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| October 6, 2005 |
MAILBAG ARCHIVES | ||
The BuzzFlash Mailbag The opinions expressed in the Mailbag are not necessarily those of BuzzFlash. Read the BuzzFlash FAQ for info on submitting to the Mailbag. THIS IS PART 2 OF THE OCTOBER 6, 2005 BUZZFLASH MAILBAG. CLICK HERE FOR PART 1 Subject: Ms Meirs Wow, another woman (?) to watch over the squatters (bushes), what gives? Take a good hard look at Ms. Meirs. The eyes and complexion seem dead give-a-ways of active achoholism. Thanks for BuzzFlash! I would love to see many of your letters printed in newspapers or forwarded to Capitol Hill. Carol Keegan Subject: James Dobson Apparently James Dobson, head of the Focus on the Family organization, who presents his program as a "ministry," is not himself a minister. According to the organization's website <www.focusonthefamily.org> he received a Layman of the Year award several years ago. He is a PhD psychologist and family therapist. So far as I can determine from the website, he does not have a theological education and is not ordained. When he holds up the Bible and claims to be in communication with God, people naturally assume he is an ordained minister. To my knowledge, he has said nothing to dispel this notion, and seems content for people to assume that he is a minister of the Gospel. Jack T. [BuzzFlash Note: Wikipedia describes him as a "conservative Christian psychologist" with political clout and radio/tv programs. His doctoral degree is in child development.] Subject: I Share the Rage I Share the rage I read here in the Buzz mailbag and elsewhere letters from enraged, frustrated and tired liberals that someone do something. No more talk, do something. What are we supposed to do? I write letters to my local paper; state my views to anyone who will stand still long enough to listen and have voted in every election for the last 40 years. I marched against the Viet Nam war and while I would like to march against this one the spirit's willing but the carcass is all too weak. I check every day for polls on television and in newspapers in order to vote for the things I believe in. I check the CNN site every chance I get and cast my vote in all their little polls. I also email them frequently to state my point of view. Likewise MSNBC. I email my two traitorous Democratic Senators and my Republican Congressman all the time. Note to whoever writes those little form letters, if we are involved and concerned enough to email our senators or congress people it is doubtful some form letter will satisfy us. I find them insulting. You patronize me, and others like me at your peril. Suppose I could wave a magic wand and all the problems we are so concerned about would be solved. Is fantasizing doing something? With a wave of my magic wand most of the incumbents in Washington would not be reelected. My pick for the three who get to stay are David Obey of Wisconsin in Congress, Barbara Boxer and Barack Obama in the senate. You pick the ones who get to stay in your fantasy. All the rest have to be Newbies. If the Newbies don’t deliver what the people need and want, we elect more Newbies. Newbies could only get elected in my fantasy government if they promised to get rid of all, repeat all, corporate money in Washington. They would also have to enact a law that any lobbyist caught within 1000 feet of an elected official would go directly to jail. I would also caution about voting for anyone who is a golfer, as these folks seem to have a problem when it comes to free golf junkets. Maybe elected officials who are rabid bowlers would be the same, but somehow I doubt it. Marjorie L. Swanson Subject: We the People Hi BuzzFlash, I am sitting here and reading the headlines of the day. The more I read, the more my anger is growing and I want to weep. So much is talked about what we feel at our present state of this nation and so little we do about to improve it and take back our country. It is not enough to voice our opinions and have a demonstration every three years or so. We need to get out to the streets in massive numbers every day and show our displeasure with this administration. The democrats are wimps, they take their tail between the legs and crouch to the floor in front of the wolf. The democrats are not fighting for the people any more. When election comes, then only then, they want our votes. In the meantime, the lying and scandals are mounting and more of our rights are taken away. Are we so helpless and clueless? We have the power to change and fight for what we want. I keep asking myself, how do we get into this mess? Budgets are up for military, and everything else for the people gets slashed. If we don't wake up soon, then all is lost. My heart is full of sorrow and shame for this country. I was thinking of moving back to Germany, but this would be a defeat for me and I know I need to stay and support this country and the people. The people here are great but we need to take action. The glass is full to the top and enough is enough. Let us come together and take the country back like Bill Moyer says. Thank you for keeping me sane and letting me vent. Brigitte Wright-Young Subject: Neil Cavuto: Protector of the Underdog Rich Rarely does a day go by that Fox News cannot add to the store of American Humor. Take Neil Cavuto. Please. Seriously, has anyone ever researched Neil to see if he's actually a human, with electrochemical activity within the same mass of tissue that the rest of us call a brain? 'Cause I have some pretty good evidence below that he just might be a programmed machine. A machine that the handlers point toward the camera with the little red light, then press the ON button, and sit back and wait for the letters of praise from all those Foxy viewers. Here's the problem: Neil thinks that the rich are a repressed minority. Or, if not repressed, certainly subjected to all kinds of discrimination and abuse. He did a piece titled "Eat the Rich?" on Wednesday, 6/8/05...:
Boy, the courage and conscience that it must have taken to publicly defend the rich. Publicly! Without apology. I was particularly proud of the "Who would you be mean to?" I have to say, until I read that phrase, it never really occurred to me that Richard Scaife might be stung by the criticism of his attempts to orchestrate a fascist-Christian state. And the Coors family, how they must have cried silently into their pillows each night as they remembered the slings and arrows of their outrageous misfortune. I don't know about you, but I'll never be able to look at a billionaire quite the same way again. Not ever again. Lee Russ Subject: Question for Ms. Rice After 2004 election (vote GOP or die), we were supposed to believe that this administration were better suited to keep America safe. Katrina revealed the lack of truth of that claim by the GOP. The 911 commission did their work. But I have a question for Condoleezza that looks forward, instead of back. "If you received a PDB similar to the August 6, 2001 PDB that threatened that Al Qaeda are determined to attack... if you received such a warning today, what steps are you prepared to take to guard against it?" Seems to me the answer would be the same lame talking points. Alice Subject: Changing Minds, One Word at a Time We must add a new term to the American vernacular. There needs to be a new word for moron-extraordinaire because all the rest, like idiot, fool, simpleton, just don't cut it with this cipher in the white house -- we need a word that is not a synonym, we need a word that means something *more substantial* than mere stupidity (one word for catastrophic stupidity). That new word shall be Bushie (or Bush, to impugn the whole family line), as in: "That boy who went naked into that cage and tried to take that tiger's dinner away sure is Bushie." Or: "That 30 year old man who still doesn't know the alphabet sure is Bushie." Or: "That person who voted for Bush sure is Bushie." Please practice and spread this around as much as possible. I realize it's hard to find acts of stupidity large enough to deserve the term Bushie, but be prepared and keep it ever-ready. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: How ironic...... Isn’t amazing that our supposedly “pro-democracy, anti-activist judges and pro state and individual rights” federal government is asking judges to actively overturn a state law that was voted in by the majority of Oregon voters about an individual's right to die with dignity? In one fell swoop (much like they did the California Medical Marijuana law), they want to take away an individual’s right to choose, a state’s rights to follow democratically passed laws, and hoping that “activist” judges do that for them. Can you say hypocrites?....Well I knew that you could. Shunk Wugga Subject: Philadelphia to Be City of Wireless Web Philadelphia providing a wireless network is a bad idea! Governments should keep their mitts off of our access to the Internet. Making access to the world wide web a muncipal institution, or utlity, is the beginning of regulation and control of our access to uncensored information and uncensored exchange of ideas. It's one more step of "big brother" controlling our lives and information. Does anybody really believe that the religious folks will not object to their city providing access to a source of information that provides pornography or science that refutes their religion? Does anybody really believe that politicians will not figure some way to regulate what can and cannnot be accessed on a municipal wireless network? If GW Bush could control what is being said about him on the Internet and through private, personal e-mail, would he? Absolutely! Keep the governments out of the WWW! A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: The Last Passion of the Democratic Party I can't "go there" with the Buzz Editorial writer. In fact, I got a little testy about the notion that there was passion among 1960s Democratic Party politicos here at all..... The author gives 1960s mainstream Democratic political leaders -- and their party -- credit where very little, in my opinion, is due. Martin Luther King surely wasn't a Democrat political leader, but a leader of courageous African American adults and students whose families had survived the travesty of failed Reconstruction.....the rise of Jim Crow, the dominance of Klan values in the South and economic marginalization of African American immigrants from the South into northern urban ghettos. Dr. King - an African American Christian leader -- and disciple of Mahatma Ghandi, no less -- not the Democrats, led the movement in the 1960s -- and Dr. King died for it to the detriment of all involved. Dr. King and his "Lieutenants" Andrew Young, Jessie Jackson, CT Vivian, John Lewis, James Orange were the catalysts and engines that drove the Democrat Party leaders' actions. It is pretty well documented that the Kennedy brothers were waffling in their discussions with Dr. King. I don't recall any great, or small, groundswell of support from the Democratic Party leaders during the sit-ins, marches and other events of the Civil Rights movement. I DO recall support from students, housewives, clergy and hundreds of other non-office-holding individuals throughout our nation. They, not the Democratic Party leaders or their representatives, came South and stood, in groups like Michael Schwerner, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman, WITH African American leaders to get the attention of elected officials. Like Dr. King, some of those passionate citizens died... I also recall that none of the initiators of the Civil Rights Movement could have been members of either party -- as they had been denied the right to vote by both. I also recall the work and sacrifices of non-Democrat African American groups and leaders.....Rosa Parks, Julian Bond, the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, the Black Panthers, Huey Newton, Angela Davis, the Congress of Racial Equality, H "Rap" Brown and many other young black leaders, only SOME of whom, later, became Democrats.... Lyndon Johnson was a crafty political operative and a Southerner. It is to his credit that he swung the weight of his office and used his political skills to secure the Voting Rights Act. He clearly understood what Democrats, as a Party, would gain by delivering the Voting Rights Act.....hundreds of thousands of new, grateful voters on the rolls of the Democratic party over the next several decades. I can't contest that elected officials who were Democrats voted the Act into law under LBJ's leadership, but you can be assured that, without the NON-Democratic Party passion of the African American leadership of the Civil Rights Movement, the "Last Passion of the Democratic Party" would not have manifested itself. While I understand "the party as a whole put its soul and its conviction behind the notion that all Americans are created equal and each one is entitled to one vote, to a quality education, and to equal opportunity." Your Editor asserts:
I don't begrudge the moment of pride; I do challenge the follow-through once the enlightened moment moved past! How does it come to be that Democrats, as a party, failed to honor the legacy of that moment? How could the party transform that powerful African American initiative that so forcefully held our nation accountable for extending the principles of our democracy to ALL citizens into a system of continuing educational and economic inequity, chronic welfarism and escalating violence among young African Americans? How could Democratic Party leaders participate in the political game where opportunists on both sides play and react to the "race card," resulting in our current culture of hypocrisy and oh-so-civilized political correctness driven by three and a half decades of race-guilt? For me, the party's action in the 1960s was hardly "passion" but simply a moment of enlightened self-interest. A "tipping point" was created by the work of disenfranchised, but powerfully visionary, African American leaders. Democatic Party leaders, simply followed along.....and, failed to sustain the momentum of that transforming passion. If we take a lesson from the history that the "BuzzFlash" editor called forth, perhaps we'd best look to the issues and leaders that inspire passion among the young and idealistic of the early 21st century.... The Democratic Party seems capable of being inspired to moments of , enlightened self-interest", at least. Perhaps this time there will be a true desire to act with love and sustaining passion in which political figures and citizens alike put their “soul and … conviction behind the notion that all Americans are created equal and each one is entitled to one vote, to a quality education, and to equal opportunity." My own last comment of "enlightened self-interest" is to ask if we might find that transformation as we explore and embrace the values of the feminine divine.....What would human behavior become if we grant equality to Her vision of nurture, loving kindness, wisdom, individual creativity as necessary to complete and instill love derived passion for others in this world that is so out of balance in its focus on personal power, retribution and aggression..... Ariel Williams Subject: Did you know that if the big lobby in Washington obeyed the Free Trade agreement and complied with the decision made by the NASDA panel yesterday they would be returning approximately Five Billion dollars of monies taken in the disguise of tariffs, charged illegally against Canada? Consider how Canadians feel about this? Wouldn't you feel bullied by this move? It's been going on for years, and the softwood lumber lobby is so big in Washington that I think even now it will take some doing to get them to return the money. This has caused quite a bit of ill feeling, as it has affected a huge number of people to lose their jobs, and companies have been forced out of business. If you will do this to your brothers and sisters north of the border - what will you do to those who love you less!!!! PM taking Canada's softwood case to Wall Street (CTV.ca) Clare Black Subject: Oh, BLEEP!! As if it couldn't get any worse... Dear Buzz Folks: Just read today's headlines. And put two and two together. The introduction of "the military" (which, the last time I heard, was stretched to the breaking point in Iraq and Afghanistan" (As Mr. Rogers would have said, can we say "draft"?? Exempting all the rich brats, of course) to take over both disaster control and "avian flu management" -- maybe they'll garner our email addresses from all the progressive websites and infect us...and then ship us off to Gitmo to "quarantine" us. (I know: I probably sound paranoid, but I wouldn't put anything past this administration. Not even the orchestration of another terrorist attack if they feel they're REALLY in danger.) Let me see. It's been a long time since I minored in history. But, as I recall, fascism is basically a combination of government and corporate power. And Nazism, under Hitler, was a combination of that PLUS military enforcement of both -- with the added element of religious "discrimination" (to put it mildly). Sound familiar? Our founding fathers must be rolling in their graves fast enough to start tornadoes. But don't worry: Bush will send in the military to "save" the worthy among us. Barb in Athens, GA [BuzzFlash Note: From Britannica online -- Fascism: Philosophy of government that stresses the primacy and glory of the state, unquestioning obedience to its leader, subordination of the individual will to the state's authority, and harsh suppression of dissent. Martial virtues are celebrated, while liberal and democratic values are disparaged. ... The leaders of the [European] fascist governments ... were portrayed to their publics as embodiments of the strength and resolve necessary to rescue their nations from political and economic chaos. ... National Socialism (also called Nazism) ... shared many elements with Italian fascism. However, Nazism was far more extreme both in its ideas and in its practice. In almost every respect it was an anti-intellectual and atheoretical movement ...] Subject: Jocelyn from Miami's Critique of Al Gore Jocelyn, How could you be angry at Al Gore for not doing anything while the Congressional Black Caucus pled for a Senator to help them? He didn't do anything because he couldn't do anything. He respects and abides by the constitution (unlike the present commander-in-chimp). Mr. Gore shows real compassion for the citizens of the USA (as evidenced by him privately chartering planes to get the sick out of New Orleans) and an intelligence the Bush clan couldn't even match if you combined all their IQs. I just read his piece on how TV has ruined democracy and it was a great piece of well thought-out work. I am from Canada but I pay attention to the political scene in America. As a country, our economy is so closely tied to yours and our domestic policies are influenced by your government that it's like sleeping next to an elephant (no pun intended)-- it may be sleeping but we feel every movement and God help us if it rolls over in its sleep. I know that the whole world would be better off if the Supreme Court had let the recount be completed in 2000. Unfortunately, BushCo. stole the election, and now the world is a much more unsafe place (despite what Dumbya is saying to any reporter/megaphone that will listen). Joel Subject: Mein Legacy! This morning George Bush was two-facing the nation once again with a speech that had much emotion, but little substance, as Bush tried to justify committing crimes in the name of liberty! Mr. Bush and his head honchos started by bold-faced lying to our nation about his "fixed" policy and proceeded to ignore the rights of a sovereign nation by invading their territory, and ignoring dissenting opinions of the U.S. and the United Nations, who were opposed to his plans. There were no mushroom clouds, no weapons of mass destruction, or any imminent threat from this country! With SHOCK and AWE BOMBING, Bush and his Neocon family have ignored the sacrifice of innocent lives and the rampant destruction of a country. Like the terrorists, our military, under the instruction of the Commander-In-Chief, and his Generals, have also used horrendous weapons that have poisoned the very air of Iraq for years to come! To this day we continue to bomb and decimate this country and their people! Does using emotional rhetoric excuse killing? Or make it okay for us to follow the Bush ideology of changing the Mid-East in their image and to promote the War President’s legacy? Two and a half years have passed, and in that time security has NOT improved. Living conditions are not much better and Iraqis have forgotten the purple fingers of the election. At recent hearings, Generals testified that the training and ready battalions have not gone well, in fact, now there is one battalion ready, compared to three since June. Mr. Bush is misleading the nation once again and lying about the progress made. Will time, more loss of lives, and money change the failing situation in Iraq? The conclusion is DOUBTFUL! When the peace that freedom brings makes no headway after 2 ½ years, is it a vague dream that has sacrificed almost 2000 Americans, maimed 15,000, and killed countless Iraqis in a country where most citizens want us to leave? Iraq has not made “incredible political progress as Mr. Bush has claimed. Political strife continues as the gap widens between Shia, Sunnis and Kurds. Kurds calling for the Shia leader to step down does not signal progress. Even ratification of a Constitution that will bring the feuding parties nearer to civil war, and whose religious implications restrict rather than guarantee freedom cannot be considered a benchmark of progress. Since the U.S. invasion, Iraqi lives are in more danger daily and the cities have been reduced to smoke, ashes, and the constant smell of death. Everything that Bush has attributed to the terrorists, we have also done, we have orphaned children, killed women and children, and there have been numerous reports of our military inhibiting supplies to hospitals. A recent report from Reuters not only mentions the military killing reporters, but obstructing the news out of Iraq. It has been said that George W. Bush is Osama’s best recruiter. Mr. Bush talks of confronting the mortal danger of terrorism. It is the same terrorism that he has increased three times over in the last year, and has increased all over the world because of the invasion of Iraq, U.S. policies in Palestine, and policies towards the Muslim world. Bush is THE TYRANT in many of their eyes! Mr. Bush still refers to the images of 9/11 and wants us to remember one brief moment with a bullhorn that had NOTHING to do with the Iraq War! {P.S. Bush was late arriving at the site, a fact the media and Bush have seemed to forgotten.} Osama and al-Zarqawi laugh from the sidelines about how diverting men and money from Afghanistan to Iraq, before our job was completed, has given them and their franchises more power, not less. Today one of the terms Bush used to describe a faction of the ideology of terrorism was "Islamo-fascism," which after looking at the “14 signs of Fascism” is like the pot calling the kettle black! Bush and his Neocon buddies have had endless ambitions of imperial domination. As Commander-In–Chief, Bush, and the military under his command, also have been “unburdened by conscience!” Bush and his cronies have used undue and continuous pressure to control every aspect of the new Iraqi government Mr. Bush said today, “It is true that the seeds of freedom have only recently been planted in Iraq -- but democracy, when it grows, is not a fragile flower. It is a healthy, sturdy tree.” http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/10/20051006-3.html Woodrow Wilson concluded, “You cannot tear up ancient rootages and safely plant the tree of liberty in soil that is not native to it! Today’s speech from Mr. Bush was designed to stop the hemorrhaging of Bush’s bleeding ratings! Extreme emotionalism will not change American minds any more, even if he uses a bullhorn again! Neither will language using euphemism or vague answers, instead of substance! When evidence proves the contrary to “staying the course” and high crimes are still committed in the name of freedom, when defenseless villages are bombed from the air and cities destroyed as their inhabitants are driven from their homes, when more Americans and Iraqis lose their lives, and the insurgents escape before we arrive on the scene, and terrorism continues on the upsurge, we are not “MAKING PROGRESS.” When countless billions of dollars are spent to continue this failure and services for our citizens are cut because of it, this is wasteful! It is time to bring our troops home, and hold Mr. Bush and his cronies accountable for their lie, their crimes, and their folly of a war! Susan Carr Subject: Bush says more sacrifice needed in war on terror (Reuters) I just do not know how much more we can sacrifice with his war on terror. These are words of an insane madman. If I could, I would leave this country. How much more can America take with this lunatic running our country? My dream is for our own Bolivarian Revolution. Someone asked me in an email today "where is our Chavez?" and there is no one here within our country to herald right now. Who can save us from this within our own country? Mary Subject: Bush Is the Most Brilliant Man She Ever Met ... ??? Harriet Miers, Bush’s latest nominee for a position on the Supreme Court, is a 60 year old attorney who presently serves as Counsel to the President. Having never sat on any bench, the only evidence we have of her wisdom and judgment is that she once told conservative columnist David Frum that the president was the most brilliant man she had ever met - one’s jaw drops at such astonishingly limited life experiences! Not only is George W. Bush’s fragile psyche assuaged by naming a servile sycophant as a justice on the nation’s highest court, but the appointment will assure him one more vote in any legal proceedings arising from his potential impeachment, indictment or conviction. Bob Regl Subject: Senators Vote to Prohibit Torture These legislators are not giving Bush a slap on the wrist, they are protecting their own posteriors. Torture is already dis-allowed by US law. The US signed the UN articles and the Geneva Conventions prohibiting torture. Any treaty or agreement signed and ratified automatically makes these prohibitions US law. Torture is a war crime. Failure to prevent torture or any other war crime when you are in a position to do so is also a war crime. The legislature is in that position. A Nazi Minister of Propaganda was hung for just such a crime. The next step is for indictments and prosecution. Without putting pressure on the DOJ to prosecute, it's just window dressing. However, it may make them look better at the Hague. Raise your hand if you think Gonzales will prosecute himself, Rumsfeld or his masters. We should put pressure on them to open an independent investigation and expose their lip service to justice if they do not. Carol Davidek-Waller
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