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December 2, 2003 |
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Important Note: Because we can't always determine your intentions, we need to ask a favor of you when you send us email. If you DO NOT WANT YOUR EMAIL PUBLISHED in the Mailbag or in the Contributors section, please write "CONFIDENTIAL" in the Subject line or at the top of your email. That way we'll know it's just a comment to BuzzFlash. Additionally, if you submit a mailbag item and DO NOT WANT YOUR NAME associated with your submission, sign your email, "A BuzzFlash Reader." If you send email unsigned, we will post your name with your submission, or, if that's not available, your email name (not the full address, just what's on the left side of the email address). Please try and keep your word count under 400. We can only post a small percentage of what is sent to us. The opinions expressed in the Mailbag are not necessarily those of BuzzFlash. Thanks again for your email and your patience.
Subj: Bush changed tone--now it's worse "On Hill, relations take turn for worse" -- Boston Globe Mika Subj: Devastatingly accurate editorial Dear BuzzFlash, I am in complete agreement with your editorial, "It's the Incompetence, Stupid!". Over many decades, the American people have been duped into thinking that their interests are identical to the very narrow corporate interests that have often dominated the U. S. government's foreign policy. (There are exceptions, of course. But when was it ever in our interests to support murderous right-wing dictators in Central America where a tiny percent of the population controlled 90% of the arable land? When was it ever in our interests to support a coup against a democratically-elected government in Chile, even if that government was Socialist? Why did we support Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein in the 80s without thinking about the long-term consequences?) After 9/11, it would have been appropriate and fitting to examine in detail how we got to that place. This in no way excuses or justifies the horrific actions of the terrorists. I, for one, am totally opposed to theocratic fascism (whatever the religion is!) and was in favor of the war against the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Did we undertake that examination? Well, some people have tried to, but it was at the risk of being called a traitor; as if trying to understand what happened and why it happened is somehow traitorous. The Bush Administration is running our nation's foreign policy as though it were owned by them privately. They have no interest in our collective security. Their primary, driving interest is increasing their wealth and power. They will say and do anything to do that, no matter how outright dishonest it is. Their interests are not our interests. They are making us less safe. It is jaw-droppingly frightening to think about how much more damage they can do in the next twelve months, let alone the next five years. Sincerely, A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: it's the incompetence, stupid Bush's way of fighting the war on terror is only slightly less incompetent than fighting a fire by throwing gasoline on it. Incompetence? Well, he can't find Bin ladin, who is six foot five inches tall and has to receive regular dialysis. If he had deployed the one hundred thirty thousand troops in Iraq to pursuing Bin Ladin, with bonuses all round to the unit that captured or killed him, he would have been dead a year ago, and a few hundred of our soldiers would still be alive and at home Christmas shopping. As it is, he may die of old age first. James Subj: NBC 17 - Military - Iraqis Dispute U.S. Account Of Samarra Attack
I also heard elsewhere that Iraqis say only eight were killed. Who knows. Rosamond Subj: J. Peurala's idea Dear Buzz and J. Peurala, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have the Democrats walk out of the State of the Union address. I think some of them would do it, but many are too timid and too worried about their re-election chances. I reached my "mad as hell and not going to take it anymore" threshold a long time ago, but the Democrats are still sucking it up (or seem to be--but I suspect a good number of them are very angry as well). Furthermore, I think they might as well organize acts of non-violent resistance to the GOP and the Bush Administration tactics, along the lines of what the Texas Dems did over redistricting. They are being effectively excluded from the legislative process anyway. They should start holding teach-ins on the issues from which they are being excluded and expose all these Repug bad ideas done in deeply bad faith. I think a lot of people would support them. I think we need to counteract every lie that comes out of the White House and the Republican party with TRUTH every minute of every hour of every day. Sincerely, A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Rush Limbaugh I learned recently that Rush's program is broadcast to our troops in Iraq and other outposts via the Armed Forces radio network, 3 hours of his lies about how the appeasing "libruhl" Dems hate the military and want the casualty count to grow. Aren't we, as taxpayers, paying for that? Why don't you organize an email or letter-writing protest to get that program (and any other similar hate-talk radio programs) cancelled? Thanks, BHG Subj: krauthammer Talk about being a suck-up. I guess Krauthammer thinks that al Qaeda really cares what GWB is doing. Why won't Krauthammer admit this is a nationalistic, low intensity revolt against American occupation? If he wants an interesting statistic, have your editors compare this one; if memory serves, 1967 was the deadliest year in VN with just under 2000 KIAs (1,995, I think). If you take the average number of KIAs for our deadliest year in VN and annualize the KIAs in Iraq for November, I think we are at 75% of our highest losses in VN measured on a per diem basis. Run the per diem KIAs for November compared to our years in VN, 1962-1972 and see how many years there were deadlier, if the November Massacre continues into the New Year. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Follow -up on Helicopter crash After reading the news about the two helicopters being attacked and the government controlling the information, here is an update on the "Big Battle" of 12/1/03 "US commander gives new toll for Samarra clashes, admits no bodies taken away" -- Agence France Presse Initial story - current story 11 captured - 1 captured Many wore uniforms - We think some had on uniforms 54 killed - 8 bodies found no civilian casualties - all 8 civilians some in cars blasted while unloading injured at a hospital favorite quote: "Some of those early reports might have been a bit off," he said. Sonny Subj: questions re: 50+ dead iraqis story... Thwarted Ambush Was Highly Coordinated, U.S. Officials Say -- New York Times Just a few Questions: 1. "A military statement said that "many of the dead attackers were found wearing fedayeen uniforms," a reference to the militias loyal to Mr. Hussein that put up some of the fiercest resistance to the American-led invasion last spring." So these guys are now wearing recognizable uniforms that say "come get me, i'm fedayeen"? Yeah, right. I think it's a transparent pentagon ploy to make american citizens believe that these attacks are baathists as opposed to iraqis who simply hate the occupation, also to make americans think that we're not killing innocent civilians. 2. What's with the wildly changing numbers of dead vs. Captured vs the iraqi witnesses' numbers and estimates. Something's really fishy... You can see why the pentagon would inflate the numbers to assuage americans mad about the november 100+ coalition deaths, but it seems there's more to this story...maybe we've been summarily executing prisoners? Who knows... 3. Why all these cars blown up? The military can assess who is who in a street full of cars? Or is it just one more scene where these frightened soldiers have fired aimlessly into civilian areas: " a bus with its front sheared off"???? Common sense and the witness reports suggest that a lot of civilians got killed so that we could get some revenge for november's casualties to let the wolf blitzer types crow over.... Dave Dorsett Subj: Understanding Enron Dear sirs, Thank you for speaking the truth about things that we hear less and less of the truth about. After reading your "Incompetence" piece, I feel compelled to tell you of a few things about Enron that we hear absolutely nothing about - the SPE off shore accounts that were funded typically with $100 million in cash from Enron and $800 million in stock from Enron. If we do the math for just half of them....100 Mil x 2,000= $200 Billion! CASH! When Skilling testified before the Senate Sub-committee he mentioned three times within three minutes that "Enron was disbursing cash". What an understatement. But you must remember that this all came after deregulation. Perhaps this will help explain it. Denny Does Anyone else sees Bush as Mammon? I was reading this and decided that the Bush/Cheney administration reminds me of this Mammon character. Please pass along for viewing. Esther * * *
Subj: Bush's Trip to Iraq Dear BuzzFlash: We shouldn't be too harsh on Georgie for flying into Iraq to "cheer up the troops". There are times when GW amazes even me. Why, who else do we know who can talk out of both sides of his mouth all the while his head is up his butt!!! Mary in Indiana Subj: Unemployment Dear BuzzFlash, I think you ought to read this letter, from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Gov. Ed Rendell as commanded and wrote by Steven Schmerin, secretary. I guess, no I know unemployment is not going down and in this jobless recovery our commonwealth here is in dire need of another extension of the UC benefits. I know because I have been unemployed 18 months out of the last 3 years, and one of my jobs was a gimme from a friend to help me out, and now he is ought of business. Now I have been unemployed since 7-11-03 with no end in sight. Maybe our illustrious congress and president can muster up enough strength to help us poor people out. Unemployment is not going down, good jobs are going to other countries and now I am in a position to lose everything I have worked for in the last 5 years. Wait....maybe they will give more money to israel, they really need it don't they, while the unemployed and underemployed and their families and especially the children are having to suffer. And do not get me started about education of our children, not enough money to keep education going but enough money to give to other countries for their schools. Read: Iraq. Christmas, what christmas? Let's go into more debt to Wal-Mart (the destructor of the us economy, read: nafta exploiter) and other retailers so it looks like the economy is growing...charge, charge, charge it, sounds like the Flintstones cartoon right. Just a rant here. But read the letter I have led you to and maybe print it if you wish. Thanks, Paul W. Sapienza Subj: Your editorial about "It's the Incompetence, Stupid" Hi, I am a longtime reader, and I love the job you guys are doing. I visit your site often. I just had a comment on your critique regarding Bush and his incompetence....while I applaud the thrust of the article, I have always felt it was a chilling statement that: "we as a nation will do every thing possible to protect ourselves from terrorism" as Bush so often states. For one thing it is a meaningless statement since it proposes to do something undefined ("everything possible"). Everyone seems to buy this statement, but it is where we are getting the Patriot Act, and other police state tactics. As has been so often pointed out, EVEN a total police state cannot completely stop terrorism, as has been shown, while its citizens give up total quality of life. I would hope we wouldn't "do everything we can" because that means any untested, crackpot idea can be enacted in the name of that sentiment. We ought to "live as a free people, fighting terrorism WHILE keeping to our beliefs and constitution. Be as efficient as is reasonably possible, and also trying to minimize (when "fighting it" is not possible, simply because there is no battleground to actually fight them on...no way to find them sometimes) the roots of terrorism and do everything LEGAL to root out and prosecute in a court of law the criminal terrorists. Jim Acker Subj: Thanks to BuzzFlash Dear BuzzFlash readers, This is unsolicited. I just wanted to say how glad I am that BuzzFlash is here to report things the "mainstream" media either spins or won't show. I hope you will contribute to BuzzFlash if you can. Martisa Subj: Whatever Happened to Valerie Plame? How has this critical issue dropped off the media radar screen? How can anyone in the media hear the Bush government say anything about national security issues without asking "What about Valerie Plame?" Or, for that matter, "What about Osama bin Laden?" or "What about the Anthrax Mailer?" The Bush government wants more powers under Patriot Act II, but has Patriot Act I done anything to stop the Ohio sniper? I hazard to point out that EVERY year some 42,000 Americans are killed in traffic fatalities. Yet, we have not thrown out our "freedom to drive fast" by reducing the speed limit on our interstate highways. In fact, between 1996 when the Republican controlled Congress passed a law permitting an increase in the speed limit, and 1999, some 1900 additional deaths are attributed to our renewed "freedom to drive fast." Adding an additional 2500 deaths between 2000 and 2003, and traffic fatalities attributable to the 1996 increase rise to a number GREATER than the death toll of September 11th. Yet, we are willing to trash our right to counsel and to come before the courts when accused of a crime, all because of the fear generated by the September 11th tragedy? The biggest question is what has happened to journalism in America? Do you have some professional standard that requires you to ask those who govern us tough questions? Is the spirit of H.L. Mencken "to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable" completely dead? As an attorney, my profession has certain standards that are supposed to be met. Many of these standards are constitutionally required by our 5th, 6th and 14th Amendments. The press is protected by the 1st, but at no time in our Republic's history has it failed so egregiously to honor our national commitment that it remain free. Rob in the PacNW Subj: Re New Verb "gop" Hmm.... from now on I'll be referring to Republicans as "goppers". M. Newcombe, Alberta, Canada. Subj: How about some happy news for a change! Over 100,000 turned out in Wellington, New Zealand yesterday, not for a protest about the war, or because of some evil doing by our government, but to celebrate the premier of a movie that has captured the hearts of all New Zealanders. The cast of the Lord of the Rings trilogy was even invited to our Parliament, where politicians put away their pretentious bickering for an hour and actually smiled at each other and enjoyed the show. To quote Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee), New Zealand is "a place of smiling welcoming faces" that serves as "a beacon of light and hope in a time of darkness". The rest of the world must think we're hopelessly naive, but believe it or not those words pretty well sum up what most Kiwis believe. http://onenews.nzoom.com/onenews_detail/0,1227,239968-1-455,00.html Cliff Van
Eaton Subj: Surprise Thanksgiving Dinner at 6 AM?
Ed Subj: DuPont moving center overseas, bye bye more jobs..... "DuPont shifts focus overseas; The company's "center of gravity" will move to Asia and Eastern Europe as it sheds jobs and consolidates to cut nearly $1 billion" - Philly.com A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: bush tax cut = lie GW Bush has not cut our taxes, he has only deferred them and added some interest: "Why America's debt is a risky foreign affair" -- Christian Science Monitor Matt |
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