 |
|||
| December 12, 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. Subject: Our Greatest Fears in 2001 When President Bush took office in 2001 we were more than a little concerned. We were quite sure that he would turn our country into a two-class society. Taxes would be cut for the very rich. Unions would of course be attacked first. Jobs would be sent overseas (we are told we have to compete with 3rd world countries - why? we don't know - as we are proud as Americans to have a country that allows its citizens to make a livable wage, own a house and a car and be able to educate our children. We knew that in the work place, health care would go followed closely by pensions. What surprised us was how quickly the jobs were sent off to other countries. When facing unemployment there used to be something called an "extension". They got rid of that. After you fall off the unemployment rolls - you are no longer counted as one of the unemployed. Try to find work when you are close to retiring. Your age is against you. You see all of your savings dwindle as you watch everyone celebrate Wall Street's successes. They are successful at a very HIGH price - the price of American jobs. We also worried about a war - somewhere, anywhere. It is highly profitable for certain Americans. They can actually make a "killing". In certain areas that are hit with high unemployment - young people joined the National Guard to help with expenses and to help pay for college. Guess where they are at now! We didn't see that one coming. We envisioned a HUGE attack on jobs but what has transpired overseas is unbelievable. I personally cried the night that President Bush was reelected. I knew that we could possibly lose our home. We are sick of the hate that is being allowed to be broadcast on the radio. We are supposed to be one nation of people. But this administration managed to destroy that also. Now we look for work - perhaps out west. We will have to move. We certainly never thought that in our late fifties we would be facing these decisions. We never thought that one President could destroy the working class American in such a short time. The wealthy are supposed to have a wonderful Christmas - Mrs. Bush and her husband are doing it up BIG this year. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the victims of the hurricanes. We are thankful that we have a roof over our heads. We look to our leaders to start legislation that will bring back America to the greatness it once enjoyed. One last thing - we must stop GREED and HATE - these are the two things that are destroying our country. Pray for peace. Connie Dirig Subject: Why Have Christmas? Why should we celebrate Christmas at all? There is no Peace on Earth. There is no good will towards men. Jesus wasn’t even born in December by all accounts so what, other than the bottom line for merchants, is the point? Hate-filled representatives of a small portion of the Christian community have taken over with the Holiday (short for Holy Days, you morons) Season with what has come to be their annual attack on anyone who doesn’t speak and believe the way that they do. Want to get your head ripped off? Just wish one of these nincompoops Happy Holidays or Seasons Greetings. You have offended them beyond all forgiving. We don’t hold Christmas in April when Jesus was really born. (Have to give up all those Currier and Ives Christmas cards). We can’t have Christmas in April because it would run into all those Bunnies and Jelly Beans we buy to celebrate the resurrection. Plus people need the distance between December and April to pay enough off on their credit cards so that they can go into another orgy of spending for Easter. Let’s just have a December 25th salute to greed and call it a Holiday. Merry Greedmas. What else does the period from Halloween to the drunken festivities on New Year's Eve stand for? People don’t have a clue about the Christmas spirit. Unless it comes in a bottle and is consumed in large quantities. Sound like Scrooge? Well if Tiny Tim were around today, his HMO would refuse him treatment because of some small print somewhere in the policy and Mr. and Mrs. Cratchit would still be paying off their co-share of the hospital maternity bill for Huey, Dewey and Louie or whatever the hell their kids' names were. Marjorie L. Swanson Subject: White Flag Ads One way to counterattack, why not pictures of dubya, cheney, senators and representatives who for one reason or another took deferments to avoid service with yellow flags imprinted and a large letter C. Then include the latest casualty figures. BuzzFlash Reader-Female WW2 vet Subject: Brace Yourself Folks ... What's this? Bush saying that his "war on terror" (Bush being the expert on terror of course) is now unwinnable? Uh Oh, what he is REALLY saying is, "Brace yourself people, tighten yur belts and get ready fer battle cuz our troops (your deeply loved family members and friends) are gonna be in Iraq and WHEREVER ELSE we decide to send them fer a while, a LOOONG while, like maybe the next ten or twenty years, or maybe even LOOONGER. After all, we've got several new military bases to maintain and countries to conquer in our war on terror." People, it's long past due time for several million of us to march to Washington with a GIANT banner or several GIANT banners as well as hiring planes to fly over Pennsylvania Avenue AND Crawford Ranch in Texas trailing banners ALL saying the same thing. "Mr. Bush, this comes to you from well over HALF of the American People. Either you're with US or you're against us. Since you are against us, that makes YOU the NUMBER ONE TERRORIST of the day. STEP DOWN!!!" Dominie K. Robinson Subject: Oil Executives/New Orleans Survivors I was just wondering, did the survivors of the New Orleans tragedy have to be 'under oath' to testify ... and obviously, the oil executives did not have to be 'under oath' to testify. Hopefully, as per a comment in BuzzFlash Mailbag, the oilmen will HAVE to be under oath, and 'testify' again. Just curious. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Arizona Rep Arizona State Representative David B. Smith, a republican, has been ordered to give up his seat because he overspent election funds during his campaign. Smith will appeal, but if he loses, the same reasoning should be applied to the current "administration" in DC. Every one of these criminals should be ordered out of office, for it is obvious they did more than overspend election funds, no doubt by laundering the money a la Tom DeLay, and by making sure the right people got paid off for fixing vote counts, especially in Florida and Ohio. In the Arizona case, any votes cast by Smith should be null and void; and in the DC case, that should apply. That would mean every single document signed by the traitors who live and/or work in the White House, should be negated. As for the murders they've allowed in places such as 9/11, Afghanistan, and Iraq, war crimes and treason trials are in order. They need to answer for the Katrina disgrace, too. In their quest for power and profits, they have broken every oath of office and brought on the deaths of US troops and tens of thousands of innocent people. Nuremberg-style tribunals would send them to their deserved dooms. These dirty rotten bastards who claim God sent them (though which God is not specified), should be crucified and suffer the fates of Jesus and Spartacus. Let them find real religion. Judge orders Rep. Smith to vacate elected office (AP/Arizona Daily Star) Brendan O'Maidian [BuzzFlash Note: Yeah, we don't like them much, either.] Subject: An "open letter" to Joseph Lieberman, who (of course) will never read it Dear Buzzers -- Just read a chilling (at least to ME, even though it made steam come out of my ears) article in Mother Jones re Lieberman's being considered as a replacement for Rummy in the Defense Dept. After all, he's a "kinder, gentler" version of Rummy -- though no less hawkish on the phony, lie-based war we're supposedly waging in Iraq -- in my opinion, however, the Repukes can HAVE him. (I'm ashamed to admit that, even though I had the sense to oppose the Vietnam and BOTH Iraqi wars, I fell for his genial, smooth personality and actually suggested, months before he was chosen to run for VP in 2000 -- that he'd be a great choice. My friends -- I wasn't online back then, so these were people I talked with over coffee -- thought at the time, that I was nuts even to suggest it, then came back and apologized. But I WAS wrong. Lieberman is yet another greedy, self-serving, power-hungry SOB whose ambition overcame any sense of right and wrong (just as it did with the rest of the neocon crowd). If I could afford to move to CT and join the movement to evict him from the Senate, I'd go -- like, TOMORROW. Anyone (including Hillary) who continues to defend this fiasco and farce of a "war on terror" deserves not only ejection from office but -- although I oppose capital punishment on principle, I'll make an exception in this case -- HANGING. Or being drawn and quartered. Whatever it takes. Watching and listening to Lieberman sucking up to these SOBs drives me up the wall. I hope the rest of America (I'm referring to those who are NOT Buzzers and therefore not on the same page as we are) wake up. FAST. Barbara Lee (Barb) Blazyk Subject: Wishy-washy Electorate Dear BuzzFlash: What is it with an alarmingly large section of the voting populace that makes them respond up and down in polls regarding Bush's performance like a damn yoyo? Bush sank to the lowest approval ratings ever very recently, with war fatigue and reasons for being in Iraq the major reasons behind his fall, and justifiably so. Now we see the number up to 42% approval from 37% according to ABC News. What, pray tell, has this magnum idioticus done to merit any increase in his approval rating? Is it the so-called "explanations and outlines for victory" speeches he's delivering, all except one in front of adoring servicemen and women, who are most likely ordered to cheer everything the lunkhead says? If anybody had been paying attention, no revelations have occurred, nor has any acknowledgement of public concern over the welfare of the troops been delivered. It has been more of the same obstinate attitude. Is it hinting at the possibility of some troop withdrawal as soon as Iraqi forces are "prepared" to defend for themselves? Hasn't anybody figured out that Iraq will be able to take care of itself around the mid-term elections in 2006, provided Bush is persuaded to declare a "victory" by the Republicans? Get a clue: he won't listen to anybody, and is just as likely to create another 9-11 as acquiesce to anybody's opinion. We must maintain open minds wherever possible, but it's frightening to think of so many suckers out there easily persuaded by a sound bite or media spin. No wonder we're in the funk we're in. Scott Subject: I can't stand it This is how screwed our news is...Carol Lin on CNN just now says "Our Top Story today is Richard Pryor dies..." you mean the drug addict who set himself on fire? The same day that Eugene McCarthy Died? Top Story? The person who opposed Viet Nam and ran for President of America just died and was one of the main leaders in Civil Rights in the 60's during which a young Richard Pryor benefited from McCarthy's efforts? I can't stand it. So much for the national Media. McCarthy should have gotten top billing because of so much he did for so many people -- people of Color and Poverty but mainly all those who, like now in Iraq, were going unnecessarily to war and dying, his strong opposition to Viet Nam, a senseless war on all accounts, and he dies, but CNN wants to highlight Pryor? What has he done? Please..... Thank God for Eugene McCarthy. Lives were saved. Attention was drawn, and he made an impact to everyone all his life. Pryor was only an angry, vulgar person who only got his head on after he set himself on fire with cocaine, but CNN decided to reward and highlight Pryor instead of McCarthy. What are we teaching our children about history? So sad. A BuzzFlash Reader in Texas [BuzzFlash Note: To be fair, CNN is about entertainment more than politics. But Richard Pryor ... we care about him, too. Her had an impact on many.] Subject: These "retreat/defeat" Advertisements The powers that be sure look frantic in their "let's pull out all the stoppers" last ditch effort to pin the traitor label on those of us who call for getting the Troops Out Now; even though it's they, the powers that be, not us, who are the the actual traitors in this illegal and immoral war and it's they, not us, who threaten the very survival of life on earth. Who are we? We the people, that's who, peacemakers each and all, and isn't there something somewhere about blessed-be the peacemaker? As for the real traitors, those war-making powers that be, isn't there also something about cursed-be the war-maker? For putting themselves before we the people. Republicans Accuse Dems of 'Retreat and Defeat' on War (CNS News) A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: My Letter To Ford Motor Company What a coincidence! I was planning to visit a local Ford dealer to check out prices and options of a new Ford pickup. Yes, 3/4 ton, 4 wheel drive, diesel pickup to replace my 9 year old Dodge diesel with 180,000 miles. But then, I saw an article documenting Ford Motor Company's "negotiations" and fear of a boycott by the American Family Association (AFA), and subsequent pulling advertising from gay-oriented publications. I didn't visit the Ford dealer because it appears they finally got to you. We all know how it starts: "Oh, they're only going after the gays." Then when all the gays are gone, "Oh, they're only going after the Jews." "Whew. Glad they're not going after me!" The AFA is doing all the things that I learned was wrong during my 12 years of parochial school while spreading their non-Christian messages of hate. Yes, this small minority is bullying people, and companies like Ford, while trying to make this fantastic country into a theocracy ... do you want to be associated with hate and bigotry? Do you want to take part in the destruction of this country from within? Do you believe in our Constitution, and separation of church and state? Please, think long and smart before you answer ... Ford Motor Company seems to be in financial trouble because of decisions made a decade ago ... please correct this decision before it's too late! Bill Darbyshire G O P = GREEDY OLD PARTY Subject: Semantics All progressives and liberals have to start using better semantics. It's not "President Bush." There are myriads of other now-traditional designations available that we should not abandon in order to give this cabal any sort of legitimacy. They include "pResident Bush," "Resident Bush," or "Moron-in-Thief." Another example: "the House of Representatives" is in reality "the House of Corporate Representatives." Finally, how about "the Spin-it" for "the Senate"? Will Wyche Subject: Cindy Sheehan's Great Speech with Q&A On C-Span Book TV Hi BuzzFlash, On Sunday, Cindy Sheehan was on C-Span Book TV at the same time that Russert was blathering his rightwing talking points on GE-Owned NBC. Want to take a "wild guess" which station I watched? Cindy talked about her "One More Mother's Child" book and had a Q & A session from the Berkeley audience. It was dated December 3, 2005. Folks, keep your eyes out for the C-Span DVD in their "Book TV", "Book Notes" or other places they may sell it - and then GET IT. Cindy ripped into Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld; basically the entire Administration along with Congress, and also took DOWN none other than Chris Matthews, Rush LimBORE, Bill O'LIEly and Wolf Blitzer! She TOOK THEM ALL DOWN folks!! And she did it without having to get angry or violent in her voice! She has become a "MUCH TOUGHER" version of Rep John Murtha. And folks, let me tell you, that is one, very hard, task to do! If you remember the day when Rep John Murtha took "Five-Deferment-Cheney" DOWN, then you will have a good idea of what her speech and answers were like. I guess when The White House, Congress and The Neo-Con Talking Heads have "No Skin on The Iraq Table," they can hoot, holler and say yea-rah-rah all they want without going to bed at night and waiting for that dreaded phone call or knock on the door! So again folks, keep your eyes out for her speech and Q & A session on C-Span Book TV from December 3, 2005. I hope Senator John Kerry and many other spineless people that call themselves so-called Democrats in Congress buy the DVD and take lessons from Cindy on how to be a Real Democrat and learn how to get tough with Republicans or Republican "Wanna-Bees" like Lieberman when Democrats get attacked. The days of being nice and friendly in Congress are over! Tom Wieliczka And if Cheney were to go, who would replace him? It doesn't really matter, because the boy in the bubble is still squatting in the White House. Condoleezza. And then she runs for Prez as standing VP in 2008. Think about it. McCain is too ill. A BuzzFlash Reader We have to Clean House which means removing all of them. Bring home all representatives out of Washington and have them work from their home states. This would make Washington a big museum for the world. This is what everyone means when they use the term Cleaning House. Jude Subject: This Is Just a Piece of Paper to Bush I read this the other day, and it just makes me so angry, that bush thinks the constitution isn't worth anything. He wants things done 'his way,' and he sounds like a spoiled brat that needs a good dose of discipline. Bush on the Constitution: 'It's just a goddamned piece of paper' (Capitol Hill Blue) A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Opposite Game Plans Mike Wallace's son puts ideology before blood when he tells us, a la Stalin and Hitler, that his father is someone who needs a competency hearing. And now our president gives congress this deadline for passing Patriot II, "or you'll be to blame if there's another terrorist attack." Such verbal shots are meant to stampede Congress into giving the president this scary and dangerous act and he's going to get it, too, unless we the people make sure that Congress votes down Patriot II. And if we pull that off, lo and behold, it'll be a different world because in so doing we the people will have changed it! A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Prominent British Playwright Pinter Hello to All, Recently, an article was available on numerous sites regarding Mr. Pinter's speech (I have not the link to it now unfortunately) regarding the complicity of the Western world in allowing the devastation of Iraq. The British news source, "The Guardian" wrote an eloquent piece regarding Mr. Pinter's address and how emotionally evocative it was. And it is. Should you wish to view his speech go to the Dossier's website http://www.thedossier.ukonline.co.uk/video_iraqwar.htm ... to see it and appreciate his wisdom. His acting ability does come into play with Mr. Pinter's dramatic pauses and gestures, but the message is important. Please take the time to view this forty-nine minute video and appreciate that he used considerable effort in the face of his illness to deliver a message he obviously considers worth the drain on his energies. http://nobelprize.org/literature/laureates/2005/pinter-lecture-e.html Marie-France Germain Subject: Oh, surprise, US put Wolfowitz in for a reason ... and like the US's foreign aid isn't politicized now..... is everyone living on the moon? The US ONLY "threatens", "warns", or just goes in and bombs.... it doesn't give money to countries that condone abortion, so now it will be countries that condone condoms, or countries where people have green eyes, where religion is not part of the school curriculum, where the rich don't get tax breaks or where the poor are left to die - it will only give money to those that are just like the USA..... Bush plans overhaul of foreign aid system (Financial Times/msnbc) A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Look at the Old Democratic Party- Voices from the Grave Back in 1944 we had a dream: http://www.usmm.net/avc-mast45.html ... and the Democratic Party, despite the negative pressures of the cold war, realized a good portion of that dream, and so, we developed a way of life which stimulated much of the rest of the world to admire and attempt to emulate us. We could stand proud. Unfortunately, in the long, bitter, battle of the cold war, while constantly living under the threat of "MAD", -mutual assured destruction-, we adopted the idea that the ends justified the means. What we didn't realize is that ends are merely goals, but means, they are a way of life. Thus it was, that as we did, so did we become. So it was, that we not only lost that dream, but became that very evil thing which we had been fighting all those years to defeat. We lost our self respect and principles to such an extent that the Party did, much as did Neville Chamberlain in Munich, chose the course of appeasement and got in bed with those very people we despised. History has shown that people who believe in a principle will be prepared to die for it. In what principle does the Democratic Party now believe? For what principle are the "leaders" of the Democratic Party prepared to risk political death? Certainly they have of late shown no inclination to defend the Constitution of The United States and the Nation whose legal foundation it is, and have shown such lack of heart and courage, and embraced such cowardice and opportunism, as to have allowed our nation to slide towards becoming a totalitarian fascist state. Aye. We had a dream back in 1944, and our descendents in the 21 Century have betrayed that dream. I hang my head in shame for what you children have done with our dream. God help America. the Democratic Party won't. Arthur M. Howard Subject: A Policy Of Dishonesty Most children are taught at an early age that lying is wrong. Some learned this lesson easily and quickly. Some of us did not. A child in trouble has a natural tendency to lie like a rug. Let’s see, tell the truth and get punished or lie and get away with it. We who have the 10 Commandments as a part of our religion are also taught not to bear false witness. We are stuck between two absolute rules that it is wrong to lie. As the years go by and the rules are reinforced at home and at church you get the idea that honesty really is the best policy. You don’t have to worry about getting “found out” when you tell the truth. As a teenager you can have the sheer fun of watching your parents hair turn grey right before your eyes as you confess to something they didn’t know about. Some parents make the punishment less severe as a “reward” for telling the truth. Finally it’s just so much easier if you don’t have to remember what you said. Telling the truth gets to be a part of your “character.” Honesty is the best policy because it’s the easiest policy. You can also feel smug and superior. Some kids never learned these simple facts. They grew up to be politicians. If they managed to hang on to honesty as an elected official at the local level they then went to Washington and had an honesty liposuction to become a “Washington Insider”. They know that they are supposed to be representing the folks back home. They know that they took an oath and made other inconvenient promises. They know but they submit to the siren song of being one of the rich, powerful insiders. The present band of liars, cheats, and scoundrels in our nation's capital are mostly members of the Republican Party. Why bribe a Democrat? What could they deliver? The party in power is more corrupt because they have something to sell. We have dishonest politicians who are covered by dishonest reporters who report to apathetic and disinterested citizens. Does anyone think this is a good thing? Marjorie L. Swanson Subject: I Want It took a while, I admit it, but I know why Bush not only appears not to care about veterans, New Orleans, the economy, Iraq, and many other matters. He really doesn't because of consequences. If you have a small child, you tell them not to touch the hot skillet when Mom is cooking. If they're willful, they try it anyway, and get their fingers burned. That's reinforcement, because there were consequences. For the entire life of Bush, there have been no consequences. I wanna go to a special school and be a BMOC. I don't want to go to Viet nam. Now I don't want to finish my military service. I want a baseball team. I don't want to pay for it. I want to run this oil company the way I wish. I want to be Governor. I want to be President. I want to kill Saddam. I want to change Social Security and Medicare. I want my judges and I want them now. I want to give my friends things so they will like me. I don't want to hear anyone contradict me. I don't want to think about Global Warming. I want to be a War President. Sounds like a spoiled child, doesn't it? Congratulations, now you know how Bush thinks. It's time to teach the spoiled child that there are consequences. Mike Curtis Subject: Cory Maye Here is a link to a story out of Mississippi, that reaks of racism. Police breakdown the door of the wrong apartment. Black man fears for like of himself and daughter. Shoots policeman, who dies. Cop is chiefs son, man gets death penalty. The Jury deliberated about an hour to come back with guilty verdict. Jerry CLICK HERE FOR PART 2 OF THE DECEMBER 12, 2005 BUZZFLASH MAILBAG
|
|||
| back to top | |||