Thursday, October 28, 2004
MSN Encarta - The Bush Doctrine and the U.S. Military
MSN Encarta - The Bush Doctrine and the U.S. Military: "Finally, as some so-called realist critics of the Bush doctrine argue, history demonstrates that nations tend to seek a balance of power. (See International Relations*.) By asserting that it intends to prevent other countries from 'surpassing, or equaling, the power of the United States,' these critics say, the Bush administration is simply encouraging other nations to band against America. "
MSN Encarta - The Bush Doctrine and the U.S. Military
MSN Encarta - The Bush Doctrine and the U.S. Military: "By 2005 the U.S. defense budget will be greater than the defense budgets of the rest of the countries of the world combined.
Origins of the Bush doctrine
Although the Bush doctrine was not publicly articulated until September 2002, its origins actually go back to the early 1990s. In 1992, a document written at the direction of Richard Cheney, then the secretary of defense, first introduced the idea that the United States should never again allow another rival superpower to emerge. When the contents of the document were leaked to the press, however, it was disavowed. "
Origins of the Bush doctrine
Although the Bush doctrine was not publicly articulated until September 2002, its origins actually go back to the early 1990s. In 1992, a document written at the direction of Richard Cheney, then the secretary of defense, first introduced the idea that the United States should never again allow another rival superpower to emerge. When the contents of the document were leaked to the press, however, it was disavowed. "
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Toward a Partnership Society
Toward a Partnership Society: "So capitalism was a step up; the notion of free enterprise, of not having everything controlled by the rulers was an advancement. But some other elements of capitalism, such as the notion that the common good is advanced by selfishness, are not. As we move into a partnership world, people will look back and say, 'How silly. They thought the earth was flat, and they thought that if everybody acts selfishly everything will be fine!'"
Saturday, October 23, 2004
MY WAR
MY WAR: "Thursday, August 05, 2004
Men In Black
This is what CNN wrote on their website about what happened yesterday here in Mosul:
Mosul clashes leave 12 dead
Clashes between police and insurgents in the northern city of Mosul left 12 Iraqis dead and 26 wounded, hospital and police sources said Wednesday.
Rifle and rocket-propelled grenade fire as well as explosions were heard in the streets of the city.
The provincial governor imposed a curfew that began at 3 p.m. local time (7 a.m. EDT), and two hours later, provincial forces, police and Iraqi National Guard took control, according to Hazem Gelawi, head of the governor's press office in the Nineveh province.
Gelawi said the city is stable and expects the curfew to be lifted Thursday.
Now here's what really happened:
I was in my room reading a book (Thin Red Line) when the mortars started coming down. Usually when we get mortared it'll only one, maybe two mortars. But this mortar attack went on for almost 20 minutes. Each one impacting the FOB every couple minutes. Something was up. My roommate ripped open the door and yelled 'Get your guys, Go to the motor pool! The whole BATTALION is rolling out!' Holy shit, the whole Battalion? This must be big. So I ran over and woke my guys up, yelled, 'Get your fuckin shit on and head down to the motor pool! Time: Now!' I grabbed my shit and started running to the motor pool, hearing small arms fire off in the back ground. By now everybody was running to motor pool. Putting their cloths on while they were running. At the motor pool, everybody was strapping on there shit and getting ready. One by one a Stryker was rolling out of the motor pool ready to hunt down whoever was fucking with us. People were hooting and hollering, yelling their war cries and doing the Indian yell thing as they drove off and locked and loaded..."
Men In Black
This is what CNN wrote on their website about what happened yesterday here in Mosul:
Mosul clashes leave 12 dead
Clashes between police and insurgents in the northern city of Mosul left 12 Iraqis dead and 26 wounded, hospital and police sources said Wednesday.
Rifle and rocket-propelled grenade fire as well as explosions were heard in the streets of the city.
The provincial governor imposed a curfew that began at 3 p.m. local time (7 a.m. EDT), and two hours later, provincial forces, police and Iraqi National Guard took control, according to Hazem Gelawi, head of the governor's press office in the Nineveh province.
Gelawi said the city is stable and expects the curfew to be lifted Thursday.
Now here's what really happened:
I was in my room reading a book (Thin Red Line) when the mortars started coming down. Usually when we get mortared it'll only one, maybe two mortars. But this mortar attack went on for almost 20 minutes. Each one impacting the FOB every couple minutes. Something was up. My roommate ripped open the door and yelled 'Get your guys, Go to the motor pool! The whole BATTALION is rolling out!' Holy shit, the whole Battalion? This must be big. So I ran over and woke my guys up, yelled, 'Get your fuckin shit on and head down to the motor pool! Time: Now!' I grabbed my shit and started running to the motor pool, hearing small arms fire off in the back ground. By now everybody was running to motor pool. Putting their cloths on while they were running. At the motor pool, everybody was strapping on there shit and getting ready. One by one a Stryker was rolling out of the motor pool ready to hunt down whoever was fucking with us. People were hooting and hollering, yelling their war cries and doing the Indian yell thing as they drove off and locked and loaded..."
Baghdad Burning
Baghdad Burning: This is the opinion of an Iraqui resident:
" I wish every person who emails me supporting the war, safe behind their computer, secure in their narrow mind and fixed views, could actually come and experience the war live. I wish they could spend just 24 hours in Baghdad today and hear Mark Kimmett talk about the death of 700 'insurgents' like it was a proud day for Americans everywhere...
Still, when I hear talk about 'anti-Americanism' it angers me. Why does American identify itself with its military and government? Why is does being anti-Bush and anti-occupation have to mean that a person is anti-American? We watch American movies, listen to everything from Britney Spears to Nirvana and refer to every single brown, fizzy drink as 'Pepsi'.
I hate American foreign policy and its constant meddling in the region... I hate American tanks in Baghdad and American soldiers on our streets and in our homes on occasion... why does that mean that I hate America and Americans? Are tanks, troops and violence the only face of America? If the Pentagon, Department of Defense and Condi are 'America', then yes- I hate America. "
" I wish every person who emails me supporting the war, safe behind their computer, secure in their narrow mind and fixed views, could actually come and experience the war live. I wish they could spend just 24 hours in Baghdad today and hear Mark Kimmett talk about the death of 700 'insurgents' like it was a proud day for Americans everywhere...
Still, when I hear talk about 'anti-Americanism' it angers me. Why does American identify itself with its military and government? Why is does being anti-Bush and anti-occupation have to mean that a person is anti-American? We watch American movies, listen to everything from Britney Spears to Nirvana and refer to every single brown, fizzy drink as 'Pepsi'.
I hate American foreign policy and its constant meddling in the region... I hate American tanks in Baghdad and American soldiers on our streets and in our homes on occasion... why does that mean that I hate America and Americans? Are tanks, troops and violence the only face of America? If the Pentagon, Department of Defense and Condi are 'America', then yes- I hate America. "
IRAQI WAR CASUALTIES
IRAQI WAR CASUALTIES
You can see here a list of almost 6000 people injured in 2003, along with their injury and what caused it.
You can see here a list of almost 6000 people injured in 2003, along with their injury and what caused it.
Baghdad Burning
Baghdad Burning:
"The number of Iraqis dead since March 2003 is by now at least eight times the number of people who died in the World Trade Center. They had their last words, and their last thoughts as their worlds came down around them, too. I’ve attended more wakes and funerals this last year, than I’ve attended my whole life. The process of mourning and the hollow words of comfort have become much too familiar and automatic."
"Najaf is considered the holiest city in Iraq. It is visited by Shi�a from all over the world, and yet, during the last two days, it has seen a rain of bombs and shells from none other than the �saviors� of the oppressed Shi�a- the Americans. So is this the �Sunni Triangle� too? It�s d�j� vu- corpses in the streets, people mourning their dead and dying and buildings up in flames. The images flash by on the television screen and it�s Falluja all over again. Twenty years from now who will be blamed for the mass graves being dug today?"
"So where is the interim constitution when you need it? The sanctity of private residences is still being violated... people are still being unlawfully arrested... cities are being bombed. Then again, there really is nothing in the constitution that says the American millitary *can't* actually bomb and burn."
"The number of Iraqis dead since March 2003 is by now at least eight times the number of people who died in the World Trade Center. They had their last words, and their last thoughts as their worlds came down around them, too. I’ve attended more wakes and funerals this last year, than I’ve attended my whole life. The process of mourning and the hollow words of comfort have become much too familiar and automatic."
"Najaf is considered the holiest city in Iraq. It is visited by Shi�a from all over the world, and yet, during the last two days, it has seen a rain of bombs and shells from none other than the �saviors� of the oppressed Shi�a- the Americans. So is this the �Sunni Triangle� too? It�s d�j� vu- corpses in the streets, people mourning their dead and dying and buildings up in flames. The images flash by on the television screen and it�s Falluja all over again. Twenty years from now who will be blamed for the mass graves being dug today?"
"So where is the interim constitution when you need it? The sanctity of private residences is still being violated... people are still being unlawfully arrested... cities are being bombed. Then again, there really is nothing in the constitution that says the American millitary *can't* actually bomb and burn."
Bush Relatives for Kerry
Bush Relatives for Kerry: "Henry Kimsey-House (Dillon Beach, California):
'I am voting for Kerry because I am terrified of the police state that is being created by George and his cronies. I am also voting for Kerry because he is complex and sees the paradox of things, that we are living in a complex and paradoxical world. George prefers to see everything in black or white, good or evil and this old paradigm world view will ventually doom us and perhaps the entire human species to extinction. Finally I think that empire building around a national or capitalist center is extremely dangerous and will naturally foment many wars and revolutions. I am not sure Kerry's view is Global enough but it certainly is much more Global than George's is. Living in the world we now live in where everything happens and moves so fast, it is naive and dangerous to cling to just one point of view or one national interest, as it invites others to do the same and thus many wars will happen. There must be a more inclusive and Global view that is held by our leadership and George and crew has no clue how to do that because they are stuck in their old paradigm, empire building, dinosaur age and doomed to extinction. Kerry is at least pointed in the right direction. Thats my 2 cents worth.'"
'I am voting for Kerry because I am terrified of the police state that is being created by George and his cronies. I am also voting for Kerry because he is complex and sees the paradox of things, that we are living in a complex and paradoxical world. George prefers to see everything in black or white, good or evil and this old paradigm world view will ventually doom us and perhaps the entire human species to extinction. Finally I think that empire building around a national or capitalist center is extremely dangerous and will naturally foment many wars and revolutions. I am not sure Kerry's view is Global enough but it certainly is much more Global than George's is. Living in the world we now live in where everything happens and moves so fast, it is naive and dangerous to cling to just one point of view or one national interest, as it invites others to do the same and thus many wars will happen. There must be a more inclusive and Global view that is held by our leadership and George and crew has no clue how to do that because they are stuck in their old paradigm, empire building, dinosaur age and doomed to extinction. Kerry is at least pointed in the right direction. Thats my 2 cents worth.'"
Friday, October 22, 2004
The New York Times > Op-Ed Columnist: Casualties of Faith
The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Casualties of Faith: "I never thought I'd see the day when leaps of faith would be national policy, when the fortunes of America hung on the possibility of a miracle.
What does it tell you about a president that his grounds for war are so weak that the only way he can justify it is by believing God wants it? Or that his only Iraq policy now - as our troops fight a vicious insurgency and the dream of a stable democracy falls apart - is a belief in miracles?"
What does it tell you about a president that his grounds for war are so weak that the only way he can justify it is by believing God wants it? Or that his only Iraq policy now - as our troops fight a vicious insurgency and the dream of a stable democracy falls apart - is a belief in miracles?"
The New York Times > Op-Ed Columnist: Bush's Blinkers
The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Bush's Blinkers: "According to Mr. Suskind, 'The aide said that guys like me were 'in what we call the reality-based community,' which he defined as people who 'believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality.' ' The aide told Mr. Suskind, 'That's not the way the world really works anymore. We're an empire now, and when we act we create our own reality.'
Got that? We may think there are real-world consequences to the policies of the president, real pain and real grief for real people. But to the White House, that kind of thinking is pass�. The White House doesn't even recognize that kind of reality. "
Got that? We may think there are real-world consequences to the policies of the president, real pain and real grief for real people. But to the White House, that kind of thinking is pass�. The White House doesn't even recognize that kind of reality. "
The New York Times > In the Magazine: Without a Doubt
The New York Times > Magazine > In the Magazine: Without a Doubt: "''This is why George W. Bush is so clear-eyed about Al Qaeda and the Islamic fundamentalist enemy. He believes you have to kill them all. They can't be persuaded, that they're extremists, driven by a dark vision. He understands them, because he's just like them. . . . "
The New York Times > Op-Ed Columnist: The More Things Change...
The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: The More Things Change...: "two forces do account for the stable political divide. First, partisanship. We've just seen how passionately some people care about the Yankees and the Red Sox. Many people care that passionately about being a Democrat or a Republican.
Human beings are tribal. When they find themselves in a closely fought contest with a rival group, they become ever more tightly bound to their tribe. They see reality in ways that flatter the group. They nurture the resentments that bind the group."
Human beings are tribal. When they find themselves in a closely fought contest with a rival group, they become ever more tightly bound to their tribe. They see reality in ways that flatter the group. They nurture the resentments that bind the group."
Monday, October 18, 2004
my own political manifesto!
Dear Americans:
I am sitting here looking at the polls for president of the US, and I feel at once baffled, disappointed, and frankly, with my trust of the United States' role in the world completely shattered. I don't understand how a President that took a country to war under false premises can still have the trust of so many voters.
I've done some work and explored what these Republicans may be thinking by reading the Conservative press. And I was fascinated by their great intentions and goals. But mostly I found them very seductive. Yes, if we lived in a simple world, this administration has the balls to carry out the job. But we live in a complex world, and this administration doesn't seem to have the courage to either look at different perspectives, or ask the tough questions. In this manifesto I assert that what is missing in the US government is an ability to recognize the complexity of the world and see different perspectives.
As coaches we know that for all issues there are an innumerable number of perspectives. In George Bush's mind there seem to be only two: his perspective and the wrong perspective. "You are either with us or against us." Decisions come very easily to him, he has said himself. I envy him in that, but also realize that yes, when you can only see one option, decisions must be easier!
I firmly believe that the US biggest threat is not terrorism, as big a threat as that is, but rather its biggest threat is itself. Your president has accumulated too much power to himself, and your country has accumulated too much power to itself. The biggest enemy of power is power, because, without checks and balances, it is bound to be used unwisely and destroy itself. In reality there are no longer any checks and balances for the United States.
The US government spends yearly almost half your individual federal income taxes in maintaining the most powerful army in the world. In fact, it is estimated that in 2005 a full 51% of your federal income taxes will be spent by the military. Were you aware of that? It is only natural that other opposite forces arise to keep some sort of check.
Are you aware also that even a democracy like the United States develops terrorists within its borders. Examples are the Oklahoma bombing, the Unabomber, the Columbine massacre. Separately, there are 11,000 murders in the US a year (a rate that is at least 10 times higher than any other developed country). Over 2 million American adults are in jail. So how is it that the US government thinks it can go to another country, make war, occupy it, and prevent terrorism that way? If it can't even end it within the US? Clearly, stopping terrorism is more complex even than instituting democracy.
We tend to become what we hate. In this way, pro-life activists become abortinists' killers. Justice systems become murderers. Nations become violent aggressors.
And they also help create them... Osama bin Laden was an ally of the United States in the fight against Russia in Afghanistan. Saddam Hussein was also an ally of the United States in the fight against Iran. You can find a photo of Donald Rumsfeld shaking Saddam's hand in 1983. And I'm sure that yet again in Iraq it is helping to create the next generation of terrorists.
In winning military wars, the US is losing the idelological war to capture the hearts of its potential alllys. And by that I don't mean traditional country allies, but rather the terrorists' network of friends and family who are the only ones who might know what the terrorists are up to. This is how the Unabomber was caught, his brother smelled something funny and alerted the authorities. But he could only do this because he trusted the authorities. If the US government doesn't gain the trust abroad that potential terrorists will have access to a fair trial, how will those who know the terrorists come forward?
Now, I love the United States. I have lived in New York. I have lived in Philadelphia. I have lived in Hawaii. I have the most wonderful friends there, and I have seen how people treat each other there. However, there is a huge difference in the way the US government treats its voters, and the way it treats everybody else who is abroad. The government is so powerful that it doesn't need to listen or care for those abroad. And apparently the majority of voters don't care either, especially when they're scared.
A recent statistic delineates how, out of Americans who hold a passport (ie. mostly those who have travelled abroad), only 35% support Bush. So I'm making the assumption that Bush depends on the more narrow minded to get elected. By that I mean those who have experienced relatively little of the complexity of perspectives in the world outside. The moment that Bush starts looking at different perspectives publicly, he would lose the support of this group of people. So I actually see a catch-22, where Bush cannot even dare to look at other perspectives because he will lose his stronghold.
I walked right under the World Trade Center every weekday right up to a few weeks before 9/11. When I saw those towers fall, it was the biggest shock of my life. "How could people who don't even know me be wanting to kill me?" I thought. By the beginning of 2003 (the run-up to the Iraq war), I could not even read any piece of American news because it would make me ill to see the US going down that path. Now I'm reading again, and I feel like I may be able to do something about it, that's why I'm writing my own manifesto.
I cannot vote because I'm not a resident or a citizen of the US. In fact, in my heart, I don't have a strong allegiance to any country or any party. But I'm feeling a strong allegiance to the world right now. I suppose it's what happens when you've lived in so many countries and keep strong memories from all of them. I will continue to do my work helping people see their own innumerable perspectives and the complexity that exists in their relationships with their allys as well as with their enemies. Please do the same... including with me!
I am sitting here looking at the polls for president of the US, and I feel at once baffled, disappointed, and frankly, with my trust of the United States' role in the world completely shattered. I don't understand how a President that took a country to war under false premises can still have the trust of so many voters.
I've done some work and explored what these Republicans may be thinking by reading the Conservative press. And I was fascinated by their great intentions and goals. But mostly I found them very seductive. Yes, if we lived in a simple world, this administration has the balls to carry out the job. But we live in a complex world, and this administration doesn't seem to have the courage to either look at different perspectives, or ask the tough questions. In this manifesto I assert that what is missing in the US government is an ability to recognize the complexity of the world and see different perspectives.
As coaches we know that for all issues there are an innumerable number of perspectives. In George Bush's mind there seem to be only two: his perspective and the wrong perspective. "You are either with us or against us." Decisions come very easily to him, he has said himself. I envy him in that, but also realize that yes, when you can only see one option, decisions must be easier!
I firmly believe that the US biggest threat is not terrorism, as big a threat as that is, but rather its biggest threat is itself. Your president has accumulated too much power to himself, and your country has accumulated too much power to itself. The biggest enemy of power is power, because, without checks and balances, it is bound to be used unwisely and destroy itself. In reality there are no longer any checks and balances for the United States.
The US government spends yearly almost half your individual federal income taxes in maintaining the most powerful army in the world. In fact, it is estimated that in 2005 a full 51% of your federal income taxes will be spent by the military. Were you aware of that? It is only natural that other opposite forces arise to keep some sort of check.
Are you aware also that even a democracy like the United States develops terrorists within its borders. Examples are the Oklahoma bombing, the Unabomber, the Columbine massacre. Separately, there are 11,000 murders in the US a year (a rate that is at least 10 times higher than any other developed country). Over 2 million American adults are in jail. So how is it that the US government thinks it can go to another country, make war, occupy it, and prevent terrorism that way? If it can't even end it within the US? Clearly, stopping terrorism is more complex even than instituting democracy.
We tend to become what we hate. In this way, pro-life activists become abortinists' killers. Justice systems become murderers. Nations become violent aggressors.
And they also help create them... Osama bin Laden was an ally of the United States in the fight against Russia in Afghanistan. Saddam Hussein was also an ally of the United States in the fight against Iran. You can find a photo of Donald Rumsfeld shaking Saddam's hand in 1983. And I'm sure that yet again in Iraq it is helping to create the next generation of terrorists.
In winning military wars, the US is losing the idelological war to capture the hearts of its potential alllys. And by that I don't mean traditional country allies, but rather the terrorists' network of friends and family who are the only ones who might know what the terrorists are up to. This is how the Unabomber was caught, his brother smelled something funny and alerted the authorities. But he could only do this because he trusted the authorities. If the US government doesn't gain the trust abroad that potential terrorists will have access to a fair trial, how will those who know the terrorists come forward?
Now, I love the United States. I have lived in New York. I have lived in Philadelphia. I have lived in Hawaii. I have the most wonderful friends there, and I have seen how people treat each other there. However, there is a huge difference in the way the US government treats its voters, and the way it treats everybody else who is abroad. The government is so powerful that it doesn't need to listen or care for those abroad. And apparently the majority of voters don't care either, especially when they're scared.
A recent statistic delineates how, out of Americans who hold a passport (ie. mostly those who have travelled abroad), only 35% support Bush. So I'm making the assumption that Bush depends on the more narrow minded to get elected. By that I mean those who have experienced relatively little of the complexity of perspectives in the world outside. The moment that Bush starts looking at different perspectives publicly, he would lose the support of this group of people. So I actually see a catch-22, where Bush cannot even dare to look at other perspectives because he will lose his stronghold.
I walked right under the World Trade Center every weekday right up to a few weeks before 9/11. When I saw those towers fall, it was the biggest shock of my life. "How could people who don't even know me be wanting to kill me?" I thought. By the beginning of 2003 (the run-up to the Iraq war), I could not even read any piece of American news because it would make me ill to see the US going down that path. Now I'm reading again, and I feel like I may be able to do something about it, that's why I'm writing my own manifesto.
I cannot vote because I'm not a resident or a citizen of the US. In fact, in my heart, I don't have a strong allegiance to any country or any party. But I'm feeling a strong allegiance to the world right now. I suppose it's what happens when you've lived in so many countries and keep strong memories from all of them. I will continue to do my work helping people see their own innumerable perspectives and the complexity that exists in their relationships with their allys as well as with their enemies. Please do the same... including with me!
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Gambling with the Children
Compilation of past articles on Bush and 2004 race
Distinguising rhetoric from reality: Shwarzenegger
http://www.slate.com/id/2106025/
Unfairenheit 9/11. Lies of Michael Moore
http://slate.msn.com/id/2102723
The Jesus Factor
http://www.slate.com/id/2099698
Proper Propaganda. Got a problem?
http://slate.msn.com/id/2102859
The Saudi Relationship
http://slate.msn.com/id/2103239
Richard Clarke
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/19/60minutes/main607356.shtml
Bush and Dissent
http://slate.msn.com/id/1007349
Simple Gifts
http://slate.msn.com/id/2060408
Difficult relationship with Reality
http://slate.msn.com/id/2095160
http://www.slate.com/id/2106025/
Unfairenheit 9/11. Lies of Michael Moore
http://slate.msn.com/id/2102723
The Jesus Factor
http://www.slate.com/id/2099698
Proper Propaganda. Got a problem?
http://slate.msn.com/id/2102859
The Saudi Relationship
http://slate.msn.com/id/2103239
Richard Clarke
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/19/60minutes/main607356.shtml
Bush and Dissent
http://slate.msn.com/id/1007349
Simple Gifts
http://slate.msn.com/id/2060408
Difficult relationship with Reality
http://slate.msn.com/id/2095160
Saturday, October 16, 2004
Ideas Happen
Monday, October 11, 2004
Hunting for Republicans in Paris - Registering voters on the Champs Elyses. By Elisabeth Eaves
Hunting for Republicans in Paris - Registering voters on the Champs Elyses. By Elisabeth Eaves: "Americans with passports favor Kerry over Bush by 58 percent to 35 percent, according to a recent Zogby poll. That means anyone who has so much as spent a weekend in Cancun is probably a Democrat. "
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
Cheney Drops the Ball - The vice president declines to refute Edwards during the debate. By Chris Suellentrop
Cheney Drops the Ball - The vice president declines to refute Edwards during the debate. By Chris Suellentrop:
Edwards went through a long list of votes that Cheney made as a congressman: against Head Start, against banning plastic weapons that can pass through metal detectors, against Meals on Wheels, against the Department of Education, against Martin Luther King Day, against the release of Nelson Mandela. What else was he against, longer recess? Cheney declined to defend or explain a single one of his votes.
On gay marriage, Edwards said the constitutional amendment proposed by the president was unnecessary, divisive, and an attempt to distract the country from important issues such as health care, jobs, and Iraq. Cheney declined to refute any of Edwards' points, and instead thanked him for his kind words about his family.
On homeland security, Edwards said the administration has failed to create a unified terrorist watch list, and it foolishly screens the passengers on airplanes but not their cargo. We need to be not just 'strong and aggressive' but also 'smart,' he said. Cheney's response: to decline a chance to respond, which is the same as ceding the point.
Edwards went through a long list of votes that Cheney made as a congressman: against Head Start, against banning plastic weapons that can pass through metal detectors, against Meals on Wheels, against the Department of Education, against Martin Luther King Day, against the release of Nelson Mandela. What else was he against, longer recess? Cheney declined to defend or explain a single one of his votes.
On gay marriage, Edwards said the constitutional amendment proposed by the president was unnecessary, divisive, and an attempt to distract the country from important issues such as health care, jobs, and Iraq. Cheney declined to refute any of Edwards' points, and instead thanked him for his kind words about his family.
On homeland security, Edwards said the administration has failed to create a unified terrorist watch list, and it foolishly screens the passengers on airplanes but not their cargo. We need to be not just 'strong and aggressive' but also 'smart,' he said. Cheney's response: to decline a chance to respond, which is the same as ceding the point.
GeorgeSoros.com
GeorgeSoros.com: "All my experience in fostering democracy and open society has taught me that democracy cannot be imposed by military means. And, Iraq would be the last place I would chose for an experiment in introducing democracy - as the current chaos demonstrates. "
Read the George Soros' letter!
Read the George Soros' letter!
Monday, October 04, 2004
ChangeThis :: Holy Avengers
ChangeThis :: Holy Avengers:
"Jessica Stern Lecturer at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, Jessica spent six years interviewing religious terrorists in Pakistan, India, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Indonesia, and the U.S.. Along the way, she discovered what causes someone to become a religious zealot and how terrorist leaders cultivate followers with emotional, spiritual, and financial rewards. Using terrorist motivations as her basis, she explains why the war in Iraq could not have played out better for terrorists if bin Laden had scripted it himself. Read her manifesto to learn why. "
"Jessica Stern Lecturer at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, Jessica spent six years interviewing religious terrorists in Pakistan, India, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Indonesia, and the U.S.. Along the way, she discovered what causes someone to become a religious zealot and how terrorist leaders cultivate followers with emotional, spiritual, and financial rewards. Using terrorist motivations as her basis, she explains why the war in Iraq could not have played out better for terrorists if bin Laden had scripted it himself. Read her manifesto to learn why. "
The Global Test - It's called reality. By William Saletan
The Global Test - It's called reality. By William Saletan:
"Proof, intelligence, spy photos. The pattern is obvious. The test isn't moral. It's factual. What you and the Frenchman share is the evidence of your senses. The global test is the measurement of the president's assertions against the real world, the world you and I can see.
This is the test Bush has failed. He has failed to produce evidence for his prewar claims of Iraqi WMD and operational ties to al-Qaida, or for his postwar claims of success against the insurgency. Now he's going further. He's not simply failing the test. He's refusing to take it.
Listen to Bush's words again. 'The president's job is not to take an international poll,' he says. 'Our national security decisions will be made in the Oval Office, not in foreign capitals.' Bush doesn't say these decisions belong to the United States. He says they belong to the Oval Office. He frames this as patriotism, boasting that he doesn't care whether he offers evidence sufficient to convince people in France. He shows no awareness or concern that evidence is also necessary to convince people in Ohio. He says it isn't his job to take a 'poll,' to hear what others think. He needs no validation.
Bush pretends he's just blowing off the French. But his comments show a pattern of blowing off external feedback in general. He shrugs off information that debunks his claims about WMD, arguing that it's more important for a president to understand the overall nature of the world. He defines credibility as agreement with himself. He reinterprets evidence of policy mistakes in postwar Iraq as evidence of success. In Thursday's debate, he dismissed unwelcome reports from that country as too offensive to heed. And according to Sunday's New York Times, he and his aides exaggerated Iraq's nuclear capability, ignoring warnings from 'the gover"
"Proof, intelligence, spy photos. The pattern is obvious. The test isn't moral. It's factual. What you and the Frenchman share is the evidence of your senses. The global test is the measurement of the president's assertions against the real world, the world you and I can see.
This is the test Bush has failed. He has failed to produce evidence for his prewar claims of Iraqi WMD and operational ties to al-Qaida, or for his postwar claims of success against the insurgency. Now he's going further. He's not simply failing the test. He's refusing to take it.
Listen to Bush's words again. 'The president's job is not to take an international poll,' he says. 'Our national security decisions will be made in the Oval Office, not in foreign capitals.' Bush doesn't say these decisions belong to the United States. He says they belong to the Oval Office. He frames this as patriotism, boasting that he doesn't care whether he offers evidence sufficient to convince people in France. He shows no awareness or concern that evidence is also necessary to convince people in Ohio. He says it isn't his job to take a 'poll,' to hear what others think. He needs no validation.
Bush pretends he's just blowing off the French. But his comments show a pattern of blowing off external feedback in general. He shrugs off information that debunks his claims about WMD, arguing that it's more important for a president to understand the overall nature of the world. He defines credibility as agreement with himself. He reinterprets evidence of policy mistakes in postwar Iraq as evidence of success. In Thursday's debate, he dismissed unwelcome reports from that country as too offensive to heed. And according to Sunday's New York Times, he and his aides exaggerated Iraq's nuclear capability, ignoring warnings from 'the gover"
Friday, October 01, 2004
Out of the Question - Is Bush's biggest mistake too awful to admit? By William Saletan
Out of the Question - Is Bush's biggest mistake too awful to admit? By William Saletan: "the greater shame belongs to the candidate who launched this war, refuses to admit his errors, and now holds the moral pride of his countrymen hostage, blackmailing them into shunning the truth. Tonight he scoffed, 'If I were to ever say, 'This is the wrong war at the wrong time at the wrong place,' the troops would wonder, 'How can I follow this guy?' '
Exactly, Mr. President. If you were ever to give them the correct assessment, they would ask the correct question."
Exactly, Mr. President. If you were ever to give them the correct assessment, they would ask the correct question."
