with the smiling, unaware face of Terri Schiavo the poster child of the Far Right, invoking the kindness of compassionate conservatism.
Only this time, the play will be performed to a nearly empty house, and will close after a very brief run, in the event that Mr. Schiavo's and his supporters claims turn out to be verified. Still, in the unlikely event that it does indeed turn out that Ms. Schiavo suffered form excruciating pain and agony during her last few days, as a result of Mr. Schiavo and his supporters selfishly removing the feeding tube, and it is proven that Terri was not, after all, in a persistent vegetative state, but had minimal consciousness and feeling-then, the family of Terri Schiavo and their friends and supporters will have a reason to smile. Of course, they will try not to, but, like Terri, hopefully they would be unable to control themselves.
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