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May 12, 2004 |
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THIS IS PART 2 OF THE MAY 12, 2004 BUZZFLASH MAILBAG. CLICK HERE FOR PART 1. Subject: Rabbit out of the hat Buzz, Just when you think it can't get any worse, it does. Then it gets worse. Again. And again. Anyway, my thought is this: what the heck happened to the 911 commission and testimonies? Remember: BUSH KNEW. Well guess what, folks? BUSH KNEW AGAIN about the torture of prisoners, many months before this story broke (thanks be to God for 60 Minutes). I think Bush and Murder Inc. held on to this torture "story" and released it just as the 911 commission testimonies were starting to pull the curtain away from the FACT that Bush Knew about 911 and did nothing to prevent it. And what better to deflect attention away from the murder of 3,000 Americans than the torture and murder of a "few" Iraqi "detainees?" As that soulless Senator said yesterday: "...those prisoners weren't there for traffic violations; they're murderers, terrorists...." So, the Rovian plan goes like this: let the sheeple cry over a few expendable Iraqi savages. At least they will stop paying attention to the murder of 3,000 Americans on 911 by George W. Bush and Murder Inc. This country must rise like a tidal wave in November to crush this administration and wash clean our White House. They have left a stain of blood and lies that we will pay dearly for in the generations to come. elaine in Petaluma A tidbit (scroll to bottom) from the link to "What are they smoking at the Labor Dept" By JOHN CRUDELE:
BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Once again, it's Clinton's fault Perhaps lost in the outrage over Sen. James Inhofe's "more outraged by the outrage" statement from Tuesday's Armed Services Committee hearing was this nugget from Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.):
Well there you have it: Once again, it was all Bill Clinton's fault. Talk about outrageous! A BuzzFlash READER Dear BuzzFlash, I read a lot of mail on Buzz that criticizes John Kerry, and the way he campaigns. I was one of those who use to feel that John Kerry should be more fiery in his criticism of the Bush administration. Recently I saw James Carville say (on MTP) that democrats should keep off John Kerry's back, and not criticize him so much. And I realized that he was right. Senator Kerry is surrounded by top notch experts from the democratic party, who have successfully advised Pres. Clinton during his presidential campaigns. Sure, we may not like the way he handled some situation or the other, but we don't really see the big picture, and we are no political experts. We should let Sen. Kerry run him campaign the way he wants to, and give him our full support. As for his opponent, George "Failing Miserably" Bush, a man who does not read the newspapers, watch t.v., or read his daily briefings, is not informed by his administration on prisoner abuses, constantly out of touch and out of the loop, disengaged with the real world, does not seek the advice of experts, and listens to an unseen and unheard higher father, is self destructing because none of his policies seem to be working. I may be biased, but I cannot see ANYTHING that he has touched turning into a success. Everything is a big mess, and it is time the people in our nation realized that these Bushes are no good for this country. Each Bush seems to be worse that the previous one, and we have got to keep the next Bush (Jeb?) from the white house. Roseanne Hey, Buzz! In reading the multitude of articles and editorials on your site about the burgeoning Iraqi prisoner torture scandal, I began to wonder about something. Has anyone else noticed a pattern here? For months King George and his underlings were warned repeatedly about such events occurring under their watch. For months they ignored it, waiting instead to do damage control when the situation erupted in their faces. But this is not the first time this happened. Remember a year and a half ago? The same King George and his same underlings chose to ignore repeated warnings that the very essence of their drive to invade Iraq was questionable at best. Experts from around the world and even within their own governmental agencies told them that they were unsure that there were any WMDs in Iraq. And still others warned that there were no provable ties between Saddam and Osama. But still they pressed on. Remember a little over a year ago? King George and his underlings again pooh-poohed the warnings of their own military commanders that hundreds of thousands of troops and hundreds of millions of dollars would be needed to sustain the occupation if, in deed, the war to topple Saddam went well. They ignored that advice as well, leading to the result with which we are now all too woefully familiar. So perhaps there is just a shred of believability to the assumption that for months this same King George and his underlings ignored warnings of a gathering threat of a terrorist attack on our own shores. Perhaps there is just as much accountability to be laid on their shoulders for not taking sufficient or effective action towards preventing the worst attack on our civilian population since Peal Harbor. Maybe the 9-11 Commission should take a look at the events that have shaped our history since that tragic morning. Perhaps there is a pattern here that needs to be corrected. Lets hope that correction starts this November. Sincerely, Ken Follett Buzzers, One Buzzer recently stated in their letter about a CNN report in the late 90's concerning abuse of prisoners in gwb's Texas jails. Those of us in the St. Louis area remember that very well. Our local TV stations did some non-stop reporting and coverage for awhile on this very issue. Missouri prisons were overcrowded and these prisoners were "outsourced" to privately run Texas prisons. The reports showed videos over and over of dogs attacking prisoners as well as other abuses. Could the same man who ran those prisons be the one gwb sent to Iraq to oversee those abuses??? Travis in Collinsville Dear Buzz, Gen. Taguba said in his testimony to the Senate that he saw no evidence that orders were given to our troops to torture Iraqi detainees, that these troops took it upon themselves. Yet in his report he advises that the abuse and humiliation of prisoners was widespread and “systematic.” Which is it, General? The evidence I see (and my own military service) tells me it goes far beyond rogue soldiers. I mean, the abuse at Abu Ghraib might’ve gone into high gear after General Miller moved there from the gulag in Guantanamo, but the Red Cross and other NGOs were reporting abuses in Afghanistan, Cuba, and Iraq since day one. If the media gives up and stops digging for the truth, there’s no doubt we’re doomed. An allegedly free country can’t survive under the strain of such human rights offenses – especially when they’re only part and parcel of a corrupt administration run by psychopaths. Also, watch out for the latest excuse rationalizing why American and British troops supposedly felt it necessary to torture Iraqi detainees: Revenge for the alleged abuse of Jessica Lynch. Now, the allegation that she was raped didn’t become public until just before her book was released to the public, which was November 11, 2003. If I’m not mistaken, the extra-judicial punishment and humiliating treatment of Iraqis was under way long before then. How many glimpses of truth do the American people need before they notice the maggot-ridden fruit beneath the rind? Mike in Spokane Subject: Abuse of Women in Iraq
This is why they do not want to release any more pictures as it is women in them. No one can say this is bad training or use other excuses. Every american male knows rape is rape. A BuzzFlash Reader http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20040511-123505-8871r.htm I know - the Washington Times - but there is SO much BS in it even I was surprised. These guys are just plain crazy. Linda Subject: The Inadequacy of the Administration's Response to Date Physicians for Human Rights USA website: http://www.phrusa.org/past_news/iraq051004_inadequacy.html
IMPEACH THESE LYING CRIMINALS - NOW! BUSH > OUT THE DOOR IN 2004! nerdeaux in Idyho Subject: Nick Berg This Story stinks to HIGH HEAVEN. I bet Chimpco likes my use of this godly term. Think about it. A man who has served as a missionary decides to go to Iraq to help get their telecommunications systems back up. He is removed from Iraq by the US government and labeled a "TERRORIST" for cutting in on the millions of the Halliburton profits. The family finds out and notifies the US Defense Dept. that they had better give their son some rights and a lawyer or let him go. The US refuses. The family files charges. Nick is released into the hands of the "enemy" and beheaded just in time for the prison scandal to hit the fan. Now, we as a CHRISTIAN NATION, are to say that see we can do this to innocent prisoners because look at how they cut off our red-blooded American's head. I haven't been in the church for awhile but I do recall something about vengeance belonging to god. This is serious people. Maybe someone in one of the more Liberal internet sources will get us the true story. These are very scary times people. It is as if SOMEONE can make an enemy, develop a scandal, and create a terrorist act to fit THEIR needs. PJOnes Please be aware that KFI, the conservative right winged radio station has been broadcasting the audio of the U.S. contractor being beheaded. This is yet another move by the radical right to justify our occupation of Iraq by taking the spotlight off of how we really ended up there. The fallout from this may be rather devastating. A BuzzFlash Reader Wow. Amazon offers a 1-click donation to presidential candidates. I just checked it out and so far Bush has received $30,000 to Kerry's $150,000 http://www.amazon.com/gp/misc/flag.h... Rosamond Subject: Damage Control at its Worst
Call me a conspiracy theorist, but these latest pictures showing Nick Berg’s gruesome death is too convenient. For the last four years Bush blunders have always been followed by some event that just happens to rally the American People behind the pResident, or to distract them from some dirty truth Bush is desperately trying to keep in the dark. (In fact, I find the entire story about Nick Berg’s experience in Iraq and the timing of his capture and death suspect. But I won’t go there.) Bush’s use of Berg’s pictures to strike fear into Congress and the American People is to prevent Congress and the press from displaying the more gruesome photos of Americans torturing Iraqis. This Stalin-like tactic is two-fold. Bush will save his political skin by covering up horrific deeds for which he is responsible, and ultimately garner support from the American People for continued, and most likely more aggressive war with Iraq. Bush and the Repuglicans are behaving no better and their tactics used for political gain are no different than the terrorists they claim they are fighting. If it is not okay to release the more outrageous torture pictures that may hurt Bush politically, then why is it okay to release pictures of Berg sitting in front of terrorists ultimately helping Bush politically, condone past and future torture of Iraqis and escalate his war against Muslims? Not only is this damage control at its worst, but its tit for tat between Bush and Al-Qaida. My worst fears tell me that this mess is spinning out of control into complete chaos and death, and the worst is yet to come. The press smells a scandal, backing the incompetent Bush into a corner and threatening his loss of power. How much more dangerous can it get? Remember this is the guy and the arrogant Party that:
… all to cover blunders and dirty deeds, for political and monetary gain and election. I am so sorry for the family of Nick Berg. Reported statements by them clearly state they are appalled that pictures of the last few seconds of their Son’s life are plastered across the Nation and the World, especially without their consent. They have my deepest sympathies, both for the loss of their beautiful Son and for the behavior of our pResident and his Party. Nancy Lynn Nagy (TN) +Iraq Photos and Videos Hi I would like someone to explain to me what right the Pentagon or the Congress or the White House has to decide whether or not the additional Iraqi prison photos and videos should be released to the public. Some of my tax dollars pay for this stupid war and for those prison crimes. I never wanted the war in the first place and I don't want it now. And now you are telling me that I may not have the right to see the images of the predictable results of the stupid policies? Isn't something backwards here? What right do they have to NOT release this material? Even the promoters of this stupid war have said this material is gross, disgusting, and un-American. (If it's so un-American, how come all of it was performed by Americans?) Now Lynndie England is publicly saying that she was TOLD to do what we see her doing in those photos, while the brilliant minds behind all of this are telling us that she is just one of a small group of rogue sadists. Could it possibly be that seeing that many photos and videos would reveal that way too much of this is going on to just be rogue sadists, and that the techniques were all way too similar to be mere coincidence, seeing as how the same behavior was going on in different companies of soldiers, in different prisons, in different parts of Iraq? Thus exposing the initial statement that it was just rogue sadists as a total lie, a lie stated from the highest levels of the so-called Defense Department (what are they defending?). HOW DARE THEY tell us that they may decide to not publicly release this material. What right do they have to hold it back? Why is no one raising this issue? Sincerely, Steve Wolfson Subject: The Sudden Anger Redirect Is it just this writer, or did everyone else notice how public outrage completely shifted in a single moment from being directed at the perps and cohorts involved in the Iraqi prisoner torture to being directed back at the Iraqis? The news of the beheading of an American contractor played right into the hands of the Bush administration. The steam and desire to force accountability for torture and mistreatment of Iraqi POWs sure went out of that balloon quick, didn't it? The radical right wing is still portraying the torture as akin to a fraternity prank. Will the dittoheads use the same characterization for the images of rape and murder when the images are released? Do we expect any more of them? Now, Iraqi prisoners being tortured by Americans is suddenly not such a big deal anymore. A small group of sadistic terrorists murdered an American in the most horrible way, and all Iraqis will be painted with the same brush. Suddenly, anyone who doesn't like it deserves scorn and outrage focused on them. Suddenly, anyone who doesn't condone torture is a "do-gooder". Now, if we're not "outraged at the outrage", we're un-American. The fact that nine out of ten Iraqis are mistakenly detained and are just innocent civilians doesn't seem to matter to some people, including at least one republican Congressional torture investigation panelist. By his reasoning, if they're in a certain cell block of the prison, they must be murderers and rapists and terrorists, and they "probably" have American blood on their hands. Nine out of ten... That's a lot of room for error. The smell of revenge hangs in the air on both sides. A lot of people are now ready to chuck our self-proclaimed national moral superiority and adopt some kind of a scorched earth policy regarding prisoners and torture. One senator brought up the issue of withdrawing from the Geneva Conventions, if we wish to not be held accountable to accepted standards of wartime conduct. As if this were simply an option we could ad at purchase time, and acceptance of the option or not had no implications on - or made no statements about - our humanity or sense of morality as a nation. Lest everyone forget, the Geneva Conventions are there to protect American POWs from torture as much as they are there to protect enemy POWs under our control. If we start throwing away all of the protections that we've gained, we shouldn't be too surprised when ALL Americans captured on the battlefield are publicly tortured and beheaded as a matter of course. And, this won't apply to just Iraq, but in wars yet to come. Yep, it looks like the Christian fundamentalists' ardent desire to bring on Armageddon and by so doing "force" Jesus to appear is becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. Jesus WILL return, even if they have to drag him back kicking and screaming! Do these people really believe that, if He does return, He'll be happy with how they've been killing in his name? How could a band of supposedly educated, intelligent people be so incompetent and fail to understand the culture they are dealing with in Iraq? This was all so unnecessary. In order to quell the public perception that the military is covering up sanctioned abuse, Rumsfeld keeps repeating that it was the military, not the press, who reported the prisoner abuse allegations and investigations. Yet, he fails to explain why it is that, knowing a year ago abuse was occurring, it was allowed to continue for a year while investigators ran around doing interviews and taking notes. He fails to explain why the ICRC and Amnesty reports were received with a bobble-headed response at the highest levels and then treated with indifference. The fix appears to be in on the prisoner abuse scandal. General Taguba was placing the blame at the brigade level and below and blaming it on a lack of training, leadership and supervision. Could it be that, perhaps, the soldiers were doing exactly what they were told by their supervisors and leaders? They're trying to keep attention focused on the Abu Ghraib prison, and ignore the information that the same type of abuse was occurring at over a dozen different prisons. This plainly betrays the situation that this torture is systemic, not the isolated sadism of a few "untrained, unsupervised" individuals. Watch to see if Congress continues to do what it has done best for the past four years; fail in its Constitutionally mandated duty of oversight and to act as a check on the executive. Military Intelligence seems to be under an umbrella of protection in this scandal. The first day of the hearings, the congress people involved in the hearings - at least some of them - appeared to actually be interested in following the trail of torture up the food chain to where ever it may lead with no one beyond immunity. McCain seemed particularly incensed and determined to hold accountable all who deserve to be held accountable. Yesterday, the panel, especially some of the republicans, appeared like a bunch of apologists and excuse makers for the torture of Iraqi prisoners. One came away from Tuesday's hearings with a sense that the peons will be scapegoated in this - despite the panelists' initial assertions that this would not be allowed to happen - and that the trail will not be followed into the pentagon and White House, even if that's where it leads. It looks like the fix is in, and this is going to be little more than damage control, henceforth. May this writer be wrong. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: U.S. Berg Had Been Advised to Leave Iraq The only thing that looked like it might be 'real' as opposed to 'hired assassins' (regarding Berg) is the use of Orange jumpsuits, ala Guantanamo, but then again, where did they get the orange jumpsuit? Every question leads to another question. And check THIS out! According to his family, Berg, a small telecommunications business owner, spoke to his parents on March 24 and told them he would return home on March 30. But he was detained by Iraqi police at a checkpoint in Mosul on March 24. The same day!!!!! His phone call was monitored most likely, and he was fingered, the lawsuit against Rumsfeld probably discussed over the phone, as it was filed April 5th, less than two weeks later. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=sto... Rex. E. Subject: Bush, Rummy and Responsibility Here is a letter I had printed in a local paper (Twin Falls, Idaho) today, May 12, 2004 * * * When a ship of the fleet runs onto the shoals, the skipper loses his command. It matters not whether he was in the pilothouse, on the commode, or in his bunk; he is fired. The responsibility is his, and he takes the fall. When the commander-in-chief runs the ship of state aground, he should lose his job. He should be beached, which rhymes with " impeached." Bush should fire Rummy yesterday. It is not a matter of whether the Rum can be effective or not, as he said before Congress on Friday. He is responsible, having said so himself. Responsibility means that there are consequences for misconduct, mismanagement, error, incompetence or malfeasance. Whatever word is chosen, Rumsfeld is responsible for the enormous harm done to the Iraqi prisoners and to the shame visited on us all. He should have the integrity to throw himself onto his sword. In societies not too far removed from ours in time or space, such a man would have put a pistol to his own head or eviscerated himself with a ritual suicide. But this is America in the 21st Century and we no longer have much truck with honor, and the man who promised to bring integrity back into government failed, as is his custom. We shrug it off, plead not to dwell on "the past" and continue our stumbling and bumbling. "Hey! It isn't my fault!" Rummy says he takes responsibility, but that is empty blather. He pays no price. He expects to press on in the mad quest for "victory" in Iraq. A vote for Bush will be a vote for what happened in Abu Ghraib Prison and elsewhere under this regime. Bush and Rumsfeld must go. Bush will not be impeached by this congress of fools, but he can be deposed at the polls in November by an aroused and outraged citizenry. The whole world is watching, and the election will be a referendum about what kind of people we are. Do we sanction, will we reward leaders who led us into this mess with four more years? Think carefully before you pull the lever for Bush. Our futures, as well as our very lives may depend upon it. Ron Weinert Subject: Rumsfeld -- Chain of Command To whom it may concern: On December 15, 2003, the Globe and Mail (Canada) printed the following: " ... A week ago US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld criticized the 4th Infantry Division for failing to turn up leads. US commanders acted on a new plan to move on what they called "actionable intelligence." The 22 detainees, many of them with close ties to the former dictator through military, family or tribal connections, were interrogated using tough and rapid techniques. Their information led to ..." "Tough and rapid techniques" ... perhaps nuspeak for another T word? Regards, Charles
Morgan Subject: Nick Berg's beheading too convenient. Didn't his captors look a little too tall and fat for Iraqis? Isn't it so lucky for this administration to have an American beheaded on the same day as the Senate hearings highlight the torture of Iraqi prisoners by the US. Take a look at the pictures of Nick Berg in front of his captors. They have ski masks on and look entirely too tall and fat to be Iraqi. The CIA or other "contact employees" wouldn't have anything to do with this atrocity? Would they? And just why was this Nick Berg in custody? Just what did he see? Perhaps a little too much!!!! This whole thing stinks. Alice Bentley An open letter to the members of the “Party of Lincoln:” Remember when you proud Americans, members of the Party of Lincoln, used sexual humiliation in an attempt to break Bill Clinton? Why are you now so shocked and disgusted because chief executive officers of the current Republican administration, deliberately suspended the Geneva Conventions to allow the use of sexual humiliation, among other means, to break POW’s in the “war on terror?” Never mind that according to the International Red Cross, up to 90% of America’s Iraqi prisoners are civilians guilty of no crimes. They were just swept up indiscriminately without due process and incarcerated to “bring freedom” to the Iraqi people. Whether it’s using sexual humiliation to break a political enemy or using sexual humiliation to break so-called “enemy combatant” prisoners, whether it’s possession of WMD’s or just thinking of attaining WMD’s, “What’s the difference?” for you All American types with the big flags on your lapels? Sec. Rumsfeld claims the sexual abuse was “fundamentally un-American,” but given the Republican Congress’s track record, I’d say it was fundamentally Republican American because the Party of Lincoln already has used sexual humiliation to subdue its enemies. Remember how you Republicans hounded Congressman Gary Condit out of office? Yet does anyone remember the sexual scandal surrounding the dead aide in former Republican Congressman Joe “Scarborough Country’s” office? Remember the scandal surrounding Bush the First and Jennifer Fitzgerald? No? Remember how recently you Republicans attempted to humiliate Senator John Kerry with a sexual misconduct rumor? On the outside, you Republicans are self-righteous indignation personified, but on the inside, you secretly enjoy the titillation and the power sexual humiliation gives you over others. But there is hell to pay when you Lincolnesque types get caught in the act yourselves, so to speak. How quintessentially Republican Hypocrite American that the first legal action to be taken in the current prisoner abuse scandal will be against a low ranking person for taking the pictures that outed this Republican administration! Remember when Sen. Lindsey Graham, formerly a Republican House impeachment prosecutor, said the following, “The problem with keeping this president in office, in my opinion, is that these crimes can't be ignored by anybody who looks at the evidence. They can be explained away and they can be excused, but they have far reaching consequences, far reaching consequences for the law. And in his role of chief law enforcement officer of the land, how can we say to our fellow citizens that this will not be 20 months of ‘do as I do’ – ‘don't do as I do, do as I say’?” So, Mr. Graham and other members of the Party of Lincoln, what’s it going to be now? The “chief law enforcement officer of the land” yesterday, after viewing a “representative selection” of photos of rape and murder, lavishly praised his “strong” Secretary of Defense. Under his “steady leadership” the tone and the conditions for the sexual humiliation, rape, and murder of prisoners in our custody was set. The message sent round the world by the Party of Lincoln is: Sexual humiliation, rape, and murder of people held in custody at the direction of the highest level of our government are not impeachable offenses, as compared to private consensual sex with a young woman of the right, white, all American persuasion. Members of the “Party of Lincoln,” that is the fundamental image of America YOU have presented to the world. Have YOU no shame? CF Subject: thisgate thatgate... enough! Hello everyone and peace to you all. This is a *minor* thing, with all else going on, but I think it is important enough to say. So I will. The practice of attaching the word "gate" to any and every little thing the bush team does is self defeating. Psychologically, to my mind, this practice immediately seems to come across at some clever liberal attempt to "nail" bush et al.... Watergate was Watergate. It did what it did, and it is over. I understand the association of "scandal" but it's a damned dead horse!! Let's just call this administration's dastardly acts what they are, plain and simple, and stop attaching "gate" to everything. It does nothing to increase the impact of whatever new allegations have come down since the day before. It is almost like doing bush a favor, since he is absolutely so much worse a liar and manipulator, than Nixon ever dreamt he could become. Enough with the "gate" thing! We are not living in 1974, so why do we still harken(OK pun intended)back to a phrase that is 30 years old? Ladies and Gents, the time is NOW!!!! Bush deserves his own brand. Faithfully your's Joshua Martin Decency, honesty, honor, respect, are among those virtues that make us credible, and are those things we do when it doesn't matter whether anyone is looking. The entire world is looking. The "buck" is being passed. So far it's designated only to those whose faces appear in the headlines and on TV screens, products of modern technology. Did I hear Secretary Rumsfeld complain more than once during the Senate hearing last week that a big problem he has now, is that he has to deal with digital cameras? My. My. Jean, San Diego, CA Subject: Rape Rooms Hey Buzz, It occurred to me that Bush talked about the torture chambers and rape rooms after he knew we were committing atrocities in Iraq. I googled "Bush" and "rape rooms" and found this. Even if he didn't find out until January, he and his crew have lied to our faces. Rape Rooms: A Chronology - What Bush said as the Iraq prison scandal unfolded.
Leslie Crabtree Buzz, Hi, I found this letter today in the NY Times letters to the editor. I thought it was a thoughtful idea and wondered if others think so too. As the writer says, it won't solve the problem, but I think we, as Americans, need to try and somehow communicate our sorrow and support to the Iraqi people. We are not our government! We need to do something positive - this is a very dark time in America. -----------------------------------------------------
Lots of love to Buzz and all, Barbara in NYC that hitler wanna be senator Inhofe is from the only state that still thinks it is ok to throw roosters outfitted with razor spurs into a ring for grown men with the iq of a chia pet to bet money on which one will be the first to get slashed to death. the people of oklahoma must have been so proud as they watched their senator audition for the jerry springer show with his we gotta kick some ass speech. the whole world was watching and thinking yep, that's those americans WE USED to admire. karen massey Subject: Patriotism The 2004 election is centered on patriotism, on winning the hearts and minds of America. It is therefore important to make clear that progressives are patriotic whereas regressives are not; out with the old liberal-conservative axis as it does not state the true nature of the situation. Patriotism is defined as love of country. Country can be defined physically in terms of its places or culturally in terms of its people. On the first count progressives are patriotic because we love America's places, we fight to protect our environment whereas regressives want to destroy for dollars. On the second count progressives are patriotic because we love America's people, we fight to protect them whereas regressives are only concerned with increasing their own power and wealth. Somehow or other we progressives have allowed the regressives to capture the flag, to grab and hold the mantle of patriotism that so rightfully belongs to us. Progressives understand that continued progress is the only way to keep America strong, that the regressive idea of taking America back to an earlier time is an illusion and a dangerous one at that. Regressives are selfish, they are not patriotic in terms of America's places, they are not patriotic in terms of America's people. Patriotism is not the appropriate label for regressives in 2004 since in fact their principles are more in line with fascism. Regressives claim patriotism but live fascism, it's a schism of the -ism. PH (Pat Henry) Subject: Republicans If Liberals are the Tax and Spend party then the Republicans are the TAX AND WASTE party. Alma Subject: We CAN and DO get under the skin of Rush Limbaugh Dear Buzz, I was just listening to the O'Franken Factor on Air America. Al has a segment where he talks to a conservative friend who swears by Rush Limbaugh. Al was playing some of Rush's comments on the Iraqi prisoner abuse and Rush's reaction to other web sites quoting him on the prisoner abuse. Rush sounded VERY DEFENSIVE about the criticism he's getting for his "hazing" and other remarks about the prisoners. He is now making excuses for himself, of course. So all liberal patriotic websites and bloggers must keep criticizing him. I think we should all pile on. He's got years of piling on coming to him. Do you think he will cry? Would that be too cruel? Leslie in Boston |
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