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Subj: How frightening is this article?
Dear BuzzFlash,
Fully expect conservative pundits and politicians to use this propaganda as a talking point to portray anti-war protesters as pawns manipulated by iraqi agents or worse, in collusion with the iraqi gov't. My question is, how will this affect our freedom to protest, and the law enforcement of any subsequent protests?
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/story/55766p-52218c.html
Thanks~
Jason
Buzz,
Story from today's Minneapolis Star-Tribune:
Ex-CEO
charged in biggest state tax fraud case
http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/3622485.html
Clarke was among the top 25 Minnesota donors to federal candidates and national political parties from Jan. 1, 1991, to Dec. 1, 1996, giving $64,625 to Republicans, according to a 1996 Star Tribune report.
I took a look at the FEC's online listings and it appears that 100% of this crook's political contributions were to the RNC and state and national Republican candidates. He was still making maximum contributions to Republicans (e.g.: $2000 to Bush for President) as recently as 2000. Another fine example of Republican business acumen.
Joseph
Ford
Minneapolis, MN
Dear BuzzFlash,
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/story/55766p-52218c.html
The above link is a story stating that Iraq is sending in spies to the US to stir up anti-war demonstrations. It was a link from Drudge. So now, I guess any anti-war demonstration will be attributed to Saddam in the news media, and any anti-war protestor will be a puppet of Iraq in the US. Sounds like the '50's "communist sympathizer" scare tactics, all over again. I am sorry. I don't believe a word of it.
Thanks. Love the Buzz.....
A loyal reader
Subj: "Affirmative Action" placed GW Bush in the Oval Office
Dear Buzz,
George W. Bush should be reminded of how "affirmative action" by the U.S. Supreme Court placed him in the Oval Office, while another highly qualified person was denied admission--Al Gore Jr.
Nancy Lynn
Nagy (TN)
http://votetoimpeach.org
Subj: Iraqi Spies in the U.S.
Dear Buzz,
Don't you find the choice of wording in this article interesting and manipulative? I quote from the article, "The Iraqi Embassy in Ottawa sent operatives to New York and Washington with instructions to "intensify spying activities and to carry out anti-U.S. demonstrations to stop a war against Iraq," the report said."
Note the particular wording, namely the use of the words "anti-U.S. demonstrations".
In other words, there is the built in assumption in this article that the demonstrations to stop the war are "anti-U.S." Can anyone say..."propaganda"?
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subj: Ari Outrage
Dear BuzzFlash,
This is Ari Fleischer's response in regard to Nelson Mandela and others' opposition to Bush's tough stance on Iraq, as quoted in The Guardian, "White House Lashes Out at Iraq Critics:"
"The president expresses his gratitude to the many leaders of Europe who obviously feel differently'' than Mandela, Fleischer said. "He understands there are going to be people who are more comfortable doing nothing about a growing menace that could turn into a holocaust."
Whoa, whoa. You would think that Ari Fleischer would know better than to throw that last word around casually. It's not only a loaded term, but highly insensitive in diminishing that horrific event. I almost have a hard time believing Ari would choose to use this word on his own. Who is dictating this level of rhetoric?
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subj: Daily Priorities
Dear BuzzFlash,
You know, the NY Daily News allotted nearly 1/2 the front page and all of pages 2 & 3 to detailing the bondage-film career of one of the hopeful Joe Millionairesses. I guess that's why there was no room to run anything at all about the hundreds, if not more, who rallied and marched to the UN yesterday evening protesting the proposed invasion of Iraq. Ironically, the News did run a Juan Gonzalez editorial today which included this paragraph:
"The media have covered a handful of big peace marches in the past few months in Washington and San Francisco, but have paid little attention to the hundreds of local peace protests starting to pop up all over the country."
Jackie in NY
Subj: Carlson Outrage
Hi:
Near the end of Crossfire tonight, Tucker Carlson said that if it weren't for the United States, apartheid would not have ended in South Africa. That clown needs to be raked over the coals for that outrage.
Here's the quote and link to the Carlson outrage on Crossfire on Thursday.
CARLSON: Without the American government, apartheid would still be in South Africa, just so we can get that straight.
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0301/30/cf.00.html
Thanks, Jim.
Subj: Dead Carp Smell
Buzz,
Is it just my imagination or has CNN's Crossfire and MSNBC's Donahue Show changing?
Wednesday, Jan. 29, Donahue had Tim Russert on, wild-eyed, furled brow and all. I watched for 10 minutes and quickly realized that Donahue that sounded like he had been told what he could and could not say or ask. He approached Russert like a wuss and seemed totally out of character. Donahue didn't ask hard questions in the time period that I watched. I was so disgusted with what I saw, I turned it off after ten minutes.
Thursday, Jan 30, Crossfire's audience was stacked with pro-republicans. They howled and clapped at every falsehood Carlson could muster up. That was out of character for Crossfire too. Begala and Carville normally get plenty of audience support and it has been evident on past shows because of clapping approval of what they say. The clapping approval on Thursday's Crossfire indicated that the audience was approximately 75% republican and 25% democrat/independent.
How 'bout it Buzzers... did anyone else see this? If so, does it smell fishy to you too?
~ Cathy
Subj: Exile
What can we offer Mr. Bush for him to consider exile?
Mark Herron
Subj: Smoking Gun
I wish W would just come out and say what he really means: "The reason we're so sure that Saddam has all those nasty ol' WMDs is because we gave them to him!"
Jackie
A BuzzFlash reader offered a very good suggestion:
"Maybe we need more anti-war memorials vs. war memorials.
Memorials to peace efforts and to those who work for peace."
However, our country actually has many, many memorials built to honor and glorify One who worked for -- and ultimately gave up His mortal life for -- peace...these places are called churches. How anyone can wage war in His name is incomprehensible.
Jackie
Subj: Every Story from AP is "BUSH?!?"
Dear PR at Associated Press:
"Senate Approves Bush Appointee Snow"
"Bush to give 'Weeks' on Iraq..."
"GOP Pushes Past Dem Judicial Blocks"
"GOP starts year with Millions in Bank"
"GOP Intent on Increasing Turnout"
"Bush Creates Council for Service to Needy"
This represents 6 out of 10 stories on Yahoo's "AP Political Stories" page as of 10:40 PM EST, January 30, 2003.
Excuse my disgust...Is there another political party in the United States of America that just MAY have a voice in what's left of this democracy? Or is the AP stand for ALL PROPAGANDA? This is truly nauseating and beyond the pale. There must be someone in the "AP" who makes a decision to put ALL BUSH ALL THE TIME into the "AP" pipeline.
Sincerely,
Dan McCleod
Pearland,
TX
Subj: Thank You
Dear Mr. Nelson Mandela,
From the depths of my heart I wish to thank you for your courage and conviction in your most recent response to the United States of America, President Bush.
The man is a lunatic.
He did not win the election to be President of the United States.
He is the product of a coup no different than had his industrialist coordinators defended his election with rifles and cannons.
Now he deems to avenge the name of his father, and secure the riches in oil that are the property of the people of Iraq.
I agree he will destabilize the entire plant with his childish machinations.
It takes a great man of indomitable courage to say what you said.
Please do not be silenced by critics who will follow the Judas goat to slaughter rather than speak up for peace, humanity and dignity.
I am a citizen of the United States of America and I back your efforts 100%
Thank you sir, thank you very much.
Thomas Davis
Bend,
Oregon
USA
Because there is no oil in Korea, that's why!
Subj: Giving credit and help for Begala
Dear BuzzFlash:
Let's give Bush and his right-wing handlers credit for a couple of things:
(1) They moved US troops out to the Gulf so that the imbeciles and ditto heads who can't think for themselves can cry that those of us opposed to the war (and know that it is about regime change/stealing oil/and world domination) are harming the troops and lowering morale...of course this is B--- S---......
(2) By continuing to use the words "liberal" and " unpatriotic," they are influencing the uninformed and the easily mislead.
Dee Turner
Atlanta
P.S. Will somebody please inform Paul Begala that he needs to stop taking the bait whenever Tucker Carlson attempts to ridicule Al Sharpton on "Crossfire". If a " C" student can pretend to be president, Sharpton can run for the office! Also, Carlson has taken to using the word "liberal" repeatedly whenever he can't use logic to debate Begala or Carville. Be prepared Paul!! Every time he says "liberal", retort with "right-wing ditto head"!! The little sucker follows the party line. He's not smart enough to do otherwise!!!
Subj: Rich Get Richer and Poor Get Poorer
Dear BuzzFlash,
SEC Nominee
Donaldson Lists Assets of as Much as $129 Million
http://quote.bloomberg.com/fgcgi.cgi?T=uspolitics_news.ht&s=APji6UxSoU0VDIE5v
Dow Chemical
cuts 4,000 jobs
http://money.cnn.com/2003/01/30/news/companies/dow_chemical/index.htm
THANK YOU SHRUB!
Becky Knight
Subj: Iraqi spies...give me a break
Hi,
I was going to send this to the Daily News re: Report: Iraqi Spies in U.S., linked from BuzzFlash, but I exceeded their word limit, and I figured that if I can't say it all...to heck with it.
The latest leaks from the White House accuse Islamic spies of being behind the anti-war protests. Humbug. If Iraqis/Al Quida are so eager to do battle with the U.S., why would they promote and encourage peace by infiltrating the anti-war movement? It doesn't make sense. How would Osama stir up his angry Islamic mobs without our attack on Iraq to stimulate their anger and hatred? Seems, instead, if he or whomever the bushies are accusing wants to gather more troops, he'd want to encourage Bush to proceed with plans to go to war. He'd want Bush to speak out even more loudly against the 'false religion' and insult the young Islamic recruits even further so their hatreds would become more intense and focused. Logically then, it'd be in Osama's best interests to have spies close to the war promoters instead of the anti-war supporters, spies high up in the administration to make sure Bush, Cheney, Powell, and Rumsfeld, et al stay on track and committed to war. Maybe then, there are actually Al Quida moles in the bush administration making sure the war goes on as planned. Something to think about.
This bait-and-switch strategy of using the media to blame your political enemy sounds like the good old days when Adolf blamed the Jews and Communists for all the bad things happening to the 'good' Germans. Same tactics. Same mind set. Different country. Different generation.
What is the true source of the demonstrations? Liberal Americans...the individuals who see the evil of this attack and subsequent war and act to prevent it. These patriots believe strongly in sparing the lives of the innocents who are the pawns in this game: the American soldiers from Iowa and Idaho who are forced to do the killing, and the men, women, and children who are called enemies because they were unfortunate enough to have been born in a sandy land rich with oil. For love of country these anti-war protesters are willing to expose themselves to ridicule and arrest, travel many miles in bumpy crowded buses, to stand in cold city squares to protest what they see as policies that will do great harm to this country they revere and to call to account the perpetrators who would commit the harm. No sneaky un-American Al Quida or Iraqis cheerleading anti-war protest, only moms, and dads, and college students, and grandmothers putting their beliefs into action--just decent Americans who've heard the propaganda and seen the phony flag-waving and see through and been sickened by the hypocrisy.
To those protesters, patriots, I say: Thank you.
nell bartusch
san diego,
ca
Dear BuzzFlash,
Tonight I used the GOP Team Leader web site to send a copy of their Astroturf (with my comments added) in order to alert local newspapers and television stations to what was going on.
If the GOP is going to provide the tools, we liberals may as well use them. I encourage liberals and progressives of all striped to sign up and use GOP Team Leader starting today. It has the potential to be a lot of fun.
My submission to my local media via GOP Team Leader follows below.
Alan
Please note: What follows below is not an original composition such as people are supposed to send in as commentary or a letter to the editor. What follows is fake grass roots "Astroturf" that is composed by and for the Republican National Committee and made available at their "team leader" web site, GOPTeamLeader.Com.
This letter is but one example of many that are being spammed to newspapers, radio and television outlets all across America and masquerade as the authors own thoughts and words.
Please...DO NOT BE FOOLED! The wording of such letters ought to give them away at first glance. Please take the time to check internet search engines such as Google for words and phrases that might uncover such Astroturf. Last week alone it was revealed that newspapers across America had been duped into accepting and printing more than 81 times the exact same professionally written GOP Team Leader letter submitted by dozens of people. Anything in brackets {} below are my comments on the spam.
When it comes to the economy, President Bush is demonstrating genuine leadership.
{Actually, Bush seems to be demonstrating an ability to break every campaign promise he made and load up our children and grandchildren with debt so he can cut taxes on the well to do and gut programs for the poor and middle class.}
The economic growth package he recently proposed takes us in the right direction by accelerating the successful tax cuts of 2001,...
{It takes us in exactly the same direction as his other fiscally irresponsible round of tax cuts. Successful? Not if you look at the stock market, the unemployment figures, the soaring federal budget deficit and the fiscal crisis facing states all across the Union.}
...providing marriage penalty relief, and providing incentives for individuals and small businesses to save and invest. Contrary to the class warfare rhetoric attacking the President’s plan, the proposal helps everyone who pays taxes,
{Actually, this is a bald faced lie. The President's plan takes money from a budget already bleeding red ink and channels the vast majority of the benefits to the most well off among us while cutting things like the education budget as well as home heating aid to the elderly and disabled. It also implies that people who are taxed via payroll withholding, sales taxes, excise taxes, use taxes and fees, none who whom will see so much as a dime of this tax break, are somehow less worthy than those who are FORTUNATE enough to have the kind of income that results in substantial INCOME taxes. It IS class warfare. It is class warfare of the rich upon the weak!}
...and especially the middle class. This year alone, 92 million taxpayers will receive an immediate tax cut averaging $1,083...
{Deliberate deception. If I take a hundred thousand dollars and give it to one hundred people with $91,000.00 going to one person and the other 99 left to split $9,000.00, that's an AVERAGE of $1000.00 per person isn't it? Why yes, it is! Yet in this instance, just as in Bush's fiscally irresponsible budget, one person gets almost all the benefit and the others are left with less than a hundred bucks each. Still...it IS an average of a grand isn't it? Pure deception. Look at the man behind the curtain Toto!)
- and 46 million married couples will get back an average of $1,714.
{There's that "average" thing again... Say, how much money will YOU save by not paying taxes on your stock dividends? Most people don't even own dividend paying stocks, or at the very most own a very insubstantial amount, outside of their already tax sheltered retirement plans, 401K's and IRA's.}
That’s not pocket change for a family struggling through uncertain economic times.
{It wouldn't be if that actual average family could ever expect to see it. Right here in Alabama it's estimated that a full 39 percent of the population will get absolutely nothing except the bill for a ballooning federal deficit. No tax cut at all.)
Combined with the President’s new initiatives to help the unemployed...
{President Bush and the GOP have resisted almost every effort to address the needs of the unemployed and have refused to extend benefits to the victims of the Bush recession who have been unable to find work even as their previous benefits have been exhausted.}
...this plan gets people back to work and helps every sector of our economy.
{Reckon it will help as much as his last plan? What happened to that balanced budget and that 4% rate of unemployment? What happened to our healthy economy? Don't print Astroturf!}
Dear BuzzFlash,
I checked out the 1977 expose from my local library, "The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover" starring Broderick Crawford. One scene concerns the TWA hijacking during the Kennedy years. The FBI enters the plane undercover and gets caught by the hijacker. Well, here's what the hijacker says:
"When we get this plane up in the air, I'm gonna have them crash this mother into the White House or the Pentagon"
Peace,
American Mom and loyal reader of BuzzFlash
Subj: A little on Matt Drudge - I say let's "Limbaugh" him too!
Dear BuzzFlash,
Matt Drudge lives in his own journalism bizarro world, making up sources, quoting himself, and committing other comically inept sins against the profession. Here's another example: As shown in the PoliticalMoneyLine database of campaign contributions, Drudge donated $2,358.72 to the Republican National State Elections Committee in 2001
Chewgababy
Subj: The Savage Nation Right_Wing Book Authors
Dear BuzzFlash,
I have noticed two things that are guaranteed in life. Right-Wing Authors will always do well on the best seller list. Second, the week any right-winger comes out with a new book, our local Sam's Club will have 30 Copies on the shelf marked down to $12.95. Check out the book by Mr. Savage.
Pete/ Lakeland FL
Subj: Media Twisting
Dear BuzzFlash,
The other day, I was flipping through the TV dials and I came upon a show called, I think, Nachman. As one segment was ending, the man speaking said, "We'll be right back and we'll try to find out who is behind all these protests." The way that statement was spun is a perfect example of the the way the media maintains its control over the news. The implication is very clearly that the protesters are somehow bad or even unamerican. My own view is that the worst element in our society today is the total control of the media by the lunatic extreme right. In Oregon (I may have gotten this info from BuzzFlash), a reporter whose name I think was Edward Monk, surveyed talk radio for a whole year and found that there were four thousand hours of right wing, conservative talk shows and exactly NONE of liberal talk shows in Portland. It is not possible, in my view, to overestimate the inherent danger to our democracy if that condition is not addressed and changed. This is literally and actually, Orwellian.
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subj: Saddam in Exile?
Dear BuzzFlash,
Am I missing something? Last night (1/30/02) on the CBS Evening News there was a report saying that the U.S. is willing to call off an attack on Iraq and give Saddam Hussein amnesty from prosecution for war crimes if he will simply go into exile. Is it just me or does this undermine the Bush administration's claim that Saddam is such an evil man, such a danger, such a "dark and gathering threat" that we've got to go into Iraq, and soon, with guns blazing? I'm not saying that Saddam is not a menace but does the name Osama Bin Laden ring a bell with these people anymore? Bin Laden was an exiled figure too and look what he managed to pull off. If Saddam is as dangerous to the world as Bush keeps claiming then you would think that we wouldn't want him wandering around the Middle East unchecked and possibly networking with terrorist groups. If we're willing to let Saddam off that easy why don't we just take the money we're planning to spend on war and just cut him a check to pack up and go?
Scott Andrews
Philadelphia
Subj: Bile in the Back of your Throat
Mailbag Buzz,
I have been interested recently in what has been going on in the no fly zones over northern and Southern Iraq. Especially after a friend told me that his wife's grandfather lies buried in a graveyard in Al-Kut ( or Kut-al-Amara or Kut-el-Amara. ) in Southern Iraq. This was the scene of "the most abject capitulation in Britain’s military history," ( see recent story at http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,843481,00.html November 20, 2002 ) - yet another War for Oil back in 1915!
Having heard a report about the current No-Fly zones - patrolled now by only UK and US after the French withdrew in disgust, I was interested in the fact that these are not sanctioned by the UN and seem to be a 10yr belligerent training mission for pilots as well as now a softening up for Bush's upcoming "war".
A lot more can be found at http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/iraq/flyindex.htm#links with links to recent stories.
It you do a google-news search (http://news.google.com) for Kut you will see that with the constant US bombing old Grandpa must really be turning in his grave! (see also http://www.ccmep.org/usbombingwatch/2002.html)
Here is an extract from a story overlooked during all the excitement during the run-up to the 2000 election:
"He uses the mission to help season these newcomers. "I tell them to check out the triple A [antiaircraft artillery], see the muzzle flashes and the airbursts," he said. "It's good for them to see it, get that bile in the back of your throat."
< snip>
....changes have been made to reduce the chance of repeating a mistake that killed many Iraqi civilians on May 12, 1999. In that incident, an F-15E launched a 3,000-pound bomb into a shepherd's camp after intelligence analysts..looked at blurry satellite imagery and misidentified a metal tank that was used for watering sheep. They thought it was a surface-to-air missile launcher.
full story at: http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/iraq/2000/1025nfly.htm October 25, 2000
The Turkish government has interrupted the flying schedule several times, sometimes to bomb Kurdish villages in Iraq and sometimes to protest America's refusal to sell Turkey certain precision-guided bombs.
< snip>
"You'd see Turkish F-14s and F-16s inbound, loaded to the gills with munitions," he said. "Then they'd come out half an hour later with their munitions expended."
When the Americans flew back into Iraqi airspace, he recalled, they would see "burning villages, lots of smoke and fire."
The Turkish and U.S. militaries last year established separate air lanes so that U.S. aircraft patrolling the no-fly zone would not cross paths with Turkish planes bombing alleged Kurdish terrorist bases.
Perhaps that is why the Iraqis are a bit reluctant to now add U-2 spy planes to the F-16s, helicopters, and US spy satellites that constantly overfly their country.
"Mr. Blix has been ambivalent about Iraqi cooperation, pointing out Baghdad's objection to his inspectors using American-piloted U2 spy planes to search Iraq for banned weapons."
And we call that "material breach"?
a BuzzFlash reader
Click Here: Check out "A War Crime or an Act of War?"
Dear BuzzFlash,
This one was in the NYT this morning and is a MUST READ. It's written by the CIA's sr. political analyst, Srephen C. Pelletiere, during the Iraq-Iran war. Bush and his talking heads keep using the phrase, "Here's a man that gassed his own people", in their fervor to build up a case to attack Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi people. This may not be the truth, but that doesn't stop them from repeating it over and over again. It may have been the Iranians that gassed the Kurds, and not the Iraqis.
Another interesting thing that was brought up is that the U.S. might be after the region's water, in addition to their oil. "In the 1990's there was much discussion over the construction of a so-called Peace Pipeline that would bring the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates south to the parched Gulf states and Israel." Once Saddam Hussein is removed, "many lucrative opportunities would open up for American companies".
Bush trying to convince the world it is a noble cause of his to free the Iraqi people and bring democracy to the region is all a cunning subterfuge. Bush wants control of the largest oil reserve in the world and their water for Israel. Bush never had a noble idea in his life. If he did, what about all of the other countries in the world where human rights are being abused? Why does he single out Iraq? If there is ever a person that should be tried for war crimes, it will be George W. Bush if he attacks Iraq.
Gigi
Subj: Bush and Iraq
Was listening to Bernie Ward on KGO last night. He said that in the "fireside chat" in the Oval Office with the Italian prime minister Bush said, in answer to a question, that it would NOT be sufficient for Saddam to leave the country.
According to Bernie the way the little prince said it he indicated that he is going in no matter what. Bernie's theory is that this proves that it ain't Saddam, it is the country Bush wants because this follows, nearly to the letter, the Perle report regarding toppling and rearranging the entire region.
Thought it might be interesting to follow up.
Lynne
Subj: Poppy Bush's Screed Against the Church
Dear BuzzFlash,
I find it fascinating that the Bushes are always eager to use the Church as a political prop, to show they are God-fearing and righteous men who go to church every Sunday and use coded religious rhetoric in their speeches. But when the Church exercises its proper function as a national voice of conscience, they attack it as venomously as any other political opponent. Poppy really dropped his mask on this one.
Jon Krampner
Dear BuzzFlash,
I tried sending my displeasure to Comcast about censoring ads....and their website would not let me send my comments. Has anyone else run into that problem?
Alan Lewis
[BuzzFlash Note: Not that we've heard.]
