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CRAIG: My name is Craig (ph) from Albany, New York. And I think we would all agree that the president has a lot on his plate at this time. I'd like to ask James, why wasn't President Clinton successful in getting Osama bin Laden?
CARVILLE: Well, put it this they way, we've been trying to get him since September of 2001. Every account says that President Clinton was much more focused on the war against al Qaeda than the Bush administration was at the beginning. And to tell you the truth, I'm going to put in my book, I'm compiling evidence that I doubt that -- I think that September 11 would not have happened if this administration had been more focused.
Buzz,
I have thought from the moment 9/11 happened that Bush provoked it and could have prevented it. James Carville is never afraid to speak out against this administration. Can't wait to see the evidence he's compiling. It has to be a bombshell! I absolutely adore him.
Gigi
Subj: "Fat Tony" Scalia and today's modern world
As I do daily, today I turned to BuzzFlash to get my quota of unslanted truth. I linked to the Yahoo! story about "Fat (don't count the people's votes -- if they vote democrat) Tony" Scalia's lament about the politicization of federal judges. In the article, he notes that the Constitution should be read literally and if its not in the direct words of the Constitution, then it shouldn't exist today. Of course he only means things that trouble him, like privacy and us pesky, long-haired, sandal wearing liberals practicing free speech. However, as I was glancing through my handy-dandy copy of the Constitution, I noticed that there is no allowance for the funding of an Air Force!? There is mention of funding the Army and Navy, but not of things that fly! How can our government engage in such an unconstitutional practice?
Should we let Fat Tony in on this travesty?
Just wondering.
Christopher J.
Oldham, Esq.
Knoxville,
TN
Subj: tell the truth!
where was gw bush while john kerry was getting shot for his country in vietnam? oh thaaat's right, HE WAS AWOL! ask why bush will not release his military records! kerry does not have a problem releasing his! what is bush hiding?
pass it on to anyone you know especially in the military!
da in miami
Subj: "Baby Doc"
"I honestly believe Bush has utter contempt for Congress as an institution and sees it as something he only has to deal with on occasion." This is a quote from Thomas Mann, a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution.
Does this really come as a surprise to anyone? Remember Bush's statement, "It would be a heck of a lot easier if this were a dictatorship and I was the dictator."? This was followed by one of his smirking smiles that makes all of us uneasy. The Bush administration has become dangerous in their penchant for secrecy and their continuing to bypass Congress on important issues. If people don't wake up soon, "Baby Doc's" wish is going to be completely fulfilled. We are slipping into a fascist government with a dictator ruling this country.
Gigi
Dear BuzzFlash,
Maybe we should call it the "Home-Depot Security Department". Our tax dollars at work!
A BuzzFlash Reader
Dear Buzz,
http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=180&xlc=948611
This is a follow-up to the 14 year girl that was accidentally shot and killed in San Antonio. Apparently the DEA is trying to say that it was her fault for driving suspiciously. They are turning the tables to deflect blame. Hmmm....sounds very familiar! Thanks for BuzzFlash. We all would be lost.
Nance
San Antonio, TX
So, you support Saddam Hussein, do ya?
Of course you don’t. You know that. But there is no convincing some people, since you have not given yourself carpal tunnel syndrome from waving a flag or laryngitis from hollering at those un-American anti-war activists.
That still doesn’t mean you support him, though.
Obviously, there is no defense for Saddam Hussein’s actions. He is a bloodthirsty, violent, hate-filled individual. His mind has hatched living nightmares of violence since he first took power. His lust for control has led to him waging two wars and killing close family members, not to mention the infamous video of him selecting government officials for execution in the often-played, black-and-white footage from his early days as Iraq’s dictator.
Iraqis would dance in the streets if he no longer existed.
The world would be a better place without him in it.
Know what that means? It means he is just like a dozen or so other ruthless dictators currently ruling nations across the globe, many of whom the American government lists as friends. Women are still beaten in Saudi Arabia if they have the arrogance to want more out of life than to be a face-covered baby-making factory. By the way, they’re our friends.
Africa is basically self-destructing due to disease and poverty that is magnified by constant violence instigated by warmongering officials. The American government is generally indifferent.
The Taliban was an oppressive collection of monsters who did anything possible to purge individual thought and religious freedom long before most Americans ever heard of them. The Bush administration rewarded them with $43 million less than a half-year before the 9-11 attacks in trade for those murderers convincing Afghanistan citizens that opium production was against God’s will, according to a May 2001 article by Robert Scheer.
China is possibly the worst example.
Few nations can even be considered on the same list for human rights violations, which Secretary of State Colin Powell listed as a reason for war during his presentation to the United Nations, as China. And how is China punished for these actions? The nation received the privilege of hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics - an event whose spirit of community and peace through athletics was spit upon by the choice.
Then there is North Korea, which has matched Iraq in terms of snubbing its nose at the United Nations. Its actions were basically greeted by certain people forgetting they had placed North Korea on an axis of evil list in the first place, highlighting the belief that if kim chee made automobiles run and oil was a novelty food eaten by a few Americans, then the Bush administration’s policy would likely flip concerning the two countries.
The United States could have easily made a similar case against each one of these regimes to the United Nations if the Bush administration so desired. If somebody has a couple static-filled phone conversations, spy satellite photos, and suspicion in their voice, they can make Canada sound like a threat.
So, what to do?
Is it America’s role to clear the world of all its hate-mongers? That’s a nice thought, but not realistic. There are just too many of them, including Hussein. Acknowledging his membership in that collection is far from support.
But it’s not enough to justify a war against him, while other slaughters of men go free. Almost nothing separates Hussein from those other killers.
Dave Sutor
Buzz,
I went in Borders in my area (Metairie, La. a suburb of N.O.) and was disgusted to see, just as you walk in the front door, an entire table of Woodward's book, "Bush At War". I said to the clerk rather sarcastically, "Do you think you have enough "Bush at War" books displayed? He said it was a very good seller. Their promoting it doesn't hurt. I looked around for about 5 minutes and walked out. I went to The Maple Street Bookstore, a small bookstore, and bought a book.
I got home and called Borders and asked to speak to the manager. I told him I was in the store and was turned off by all of the "Bush" books so flagrantly placed at the front of the store and that I do not intend to shop there anymore. He proceeds to tell me there is an equal mix of liberals and conservatives employed by the store. At their meetings everyone has a voice as to placement of books, etc. In short, I told him it was obviously not true by their displays. He got a little curt and I told him I was going to spread the word to boycott Borders because of their very conservative leanings, as was apparent by their book displays.
We should all patronize our little bookstores and not a place like Borders that promotes right wing books.
Gigi
Subj: Greeting from Berlin
There are estimated to be 100,000 in Berlin today, marchers starting at the Gedächnis Kirche and Alexanderplatz with east meeting west in the middle for the rally, to include the mayor. If I am able to download any photos from this cafe on K'dam, I will. It just started to snow.
michele
Dear BuzzFlash,
Here is a translation of the Der Spiegel online article you posted this morning, Feb. 15, 2003:
Spiegel Online
14 Feb. 2003
Germans find Bush More Dangerous Than Saddam
Hamburg- One out of every two Germans sees US President George W. Bush a danger to world peace. A poll in Hamburg’s Greenpeace Magazine shows 54% of those questioned find Bush to be dangerous. As for the question “who of the two is a more serious danger?”38% answered Bush, and 37% answered Saddam Hussein. 16% answered “both”are equally dangerous. The poll surveyed 1002 Germans.
Deutsche halten Bush für gefährlicher als Saddam
Hamburg - Jeder zweite Deutsche sieht in US-Präsident George W. Bush eine Gefahr für den Weltfrieden. Einer Forsa-Umfrage im Auftrag des Hamburger "Greenpeace Magazins" zufolge halten 54 Prozent der Befragten Bush für eine Gefahr. Auf die Frage, wer von beiden den Weltfrieden stärker gefährde, nannten 38 Prozent Bush und 37 Prozent den irakischen Diktator Saddam Hussein. 16 Prozent antworteten, beide gefährdeten den Frieden in gleichem Maße. Forsa befragte 1002 Deutsche.
Sharron
Subj: Peace is bustin' out in Cincy!
Hi Buzz,
The peace movement in Cincinnati has gotten too big for our mainstream press to ignore. The Cincinnati Enquirer published an excellent article on on our movement including a good report the peace really we held last night. Note they linked to my web site -- months after you first did in early October.
Here's the article:
Local peace
groups spreading wings
By Kristina
Goetz
The Cincinnati
Enquirer
http://enquirer.com/editions/2003/02/15/loc_peace15.html
Newsday did a column on one of our folks yesterday too. Jean Kumler's son was a fighter in the first Gulf War, and one of the first to succumb to Gulf War Illness. Jean --who's 64-- rode all night on the the Cincy bus to New York, where she's planning to raise some hell for peace today. Here's a wonderful column about Jean Kumler that ran yesterday in New York:
New York City
- Even Those Who Know War Protest
Article
Link
You've still got the best site on the web.
Thanks,
Sam Robinson
Subj: Wrong Metaphor
Hello.
Here's a link to a great editorial in yesterday's Seattle Post-Intelligencer. I hope you will post the link on BuzzFlash:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/108565_tony14.shtml
The central point is that the choice of war as a description of our situation is a poor one, and counterproductive. Although the author doesn't directly say so, the choice we have made in substituting the idea of war for the idea of law hands the victory to the terrorists.
Best wishes,
John Williford
Kirkland, WA
Subj: Peace Demonstrations Against Bush n War NOT USA
Dear BuzzFlash,
I noticed on the TV this morning that the pictures of the demonstrations in Europe that the signs that the people carried that I could read were against the War or Against dictator Bush. Not America. Not the USA. That I feel is significant in that the people of the world recognize that it is not the people of America that are to blame for this terror but Bush.
John Ferrero
Seattle
Subj: I have a question
Dear Buzz,
Does it make any sense at all to be sending young men and women to a war, over OIL, knowing that some will be injured or disabled only to come home to a broken VA system that now lack the funds to even provide proper medical care to the Vet's from previous wars? Last year the VA sent out notices to various Vet's asking them to not seek the services of the VA unless it was an emergency so they could get a handle on their large case loads and just this year the VA announced that they were cutting benefits to some Vet's while eliminating all benefits to others and now Bush wants to give away 15 Billion US tax dollars to Africa for Aid's prevention knowing that the US taxpayers will never see their hard earned tax dollars ever paid back again plus he's now spending Billions upon Billions of yours and my tax dollars sending troops to a war that most country's in this world do not support,we have seniors that can't even afford to buy the medicines needed to live, we have Cancer, Aid's patients dying here at home because they can't afford the medicines needed to live, we have thousands upon thousands of unemployed workers that can't get unemployment insurance needed to live, we have public schools closing due to a lack of funds to stay open but yet this stupid president has the guts to spend our tax dollars for a dumb war over nothing more then OIL. Bush has stated this is about liberating the people of Iraq, HA, if this were so then why haven't we liberated the monks of Tibet being killed by China's storm troopers or why haven't we liberated the innocent children, women, and men of northern Africa being slaughtered as we speak, and the list goes on and on of innocent victims being killed no this war is about OIL and nothing more. This is why I and my wife propose a new tactic.
To all my peace loving brothers and sisters in America and across the world. I love you and salute you and your actions of protest. You give me hope to carry on. I most respectfully ask of you to think of this idea, rather then protest on the streets lets protest with what makes this world go around, Our Money. I have a bold plan, lets show all where their funding comes from. Lets shut it all down, lets not spend any money for 48 hours, no food buying, no gas, no purchases of any kind, Lets not use the trains, buses, airlines, our cars, lets not go to work and shut down production of all our food, fuel, and accomodations. This country is run and makes and spends money because of you and I going to work and spending each day. Lets show Mr.Bush,lets show Mr. Hussein where the funding comes from, lets show the world the funding comes from the little working men and women who's votes seems to be ignored,who doesn't think he makes a difference. The common person who is just trying to survive. Lets do it on a weekday. Lets crash the stock market, lets show these people making decisions that affect you and I where there's means to an end comes from. Maybe just maybe they will then listen to our cry's for peace,for our cry to let us raise our children in peace to never see the US flags draped across coffins coming off of planes on the evening news. Its bold, Its inconvenient, Its scary, so is war. Lets show them who pays for their stupid wars that we don't want. We also deserve a real leader that can think of a real solution other then war. This is why the majority of voters didn't vote for Bush. We all knew this was his only solution. We wanted a real leader that would make our world better not tear it apart and cause unwanted deaths across the globe.
I'd like to hear what you think,thank you for your time,
Mike and Jeri Crow.
RE: Peace Rally New York City 2/15/03
Dear Buzz: here it is Saturday Morning and I tune in to C-Span expecting to see "wall to wall" coverage of the Peace Rally today. Imagine my shock! No coverage of this major rally on C-Span.
Of course no coverage on CNN, FOX, CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS, etc. You get my drift.
Only on WORLDLINK TV is the rally being covered. (I am writing to you while watching the rally live)
I want to encourage all BuzzFlashers to tune in to WORLDLINK if you have satellite. If your local cable channel does not carry WORLDLINK, then call and insist they do.
WORLDLINK is a non-profit small outfit that is currently the only television station trying to get out an alternate viewpoint on the "war" on Iraq, globalism etc.
Support WORLDLINK with a contribution and THANK WORLDLINK FOR BEING THE ONLY AMERICAN STATION WILLING TO STAND UP TO THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION.
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subj: February 15, 2003
Hi Buzz,
On this day 'W' has succeeded in uniting the world. An overflow of Peace Marchers everywhere. What is needed from him now is those four little words -
"Cheney and I RESIGN"
Best
Cole...
Subj: How Long Will We Occupy Iraq?
Mark Shields making sense.
“I don't think anybody doubts that the United States could vanquish the depleted armies of Saddam Hussein.
But the reality is, Margaret, here we are 58 years after World War II. The United States still has troops in Japan and Germany. Fifty years after the end of Korea, the United States still has troops there.”
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/political_wrap/jan-june03/sb_02-14-03.html
Nicholas Sizow
Subj: Keep Up the Good Work
Morning,
I have been pondering George Bush's governments actions of the past few days and would like to share an observation with you.
First of all I live in Canada and am able to receive the following full time news services:
CTV Newsnet (Canadian)
CBC Newworld
(Canadian)
BBC World
(British-International Service)
CNN (United
States)
CNN Headline
News(United States)
CNBC(United
States)
When the UN Security council was in session the Canadian and British networks covered it in its entirety, warts and all. However the American news networks only covered small portions and immediately went to George Bush's overlapping message. It seems that Mr. Bush wanted to minimize any anti-war coverage the US networks might present and staged a news conference to up stage the UN.
So I guess my point is without sites like BuzzFlash, the US citizens would not be able to find out what is really happening. Since the major US networks are not covering the pressing issues.
Keep up the good work.
Rob Marshall
Orleans, Ontario.
Subj: "Small Stones"
Readers of BuzzFlash are more aware than most that the mainstream media is owned and operated for the benefit of a conservative agenda. While it may be true that we can do little to shift that objective toward a more progressive one, there are a couple of small actions we can each take to enhance the flow of the information necessary to sustain democracy.
The first thing we can do is support alternative media sources such as BuzzFlash. Even a small contribution to this vital work can make a big difference in the continued free flow of information.
Another small action is to insist that the media use the accurate designation for the law that has so threatened our precious civil liberties: it's the USA PATRIOT Act not the US Patriot Act. The designation stands for "Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism." This far reaching piece of legislation was introduced October 23, 2001 (H.R. 3165). The likelihood that the USA PATRIOT Act was drafted long before September 11 is evidenced in the fact that most of the provisions speak of "criminal" activities rather than terrorism. Provisions dealing solely with terrorism seem to be inserted here and there to give it urgency and legitimacy in the immediate post 9/11 period. So, each and every time you see any media source use the incorrect designation, write a letter demanding that they use the correct terminology and request that they spell out the acronym at least once with each article in which it is referenced.
Certainly these actions are small, but we can take heart in Chinese proverb: "Those who remove mountains begin by carrying away small stones."
Thank you,
T. Keta Hodgson
Los Angeles,
CA
+greetings from Berlin
We knew there were well over 100,000 at the protest, and now we read that it was so....500,000. We can vouch for that. The street from Ku'dam through to Alexanderplatz was packed. There were signs everywhere, people pushing baby carriages, people on stilts, dwarfs, expats, you name it, all protesting. We exchanged e-mails with several expats, US tourists who saw our American sign (Bush, a divider, not a uniter), and they spoke to us each time about how horrible the US press was, and how come we don't get any news about what's going on in the world in the US....we have to go overseas to learn the truth. That was the prevailing discussion. Each American we encountered asked us if we had seen Bowling for Columbine. They all recommended it greatly, saying that it underscored the paranoia the US was experiencing right now.
This was the largest demonstration I had ever been to. It was absolutely awesome.
Americans here are wondering when Americans stateside are going to wake up. That was the predominant comment outside of "Go see Bowling for Columbine" and "US media is nothing but propaganda."
Michele
Subj: CNN Steps Over the Line
Dear CNN:
Can any of you please explain why the CNN transcript of Hans Blix's 2/14 report to the UN has been edited to take out all references to Iraq searching for weapons, and Mr. Blix's mention of Colin Powell's misrepresentation of the US "proof"?
Here are the links so you can check it out yourself, one for CNN with the doctored version, and one for the BBC with the entire transcript.
I know this is not some simple transcription error, and this cannot be explained as being just a "partial transcript", because earlier in the evening only certain parts had been edited out. Since I last checked, even MORE has been edited out.
Posted below is the portion of the transcript that has been edited, with the edited-out parts in boldface, and the more recent edited-out parts in boldface/italics:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/02/14/sprj.irq.un.transcript.1/index.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2763653.stm
"I trust that the Iraqi side will put together a similar list of names of persons who participated in the unilateral destruction of other proscribed items, notably in the biological field.
The Iraqi side also informed us that the commission, which had been appointed in the wake of our finding 12 empty chemical weapons warheads, had had its mandate expanded to look for any still existing proscribed items.
This was welcomed.
A second commission, we learnt, has now been appointed with the task of searching all over Iraq for more documents relevant to the elimination of proscribed items and programmes.
It is headed by the former minister of oil, General Amer Rashid, and is to have very extensive powers of search in industry, administration and even private houses.
The two commissions could be useful tools to come up with proscribed items to be destroyed and with new documentary evidence.
They evidently need to work fast and effectively to convince us, and the world, that this is a serious effort.
The matter of private interviews was discussed at length during our meeting.
The Iraqi side confirmed the commitment, which it made to us on 20 January, to encourage persons asked to accept such interviews, whether in or out of Iraq.
So far, we have only had interviews in Baghdad.
A number of persons have declined to be interviewed, unless they were allowed to have an official present or were allowed to tape the interview.
Three persons that had previously refused interviews on Unmovic's terms, subsequently accepted such interviews just prior to our talks in Baghdad on 8 and 9 February.
These interviews proved informative. No further interviews have since been accepted on our terms.
I hope this will change. We feel that interviews conducted without any third party present and without tape recording would provide the greatest credibility.
At the recent meeting in Baghdad, as on several earlier occasions, my colleague Dr ElBaradei and I have urged the Iraqi side to enact legislation implementing the UN prohibitions regarding weapons of mass destruction.
In a letter just received two days ago, we were informed that this process was progressing well and this morning we had a message that legislation has now been adopted by the Iraqi National Assembly in an extraordinary session.
This is a positive step.
Mr President, I should like to make some comments on the role of intelligence in connection with inspections in Iraq.
A credible inspection regime requires that Iraq provide full co-operation on "process" - granting immediate access everywhere to inspectors - and on substance, providing full declarations supported by relevant information and material.
However, with the closed society in Iraq of today and the history of inspections there, other sources of information, such as defectors and government intelligence agencies are required to aid the inspection process.
I remember how, in 1991, several inspections in Iraq, which were based on information received from a government, helped to disclose important parts of the nuclear weapons programme.
It was realised that an international organisation authorised to perform inspections anywhere on the ground could make good use of information obtained from governments with eyes in the sky, ears in the ether, access to defectors, and both eyes and ears on the market for weapons-related material.
It was understood that the information residing in the intelligence services of governments could come to very active use in the international effort to prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
This remains true and we have by now a good deal of experience in the matter.
International organisations need to analyse such information critically and especially benefit when it comes from more than one source.
The intelligence agencies, for their part, must protect their sources and methods.
Those who provide such information must know that it will be kept in strict confidence and be known to very few people.
Unmovic has achieved good working relations with intelligence agencies and the amount of information provided has been gradually increasing.
However, we must recognise that there are limitations and that misinterpretations can occur.
Intelligence information has been useful for Unmovic.
In one case, it led us to a private home where documents mainly relating to laser enrichment of uranium were found.
In other cases, intelligence has led to sites where no proscribed items were found.
Even in such cases, however, inspection of these sites were useful in proving the absence of such items and in some cases the presence of other items - conventional munitions.
It showed that conventional arms are being moved around the country and that movements are not necessarily related to weapons of mass destruction.
The presentation of intelligence information by the US secretary of state suggested that Iraq had prepared for inspections by cleaning up sites and removing evidence of proscribed weapons programmes.
I would like to comment only on one case, which we are familiar with, namely, the trucks identified by analysts as being for chemical decontamination at a munitions depot.
This was a declared site, and it was certainly one of the sites Iraq would have expected us to inspect.
We have noted that the two satellite images of the site were taken several weeks apart."
I'd REALLY like to know why CNN is editing out text that is unflattering to the Bush administration. This stinks of 1938 Germany. Are we witnessing the rise of the Bush Reich?
Sue Smith
Norwalk, CT
Subj: War/Campaign
Why is no one talking about why the war has to get going pronto. Because everything this administration does is focused on the 2004 election. They must begin immediately so that (in their ever optimistic view) it will be all over before the next campaign starts a year from now. Then Bush can appear as the conquering Caesar, complete with ill-fitting flak jacket.
Lee
Subj: Words From the White House
The US is insisting that Parliament make these two decisions before the Feast of the Sacrifice (Kurban Bayram) holiday. US Vice President Dick Cheney called Prime Minister Abdullah Gul this week, stressing, ‘Decisions postponed until after the holiday might delay the US operation at the beginning of March,’which narrowed the government’s maneuvering room.
http://www.turkishpress.com/turkishpress/news.asp?ID=8933
Chewgababy
Subj: New York City Rally
Dear Buzz,
I live in Manhattan and I tried to get to the peace rally. Someone should tell the NYPD that a rally without marchers just doesn't work. I and thousands of others were given incorrect directions, hemmed in by police barricades and were not allowed to proceed to First Avenue where the rally was being held. Whatever the press says about crowd size should be taken with a grain of salt.
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subj: CNN Omission . . .
Sorry, for cluttering your in-box with two e-mails today, but I urge you to check takebackthemedia.com.
CNN left out about 750 words in their "complete" transcript of Hans Blix report to the Security Council. Those words happened to be those that contradicted Colin Powell's explanation of the satellite photos, as those that remarked in a positive fashion on several of Iraq's concessions toward compliance.
I hope that this was just an outrageous oversight. If it were intentional, that would be shockingly immoral.
Geno Genasci
Subj: Election 04
Democrats,
Make sure that you write to www.democrats.org , the DNC, and tell them that there is no way you will support a Lieberman, Gephardt, Daschle, or any other person who lets the GOP walk all over him or her. Tell them you want Howard Dean. I call him Mean Dean. I think he will bring up all the dirt on Bush. Gore got whipped in the debates because he is a gentleman. Gentlemen cannot beat Republicans because Republicans are rabid lying dogs. You need a nasty pit bull to beat a Republican. I bet on Howard Dean. Dig up the dirt. Ask questions, Governor Dean. Make fun of Bush on the debate stage and imitate Bush's clipped moronic speech and accent and say, "Where's Osama, whom you were going to find dead or alive, Mr. Bush? Shall we call him Osama bin later? Where's the anthrax killer? Did the tax cut help us? How come Silicon Valley, the center of high tech, has 14% unemployment? Why won't Cheney give the people their papers? Is he afraid we will find out that Kenneth Lay wrote our energy policy? Did he want to punish California for not voting for him? Did you notice how high gas prices are in California? Punishment again? Temper tantrum, Mr. Bush? Why isn't Ken Lay in jail? Is Iraq just a distraction or do you want to get rich on oil after you are out of office or both, Mr. Bush? Our schools can't find certified teachers, Mr. No Child Left Behind? Where is the money to help them? Where is the prescription drug coverage, Mr. Bush? Where is our Social Security that you promised not to touch, Mr. Bush?" Ask away, Mr. Dean. Learn from Gore. Don't be nice like him. Be as ugly and nasty as you can and mock that fool to kingdom come.
mevi
Subj: ashcroft, what gives here, new autopsy authority
United Press International: Ashcroft seeks new autopsy authority
http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030212-050659-1163r
What is he going to do, traffic in body parts now?
Our people may not wake up about Bush, but what is the score with the rest of the world now, 6 billion to 1?
HA
Subj: Protest Signs Need to Carry a New Message
BuzzFlash,
Excerpt from CNN.com, Feb. 15:
Response from the White House on the US protests
"The president views force as a last resort. He still hopes for a peaceful resolution and that it is up to Saddam Hussein," White House spokeswoman Jeanie Mamo said. "The president is a strong advocate for freedom and democracy. And one of the democratic values that we hold dear is the right of people to peacefully assemble and express their views,"
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/02/15/sprj.irq.protests.main/index.html
In the public relations field, the White House response is commonly known as a 'Standby Statement.' Standby Statements are used when corporations, organizations and the likes are caught off guard. They are blanket statements that are used until the subjects who have been thrust into the media limelight can get better organized. They are viewed as better than giving no response at all. That is... until they get better organized.
It will be interesting to see the response, spin, or actions from the White House in the coming week. And seeing the tremendous protest turn-outs around the world, if the Bushittes continue war mongering as their real response to the protests, perhaps it will be time for the protest signs to become more direct.
Future multitudes of protestors will be justified in carrying signs calling for the impeachment of George Bush.
~ Cathy
Subj: The Honesty of the U.S. Mainstream Media
Dear BuzzFlash
Something found on the New York Times Forum
Spot the difference between the "full" transcript of Hans Blix remarks as published on the CCN website - http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/02/14/sprj.irq.un.transcript.1/index.html
And the transcript of the same speech published by the BBC - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2763653.stm
A hint: There is no mention in the CNN version of the section where Blix repudiates ever so politely the presentation by Colin Powell to the Security Council on Feb 6th.
One can see why so many more people support the war in the US than anywhere else.
Regards
Ainsley Fraser
Subj: GOP Exporting Jobs
Dear BuzzFlash,
Amazing. I am a computer programmer. A lot of my fellow programmers are out of work due to the economy, myself included if you're wondering why I haven't been able to help support you. One friend has been screaming at her congressmen about the exportation of computer jobs to India. She's been told the Department of Justice is looking into it! MetLife shipped most of their work overseas. TimeWarner did recently. Have to make up for that big quarterly loss of AOL. And I heard today that Home Deport is now moving their data processing department to India. Estimates are that in 5 years none of us will be able to work in the US. All the computer jobs will be offshore. Well, I am thinking about leaving the country anyway.
A BuzzFalsh Reader
Re: A BuzzFlash EXCLUSIVE EXPOSE
A local newspaper article said Earthlink is exporting to India its helpdesk functions for dial-up customers; its more profitable high-speed customers will continue to have access to U.S. helpdesk assistance.
This isn't as stunning as your report, but it involves more jobs, I'd think. Why do they keep telling the unemployed to upgrade themselves and get computer jobs?
Joy
Subj: Indian Telemarketers
Dear BuzzFlash,
Does anyone know if this is legal? Non resident, non citizens raising money for an American political party?
Carol Davidek-Waller
Subj: F-15 Media Coverage
Greetings:
It seems that most of the media coverage of the F-15 event seem to be focused on the European and other foreign protests, while largely ignoring those in America? Am I imagining things? Is it because of the time-zone difference where by the European protests were finished early enough for the reports to appear in today's news? Or is the corporate-conservative American press actively trying to downplay the domestic protests to give the impression that anti-war sentiment is limited to those outside our borders?
Johnny Blades
Buffalo, NY
Subj: Paradigm Shift
What the world saw today was a paradigm shift. For fifty years we have tried to spread the good of Democracy. For fifty years we have told people over Free America Radio and others, it is your right to question your government. Today the world questioned us. Today the people of the United States questioned their government. Today Democracy proved that it still has potential.
It was done peacefully. Millions came out. Millions protested. Millions said no to Empire. Millions…As I write this, I realize that we as a species may still have a chance. Our leaders might want to go to war, but the people have spoken. We still need to ask whether those in the avenues of power will listen. We need to ask whether those in the avenues of power will realize that today we had an earthquake in the social fabric of the world.
The President of the United States stands today on the docket of history, which is still waiting for him. He will have to decide whether the old way is what he wants to do. He will have to decide whether the clarion call of history is loud enough. He will have to decide. whether to pull away from the brink. Today the President of the United States will have to decide whether our Republic remains a Republic, or the dark cloud of Tyranny will descend upon her. The signs are all over the place. This is a moment of decision for the President. This is history.
This is a moment of decision Mister President. Listen to the people, not to the corporation. Listen to us, who you should be concerned. Listen to us...who are beating on your doors and saying we don't want your war. We don't want your war. We don't want... your war.
Nadin Brzezinski
Subj: Duct Tape Psychology
Dear Buzz,
"Your risk of dying in a car accident while driving to buy duct tape likely exceeds your risk of dying because you lacked duct tape."
The Smart Way to Be Scared
THURSDAY, I walked into a hardware store in suburban Maryland to buy de-icing crystals in advance of a predicted weekend snowstorm. Lines of customers waiting to pay snaked through the aisles, dozens of men and women with shopping carts full of duct tape and plastic rolls. Needless to say, I left without de-icing compound. I also left thinking, What's the point of this?
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/16/weekinreview/16EASTE.html
Draft Gore 2004!!!!! http://www.draftgore.com/index.htm
Check out Democracy Depot! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DemocracyDepot/
Becky Knight
Subj: War
Dear BuzzFlash,
Invasion of Iraq is not about oil, nor is adultery about lust.
Harold Ard
Dear Buzz,
Bush gives Turkey 20 Billion US tax dollars to help steal Iraq oil fields for Halliburton.
That would save social security, buy every American health coverage, and not leave any child behind, FOR REAL.
When will Americans see the greed of the republican elite and stop empowering them with their vote and campaign contributions?
George
Subj: Millions Around the World Demonstrate Against Bush's War
February 15, 4:30 a.m. 2 below zero, I am driving to Lowell to ride a chartered bus to New York for the demonstration. I turn on NPR. BBC is talking about the demonstrations scheduled for today in 650 cities around the world, protesting Bush's rush to war. The first live news is from Melbourne and Sidney, Australia, because of the time difference. The message from there is loud and clear and the crowds are phenomenal: This is not our war, they are saying; this is not the world's war, this is not even America's war. This is President Bush's war. I hear this message repeated throughout the day. And I am astonished by the immense crowd surrounding me and by what I hear on the radio: in London and Berlin, Barcelona and Madrid and Rome, in Sidney and Melbourne and Tokyo, in New Zealand and Malaysia. Across the continents (even McMurdo Station in the Antarctic stages a protest), tens of millions are on the streets, protesting in a highly visible way, trying to convey the message to their own leaders and to the world - don't let this war happen. Let the process work.
The small radio I brought in my backpack was a blessing because I never got close to the speakers. I and those around me in the crowd got to hear Desmond Tutu, Richard Dreyfus, Susan Sarandon, Danny Glover, Pete Seeger, Angela Davis, Martin Luther King 3rd, Harry Belafonte, Julian Bond, Tony Kushner, Rosie Perez... And we heard news throughout the day of the demonstrations, including our own. The finally tallies were stunning: 2 million in London, 3 million in Rome, a million each in Barcelona and Madrid, 150,000 in Melbourne, 250,000 in Sidney, and Paris, and thousands in Amsterdam, Toulouse, Genoa, Milan, and the list goes on: Prague, Tel Aviv, Mexico City, Damascus, Athens, Cyprus, Ukraine, Brazil
The final count for New York was 700,000 to over a million and I have never seen anything like it. The radio reports that protesters fill 1st Avenue from 44th to 84th Street; 2nd and Third Avenues are jam packed from 49th to between 72nd and 73rd. That is 76 big city blocks! The police barricades prevent me from even getting to 1st Avenue but I walked all those blocks on 2nd Avenue and back on 3rd Avenue.
The crowd was energized and positive and pretty much non-confrontational. Most of the police just appeared to be doing their jobs, but some were surly and had their billy clubs out and ready to wield. It was impossible to make sense of why the barricades were where they were. Some parts of the avenues were closed to pedestrians, some weren't. Sometimes the crowd was so big that it had to spill off the sidewalks. Finally the avenues just filled to capacity. There was nowhere else to go.
The signs and banners were brilliant, profound, amusing, blunt, crude, and creative. They reflect their bearers who represent an enormous cross-section of our pluralistic society: young and old, radical and conservative, fur coats and working uniforms; every race, every religion, workers and students, pacifists and retired military, local and international unions, flight attendants, World Trade Center employees, Veterans for Peace (Gulf War, Vietnam War, Korean War, WWII), Families with members in the Armed Services. There was even a contingent of a dozen of the world's supermodels for Peace. Artists, musicians, street theatre keep it noisy, lively, and upbeat. It's serious, alright, but everyone seems determined to follow the rules, stay out of trouble, and keep the peace. There are some arrests and the police get a bit carried away in a few instances.
We are from all over the country. We have come by the hundreds of busloads from New England, Chicago, Denver, Madison, WI; the South. At the rest stop in CT, in fifteen minutes we see 7 other buses bound for NY. We see them up and down the highway.
By the time the demonstration is over, and we are riding home on the bus, I see just how much antiwar sentiment there is and both how complicated and how simple it all is. The Administration has not acknowledged this public outcry whatsoever. Our Senators and Congresspeople seem to be ignoring it, too.
I am dismayed by the Bush Administration. In two years, they have emptied the world's well of respect and accord and trust. They defy international law, ignore environmental protocol, and play out a war effort at terrible expense, both at home and around the world, to health care, social justice, job creation, housing, veterans programs, child care, education, programs for the elderly. Much of the world sees this clearly and the US seems divided just about in half in their opinion about it.. But the figures don't lie. Our economy is tanked - the worst it has been in 75 years. Unemployment and homelessness are rising steeply. Our society is extremely divided and anxious and troubled.
I am outraged by the politics of fear. Don't get me wrong, I am as concerned as the next person by terrorism but I am shocked by the artificial creation of terrorism where it doesn't exist and they know it doesn't exist. Imagine telling us to stock up on duct tape and plastic sheeting to protect ourselves from biochemical poisoning. First they try to cajole us into thinking that if they remove enough of our civil rights, they can get at the terrorists and keep them at bay, and then they urge us to protect ourselves with duct tape and plastic sheets? It's a joke, but not a very funny one.
The President has been advised and begged and requested by many higher-ups in the military (including Zinni and General Schwarzkopf), by the CIA and the FBI (including Tenet), by veterans of all the recent wars, by families of serving military, by world leaders, the Pope and other religious leaders. Cities, towns, mayors, selectmen across the land have signed petitions. Now tens of millions have spoken from the streets. Let the Inspections work. Give peace a chance. Let the world keep Hussein surrounded until we can peacefully disarm him. Let's get to work on the real issues.
When the Dalai Lama was asked what he thought of western civilization, he said he thought it would be a good idea. I think our Administration is acting like a bully, is being extremely uncivilized, and is not listening to what the world is trying to say. It is time for us to alter course.
Christy Day
Amherst, NH
Subj: Yesterday's Demonstration
Dear Buzz,
Here's my experience as a demonstrator yesterday in the lovely little town of Aix-en-Provence, in the south of France. you can add it to your other stories or use it as you wish.
Michael Padnos
* * *
Yesterday February 15 my friend Patsy and I participated in the Peace Demonstration in Aix. The demonstration was large and peaceful. There seemed to be about 10,000 people who marched in good humor through the whole of the center of town, beginning at the Palais de Justice, down the cours Mirabeau, up the rue Sextius and back to the City Hall.
The demonstration proceeded in an orderly, cheerful way, for this was a benign event. There were scarcely any policemen in view; there were no soldiers, no tanks no machine guns. To the best of my knowledge, there were no fights, no arrests, no vandalism, no troubles of any kind.
The demonstration began at 6:00, when most shops were still open. Because there was no danger or violence, the stores remained open and functioning, even though customers were scarce. Clerks in the stores either watched or waved encouragement as we passed; in a beauty shop along the route of march, the lady in the chair and the girl doing her hair didn't even look up as thousands of people trouped by.
The crowd was drawn from a broad cross-section of the community. It included men and women, students, the elderly and the young, babies and grannies. Many "arabs" –that is, people from Algeria or Morocco-- took part; they waved Iraqi and Palestinian flags and various banners, mostly with simple statements like "No War For Oil" of "No War in Iraq." They dealt with each other politely and respectfully. (One young guy accidentally bumped into me on the cours Mirabeau; he apologized three times before proceeding on his way.)
There was no singing, but a lot of chanting. The most popular chant was "Non a la Guerre, Oui a La Paix." They also chanted "Bush/Blair, Assassins."(Occasionally we heard "Bush/Sharon, Assassins" but that was less popular.) A favorite chant was "Pas de Guerre pour le Petrol, Pas de Guerre pour le profit." The rally began in front of the Palais de Justice at 6:00 and ended up in front of the City Hall at about 7:30. One of the first speakers gave a little talk in which he summarized a point of view which we hear every day: to be against the war does not mean being anti-American.
" Is it anti-American to send a delegation of French fireman to meet with their brothers in New York after 9/11? Is it anti-American for the President of France to say at the same time, "We are all Americans?" Is it anti-American for us to love Renaud, France's most popular singer, who just today won a national award for his song "Manhattan transfer", which is totally sympathetic to the Americans?"
" No! We are not anti-American! We are anti-War! We are anti-George Bush!"
One man told me that he had been demonstrating in Aix for 50 years, and that this was the largest demonstration he had seen since 1968, when France experienced a kind of mini-revolution. Everyone agreed that the demonstration was gigantic, and in a way it was easy to estimate the crowd. At the beginning, in front of the Palais de Justice, there were a bout 2,000 people; it was almost possible to count individuals. Later, by eyeballing, it seemed clear that the number in front of the Palais de Justice had probably quintupled. Everyone with whom I spoke generally agreed on an estimate of about 10,000 people; everyone was pleased.
The crowd began to drift away at about 7:30. Before I left, I approached one of the organizers and told him I thought it was a shame there had been no American speakers, because the French needed to know that many Americas support the French position.
"Are you American?" he asked
"Yes I am."
"Would you like to say something?"
I glanced uncertainly at my friend Patsy. "Go ahead!" she said firmly.
I hesitated; Patsy was nodding energetically. "Of course you should do it."
"D'accord?" said the Organizer.
I nodded.
"Come with me," he said. And together we walked to the fountain in the middle of the Square, at the edge of which a man with a portable loudspeaker was talking to the crowd. My contact tugged at his sleeve. "Here's an American who'd like to say something," he said.
The guy with the mike looked at me questioningly.
"Yes," I said, "I'm American, and I'd like to thank everyone for being here, and say how important their presence is."
He looked pleased; within a minute or two, the head of the Aix Union of Moroccan Students had finished talking, and they hoisted me up on the edge of the fountain and put a mike in my hands.
"I am an American," I said, and the crowd fell silent.
"I want to tell you that you are not alone: there are hundreds of thousands of people in America who share you views. Just like you, we oppose George Bush; just like you we oppose this evil war.
"You need to keep up the pressure. George Bush is furious with the French, and that's a good thing. You are doing excellent work, and your work is essential to preventing this disastrous war. I want to thank you in the name of many Americans, and to tell you that your voices are being heard all over the world, and most specifically in America. Keep up the Good work!"
Then I handed the mike back to the organizer and melted into the cheering, applauding crowd. (Ah, to be a crowd pleaser, and in French, no less! Does life get better than this?)
On the morning after the demonstration, I took a look at the international press. The demonstration in Rome was said by Corriere della Sera to be the largest demonstration in the history of the country –3 million people, according to the estimates of the organizers, and up to a million according to the police. Prime Minister Berlosconi, heretofore a staunch supporter of the US, has now said that Italy will not participate in any action not sanctioned by the UN –and UN support for Bush's war is now evaporating like dew on an August lawn.
In Spain, one of the few European countries still supporting Bush, El Pais reported that as many as three million protestors marched in various cities in Spain; but the government remains firmly pro-Bush.
Most interestingly, England also had the largest demonstration in the country's history –up to a 1.5 million people, according to the demonstration's organizers -- and Tony Blair is clearly on the ropes. While he continues to make unequivocal, hard-line, pro-war declarations, people who are, as they say in the press "close to the prime minister" apparently believe that his situation is extremely precarious. One such "source" believed that the government will fall if Blair attempts to take the country to war without a UN resolution: the country, according to this person, is simply too divided to support a war; and indeed Blair himself is beginning to speak about the need for UN action prior to the engagement of troops.
And then I read the American press. The New York Times apparently does not regard these millions of people as very interesting, because the lead story in Sunday's paper is about a series of "tests" which the US plans to submit to Iraq, to prove that the country is not disarming. . The Washington Post –a paper which has strongly editorialized in favor of the war –at least made the demonstrations the lead story; the LA Times ran the demonstrations as the lead story; and Helen Thomas, the dean of the White House correspondents --a woman who has covered eight different presidents, and who considers this Bush "the worst president in the history of America" -- told an audience in New York this weekend that anyone who thinks Bush will no go to war is simply insane.
In his speech to the UN, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin –a man referred to sneeringly by NYT Correspondant Thomas Friedman as "diplomacy-lite" and one of the leading spokesmen for the people known to the American press as the "Euro-wimps" -- ended his presentation to the UN as follows:
Yes, my country of France is an "old" country on an "old" continent. And my country says to you today that we have known war, we have known occupation and we have known barbarism. We are an old country which has not forgotten these things, and we also remember how much we owe to the people who came from America and elsewhere to help us keep the liberty we cherish so profoundly. My country wishes to act resolutely, as a member of the international community. Faithful to its values, France believes in our capacity to work together to construct a better world.
America's plans for war are now opposed by France, Germany, Russia, China, and almost every other country on earth. Millions of demonstrators from Melbourne Australia to London and Paris, and hundreds of thousands from places in between, have gone into the streets to demonstrate their passionate opposition to America's murderous policies.
America is opposed throughout the world; and millions of Americans oppose this war.
And what about America's politicians? Aside from the brilliant, elderly Senator Byrd of West Virginia, is there a single member of the so-called "opposition party" who has said a single word against this folly? Is there a single Democratic candidate for president who appeared yesterday at a peace rally, to cry out his outrage at Bush's obscene war?
Oh America, you have fallen on bad, bad times.
Subj: Irrelevant
Dear BuzzFlash,
With millions of protestors worldwide, I find it odd that c-span chose not to be in NYC to cover the protest there. Is c-span becoming, in the words of the Bush administration, "irrelevant?" The rest of cable "news' coverage is nothing more than a propaganda outlet spinning Bush BS, and now c-span is censoring an important protest. Who is choosing your coverage, the White House or Rupert Murdoch? Say it ain't so...c-span just another propaganda outlet on cable--what happened to c-span?
thank you,
stevie gardiner
somerdale,nj
Re: Lowered Terrorism Alert
Dear Buzz,
Do you suppose the sudden lowered color alert on the Terrorism scale had anything to do with Bushes' SUDDEN 9 point drop in the polls.
Ah--More truth from the Bush administration.
How dumb do they think the American People are?
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subj: Good Reason to Ignore North Korea
Dear Buzz,
Our pResident has extremely good reasons for ignoring North Korea and allowing them to continue in their Nookyaler ambitions.
Can you say, "Star Wars?"
It's so painfully obvious. Any thoughts?
Vicki Roush
Key West,
FL
Subj: Protests from the heart of Hastert's district
Buzz,
300 to 400 people in St. Charles, Illinois attended a rally sponsored by Fox Valley Citizens for Peace. There were lots of honks of support and an energizing couple of hours in the cold for those of us in attendance. I put up a photo album here of this example of the many smaller protests going on yesterday.
http://www.zendaba.com/scprotest/
The only article on this specific demonstration I've found so far gives the one war vet (last 2 photos of the album) the lead. Who says the media is biased!?
Supporting
soldiers, protesting war
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/city/e16peas.htm
The one anti-protester's sign said "War kept us free" on one side and " Fight: Terrorists, Fascists. Support: America, Freedom, Democracy" on the other. I'd have to say that most of us could probably carry the same sign. Our definitions, however, of what war, freedom, democracy, terrorists, fascists and America are would be quite different.
Thanks for continuing to point to the truth and fight against those who don't!
All the best,
zendaba
Subj: Message to Bloomberg
Dear Mayor Bloomberg,
You had no right to deny a permit to protesters of the war. I never knew you were one of Bush's little lap dogs. You know perfectly well that permits have been allowed for Columbus Day parades and the like. You were just discriminating against any people who disapprove of Bush's callous attitude toward the children in Iraq. How dare you allow police to gallop their horses into a huge crowd of Americans! Did you call from Florida and give the order? What a coward you are to escape to Florida during a terror alert in your city! You better resign because you are going to be impeached if you don't.
Arizona BigMouth
Subj: Handing out literature today at the Coconut Grove Art Festival, Miami, Fla.
Dear BuzzFlash,
I want to start out by saying that I am no hero here as I write this. These are deadly serious days, and I have come very late to this story. Senator Byrd’s 2/13 speech (that I read in BuzzFlash) this week really got to me. Sen. Byrd stood up and told it like it is, without fear. He articulated perfectly what was on my mind and what I believe is on the minds of so many people!
I printed up a number of copies of his speech at the local Kinko’s. I gave them out today to everybody I could at the Coconut Grove Art Festival in Miami and asked people to read it. The responses were very interesting. It’s a long speech, and a lot of people weren’t going to read it on the spot. But they didn’t discard it. I saw quite a few go into purses or get folded into pockets (quite different to most other Festival literature I saw). People were thinking.
A number of people did read it and commented back to me (I circled the festival 3-4 times during the day and some people recognized me). Of those who said anything to me, I was quite surprised at how supportive the responses were. The “positives”to Sen. Byrd’s speech outnumbered the “negatives”by a ratio of 3 to 1. So maybe three times as many people attending today were against an Iraq war than were for it!
OK, let’s say for the sake of argument my unofficial sampling is way off. Let’s even I am off by a factor of 2/3. That would still mean a 50/50 split in public opinion. Start a war with only 50% of your population in support? No rational politician would risk that……OK, so Bush and Blair aren’t acting very rationally.
How can we stop this thing?? I know the way, and only the American people can pull it off. Put 1.5 million protesting Americans into the streets of both New York and Los Angeles. Put another million into Washington. Have sizeable protests in all our major cities. Make it so big even the Republicans can’t ignore it. And it has to be in the next 2 weeks.
So then what about Saddam?? He’s just a player in this big game. This “war”has always been about Iraqi oil, and our desire to take it. 9/11 gave Bushites a window of opportunity with American public opinion to do whatever they want to do wherever they wanted to do it. Saddam is an evil dictator, who gives the U.S. a great excuse to invade Iraq. The point is Saddam could come to Jesus tomorrow and he’d still get attacked. It’s oil, not Saddam.
The rest of the world understands that, and the American people do not. That’s what has to change. It can be done, but time is short.
Randy Natalino
Dear BuzzFlash,
It was so heartening this weekend to see all the protestors..and, this was so much different than the ones against VietNam. They were nasty to the young kids who had to go....these are strictly against this administration.
Another bit of good news, was to see that Susan McDougal's book has broken into the top ten almost on its release...this week!.
And the last bit....I told my son about the Pentagon's suggestion that they might cremate all american soldiers killed...then after the hue and cry, it turned into a mass burial..so they wouldn't come home and infect all the people living here.
I could not believe it...and of course, neither could anyone that I told (ie, my son). This morning, on page A9 of the St. Louis Post Dispatch...there it is in black and white...I will keep the paper to show any of my disbelieving republican friends..... the Pentagon has changed its mind about cremation and mass burials after the parent of the soldiers screamed to high heaven.
I do not think I my lifetime that I have ever heard a more evil thing uttered by the government of this country...something is terribly wrong, folks.!!
The peace movement must get bigger....it is already starting to make a difference!!
Thanks for all the info......Shirley.........St.Louis
Subj: We marched in Fresno, California
Dear BuzzFlash,
On Saturday, February 15th, 2003, approximately 1,500 Fresnans rallied in the Tower District and marched to Fresno City College. This total was three times the number Peace Fresno (who sponsored the rally and march) had hoped for. Just as most cities around the world saw many more people attend rallies than they had expected, so did Fresno. But, and this is a coup for this city of 500,000, Fresno is a deeply conservative agricultural community. We vote for Republicans. We support (okay, I don’t) Bush and his rabid pack of cancerous wolverines. I saw people of all persuasions, ages, affluence or lack thereof, colors and political parties. The counter-offensive pro-war folks numbered exactly 6. The vibe was awesome. There was no violence, no mayhem, no police infractions, no arrests or threat of attack by those opposed to this rally. And (of special significance to me) the College Republicans and freerepublic.com people who told me they were going to be there never materialized. Why? I don’t know. Perhaps, they knew they would be vastly outnumbered and made to look foolish. I had actually hoped they would be there, so I could debate them in front of others. Unfortunately, only one local news station attended. Still, it was a wondrous event, which no one outside of our valley will hear about. It was the largest anti-war rally since the Vietnam war.
Joel Dyer
Subj: Minneapolis March
The march against the war in Iraq that took place in Minneapolis on Saturday was a very peaceful event. It wasn't until after the march, when many of us were walking back along the route to our cars and buses that we heard foul and abusive language...from war supporters driving by yelling at us. This happened three times along the 1.5 mile walk.
6,000-10,000 people managed to gather for over three hours to state their message in a respectful but determined manner. Parents felt very comfortable bringing young children along for the march. It took five minutes and three or four separate passers-by to make the ugliness of the racist, unjust war to make it's presence felt.
A BuzzFlash Reader in Minneapolis
Subj: Would you please cover the giveaway of 500 million acres of federal lands in the Omnibus Budget bill.
Dear Buzz,
I knew this would not be covered by the news media but I am wondering when Buzz will notice what happened on Thursday night on C-Span. Barbara Boxer had the floor and showed last minute hand drawn charts depicting amendments to the Omnibus budget bill put in by the conservatives in the middle of the night giving away 500 million acres of federal lands to lumber companies. Ten million in California alone and the lumber companies could pick and choose any federal forest lands they want, including ancient redwoods, at no costs. The timber industry gets all of this bounty literally for free. No payment to the states or the federal government. I have not seen mention of this anywhere. Maybe I just missed it but I think it is a huge crime and I am waiting for it to come out.
Barbara Boxer was very distressed. This needs to be exposed in a powerful way. I think most people in America will care.
I guess the war on Iraq has taken priority. Thank God for the huge antiwar rallies across the planet. I found it very uplifting and spiritual and I really felt a sense of oneness with so many people spread across the world. I am not an eloquent writer obviously but I am passionate and I care deeply.
I immediately wrote to Senators Specter and Santorum expressing my outrage. Please investigate and expose on BuzzFlash.
Kind regards,
Bonnie Sonder
Merion Station,
PA
Subj: NY Times Scrubs Initial Estimate and Some Observations
Dear BuzzFlash:
It took us over an hour to make it to the rally from Grand Central, and the entire way crammed with leaving protesters telling us we couldn't make it. Please kick the NYT's ass, yet again---this is pathetic.
As another paper noted, are they going to pen up the marchers for St. Pat's day? We ought to go back!
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Sent: Saturday, February 15, 2003 6:42 PM
Subject: [bush-nyc] NY Times Scrubs Initial Estimate and Some ObservationsThe current version of the NY Times is changed from the original in a crucial way. The original stated that the police did not have an estimate and that "Given the sea of faces extending more than a mile up First Avenue and the ancillary crowds that were prevented from joining them, it seemed that [the organizer's estimate] was not improbable."
This is what it says now.
"Crowd estimates are often little more than politically tinged guesses. The police commissioner, Raymond W. Kelly, put the crowd at about 100,000, while the organizers said 400,000 people attended. Given the sea of faces extending more than a mile up First Avenue and the ancillary crowds that were prevented from joining them, it seemed that something in between was probable."
They added the line about crowd estimates being "politically tinged guesses." My guess is that they changed it because of getting a police estimate (which was obviously a gross underestimate) and an editor objecting to the reporter more or less agreeing with the organizer's estimate. Another interesting fact is that other reports have said that organizers estimated 500,000, not 400,000.
The police seemed to be part of a NYC conspiracy to try to make the protests look smaller than they were by blocking tens of thousands of protesters on second and third avenues and even charging horses into crowds that were penned in. A friend who was an eyewitness reported that when protesters asked police where they should go to get to the protest some responded "Go home!"
I was lucky because I got to first ave--about 63rd st. But it was so cold many protesters left early to restaurants nearby so that by the time some of the other protesters who were blocked because of the police were able to get to first ave., there were gaps. I took some breaks to get tea and came back. The protesters were all over the restaurants on first avenues. Then later when the protest was over, there were crowds of protesters in restaurants on 2nd, 3rd, Lex (where police blocked departing protesters from going south on, Park, and Fifth. In fact it seemed protesters had totally taken over NY. Signs were everywhere, many discarded but defiantly spreading their messages on the streets. Some of my favorites were , "A thousand points of light, one dim bulb.", "It's time to prune the Bushes," picture of Bush And Blair kissing: "Make love not war." And a picture of Bush with the top of his head unhinged: "Empty warhead found in White House". There were also GramAmericans --sparkling, colorful "beautiful people" against war. One of them had a sign that exclaimed, "I am the bomb!"
I had my giant Bush picture with "Illegitimate" scrawled over his face and other smaller posters taped to it--"Bush is a Chickenhawk", "Bush was Awol"," Stop Bush's Oil War" and the old Favorite "Hail To The Thief" where I wrote underneath, "He Stole The Election and Now Trying To Steal Iraqi Oil." I got a lot of compliments including one from a black cop.
If anyone has eyewitness accounts of abusive cop behavior tell the NY Times-- To send comments and suggestions (about news coverage only) or for more information about errors that call for correction, e-mail nytnews@nytimes.com or leave a message at 1-888-NYT-NEWS--as well as other news sources.
Subj: Re: More & more Spiegel scenario looks real: Saddam, destroy the missiles, no...
Dear BuzzFlash,
Here's the article in English, especially the last part which is where it seems to be pointing now; it starts off full of sound and fury, but whimpers at the end... Chirac said today that he is not TOTALLY opposed to war, they will use the missiles as an excuse, and the damns will break...
Susan Berger
What Now Mr President?
Suddenly it appears that it is not those who are against the war, but the world power in Washington which is isolated. Hans Blix' performance at the Security Council made the worst nightmare of the US hawks a reality. It is becoming increasingly clear: The US Administration must honor the boundaries of the United Nations or go at it alone.
Hamburg - It was exactly the situation which US President George W. Bush had wanted to avoid: Iraq is obeying, albeit slowly and with tricks and evasions, the demands of the inspectors. The Security Council is not thrilled, but the breaches of the Iraqi regime don't appear to be serious enough to justify a war. Suddenly the international community is facing the war mongers in Washington, restraining it, and tightening the ropes.
Tony Blair, up to now Washington's most faithful ally is starting to make conciliatory sounds: "The inspectors will be given more time" said the British Prime Minister in a speech at the Labour party convention in Glasgow on Saturday. The head of the British government, who with his Australian colleague was the the only one who had been prepared to support the US in war even without a UN vote, assured his party that he intends to continue resolving the crisis through the United Nations,
The fractious coalition is going even further in its demands. German Secretary of State Joschka Fischer wants a perpetual continuation of the UN arms inspectors in Iraq, which would make a war superfluous.
Bound by the "Debating Society"
The super power USA, bound by the UN and assaulted by a world wide and rapidly growing peace movement, is the worst nightmare George W. Bush has had in his short time in the White House. The Americans have to decide quickly: Either they abide by the vote of the United Nations, allowing themselves to be integrated into the international alliance, or they will strike alone, at best with the support of their closest allies.
In the eyes of his supporters, the first option would be the worst defeat the President could suffer in the area of foreign policy. Washington has always had a strained relationship with the UN, and the situation has worsened since the beginning of Bush's term of office. The spokesmen for the conservative revolution denounce the UN as a "debating society" and advocate ignoring it. The Americans have refused to sign a number of international treaties in order not to be affected by foreign powers. The phantasies of omnipotence of the Bush Warriers are not compatible with the demands of an international organization.
Preparation for a new Resolution
For these reasons, it is more than questionable if the Administration in Washington will actually capitulate to a United Nations verdict. The Washington Post reported that senior Administration officials are already working on plans to propose a new resolution to the Security Council at the beginning of next week. They admit, however, that the options of the Americans have decreased.
Should the Americans in fact present a resolution, it will in all probability contain a precise time table with far reaching disarmament demands. But what should happen if Saddam Hussein does not comply with the demands will remain open. The French, the severest critics of the war scenario, have already indicated that they too will not allow Saddam an indefinite amount of time. The Security Council should meet again on March 14th, at the latest, so the proposal from Paris, to discuss new consequences.
Impending Missile Conflict
A first and serious conflict could occur as soon as in the next few days. At that point the UN chief inspector Hans Blix will demand that the government in Baghdad destroy the Samud 2 missiles which have a further reach than allowed by the UN, and are thereby in breach of the UN sanctions. This would mean that Iraq would have to destroy 380 newly purchased missile drives, a line of action that would substantially weaken the defense capabilities of the country. A letter with the signature of the UN inspector is supposed to be sent next week.
Should Iraq resist, it could trigger the critical clash for which the hawks in the US Administration have been waiting.
Subj: When are you guys going to wake up and endorse Robert Byrd
Dear Buzz,
Byrd is the only Democrat who has come close to showing the proper responsibility and statesmanship. Forget Kerry and the other Bushchimpsymps.
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subj: U.S. To "Punish" German Treachery
Dear BuzzFlash,
The arrogant refusal of the Bush administration to listen to any policies other than their own, or to conduct peace negotiations in areas which are potential breeding ground for conflict and terrorism around the world is losing this country friends right and left. Terrorism against this country and US citizens will continue.
To go to war without being attacked by Iraq, or without UN sanction and indeed opposed by most countries will cost the US dearly for decades to come.
A BuzzFlash Reader
US to punish German 'treachery'
Peter Beaumont, David Rose and Paul Beaver
Sunday February 16, 2003
The ObserverAmerica is to punish Germany for leading international opposition to a war against Iraq. The US will withdraw all its troops and bases from there and end military and industrial co-operation between the two countries - moves that could cost the Germans billions of euros. The plan - discussed by Pentagon officials and military chiefs last week on the orders of Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld - is designed 'to harm' the German economy to make an example of the country for what US hawks see as Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's 'treachery'.
The hawks believe that making an example of Germany will force other countries heavily dependent on US trade to think twice about standing up to America in future.
(snip)
Germany would suffer considerable financial loss if US forces were withdrawn from the country. The bases provide jobs for local people as everything from administrators to cleaners, and are huge customers for dairy products and bread.
More: http://www.observer.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,896573,00.html
To Senator John McCain:
Subj: Unwise and Foolish My ***
"John McCain, the Republican senator, called the protesters "unwise and foolish," equating them with what he said were similarly wrong-headed protests in the 1980s against the deployment of US nuclear missiles to Europe." (Financial Times of London)
Senator McCain one would think that you would have learned something form your imprisonment and from having dealt with this bunch of crazies in the primaries. Apparently not!
Our country is being destroyed. Our bill of rights shredded. New plans are in the works for "disappeared" as was the case in Chile, Argentina, Guatemala, and other latin american countries. Bush and his cabal wants the right to declare someone "no longer a citizen", an act reminiscent of the Roman Empire. Russia is modernizing its missile force. China is making preparations. The religious leaders advising Bush are trying to launch a "war of civilizations", an Armageddon. World War III is now a possibility.
And you say we are "unwise and foolish"?
Anyone who loves the Constitution should be doing everything they can to bring down this administration .
Robert E. Reynolds, Orange Park Fl
Its official, for now on Bush = TMHMOE
TMHMOE
I have seen a lot of references to Bush on the internet and in emails. It seemed to start way back when with 'The commander in Thief', then there was Chimp or Chimpy.
Right after that there was Monkey Boy and Smirking Chimp, maybe that was right before or after it was common to call him Smirk.
Then there were a few more that came after that, but it moved on and people just started calling him Dumbya or Moron, it finally got to the point you could just say "The Idiot wants to cut this program" and coul