BuzzFlash presents Barbara's Daily BuzzFlash Minute
exclusively on BuzzFlash.com

A collection of insightful ruminations, reflections, and rants on the events of the day (with the exception of the weekend). Come visit each weekday to see what's pushing Barbara's buttons.

August 19 , 2005

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Another terrorist attack, strategically timed, has hit the Middle-East, with rockets, no less! This time, thankfully, the terrorists missed their targets! Reportedly, one Jordanian soldier was killed, and one was severely wounded, in this latest coordinated attack sending missiles towards American ships in the Jordanian Red Sea Port of Aqaba.

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"PILGRIM: The Pentagon is sending another 700 troops to Iraq. Now, the military says those troops will guard prisons. CNN has also learned the Pentagon may temporarily increase the number of troops in Iraq by 20,000 for the upcoming elections." Upcoming elections my rear end! LOOK OUT IRAN, here come Dick Cheney and George Bush via military proxy!

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"As the vice regents of God, we are to exercise godly dominion and influence over our neighborhoods, our schools, our government, our literature and arts, our sports arenas, our entertainment media, our news media, our scientific endeavors—in short, over every aspect and institution of human society." Now, if we were to hear Osama bin Laden repeat the above on a just released video, or if the ousted members of the Taliban were speaking out in an attempt to retake Afghanistan, we'd all be up in arms. The speeches to overcome religious extremists' attempts to thwart democracy would be resounding loudly throughout these United States. But since it came from one of our own, a Christian minister right here at home, nothing is said. No one seems to be worried that the line of separation between church and state here in America is disappearing right before our very eyes.

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Light bulb moment here. It just dawned on me---Poppy ran Dan Quayle for 2nd in command because he needed someone too stupid or too frightened to ask questions while he went about Bush business as usual. Now he's put # 1 idiot son in office in order to continue the money-making reign that he started way back when it got interrupted by Bill Clinton. I can just imagine the anger this whole bunch, who firmly believe they're better than the average guy, must have felt when that really regular but oh so smart guy from Arkansas sailed into the White House. It took them 8 years of a no holds barre, all out scandal and smear assault, and they still couldn't tarnish Clinton's appeal. They had to resort to a complete "make-over" for George, from spoiled frat brat with that proverbial spoon up his nose to a God-fearing "regular guy," and even then it took pre-programmed touch screen voting machines, downright election rigging, and calling in favors from the Supreme Five to guarantee the office for "my boy"!

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"Hagel said Bush faced a growing credibility gap. 'The expectations that the president and his administration presented to the American people 2 1/2 years ago is not what the reality is today. That's presented the biggest credibility gap problem he's got,' he said."  "Expectations"??? The fact that Bush and the rest of this bunch LIED to the American people, that's what's causing the disenchantment, plain and simple. Americans do not like LIARS, period, no further reporting necessary! Exactly whose credibility is Hagel worried about, now that it seems he's running for a presidential nomination in 2008???

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It's a real hoot and would be hilariously funny if it weren't so pathetically inexcusable to watch the radical right and corporate media for God's sake get their panties all twisted in a knot, simply because some American citizens who've made it financially decided to put their money to good use by spending it to further the causes that save lives and help average Americans better their condition, rather than funnel it into corporate lobbyists down on K-Street and ultra-conservative think tanks!! The irony of the "attack Cindy Sheehan and do her in" by the well oiled, very well financed conservative smear machine is that they themselves are doing exactly what they have accused her of doing, only worse!  They have personally attacked a grieving mother who is questioning the death of her son caused by an unnecessary, preemptive war created by the outright lies told to the American people by the Bush administration specifically to garner support for that war.  Who better than a mother to ask those questions, especially when no one else is brave enough to do so??

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I am fed up with all the empty talking heads who offer up this inane excuse as though it is enough by implication to justify the deaths of American soldiers: "Bruce Morton CNN Correspondent: ... Today's military is all-volunteer. Casey Sheehan joined it, knowing presumably that he might have to go to war." That is pure bulls**t and it certainly doesn't justify their deaths for me. In fact, I believe that all those who volunteered to join up had a right to presume the leadership in the military and the civilian leadership in government would only go to war as a last resort, in defense of this nation, They have a right to believe the leadership will not concoct a fantasy when lives are on the line. They have the right to expect war will not be started based on lies and innuendo! I believe the leadership has a responsibility to the troops to conduct a war with maximum strength, and the very best equipment this country can supply. Troops should never be ordered into battle, especially a preemptive battle, on the cheap, they should never be expected to fight a war "with the equipment you've got," so to speak, especially when the war is one of choice and the equipment is substandard! I believe every soldier is keenly aware that they may die in serving their country. What they didn't know when they volunteered is A. they would end up being some wild haired experiment in Rumsfeld's how to wage war on the cheap, and B. fighting and dying because Bush wanted to acquire all that oil and rake in the financial gains of war profiteering!! To all the ditto talking heads everywhere: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO IMPLY THAT THE DEATHS OF OUR SOLDIERS IS OK BECAUSE THEY VOLUNTEERED!

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