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). We'll collect a week's worth here and then archive them. Come visit each weekday to see what's pushing Barbara's buttons.
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November 15, 2002
Just who do Americans need to fear? The current administration obviously believes that "collateral damage" in a war is acceptable and inevitable practice. They even go so far as to promote giving up a few citizens to insure the rest -- ex. an order to shoot down commercial jets that pose a threat. Now we hear the DSB (an advisory board to the Secretary of Defense and the President) is recommending luring terrorists into committing acts of terrorism in order to catch them! What innocent souls will be caught in this web? Who will be the next collateral damage for these insane efforts to dominate the world? We seem to have stepped into the pages of a cheap novel written by an insane author who doesn't give a damn for the living. God, what has this world become with these lunatics in charge?
PS: Let me be the first to recommend as bait the families of those promoting this ridiculous plan.
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Norm Coleman has no conscience. To attempt to "cash in" on Senator Paul Wellstone's legacy is despicable! Bipartisanship? I don't think so. Parasitic leech would be a more apt description. This man is without morals in his attempts at legitimacy. Another of Dumbya's "picks," reflecting Dumbya himself.
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The FOX News Anchor who can't tell the difference between "block party and BLOW JOB" offers the finest example of "Freudian Slip." Appearances, which are important to conservatives, do not always conceal what lurks in the minds of men.
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November 14, 2002
Stupidity seems to be the golden thread in this administration. To believe teenagers are not going to participate in sex is blowing in the wind. The age old problem of what to do about a teen who doesn't abide by the rules, remains a problem, only now it's going to get worse. Eliminating programs that teach "responsible sex" is an injustice to society. Abstinence is the dream of fools. Teenagers and the children of those teens will be the ones who suffer the folly of fools.
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While we've been hiding in a corner afraid of the eternal wars perpetrated by this administration, they have been quietly eliminating everything that benefits the people in America. Cronyism, favoritism, secrecy, and corporate reign are gaining while the people are losing. Is America going to wake up and see the results of this administration in the same way they woke up in Texas? Dumbya took a surplus and turned it into a massive deficit down south in the proud state of Texas. Will he manage to ravage the entire nation in the same way?
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Irony is a strange thing indeed. Jerry Falwell, who is representative of fundamentalist religion in the U.S., accuses the Muslim religion of terrorism, while supporting a war that will undoubtedly involve the annihilation of innocent men, women, and children. There is something wrong with this interpretation of Biblical teaching. Where is the compassion, the hope, the tolerance, the love expressed when God sent Jesus to this earth? Man's sins against man are the greatest sins of all. Man's desire to dominate man, the ultimate atrocity.
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November 13, 2002
Well, now isn't this special? Osama still alive, but not to worry cause Georgie says Osama's been significantly weakened. Wanna bet your life on that supposition? Frankly, I don't understand trusting the judgment of this man, Dumbya, who jumps into a second war before he's finished the first, who refuses to present evidence, who lied to us about warnings regarding 9-11, who can't eat pretzels and watch TV simultaneously. This is a man more interested in vacationing than doing the job he so covetously stole. I do not see vision or strength, only chaos and confusion from some rich kid who has no direction.
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The Democrats must become aware that the message they have is not being carried by mainstream media. They must find alternative sources to inform the public. Democratic aides on the Hill would do well to link to BuzzFlash and other internet sources with columns of information. If we can't find balance in the airwaves of cable television, we can return to word of mouth for a start. We can report news that CNN and FOX cannot ignore. A controlled media is the beginning of a fascist government -- a lesson taught by the Nazis pre-World War II, and learned well by the current administration. This, though, is America, and a controlled media can be overcome by the citizens of this country.
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Praises for Helen Thomas, the only member of the Washington Press Corps with courage! She has the diligence and the grit to question this administration's policies and she will report the truth. She is the only patriotic member of the Washington Press corps willing to seek the truth, something the other members of this "yessir boss" group should be doing for the American people.
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I seriously doubt that mainstream media will pick up on the story about voter discrepancies around the country. They were only discovered because some alert precinct workers saw unusual trends and local news chose to publish the story. What about precinct workers who chose to ignore the unusual trends? What about State Governments controlled by Repuglicans who chose to ignore unprecedented landslides for Repuglican candidates? While I believe it is my civic duty to vote for the candidate of my choice, I now worry that my vote may have been counted for his opponent. I now know how the senior citizens in Florida felt regarding the butterfly ballot. Are we to be subjects of the Repuglican party now and in the future because they have managed to steal this election and all future elections from the people?
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November 12, 2002
Hmmm, anthrax attacks? Why has the DOJ failed so dismally in finding the perpetrators? Why is Bush so arrogantly promoting an attack on Iraq, when his administration cannot even find the worm in his own hole? If his ability to wage retribution is evidenced by the anthrax attacks, and finding Osama bin Laden, then God help us when he storms into Iraq!
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Was the death of 3000 innocent Americans a Repuglican Rove Strategy to increase sagging Bush poll numbers? Did this administration have pre 9-11 warnings? Were they alerted to probable terrorist attacks? Did they purposely ignore those warnings to gain political advantage? Or, were they simply asleep on the job, vacationing, ignoring any Clinton administration warnings, and arrogantly believing it wouldn't happen? Either way, the public will never know, because they don't want Americans to know the real truth. Dumbya and his administration don't like being held accountable for anything they do or don't do. Why else do you think Georgie would move his records of Texas Governor to Poppy's library?
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Programmable slot machines or touch screen voting? What has the U.S. taxpayers paid for in this latest election reform? Is it possible the companies, who are decidedly Repuglican, tampered with the machines in order to obtain positive Repug results? Would they cheat the public in order to increase profits? Would they deceive the electorate to guarantee results? When answering these questions, remember ENRON.
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Someone should tell Harvey Pitt that the Wall Street Journal, which called for his resignation, is hardly comprised of Democrats. Their were many on the Repuglican side of the aisle who wanted him gone. It's the first real bipartisan effort I've seen that benefits the public.
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At least there were "hanging chads"! The new electronic voting machines do not give us any hope for a recount in case someone was cheating! Computers are fodder for "hackers" who would do mischief to prove a point. These machines have been perfected by corporations with a bend towards Repuglicans. The exit-polling has now been eliminated so there is no "trail" whatsoever to give any clue as to how the voting went. We are now at the mercy of those with motives to insure an election, and there is no way to affirm the vote.
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November 11, 2002
A Salute and Thank You to all Veterans. On this day of remembrance, we recognize the men and women who have fought and sacrificed for Democracy. Our nation is indebted to these veterans. We honor their sacrifices and thank them for giving their all for us.
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Shades of ENRON -- the federal government now has an OK from 33% of the electorate to plunge this country into domestic annihilation. Just as the executives of Enron did to their workers and investors, this Repuglican regime will do to American citizens. Education is not being funded, Social Security is on the brink of disaster, Medicare funding has been cut, conservative judges will now get the go-ahead for lifetime appointments, and Roe vs. Wade is on the road to being overturned. Democracy in America is threatened as never before in our history. Those thieves in power will walk away with the money and the people will be left with nothing. Georgie learned his lessons well from Kenny boy.
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The teachers in Georgia united to oust Gov. Roy Barnes, to protest his education reform. They simply jumped from the frying pan into the fire! The Repuglicans will reform, they won't fund. The teachers logic is incomprehensible. They now have a governor who walks lockstep with George Bush, someone who has already denied funding for education and mandated reform. "Leave no child behind" is Bush code for "Leave no rich child behind, but leave all those kids and teachers in urban needy schools with nothing." The old cliché, "Be careful what you pray for, because you may get it," would certainly apply in this circumstance.
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"NOVAK: I don't think he has that many weapons of mass destruction." That is an excerpt from a CNN broadcast of the "Capital Gang," November 9, 2002. The American people who voted for this Repuglican regime better wake up! This is a quote from one of the most rabid members of the right wing in this country, and it certainly does not sound like an endorsement of the Bush policy to attack Iraq.
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I have been told by someone who attended the peace rally in Atlanta that 2500 to 3000 people marched in the protest and around 5000 attended the rally at Olympic Centennial Park. As usual, mainstream media would like to trim the numbers to give a false impression of those who oppose this Bush war.
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It would do all Americans well to remember why child labor laws were enacted. Think of the scandals caused when "slave labor" was uncovered right here in the good ole US of A -- not so long ago -- and the utter disdain for anyone connected with using and abusing poor people to garner rich profits. Now, suddenly, it's okay to condemn civil service workers who seek the protections of laws designed to ensure the workplace free of old fashioned cronyism, favors, and threats of job loss if you don't do what you're told, no matter what that may be. Workers who want a safe and secure workplace environment are told "No, it's a threat to National Security." It truly is a threat to Homeland Security and the average worker if this administration and the Repuglican party are allowed to get away with stripping the American worker's rights. We are still citizens of the United States, not worker bees performing a duty for an assumed king.
