October 2, 2002
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Subj: It's official - the US is a Banana Republic
Dear BuzzFlash,
One of the evening talking head news programs last night was covering the west coast dock workers strike. I quote the female head as closely as memory allows:
"Ships are backed up and idle, waiting to deliver cars and electronics, and to pick up fruit and lumber."
FRUIT AND LUMBER!
If that's not the exact trading pattern of a Banana Republic, I don't know what is. How many boat loads of FRUIT AND LUMBER (chuckle; snort; guffaw) do you think it takes to pay for a boat load of cars and electronics?
Man, oh man! The Bush Junta just needs to start wearing bandoliers, swilling rum, and smoking big, honking cigars.
Bob Shearer
Dear BuzzFlash,
Being a Korea war veteran I just want to give you this war report that was in the newspapers on 12-11-44. The war department gave this account on the number of casualties suffered by the American servicemen and their families. 46,518 Dead. 76,391 Wounded. 42,748 missing. 35,796 Prisoners of War. If Hussein has the weapons that Bush says he has then these numbers could be repeated if Bush gets his war because this war will not end any way soon. Any American captured by Saddam Hussein will be tortured by inhuman means because this guy has nothing to lose and he will torture the Americans beyond belief but Bush does not care about this and neither does CNN, FOX, MSNBC and all of the other news networks. I say to all of these protesters and their organizations that they need to get after the news media because they support Bush and his war and they will report little or nothing about these protests because they don't care.
Sincerely
Thomas
Jelf
Lexington,
Ky
Dear BuzzFlash,
Media has been covering story of killing of Fort Bragg wives by returning soldiers from Afghanistan, including Special Ops forces, and have suggested that anti-malaria drug may contribute, triggering violence. This needs to be put in context of Gulf Syndrome disease where Desert Storm soldiers got mysterious diseases and there was speculation that anti-anthrax drugs contributed, drugs not tested and that soldiers were guinea pigs for. Using US troops as guinea pigs for vaccinations should be unsettling, although probably other factors played into the Fort Bragg violence and Gulf War syndrome, such as, for the latter, exposure to depleted uranium shells that use used; exposure to chemical and biological weapons that US bombed in Iraq that might have caused contamination, desert diseases and other factors. One moral: Its DANGEROUS to your health and sanity to go fight a war in a desert.... Bush war adventures have their consequences, let's start testing drugs on the Bush chickenhawks and sent them to Iraq to see how they do....
ABCNEWS.com: Fort Bragg Killings Linked to Drug?
Ron
Dear BuzzFlash,
Today is a good day for me to refer to a USA Today article on page 4A dated March 1, 2002 about Global Crossing.
I refer to their contribution to the president's father for speaking fees, i.e.100,000 shares of stock four months before the company went public @19.00 a share that the Bush #1 made at least $4,5 million by selling the stock in 1999 and 2000.
Janet
Stuart
Jacksonville,
FL.
Buzz:
The American people should know that their president Bush is a deserter, technically speaking. I've seen quite a bit about his absence without leave (AWOL) from his national guard duties -- for over a year! That can be easily confirmed, it seems to me! So Bush was given some very major, indeed awesome, preferential treatment. After such a long absence, anyone else would have been charged with desertion and court martialed! And please recall that it was during a time of war, the Vietnam war (although undeclared), a war nonetheless, and at a time when a hell of a lot of other American young men were getting wounded and killed. Bush is a deserter and the American people ought to know that about their leader, so eager put us into a war.
I'm a Korean War veteran and my family lost three sons as a result of that war in Vietnam.
Phil Vargas
Subj: Malicious hate mail at IE America Radio....
Dear BuzzFlash,
Just received an email from Peter Werbe at IE America, the only radio station I know that shares with its viewers opposing views to the Bush Cartel.
Peter warned his listeners that IE America's email system has been "broken into" and "hate mail", using Werbe's and other's commentator signatures, were being sent out in their name (anti-Arab mail, etc).
It appears the right wing will stop at nothing to dispense their hate. What has this country become? Where have all the smiles, the handshakes, the trust and love that made America what it is? Where is the respect for all those youngsters who lie dying on the beaches of war, thinking of their mom's and loved ones in the last minutes of their life? Have we no more decency and respect left?
Such a sad time in this country.
Tim
Hartt
San Diego, CA
[BuzzFlash Note: Isn't it interesting that the GOP platform is so bankrupt and dishonest that Republicans are forced to convey their messages by yelling nonstop to drown or breaking the law to disrupt opposition voices? A sad, disgusting situation that is slowly changing as we expose their hypocrisies so the voting public can see the truth of the Republican's illegitimate agenda.]
Subj: Looky, Looky, look what i found or the tangle "web" we weave, Enron & Binladin
Dear BuzzFlash,
June, 1999: Enron announces an agreement to build a $140 million power plant in the Gaza Strip. One of the major financiers for the project comes from the Saudi Binladin Group, a company owned by Osama's family. This is the second attempted project between these two companies. 90% complete, the construction is halted because of Palestinian - Israeli violence and then Enron's bankruptcy. [Washington Post, 3/2/02]
A BuzzFlash Reader
Stalled Venture In Gaza Shows Enron's Daring
Power Project Ran Into Middle East Realities
by James V. Grimaldi
The Washington PostMarch 2, 2002
Enron Corp.'s foray into the Middle East three years ago was typically brazen and risk-taking. The Houston-based global energy company wanted to build a 136-megawatt power plant in the Gaza Strip and help the Palestinian Authority provide a stable and reliable source of electricity for 136,000 households for the next decade.
That alone might have given pause to investors worried about political instability, but the project hit a further snag when U.S. officials learned that a key investor in the plant had links to the Saudi Binladin Group, the Saudi Arabia construction company founded by the father of the international terrorist, Osama bin Laden.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A26217-2002Mar1?language=printer
Dear BuzzFlash,
I usually do not listen to talk radio. Today as I was waiting for someone in my car I turned on the radio and it was 790 on the dial with Sean Hannity (I think that is his name.) He was talking about Barbra Streisand and it was apparent that it was eating them alive that she was denouncing Bush,and raising money for the Democrats. There was someone else there but I did not catch his name. They were saying that she humiliated herself and I never did find out how or why. They were criticizing her spelling and/or knowledge of the English language. Never mind that we have a president who can hardly say two words without sounding pitiful.
They then brought Gore's name in the conversation as well as, Daschle, Kennedy, Bonior and Congressman McBride. The two Congressmen were referred to as Baghdad Bonior and Baghdad McBride.
They called Drudge on his hotline and he joined in. He told them Gore would be making a speech tomorrow about the economy and he said he had some of the contents to same. (How does he get this information?)They decided that since Gore could not get Bush on the war, he would go after the economy.
Drudge joined in with the others knocking Streisand, Gore, Daschle, Kennedy and Bonior and allowing the listeners to think they were all Un-American. You know the whole spin. This was the end of the Democrat party.
They sounded like they were on the brink of going mad or at least having a nervous breakdown.
Finally, they decided Barbra, et al., were destroying the Democrat party and that when it hits bottom, McCaulife (sp) would have to go. Oh, and Clinton wanted them to destroy the party so they could call him to help rescue them.
The New Jersey Senator, Torricelli, well they just thought it was terrible that the Democrats were trying to slip in someone new.
Bush they said was someone all Americans trusted.
I laughed the entire time. I could see that the Democrats have finally come alive. They sure shook up this crowd.
A reader.
Subj: CNN advocates Saddam's murder as stock market tonic
Dear BuzzFlash,
Stock gains for 2002? Dream on
You'd need the death of Saddam, a big pickup in tech orders, strong retail sales, etc., etc." and further, "To really get the kind of enthusiasm that would erase the losses for the year, we'd need to see Saddam dead..." quoting an analyst.
CNN: where human life is merely fodder for stock gains!
Dolores Dohm
Dear BuzzFlash,
I was reading about the US plans to "thwart" possible inspections in Iraq. Then I went into my living room. THE GREAT DICTATOR is showing tonight. And Chaplin's speech at the end fits as much today as it did then...
By Charlie Chaplin. Spoken in The Great Dictator (1940).
The way of life can be beautiful, but we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned men's souls -- has barricaded the world with hate -- has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical; our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.
Mike Curtis
Dear BuzzFlash,
From the Yahoo news article you headlined about the NJ senate race:
"Sen. William Frist, chairman of the Senate GOP campaign committee, said Republicans would consider appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court ( news - web sites) if the New Jersey court rules in favor of the Democrats."
First they appoint a President, now they want to appoint a Senate majority leader.
Moran
Denver
Subj: I'm curious . . .
Dear BuzzFlash,
The past few days it seemed like no matter which news channel I switched to, TV news people seemed incensed at the idea of Streisand raising money for the democrats and even more upset over the fact that she dare have an opinion. I'm curious why we never saw that anger over that crazy "my cold dead fingers" man Heston or the actor Ronald Reagan.
kay in fl.
Dear BuzzFlash,
I was just wondering if anyone has any ideas about what the next Bush administration diversion will be. They couldn't come up with Osama bin Laden so now we are on to Saddam Hussein. Our economy continues to spiral downward without a word from our president. If he isn't successful in bringing down Hussein what will he do next? Since he thinks we are so stupid and that we don't notice what he is doing, do you think our president would notice if we slipped Bill Clinton back into office? Any ideas????
JCF
Subj: One more hole in Rummy's case against Iraq....
Dear BuzzFlash,
If Iraq had really been firing on our planes for the last ten years, we wouldn't need to be building a case for war, we'd have one, right? At the very least, it would be a large part of the case, wouldn't it? But instead, they've never made it one. Even these last few days, when they are showing the video footage of Iraq 'attacking' our planes, they only offer it as 'proof' that Iraq has 'contempt for the U.N.' The Miss Marple in me (that's who we need now!) says the video is for domestic consumption only. They are afraid they are losing their grip on us. If they tried to use it to make a case for war, however, that would involve the international community. And they know the international community wouldn't swallow it for one second. And furthermore, would spit it right back in their face...
But who can tell? Tomorrow is a new day. And by tomorrow, the case for war might have changed again.
We better watch what they say and watch what they do.
-Mary Kim
Subj: Bush in Iraq
Dear BuzzFlash Readers,
Please write your congressmen and senators and tell them that if we go to war against Iraq, it is only fitting that our illustrious leader, President Dictator-Deserter should be at the head of the line marching into Iraq. That way he will finally and at last fulfill his military obligations. And remind him to do unto the children of Baghdad what his father hath done unto the children of the Kurds in the Gulf War.
SOS
Subj: Rummy Drops Another Load on US
Dear BuzzFlash,
Rushing to war, the defense secretary uses a DECREASE in Iraqi missile attacks to justify an INCREASE in air strikes on ground targets. But neither side can hit the other anyway.
See http://www.badattitudes.com/MT?
Jerry Dolittle
Dear BuzzFlash,
Greedy bush raises millions for GOP fat-cats, Ignores American public (duh!)
ITS ABOUT TIME! that Dems hit back vs. bush-gop Campaign fundraising!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gore was trashed FOR MONTHS for MAKING PHONE CALLS [to close friends and donors] from his White House office.
LIKE, WHAT WAS HE SUPPOSED TO DO? Step outside the mansion and use his cell phone, or walk across Pennsylvania Ave. and use a pay phone? !!
And Clinton was thrashed for YEARS and YEARS for having HIS friends and supporters spend the night in the White House. "Renting the Lincoln Bedroom", they labeled it.
NOT ONLY does bush jr. have JUST AS MANY friends and supporters spend nights in the White House, HE has BANISHED American citizens and tourists from touring the mansion any more!!
[Lincoln would empathize with Clinton for trying to win friends and supporters. Many of Lincoln's Union Generals were political appointees, often men who had funded and founded their units from scratch. While many of these generals were not up to the qualities of their West-Point trained Southern adversaries, some, such as Gen. John A. Logan, were. ]
A BuzzFlash Reader
Dems hit Prez on economy
By DEREK ROSE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERTop Democratic senators and congressmen ripped President Bush yesterday, saying he's spending too much time fund-raising when he should be working to revive the economy and help extend unemployment benefits.
Dear BuzzFlash,
I read an AP article that might have slipped under the radar. In the article, Bush basically commands the longshoreman to "get back to work." That suggests to me that President Stupid doesn't actually comprehend the difference between a lockout and a strike. How can the workers go back to work when they've been locked out by management?
Well, perhaps I'm being a little too hard on President Know-Nothing. After all, what would a silver spoon rich kid know about things like "work" and "labor" anyway.
The article also offers this precious little quote from Bush:
"Any strike's a tough situation but this one happens to come at - or, a lockout is a tough situation or no work is a tough situation - this is coming at a bad time," Bush said.
I couldn't have said it better myself...assuming I had just consumed a full case of beer at the time.
Anyway, below is a link to the article. It truly scares me that this idiot is leader of the (not so) free world.
Love the site!
Steve Queen
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20021001/ap_on_bi_ge/port_ labor_economy_4
Re: There's a NO-FLY in his ointment!
Dear BuzzFlash,
Things are getting out of control up in Washington. You should check out the picture of Rummy ranting so hard you're afraid his contacts are going to fly off and bomb that map of Iraq he's standing in front of. Oh please help me, I can't stop laughing, it is so sad. Anyway, I don't know how many readers have been keeping up with the no-fly issue all these years? Because for over a decade now it's been reported in single paragraph stories with cryptic titles. Stories that make no sense and all go the same way: Iraqi "aggression" has forced Britain and the U.S. to bomb this, that, or the other thing in 'retaliation' for being fired upon.
These bombings happen to the tune of several times a week. No-fly zones cover 40 percent of the country, by the way. Well, lately people have been saying publicly it sure is funny no plane has ever been hit what with the Iraqis firing on them all the time... And so Rumpelstiltskin had a real stomping tantrum the other day, saying it was a well-known fact the Iraqis were plotting to turn public opinion against the U.S. when, after we bombed that airport near Basra, the Iraqis said we'd injured a civilian.
I'm getting to the point, which is this: Today Rummy up and shows the world "proof" that the Iraqis have been firing on us. The proof is -- you guessed? -- a tape! Oh lord, what took them so long? Was the special effects guy on vacation, or what? Don't ask.
And don't ask why now, when the Iraqis have got Bush & Cheney & Rumsfeld et al over the barrel of world opinion by consenting to the inspections as demanded by Bush during his tantrum at the U.N. (before Bush decided he needed to retaliate for their concession by upping the ante) they'd risk it all by "stepping up their aggression" toward the British and American planes. No matter what you think of Saddam and his cohorts, that kind of nuts they are not.
There are other rare pieces of information in this article, too, for example, the description (finally!) that no-fly zones were a creation of the U.S. and Britain and don't owe their origin to the U.N. Plus, there are other details of Rummy desperation that I just could not do justice to. Better to read them yourself: Pentagon Shows Videos of Iraq Firings at Allied Jets, The New York Times, October 1. The url is: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/01/international/middleeast/01STRI.html
Well, I hope Rumsfeld and those people don't blow their tops. They've been stalking their prey for years now. I wouldn't want them to do anything rash if they thought it was going to slip away from them. We'll just have to wait and see. And hope and pray (and vote.) AND DEMONSTRATE!!!
Bye for now, friends,
Mary Kim
Dear BuzzFlash,
War is Nature's way of telling you that the wrong people are in charge.
Tom Salicos
Portland, Oregon
Dear BuzzFlash,
I went to the site linked from your page to the RNC's own little 'Operation TIPS' program where they are encouraging their minions to 'report' what Democrats in their area are doing. After reading a few quotes from people who have 'reported' what Democrats are doing (which mostly consisted of Democrats telling the truth about Republicans, the horror!), and after I stopped laughing, I decided to 'report' what the Democrats in my area are doing.
Here is what I 'reported' to the RNC:
You people are nuts! You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time and you certainly can't fool me.
I'll tell you what Democrats in my area are doing; they are fighting for my rights, many of which your party is trying desperately to take away from me.
They are fighting for the things that are important to me and to my neighbors and to a vast majority of the people, they are not, like the Republicans in my area, fighting for tax cuts for the wealthy few that America can't afford in the first place.
They are fighting for affordable prescription drug coverage for seniors under Medicare, they are not, like the Republicans in my area, fighting for the gift of a cash cow to the insurance industry disguised as a prescription drug plan that doesn't go far enough.
Democrats in my area are doing what they have always done, putting the people first and business right behind. The Republicans in my area are likewise doing what they have always done, putting business first and business only.
I have watched both parties closely for many years now and have learned quite a lot from my observations; Democrats, generally speaking, have good intentions and act on them. Republicans, generally speaking, have hidden agendas and lie about them to get elected.
If Republicans were honest about their real agendas, no one would vote for them so they must lie and misrepresent their own positions. Here's an example:
George Bush is currently trying to extend health benefits to fetuses. Not once has he or any Republican who supports this measure given the real reasons for this move - to undermine current abortion law. Instead, they dress it up as added health care for pregnant women. Once again, as usual, Republicans have to mislead voters to pursue their real agenda.
But this surely isn't news to you, you're the RNC, the folks calling the shots and helping to shape the propaganda (such as your little 'tips' program that is designed specifically to mislead voters) that's used to help Republicans get elected.
Give it up! For those of us who pay attention, you're all transparent. And those of us who are paying attention are working to make sure that all voters are well informed because we know that a Republican's worst enemy is a truly informed electorate. We may, however, be willing to make a deal: if you stop lying about Democrats, we'll stop telling the truth about Republicans.
Good luck in November, you're going to need it.
Troy Torstrick
Dear BuzzFlash,
I was so appalled by Richard Perle's interview with the German newspaper calling for Chancellor Schroeder's resignation, I wrote a letter to the Chancellor in support of his position. You may want to post his address for your readers:
A BuzzFlash Reader
Hey buzz,
Have you seen the Saudi PR ads? check your archives, you know the other bush, the one that ain't the governor of Florida or the court appointed president? yeah, the other son, the real pal of the Saudis. He was gonna help his buddies present a better image to the world. You guys had a blurb about the whole deal quite a while ago. Might be cool to refresh everyone's memory...
Tom Coombs
[BuzzFlash Note: We found this article: "Win American hearts through sustained lobbying: Neil Bush" at http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=12207. How interesting that one brother supports the Israelis and the other supports the Arabs, but both make a killing.]
