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| February 14, 2006 |
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The BuzzFlash Mailbag The opinions expressed in the Mailbag are not necessarily those of BuzzFlash. More reader opinion is at "Contributors." You can write to Mailbag at http://www.BuzzFlash.com/contact/mail.html. Guidelines for submissions are at BuzzFlash FAQ #18. THIS IS PART 2 OF THE FEBRUARY 14, 2006 BUZZFLASH MAILBAG. CLICK HERE FOR PART 1 Subject: Bottom Line ... What we NEED is to tip the scale of the majority!!! nothing more ... from there, all things are possible. "The outrage is already there as well as the evidence." Brad Subject: Braveheart Revisited During the movie "Braveheart," Mel Gibson, playing William Wallace, spoke the following along the line of these words to his wavering forces....."Leave this battle and ye shall live. But lying on your death bed many years from now, not one of you, would give up everyday between now and then, for a chance to have fought your enemies this very day." I wonder how many Americans, who choose not to fight for Freedom today, will be lying on their Death Beds, in New America.....where George W. Bush is the all powerful dictator, citizens serve the government to benefit Big Business, and freedom is a shadowy memory....Would not give up their last days to have stood up to the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of our government the day George W. Bush ripped up the constitution and wiped his arse with it? Tim Krause Subject: LA times articles on jobs in last Sunday's opinion section I do hope you caught the article in last Sunday's Opinion section that contrary to Bush claiming 2 billion more jobs because of his tax cuts--that most of these jobs were from bloated government expanding its own jobs and spending. In fact, the article points out he has lost 800,000 jobs in the last five years. I may have missed the article on your website if you have already covered this. It was an interesting article. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Mehlman vs. reality Oh, that Mehlman boy... Always amusing with his outlandish pronouncements on the state of American affairs. Whenever he surfaces from his burrow to make a statement, we are left to marvel at his ability to ignore reality. Simply stunning, he. To hear him say that we should "question" the Democrats' skills in keeping Americans safe is hilarious, in a sad kind of way. Luckily, while Mehlman is busy questioning, in his confused mind, the Democrats' ability to keep our country safe, the rest of us can indulge in quite solid certainty on the Republicans' *inability and unwillingness* to perform these exact same duties. And that's because we have ample and growing, by leaps and bounds, evidence that Republicans, when left with unchecked power in their hands, will use it to fill their pockets, damn the safety and well-being of their fellow Americans. The horrors of 9/11, Iraq war, and Katrina all happened during the Republican rule, exposing their negligence, oblivion and dishonesty in dealing with matters of national security. So let Mehlman wonder about Democrats; fortunately (or not, really), we do not have to question Republicans' skills and commitment to our safety and well-being -- we already know where they stand. Elizabeth Subject: Reply To Scott of Fayetteville Ark. (three Years Left) I truly believe you are right about the hatred of Bush and his demagogues. It's taken me a long time to admit to this fact. The evidence is also overwhelming that approximately forty per cent of the American people support bush no matter how corrupt and malicious his policies are. They are total enablers and complicit in the criminal and hate-filled acts Bush has propagated against America and the Constitution. No matter how criminal or heinous his policies are they see them as only righteous attacks against Democrats, liberals and sinners. This hatred is imbedded deep within the souls of millions of our fellow citizens. They would rather see America completely destroyed before allowing any quarter to us, the enemy! I truly believe they would riot in the streets if Bush or Cheney were ever made to account for and pay for their crimes. The republicans and media (Fox) have fostered and nurtured this hatred for years. It reached its peak immediately after Bush One lost the presidency to Clinton. Forty percent of the population to include the fundamentalist christian right wing will never forgive us for kicking him out of office. The sad and dangerous fact, though, is that bush still has three years left to further destroy the middle class, completely cripple our social programs to include Social Security, and change the laws of the land to his liking. He has already saddled our children and grandchildren with untold debt and literally bankrupted our treasury. Pity the poor fool that raises taxes to bring back fiscal responsibility. We also must admit to the fact that Bush enablers are also present within our own ranks and are hell bent on weakening and destroying the Democratic Party. This is a stated, proven strategy that's been in place for quite some time now. Scott I urge you and others also to take a hard look at the voting patterns of our two Arkansas Senators. They have consistently rubber stamped Bush's policies, to include stacking the courts, while feeding off the Democratic teat. It's going to be a long hard road back if even achievable. The 2006 elections will determine the fate of our party but most crucial the fate of our nation as we've come to know it. With the strength of the republican election apparatus and the acquiescence of our leaders I don't hold out much hope. Hope I'm badly mistaken? Lawton Watson Subject: NSA Spying, Bribery and the Cult of Bush In light of Jimmy Carter's comments at the King funeral, why hasn't anyone suggested that the NSA is actually spying on Republicans and broadcasters? Like Hoover, Bush may be actually bribing people with the info they gather. This may be why we can't get good news reported, why congressmen go along with the craziest ideas, why there is such strong loyalty. Remember the Franklin cover-up of 1988? Bribery by a lobbyist and the co-opted who photograph and videotape politicians and foreign dignitaries for money and legislation is not unheard of. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: New Idea For The Abortion Issue Here's a new idea for the war on a woman's right to make her own decisions (it's only somewhat tongue-in-cheek): Since the only way that a woman would need an abortion is if a MAN got her pregnant (I doubt many women would go through artificial insemination only to seek an abortion), here's a suggestion. I strongly recommend that we women require all men to have a vasectomy when they turn 12. Vasectomies are reversible so we would not be breaking any religious taboos, we would insure an instantaneous drop in teen pregnancy, and put an end to the abortion problem. When men get married and they are ready to have children, they simply get their vasectomies reversed for the time they want to procreate. Then, back to doc's. The world would be a much better place. But seriously, we need to rephrase the argument. We need to be calling for men to take a larger responsibility on the issue of unwanted pregnancy. It's not so much abortion (though, being female, it is an incredibly personal issue that has nothing to do with anyone else), but the idea IS that women get impregnated ONLY by having sex with men - hence, the men need to be far more responsible. Let's change the discussion. Every time a right-wing anti-personal-choice know-nothing tries to get their point across, we need to respond with, "It's true that abortion is a problem, which is why we are calling upon the men of our country to stand up and take real responsibility for what they have or could create." It's time for men to show restraint and sensibility - it's not just their "whoopee" at stake here. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Lieberman & McCain Hey Buzz, Regarding "The Joe Lieberman and Sean Hannity lovefest--what could the congressman be thinking?" I think we should all give Joe a break. Isn't it obvious that, like Patty Hearst, he's suffering from the Stockholm Syndrome? He took such a mauling during the Florida recount that he now identifies with his tormentors. Apparently, Al Gore was strong enough to avoid the temptation. I think Joe should take a leave from politics, a long leave, and get some much-needed therapy. I think John McCain has the same problem. After the way the Bushies went after him in the 2000 primaries, there can be no other explanation for his fawning and hugging of George Bush. You know what they say about make-up sex? Must work the same way with politics. Having been imprisoned and tortured in Vietnam, while Cheney & Bush were safely in the States, he just didn't have it left in him to go through it again. OK, what kind of trouble am I going to get in? This e-mail is coming to you from outside your country. Hi, NSA readers. Patty Coombs Subject: Evolution Vs. Creationism Dear BuzzFlash: At the risk of alienating some of your Christian readers who do not believe in evolution, I must write to say that from outside the United States, the view of extreme Christian fundamentalism (Their Own Version of a Big Bang) looks about as equally fanatical as looking at the extreme fundamentalism of Islam. While knowing that extremism is a very small element in any society or culture, the ease with which it spreads is alarming, especially when inculcated in the youth of that society. One does, however, realize that the most extreme of convictions are the most noteworthy and therefore, newsworthy because of the drama and that distorts the view of the average person. One hopefully understands that the possibly fifteen percent of a total may fall under that category of extremism colours the view of the eighty-five percentile remaining. If not, that is the seed for future enmity and violence that is begotten because of the fear that the few sow in the many who are unaware. Throughout my life, I have always noted that the American society was far more religiously based than the Canadian, but it never has been so pervasive as it is now and it seems that the United States is not only wishing to bestow violence upon other nations, but also to bulldoze them with god. Neither is the way to win friends unwilling to embrace violence or religiosity. The manner in which your country presents is the epitome of a bully. Please, do everything you can to unseat this murderous administration! And should you ever find yourself in possession of a book entitled "Our Inner Ape" by Frans de Waal, read it and understand how close the analogy between chimp and humans is. Marie-France Subject: Caution: Not To Be Taken Literally On January 31, 2006 Bush gave his state of the Union Address. Among the issues he touched on, he said we were addicted to oil and had to break the habit. On February 1, 2006 (less than 24 hours later) - Bush Administration officials told us this was not to be taken literally, it was only placed in terms which the American People could understand. Bush didn't really mean we had to break the oil habit. It was a figure of speech? Not to be taken literally? This week, Bush gave a speech in L.A. (presumably to defend the domestic spying program), he cited a 2002 plot to fly a plan into buildings in L.A., went into more detail than usual and told of how the plot was stopped. ... Mayor Villaraigosa had requested meetings with Bush in the past to discuss Homeland Security issues and as of yet there has been no meeting. However - Homeland Security officials said Bush was only giving a speech and that there was no direct threat to Los Angeles at present. Just another figure of speech? Not to be taken literally? We seem to be entering a variation of spin. Previously, when Bush has been questioned on the "truthfulness" of his statements, they have been quick to cover it up by saying "the President misspoke." Now the spin is "it wasn't meant to be taken literally." Just a metaphor, figure of speech, a hypothetical scenario, random musings..... Does this mean when Bush said Iraq had WMD's, and Rumsfeld said he knew exactly where they were - that they didn't mean it literally? Another metaphor, figure of speech, a hypothetical scenario, random musings.....? What about the Axis of Evil list? Metaphor, figure of speech, a hypothetical scenario, random musings.....? Trickle-Down economics? Metaphor, figure of speech, a hypothetical scenario, random musings.....? How about his statements regarding "not knowing Ken Lay or Jack Abramoff"? Metaphor, figure of speech, a hypothetical scenario, random musings.....? We've been told since the 2000 campaign that Bush is a straight-shooter. Was that also just a metaphor, figure of speech, a hypothetical scenario, random musings.....? Perhaps the media should be running a disclaimer when broadcasting a Bush speech. Warning: Not to be taken literally. Or perhaps the press corps, when questioning Bush or designated spokespeople, "Can we take that literally? or is it just a metaphor, figure of speech, a hypothetical scenario, random musings.....? " A frightening hypothetical scenario to consider - when Bush took the oath of office and swore to defend and uphold the Constitution of the United States - did he mean it metaphorically and not to be taken literally? Dory Hippauf Subject: Gay marriage Has anyone at BuzzFlash or its readers ever got a straight answer from conservatives as to what banning gay marriage is supposed to "protect" us from? Mark Subject: National Forest Give-a-way I'm curious... What are the chances the following two (2) items are connected?
Connect the dots... The powerful Koch boys from Kansas, patron saints of several right wing think tanks and a source of funding for the Republican Party now control the country's largest privately held company. Last year, in a move that does not bode well for the nation's forests, the Koch brothers of Kansas engineered a $13.2 billion buyout of forest products producer Georgia Pacific Corporation, making their company, Koch Industries, the nation's largest privately held company. According to the Toronto Globe and Mail, Koch's purchase of Georgia Pacific would vault Koch past food producer Cargill Inc. as the largest privately held company in the United States, with $80-billion in revenue. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Ann Coulter Ann Coulter recently used an unfortunate choice of words to publicly vilify Muslims. She called them "ragheads." Tell me Ann, who is the one with a rag on? See how this name-calling deteriorates into verbal brawling? What happened to the people who were going to bring decorum back to the arena of politics? The Evil Michael J Fowler Subject: What You Can Do Disconnect your cable TV, stop shopping at the malls, stop going to major sporting events (the Super Bowl was fixed for crying out loud), buy gas from Citgo, put bumper stickers on your car, and demonstrate and march whenever you can. I like the idea of demonstrators holding yellow crime-scene tape and surrounding government buildings and symbols with it. You won't see results immediately, especially in the media, but they will come. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: "Scandal Fatigue"? Try "Morality Fatigue," a Rove Production Hi, Last fall I was thinking of what Karl Rove might dream up to help with all the WH scandals, and that was when I came up with this crazy little cartoon. I called it "Morality Fatigue." I think the people who are seriously worried that we can not focus our energies on ALL the crimes of the WH ought to take a long look at this and then consider who might be out there spreading the idea that America just can not be bothered to take the time to care about stuff like illegal domestic wiretaps or the poor people of NOLA or the plight of third world Muslims AT THE SAME TIME. I believe that outrage is additive, not exclusive. Anyone who recalls the Nixon administration will agree with me. "Scandal fatigue" explains why Rove is able to use his favorite strategy of using the smoke from one fire to hide the smoke from a different fire in the press--there is only so much copy space or air time. But the human mind has infinite memory and recall--and limitless capacity for outrage. Anyway, check this one out. http://www.grandtheftelectionohio.com/050613.htm McCamy Taylor Did MSNBC fail to announce that Chris Matthews has taken Jeff Gannon/Guckert’s place as Bush toady-boy for the media? Because if he hasn’t, I’m a little confused as to how his job has been so thoroughly transformed from anything resembling journalism into pure “We Heart Our Dear Leader” propaganda. Is he going for a job at Fox? Is he on drugs? Is Rush missing some of his stash? Because there is something downright creepy about Matthews' slobbering, overly cheerful proclamations of how we all really love/like/support/trust Bush. He’s gone full time into Hannity Fantasyland; a place most Americans don’t live or want to come anywhere near. I mean, seriously, c’mon; there is something seriously wrong with him proclaiming that everyone "really like’s Bush personally, except for far left Michael Moore-type activists." No, we don’t, not at a time when more than half the country believes we were lied into an unnecessary war, we don’t. Not when the Vietnamization of our communities has begun, with all of us now starting to have personal knowledge of the death and destruction the Bush Administration has brought us. Is he getting his talking points from Frank Luntz? I watch him and I feel like this is a man in serious need of cult deprogramming. Matthews has become an unabashed professional liar and I am done watching his show. Matthews: Breaking the law may be "part of the job" of president (01/13/2006) Wasting little time, Matthews repeated spy program falsehoods immediately after SOTU(02/01/2006) Wash. Times, Matthews guest falsely suggested courts have upheld warrantless domestic surveillance (01/09/2006) Matthews falsely claimed that Bush's 2004 comment denying warrantless wiretaps was "pre-9-11"(02/06/2006) Ruth Lopez Subject: Democracy in Iraq I like that title, always start with a joke. There will not be Democracy in Iraq. There will only be a different Saddam, one we support to rape and torture. Imagine, Iraq has an election with the question being, should America leave Iraq 100%? And the vote was 100% Yes. Do you think we would leave? Not on your life. Bush is doing everything in his power to get rid of Democracy here. Laura, his Stepford wife, says Hillary is out of bounds to tell the truth about her idiot husband. Because we all know Republicans were never harsh on Clinton. So Democracy in Iraq has as much a chance as a Cheney hunting partner. Ken Swann Subject: Cheney shoots man on hunting trip no joke, member of gang who couldn't Cheney. Now a member of the gang that could not shoot straight. Do you know if ever a VP or President ever shot someone while in office or out of office? Time for him to hang it up. If found negligent, how about jail time and a fine? Capone jailed on income tax not on his other activities as an example of how to end up with some justice. However, my guess is that the person shot will be paid under the table not to pursue a lawsuit. What do you think? Karen Subject: Partisan hacks Hey Buzz - I'm getting real weary of certain cretin Congressional Republican hacks masquerading, (that is to say, trying to pass themselves off ), as true statesmen and patriots. Case in point. Senator Drone from Kansas, making his cameo appearance on Meet the Press today, and harping on ad nauseum about the briefings which the Administration so magnanimously granted to a handful of Senate and House members. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/ Now let me get this straight. The Administration presents its one-sided version of its activities in a few briefings to a few members of Congress, and the obligation of Congressional oversight is satisfied? Here's what the Rove Administration is really saying to Senator Drone and his esteemed colleagues on the Hill, in case Senator Drone is really interested: "Okay, Rubes. Here is what we did, and you're just going to have to accept our word for it. You're just going to have to accept it that what we're telling you is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. We are not now engaging, nor have we ever engaged, in any abuses of power; and, what's more, we would never even think of doing such a thing. Like spying on Americans with no connection to terrorism - but who disagree with us - so that we can dig up dirt to discredit them, for example. So don't even think it. End of story. Now, take a hike. Oh, but have a nice day!" And this passes for "oversight" in Senator Drone's book. Well, I've got a novel idea for you, Senator Drone. How about you rise above your abject hackery and imbibe that hallowed nectar of true patriotism and statesmanship? That is to say, how about you discharge your duty to protect the Constitution and our sacred Democracy? Thank you. God bless you. And God bless America. Best regards, G. Will Hunter Subject: re: the gang that couldn't shoot straight... Yep, and they all mocked John Kerry when he bought new hunting gear. Funny thing is, Kerry hit everything he aimed at and they were all birds. Do you think Cheney took one of those NRA hunting safety courses? Liz Subject: Another letter to the editor, and Iraq news, for mailbag Dear Buzzers - The Boston Globe on Saturday had 2 news stories and a column about Katrina and the news that the Bush administration's response was even more inept than we first knew.
We can't let any of these stories get off our radar screen. Bravo to Sibel Edmonds for her letter to Porter Goss. Colleen Clark Subject: get buzzers to fill out this survey!!! Buzz, the following was a letter posted on whatreallyhappened.com. Please, please, please, pretty please, sugar and cream on strawberries, post this link. http://www.dccc.org/get_involved/dccc_survey_02102006 If your readers answer it, it will be verrry interesting! ... It is a survey for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. I filled it out and mostly made 'other' comments like 'GET A SPINE! GET NEW BLOOD THAT WILL FIGHT!!!' You need to get all your fans to slam these guys - they want this to be a reasoned headbanger survey - get Buzzers to show some emotion & muscle !!! T. Quigly Subject: The End of the Internet? Dear Buzz -- I wrote (and the mailbag published) a warning similar to this several days ago. This article in The Nation simply confirms what I've already said. Unfortunately, although The Nation urges that we contact our Senators and Representatives, we're going to lose this battle unless we figure out some other strategies (for example, living in GA, I have ONE Democratic rep, and he's wilted fast and will not take a meaningful stand. Yeah, I voted for him -- but now I wish I'd stayed home. He's a wimp! His name, BTW, is John Barrow. Meanwhile, they've gutted Athens by carving it in half, assigning the west side to one Republican-secure county and the east side to the other. In other words, Barrow can't be counted on to win unless he "repents" and turns Republican. I'm forwarding this because we progressives CANNOT afford to lose Internet access. Obviously (and I know this from personal contact with other regular writers to the Mailbag, who are, like me, struggling financially) WE would be the people shut out of the Internet. And that, of course, would make the Net a toy for the rich (along with -- obviously -- cutting off OUR voices).
Please ask people -- I know you have a wide audience -- for suggestions on how to deal with this situation. And please provide YOUR suggestions/strategies. This situation is far more dangerous than most people realize. As I said in my Mailbag letter last week, they're out to get us, as in shutting off our networking capabilities. Congress is a flock of sheep, and we can't rely on it to stop this attempt to further curtail our First Amendment rights. We need to come up with some workable strategies and tactics. How is Buzz reacting to this news? Barbara Lee (Barb) Blazyk Subject: Re: Cheney incident Just exactly who is paying for a full time ambulance, doctor and nurse to follow Cheney around wherever he goes???? A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: "How You Spell Victory..." The Indy Voice has linked to articles by the conservative Paul Craig Roberts in the past but this one is really eye opening, Nuking the Economy (counterpunch) It is time for liberals to grab the mantle of immigration policy reform. Liberals need to communicate to people that the policies of the Bush administration effectively reward the greed of the governments of other nations who starve their people to the point that the backbone of their societies must escape to manual labor jobs in the U.S. to the detriment of the U.S. worker, the economy and cause harm to the ability of our government to provide the resources and services that Americans have come to take for granted. Liberals have to ask themselves, what is the true value of the rule of law when illegal immigration is met with a yawn? We DO NOT have to go to the extreme of building a wall across the borders of the southern U.S., which would be cost prohibitive, isolationist, incite more racism, ensure indefinite future conflict and would basically be a complete logistical failure but our government needs to apply REAL (financial, political, etc.) pressure on the governments of other countries who, for too long, have gotten away with using our country as a relief valve so that their people don't reach the tipping point of revolution. This country is facing a major problem which is easily observable by anyone with a 5th grade economics lesson on the effects of supply and demand. A major thrust of the problem comes from the illegal supply of labor to employers in this country who have effectively outsourced (or in this case, "insourced") labor to foreign countries by employing the illegal emigrants of those countries here. Employers have been able to hire on a seemingly unending supply of not only extremely cheap labor but a labor force that is completely politically and economically detached from issues like workers rights, the right to organize and worker's safety and doesn't have to pay into systems that depend on collective efficiencies like Worker's Compensation, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the country's infrastructure and generally speaking, most taxes. Almost any employer that can get away with hiring this type of laborer will and will do so in place of the American worker who won't, shouldn't and can't financially and physically afford to. Consider just some of the values that liberals hold dear, like worker and human rights and how advocating a policy which contradicts the Bush administration's would allow them to be upheld. Advocating illegal immigration reform would be tantamount to a Scrabble triple word score for Victory - with the victors being our way of life, our values and forcing the governments of other countries to work on behalf of their people instead of forcing them to escape to the U.S. To continue the present policy of indifference would be to forget the human, civil and workers rights reasons why people are leaving their native countries to work here and it would continue to ignore the tangible political and economic implications that it has on the people that already live and work here. Globalization, unregulated free markets and the resulting outsourcing of labor to foreign markets combined with the "insourcing" of labor to illegal immigrants are a recipe for disaster and are the causes of the problems that Mr. Roberts describes. These problems are not going to go away anytime soon and they'll never go away if future administrations continue to follow the same failed policies. The Indy Voice Cheney's Got a Gun... Cheney's got a gun Run away, run away from the pace-maker JFW Subject: How many smoking guns does it take to topple this corrupt and lying
Administration? Present them with FACTS, and they: --vehemently deny it --accuse you of partisanship --refuse to investigate --stall when asked for documentation --delete emails, "lose" documents, and threaten whistleblowers Yawn. Next outrage, please, so the press can run with it for a day or two, then bury it. How many smoking guns does it take to topple this Administration? Answer: none. Scream all you want, the ones "in control" will decide what does and does not constitute importance. I shudder to think it may already be too late. But: More and more people are speaking out. Some news pundits are expressing muted outrage. There are so many transgressions and manipulations of the law and our Constitution, it's impossible to track them all. We scream, we write letters, we march, we protest, to no avail. What is one to do? I smell a revolution coming. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: RE: Monday's editorial You said it all -- except for one thing: we progressives out here DO put our asses on the line (and, yes, I realize that we don't have the power of members of Congress) every day. However, I also realize that, if we can find a way to keep the Internet "free" (except for monthly service charges, which most of us pay) to express our views -- I forwarded The Nation's article on this subject, though I've written letters previously about the threat looming over our unwealthy heads) we have NO WAY to stop the steamroller. If I were conventionally religious, I'd wish all the DLC-ers a million years in purgatory. (I'm sure you can guess where I'd send the Repukelicans! Like, for all eternity!!) Again, sorry for the rant. But congratulations for openly stating the facts of the situation that confronts us right now. Obviously, we can't rely on enough members of either "major party" to act in our best interests. It's time for another American Revolution -- and we'd better start by retaining our access to the Internet. Barbara Lee (Barb) Blazyk Subject: Cheney Shooting! If it were not so serious it would almost be funny the way the entire matter was handled. First, Cheney's office doesn't notify the media until 24 hours after the shooting when the story was already out. Then the victim Whittington won't make a statement "out of respect for Cheney." Owner of the ranch says she's been peppered many times herself, I guess this is to minimize the shooting so it won't look too bad for Cheney. The the media claims the victim is "very stable", how in hell are you very stable? I guess like very dead or very pregnant. Either you're stable or not. This too is to minimize the shooting for Cheney's benefit. And last but certainly not least the media comes very close to blaming the victim for getting in Cheney's line of fire. See "and by god Harry was in the line of fire and got peppered pretty good. How dare Harry! After the media finishes fawning poor Cheney will be the victim. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Massive Civil Disobedience Dear BuzzFlash; I agree wholeheartedly with Michael DiBari of New Orleans whose letter [Mailbag, 2/9/06 Part 2] suggested massive civil disobedience. However, the only thing I would add is we should consider doing something around the time of the elections, instead of the summer. People may not be able to afford more than one chance to participate in something like this and if we do something too early, it may be ignored when it really matters. Thank you for your idea Michael, and thank you BuzzFlash for posting it. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Cheney (satire) After the shooting in Texas, the Vice President's office announced that Cheney visited his recuperating friend "and that he was pleased to see that he was in good spirits and fine." Skeptical reporters immediately began checking the local funeral homes. Police investigating the incident asked the Vice President what type of weapon the wounded hunter had. By force of habit, Cheney replied: "a WMD." The elder Mrs. Bush upon hearing of the shooting while quail hunting, quipped: "I didn't know he hated Harry that much." Asked what he was thinking when he shot a man coming out of the brush, Cheney replied, "I thought he was an undercover reporter." A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Re: Maureen Farrell's 2/13 article, Detention Camp Jitters Dear Buzzers: I realize I'm preaching to the choir here, but there's no one else who will listen, at least here in GA. I also admit that (having been forced into minoring in history rather than in cellular biology in college; English majors were not ALLOWED to minor in sciences at the time) I had to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into reading about Nazism and Fascism at the time. But I have a good memory. And there's nothing like deja vu (as Yogi Berra put it, "all over again) to start the alarm bells sounding. I remember (since I also taught children's literature -- we called it "Kiddie Lit" -- to education majors at Boston State College -- reading stories about Japanese families who were transported to internment camps. This (I mean my teaching experience) occurred during the later years of the Vietnam War. I'd literally never even KNOWN that this had happened, and I was appalled when I found out. I am equally appalled to know that plans are underway to intern people like US, simply for pointing out the truth. As I said earlier (last week), they -- the neocons -- want to bar us from free access to the Internet. Now, thanks to Maureen Farrell (maybe she'll be one cell over from mine, and we'll hear each other scream when they torture us) -- sorry; as Buzzers who know me realize, sardonic humor is my way of dealing with imminent disaster -- they also claim the right to imprison, without charges, without traces, of us dissenters. I wish I had the funding to write a movie, with a scenario showing the Founding Fathers and their followers arising from their graves and marching on the current establishment. Think about what they'd have to say to the neocon about the state of our so-called "democracy" -- or, to be more accurate, "democratic republic." Both terms have been reduced to lip-service-only gibberish. And where -- as you Buzzers and I repeatedly ask -- are the Democrats in this fight? Playing it safe -- for THEMSELVES, not for US -- and sucking up to the power system that's already shredded at least half of our Constitution. As you also know (if you've read my earlier letters), I protested -- very publicly -- and earned my very own FBI file during the 70s. In addition to demonstrating and attending meetings presided over by Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn, and singing with Pete Seeger -- I'm sure all of THEM have FBI files too -- I "donated" -- no questions asked -- the use of my phone number (I still have no idea what it was used for, but I knew, even in my 20s, that the cause was just) as a conduit to conceal the whereabouts of Daniel Ellsberg when he was hiding out after the publication of "The Pentagon Papers." I realized, even back then, that extraordinary measures were necessary. That is even more true today than it was in the 70s. WHAT CAN WE DO TO PREVENT THIS?? I don't have kids, but those of you who DO should seriously examine what kind of society (a euphemism for dictatorship) YOUR kids will inherit if we, admittedly a minority, don't find a way to stop this bunch. Barbara Lee (Barb) Blazyk Subject: Cheney Shoots Someone Else Without WMDs Hospitals are required by law to report all shootings, even accidental ones. Why didn't the hospital that admitted Cheney's target Whittington to ICU do so? Paul S. Cilwa [BuzzFlash Note: Maybe they did?] Subject: jesus god!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Monday) re: cheney shooting someone jesus god! i can't believe i just saw alan simpson on hard ball saying it was the victim's fault! he said the man should have known better than to be where he was at the time! he spent ten minutes telling us what a great shot cheney is, what a great hunter cheney is and it was all the fault of the guy who was shot! we nearly fell out of our chairs laughing! diane and don Subject: Support Our Troops How many of our troops have been killed or maimed in the past ten months by IED’s (Improvised Explosive Devices) while transporting supplies on the roads and streets in Iraq? From the score keeping internet web sites I learned that 645 of our troops were killed and 1657 were wounded. The 1657 that were wounded does not count the ones that were entitled to Purple Hearts but were RTD (Returned To Duty). I only counted the ones that were amputees or otherwise incapacitated to the degree that they were no longer fit for duty. Statistics show that approximately 50% of the total killed and seriously maimed were caused by IED’s. Therefore the IED’s during the past ten months killed 323 of our troops and seriously maimed 829. Today, February 12, 2006, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Pentagon has a device that was tested that was NINETY percent effective in destroying IED’s BEFORE they could do any harm! It is a robot controlled vehicle, similar to a golf cart that moves ahead of the convoy and can effectively trigger an IED in its path by zapping it with an electrical charge. Also, for the fiscally conservative minded, the cost of each device would be about the same as the vehicle saved from destruction. A zero sum factor for the bean counters but a God send for the troops! Before we start cheering you must hear (as Paul Harvey would say) the rest of the story. The title of the LAT item says it all. From the Los Angeles Times Bomb Buster for Iraq Hits Pentagon Snag Army brass says a device that destroyed 90% of roadside explosives in tests needs further study. Marine Corps decides to bypass the bureaucracy. By Mark Mazzetti Times Staff Writer Once again or better still, the leadership is bogged down like an intrepid Cheechako stuck in the mud flats of the Cook Inlet on an incoming tide. This LIFE-SAVING device was tested and found NINETY PERCENT effective TEN MONTHS AGO!! There is one other calculation to make. If this device was proved to be that effective that means that 90 % of our boys and girls that were killed and maimed in that 10 month period would have been SAVED!!! That means 291 of our kids were killed and 746 are now needlessly made basket cases because one hell of a lot of somebodies screwed up!!! Just because this info has surfaced doesn’t mean that all is now wonderful any more than we have a lot of happy Katrina victims. If you don’t want to be part of the ‘screw-up camp’ and you really do want to support our service people then I suggest you start giving our representatives in Washington a little direction. Write and/or call your reps and tell them our troops need those JINs (Joint IED Neutralizer) NOW! For more information, including a video, go to the manufacture’s web site. http://www.ionatron.net/default.aspx?id=103 Evan Cundiff Does anyone in the Bush white house ever just admit they made a mistake? ss Subject: Answer To Your Last Question Apparently for the same reason that the fox guarding the hen house will have chicken fricassee for dinner each day! The farmer just doesn't care, anymore... A BuzzFlash Reader
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