Friday, June 29, 2007

The Heritage Foundation Picks a Fight with the Cowboy

by Len Hart, The Existentialist Cowboy

The web site of the new right think tank, The Heritage Foundation, has taken aim at one of my previous articles with a fusillade of fallacy, distortion and regurgitated Bush propaganda. I am disappointed. Consigning this drivel to the intellectual dustbin is light work.
Len Hart of [The Existentialist Cowboy, published in OpEdnews.com] wrote a scathing piece this yesterday entitled "Terrorism is Worse Under GOP Regimes," in which he claims that terrorism rates are worse under Republican Administrations. Hart states:
    "So much so that one would think GOP regimes cause terrorism. According to FBI stats, terrorism has been worse under GOP regimes at least since 1980. Reagan's "War on Terrorism" caused terrorism, or at least, made it worse. During a period of two years, terrorist attacks against the United States very nearly tripled."
First a Sourcewatch precis about Heritage.
Founded in 1973, The Heritage Foundation is a New Right think tank. Its stated mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of "free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense." It is widely considered one of the world's most influential public policy research institutes.

--Sourcewatch
I will address the Heritage Foundation's "refutation" point by point.
Measuring success or failure by the number of attacks makes little sense.
You may indulge ideological nonsense, if you prefer, but I will insist upon an accounting based upon whether attacks against the US increase (policy failure) or decrease (policy success)! My approach is fact-based. Yours, it would appear, is biased upon idelogy and/or a misstatement, perhaps deliberate, of the situation 'on the ground'. Much of the confusion rests upon the Orwellian term: "insurgent", a politically charged word, a word that may very well have been tested by a focus group.

You also tried to change the subject and ignored an historical background to the article that you lamely presume to refute:
By the time Reagan would reprise Eisenhower's invasion of 1958, things had changed in Lebanon. For one thing, Israel had just invaded Lebanon amid "a besieged set of Palestinian fighters". A Syrian expeditionary force and separate armed Lebanese factions had been embroiled in active warfare for a period of seven years. It's fair to conclude that Reagan had no idea what he was getting into.

The American decision to invade may have been opportunistic as well as reactive. Like Bush today, Reagan had no clear objectives, no definition of victory, no way to "win". Like Iraq today, the Lebanon Reagan invaded became a magnet for various "terrorist groups". They grew more active over the duration of the American occupation. Armed and dangerous, they tested Reagan's resolve and eventually won. Like Bush today, Reagan's definition of victory was defined with meaningless slogans -like "you can run but you can't hide". They did both and then counter-attacked. Reagan lost his war against "terrorism".

Terrorism, in fact, grew worse over the two years that he waged it. The trend did not abate until Bill Clinton became President. There were about three times as many terrorist attacks against US interests during the Reagan regime than against US interests under Bill Clinton. --Terrorism is Worse Under GOP Regimes
I suspect GOP candidates would trumpet a decline in terrorism, had there been one! But --alas --there is none under GOP regimes! The GOP is left with a tired old tactic: numbers don't tell the whole story! Well --what DOES tell the whole story? Heritage hasn't a clue.Are you prepared to tell me that when terrorist attacks agianst the US increase three-fold that is to be considered a success?? Don't be absurd!
Consider Iraq?the location of the majority of terrorist attacks against Americans. Does the volume of attacks mean we are losing the war on terrorism? No, it means the United States freed 25 million people, and some of the Baathistts and other insurgents who keep them terrorized don't appreciate our efforts.
Evidence that you failed to read my article which addressed "terrorist incidents" from the Ronald Reagan administration though the administration of Bill Clinton, a period of time under study by the FBI. If you factor out current Iraq violence, not reflected in the FBI study cited, I daresay none of the attacks could have been attributed to Iraq. Even so, calling insurgent attacks against an aggressor nation 'terrorism' is absurd and must be called what it is: extremist right wing propaganda!

Secondly, your statement that the "United States freed 25 million people" is so vague as to be ludicrous. Where? When? And what is the methodology? Did you interview all 25 million and pose the question: are you now free? Some methodology please! In fact, most Iraqis say they were better off under Saddam. [See: Iraqis Say They Were Better Off Under Hussein]
They [Baathists] want to be in charge again, and both American and Iraqi soldiers stand in their way.
Certainly not the Iraqi soldiers who were disbanded by Paul Bremer. Besides, what right have we to be in charge? We are not Iraqi. It is not our country! The US attack and invasion of Iraq violated every principle of international law and US criminal codes. The US attack and invasion of Iraq is more properly called an act of terrorism than 'insurgent violence' against the invading, aggressing nation!

I rather think Heritage, with this kind of "logic", is making my case for me. When the US behaves irresponsibly, when it flouts every principle of law, it cannot expect passivity from conquered states, territories or races. There is a perfectly logical reason that incidents of terrorism increase during GOP regimes. GOP imperial policies cause terrorism!

Finally, your use of the term "insurgent" is loaded and emotional, and one suspects that that is deliberately the case. The term "insurgent", likewise, implies an illegitimate resistance. It's loaded. Even so, you cannot possibly know that to be the case with any methodology in use.

Even more can be said of your incorrect use of the term "Baathist". You seem to use that term as if it were synonymous with "terrorist". That is blatantly misleading. You neglect to mention the fact that remnants of Saddam Hussein's army, largely Baathist, were pro-US military until Paul Bremer issued the infamous "de-Baathification" order! At that point former "Baathists" and former Iraqi military personnel literally went underground. We made of them an enemy. Was it done deliberately?

You stated:
Baathistts and other insurgents who keep them terrorized don't appreciate our efforts.
Evidence that you failed to read my article which addressed "terrorist incidents" from the Ronald Reagan administration though the administration of Bill Clinton, a period of time under study by the FBI. If you factor out current Iraq violence, not reflected in the FBI study cited, I daresay none of the attacks could have been attributed to Iraq. Even so, calling insurgent attacks against an aggressor nation 'terrorism' is absurd and must be called what it is: extremist right wing propaganda! The Bush adventure in Iraq failed utterly for numerous reasons but that it was falsely advertised must certainly rank among the most important.

Secondly, your statement that the "United States freed 25 million people" is so vague as to be ludicrous. Where? When? And what is the methodology? Did you interview all 25 million and pose the question: are you now free? Some methodology please! In fact, most Iraqis say they were better off under Saddam. [See: Iraqis Say They Were Better Off Under Hussein]
They [Baathists] want to be in charge again, and both American and Iraqi soldiers stand in their way.
Certainly not the Iraqi soldiers who were disbanded by Paul Bremer. Besides, what right have we to be in charge? We are not Iraqi. It is not our country! The US attack and invasion of Iraq violated every principle of international law and US criminal codes. The US attack and invasion of Iraq is more properly called an act of terrorism than 'insurgent violence' against the invading, aggressor nation!!

Report blasts US for failures in fighting terrorism.

A just-released report slams the federal government for failing to coordinate the work of US law enforcement agencies overseas to fight terrorism. The Government Accountability Office found that in one country a lack of clarity about the roles and responsibilities of the FBI and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency may have compromised several investigations intended to identify and disrupt potential terrorist activities. The GAO did not name the country in its report.
Let's consider the effect of Bush/US policy in Iraq. Clearly, there was no "insurgency" --legitimate or otherwise --prior to the US attack an invasion, a violation of the Nuremberg Principles and, likewise, US Code: Title 18: Section 2441. US policy, GOP policy, is the root cause of the current violence in Iraq. We have succeeded only in further radicalizing the Middle East!

How does that make us safer? It doesn't! Just as Ronald Reagan who threatened "terrorists": "...you can run but you can't hide!", Bush has made terrorism worse:


Last time I checked, effects always follow causes. It was Conan Doyle's character, Sherlock Holmes, who said: "When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." I would add that the burden of proof is upon those GOP regimes most notable for their exploitation of terrorism to put forward some credible evidence that GOP/US policies of imperialism and aggression have made the world safer in any way. Otherwise, we have only the numbers of dead to support the common sense conclusion that GOP policies have never worked and are not working now. In fact, those policies are at the very root cause of terrorism and anti-American sentiment in general.

Significantly, the Heritage Foundation dare not use its own best defense: terrorism is worse under GOP regimes because GOP regimes exploit terrorism and the fear it causes. They literally cook the books by loosely defining "terrorism" itself. If it is done, it is done to alarm the public and justify numerous abrogations of civil liberties and due process of law. But would the Heritage Foundation dare admit this?

ADDENDUM:

Congressman Ron Paul makes a valid point: the GOP has lost its way. What he says about the GOP having opposed "entangling alliances" may have been true in the past. The GOP under Bush/Cheney, however, has literally auctioned off the government of the US to large corporations whose imperial behavior has earned our country several lifetimes of enmity and terrorism. The CIA would call this "blowback". If the Heritage Foundation cannot see the facts for its ideology, then it is just being naive or worse --uninformed. And it dares call itself a "think tank"! Whatever do they sit around and think about?



30 comments:

Anonymous said...

The job of the Heritage Foundation is certainly one of manipulating public perception of the imperialistic neocon agenda using jingoistic hyperbole and sanitized Bush admin memes. Of course they will try to attack the core of truth in your essay by advancing crap about 25 million 'freed' Iraqis - lets keep on talking about freedom and democracy in Iraq - it sounds great to the viewers of Faux news! Throw around a few emotionally charged words like 'insurgent' as you mentioned, or 'terrorize' or, the worst of them all, 'islamofascist' (which makes absolutely no sense to a rational thinking person), in order to scare the wits out of the average American for continued support of this deplorable morass (which lessens every day).

Your point of the neocons fomenting and nurturing terrorism to exploit fear is dead-on. They fully realize that a frightened populace is compliant - certainly compliant enough to allow invasion of sovereign nations by us, and to willingly give away the basic rights our ancestors fought and died for, so long as we're allowed to keep our electronic gizmos and kept updated on the latest Paris Hilton trauma...

I'm actually glad the Heritage Foundation called you out specifically, Len. If they are indeed considered 'one of the worlds most influential public policy research institutes', it means you're striking close to the root of the matter, and it has them nervous!

Unknown said...

Thomas Frechette said...

I'm actually glad the Heritage Foundation called you out specifically, Len. If they are indeed considered 'one of the worlds most influential public policy research institutes', it means you're striking close to the root of the matter, and it has them nervous!

Thanks, Thomas...The Heritage Foundation should have been warned: don't "call out" a Cowboy unless you've got some ammo. They had shit.

Honestly --I hope they give it another shot. I can refute these light weights 'til the cows come home.

25 million freed Iraqis my ass!!!!

Anonymous said...

Way to go "Lee" Hart!

James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., is a senior research fellow for defense and homeland security at The Heritage Foundation. link

If the number of attacks doesn’t present an accurate measure of success in the war on terrorism, which numbers do? Consider these:

Number of Taliban-style states created since 9/11: 0

Number of Taliban-style states created prior to 9/11: 1 (see Zbigniew Brezhinski, the CIA and ISI)

Number of countries that have recognized al Qaeda: 0

duh...and set themselves up for a round of B52 bombings?...I think not. Look what happened to al Jazeera just for broadcasting comments from al Qaeda!

Number of unwitting US client states states created since 9/11: 2 (Afghanistan, Iraq)

Number of unwitting US client states who haven't heard about it yet: 5 (Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Sudan and Iran).

These names were taken from a list of 7 M.E. states designated as targets for US military action in a Defense Department policy document shown to Gen.Wesley Clark just a few months after 9/11.

Number of nations that have adopted "state-sponsored" terrorism as an official policy: 0

Same as the number who have officially recognised al Qaeda and are seeking to be bombed. Nations tend not to adopt asymmetrical terrorist methods since they have the power of the State behind them.

Number of states that have voluntarily given-up weapons of mass destruction programs since 9/11: 1

Go Libya! -- not exactly voluntary, was it? They were on the Wes Clarke sighted "invasion list" and now they get UK arms deals.

Number of transnational nuclear smuggling networks broken-up since 9/11: 1

Number of transnational nuclear smuggling networks still in existence: at least 1. This one.

Are you for real Dr Carafano? You are aware that the Bush admin has chosen NOT to pursue AQ Khan over Pakistan and North Korean nukes? And that is likely because of the US connections that would show up. And it couldn't be, could it, that there has been massive illegal trafficking in nuclear weapons technology from the US as detailed by Sibel edmonds and others?! ( see 1 2 3 4 5 ) Or that Saudi Arabia and Turkey both have their eyes on nuclear weapons technology? And that Bush's deal to support India's civil nuclear program frees up nuclear material for use in their weapons program?

Number of Middle Eastern states that have moved closer to democracy: 5

Yep, Saudi Arabia is a model to us all. And then there was that famous democracy experiment with Hamas in Gaza. They even had elections and stuff!...real elections!...not like the stolen ones you get in the US!

Number of pointless dot points meant to explain something: 6

Read more meaningless nonsense here. Normally I'd make the effort to be polite, but this is ridiculous. Setting up meaningless and biased criteria in this way is beyond a joke. It's propaganda when serious ideas are called for.

Unknown said...

Thanks Damien,

Certainly, James Jay Carafano's numbers don't jive with the graph I posted. I tend to believe Rep. Henry Waxman who called Carafano's numbers "specious".

At some point, those who exploit terrorism will try to have it both ways: 1) they are succeeding 2) there is a threat. In the early days, we are inclined to believe the official accounts. But when no progress is made, we find it increasingly difficult to believe two conflicting stories: 1) attacks still constitute a threat to national security, and 2) we are making progress!

Which is it? Are we making progress or not? If we are, why are the attacks so numerous? On the other hand, if attacks decline dramatically, why not --at least --set a timetable for withdrawal?

Waxman is correct. His assessment is consistent with the everything else published with the exception of obvious spinners like Heritage and the paid shill.

At last, whatever the numbers, the US presence is a war crime. We are not liberators nor are we considered to be so by Iraqis who are clearly sick to death of our presence. I challenge the good doctor to spin that!

Are you for real Dr Carafano? You are aware that the Bush admin has chosen NOT to pursue AQ Khan over Pakistan and North Korean nukes? And that is likely because of the US connections that would show up. And it couldn't be, could it, that there has been massive illegal trafficking in nuclear weapons technology from the US as detailed by Sibel edmonds and others?!

Way to go, Damien. Think tank!! We don' need no stinkin' think tank. (apologies to "The Treasure of Sierra Madre") You nailed it.

And I especially liked this comment...

Yep, Saudi Arabia is a model to us all.

And your piece de resistance...

Setting up meaningless and biased criteria in this way is beyond a joke. It's propaganda when serious ideas are called for.

Excellent!

TheAngryindian said...

You evidently struck a nerve. Welcome to the club.

Vierotchka said...

It is well-known that to become a member of the Heritage Foundation, you must absolutely not think but merely utter psittacine reiterations of mendacious neocon propaganda. A true think-tank will have people thinking outside the box - the Heritage Foundation people "think" tightly ensconced inside the box, and a very tiny one at that. Whenever I need some cynical comic relief, I go watch some Heritage Foundation videos on YouTube - they invariably have me guffawing at their idiocy, ignorance, denial and delusions.

Vierotchka said...

Hey, James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., if you happen to read this - from which online phony university did you buy your Ph.D., and how much did you have to pay for it? I would like to buy one too - it might come in useful in certain circumstances.

Anonymous said...

Just beaming some support at you.

Blue Girl, Red State said...

Excellent take-down. A pleasure to read, point by point just withering and eviscerating. Damn, I'm glad you are on my side!

Now: We need some new rules. Here is a good one to start with: If you are going to call yourself a Think Tank you can't be absolutely wrong about absolutely everything absolutely every time.

SadButTrue said...

The numbers don't lie.
Number of amendments in the Bill of Rights still in effect prior to the Bush Administration: 10.

Number of centuries the writ of habeas corpus had been in effect: 8.

Number of Supreme Court Justices who have as little respect for the Constitution as does Dick Cheney: 5.

Number of innocent prisoners of US forces killed under torture during the Clinton administration: 0.

I guess maybe the Heritage Foundation isn't taking all the numbers into account. Like the roughly 30% decline in the value of the US dollar during the Bush administration, based on his tax breaks + borrow-and-spend formula for funding the war. What conservative values were those again? And what American values?

Sure Len, it's easy to win an argument with someone who doesn't adhere to any logical principles. The trick is to get them to acknowledge their defeat. They will always declare themselves the winner regardless, maybe by resorting to pulling out the 'so's your mama' card at the last minute.

Sadly, this is becoming my most over-used quote, "To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, is like administering medicine to the dead." -- Thomas Paine

Anonymous said...

FuzzFlash sez...

-----------------------------------

"The Heritage Foundation Picks a Fight with the Cowboy"

Extra, extra, read all about it...


Cowboy Rides Into Sunset. HeriFounds Eat Dust.


“Consigning this drivel to the intellectual dustbin is light work.”
Ain’t that the truth, Len. I can’t believe that PNAC people pay so much money, to such little league shit-kickers, to shill for them. For starters, the lay-out on their home page is cheap and unimaginative. Boring as batshit. They even got your name wrong,“Lee”. Schlemeils!
But who needs fact-checking when there is a MuttonBush Empire posturing as Liberty Lamb and HereFound hacks feature themselves as the Mint Sauce?

Hart to HeriFound: “Did you interview all 25 million and pose the question: are you now free?”

No Len, these people operate at arm’s length, so to speak. But they had a special full-color lift out, return postage paid questionnaire recently in The Baghdad Bugle that included:

“Is it now easier for you and your family to visit your local market, mosque or mortuary?”

Response was overwhelming, but Green Zone Authorities are staying mum about the result.

Len wites: “At that point former "Baathists" and former Iraqi military personnel literally went underground. We made of them an enemy. Was it done deliberately?”

Good question.

Particularly when one recounts how easy it was for said “Baathists”, including Saddam’s large Republican Guard to empty, un-hassled by US and Mercenary Forces, formerly well-stocked arsenals of, amongst other ordnance, oodles of the explosives that make IED’s go BOOM. But I guess these things, like shit, just happens. Especially with almost all ground forces ordered to secure the oil fields. And to facilitate helicopter access to the US Embassy roof. Got to hand it to the way this Administration has picked up on the errors of former Freedom Missions.

Who needs Dam Busters to take out poorly constructed Think Tanks, when one can drain them with the twin spigots of fact and reason.

Be wonderful if the MSM could pick up on this vicious instance of the HeriFound’s cyber bullying. Human interest angle, natch. Editorial is so expensive to buy these days. Wait till that nice Mister Murdoch gentleman gets the WSJ between his cloven trotters.

Style, fact and reason on a shoestring verses gormless, over-funded nitwits. Here’s hoping we stay on their “Undesirables” watchlist.

Speaking of which, Damien, you observe:

“Normally I’d make the effort to be polite, but this is ridiculous.”

Absolutely ridiculous, indeed. Showing civility to these scum is interpreted by them as a sign of weakness. We need to metaphorically rip their guts out so their handlers twig that it’s pointless feeding them anymore.

And I concur with The Cowboy. You’re on fire lately, and it warms me to me bones.

Unknown said...

Angryindian said...

You evidently struck a nerve. Welcome to the club.

Thanks, Indian. Welcome to the Cowboy. Never fear, this is a fight I've been fighting all my life. One does not grow up in West Texas with liberal views not having waged a few wars. Only the tough survive. In those days, Odessa was a hot bed of John Birch and "Impeach Earl Warren" Activism. I was having none of it. BTW --my mom was of Native American descent. Choctaw.

Now that it's come up, an essay on the decisions of Chief Justice Earl Warren is overdue.

Tom Autopref said...

Just beaming some support at you.

Thanks, Tom. And welcome. The wind seems lately to have changed direction. May it sweep away the effects of decades of right wing lies and hate.

Blue Girl said...

Excellent take-down. A pleasure to read, point by point just withering and eviscerating. Damn, I'm glad you are on my side!

Thanks, Blue Girl. I still have ammo just in case Heritage had been keeping their powder dry. I am tempted to quote Bush ---but won't.

Anyway, thanks and keep up the great work.

SadButTrue said...

The numbers don't lie.

And right wing liars can't count.

I guess maybe the Heritage Foundation isn't taking all the numbers into account. Like the roughly 30% decline in the value of the US dollar during the Bush administration, based on his tax breaks + borrow-and-spend formula for funding the war.

The effect of that on Social Security recipients amounts to cutting their benefits by 30 percent. The rabid right has never liked SS and have not given up their un-holy crusade to kill it, let the old people be damned. Having failed in Congress to defeat it upfront and outright, these liars have worked behind the schemes, robbing SS revenues to pay for the soaring price of the Iraq war, for example. There is no "lock box". SS revenues just go into the general fund where they are routinely looted by our robber baron government! Both parties are guilty. Gore Vidal was absolutely correct when he said if the SS revenues were factored out, US defense spending would exceed 90 percent of the federal budget.

Therefore, not only is the GOP a criminal conspiracy --so too the entire US government. It's a Ponzi scheme, a racket, a criminal shakedown!

Sadly, this is becoming my most over-used quote, "To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, is like administering medicine to the dead." -- Thomas Paine

No apologies necessary. I have my own over-used quotes. Among them Bertolt Brecht who said:

"A man who does not know the truth is just an idiot but a man who knows the truth and calls it a lie is a crook"

The GOP is a party of crooks.

Thanks, all, for the great comments and encouragement.

Anonymous said...

Please stand by for a 'flash from the front.

"Dems Call White House Out on Subpoenas

WASHINGTON — Democrats took the first steps Friday in what could be a long march to court in a tug-of-war between the White House and Congress over subpoenas and executive and legislative branch powers.

In a letter to White House counsel Fred Fielding, the heads of the Senate and House Judiciary committees demanded an explanation in 10 days of why the White House claimed executive privilege on subpoenaed documents and vowed whether or not the White House meets the deadline, "we will take the necessary steps to rule on your privilege claims and appropriately enforce our subpoenas backed by the full force of law," Leahy and Conyers wrote.

"The veil of secrecy you have attempted to pull over the White House by withholding documents and witnesses is unprecedented and damaging to the tradition of open government by and for the people that has been a hallmark of the republic," Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., told Fielding.
They gave the White House until July 9 to furnish the factual and legal bases for the executive privilege claim and documentation that President Bush personally signed off on it.”


cut/pasted/edited from HuffPo; by line Laurie Kellman.

And so, the long march to court has begun. And we, comrades, shall remain its drill sargents, till Justice doth din our roar.

Unknown said...

FuzzFlash sez...

Cowboy Rides Into Sunset. HeriFounds Eat Dust.

I can’t believe that PNAC people pay so much money, to such little league shit-kickers, to shill for them.

Good one, Fuzz! They referred to my original article, Terrorism is Worse Under GOP Regimes, as "scathing". I thought I had been moderate. These guys don't get out enough.

They even got your name wrong,“Lee”.

Now...that's what REALLY pissed me off. I knew a guy name "Lee" once and I didn't like him.


But they had a special full-color lift out, return postage paid questionnaire recently in The Baghdad Bugle that included:
“Is it now easier for you and your family to visit your local market, mosque or mortuary?”


Oh, that cuts deep. Another one like that and I will actually begin to feel sorry for the Heritage Foundation! .......Nahhhhhhh!

"Was it done deliberately?” Good question.

It's a measure of just how catastrophically horrible things are in Iraq that people are willing to believe that Bushies have created chaos deliberately. After all, no one could be that stupid. I still haven't made up my mind. Certainly, I cannot ascribe to Bush any intelligence above that of a 5th grader. I can't imagine this gang that couldn't shoot straight being smart enough to effect a scheme worthy of Lex Luthor. The explanation is probably Pres...uh..Vice President Cheney. Not an intellectual, he is smart enough and evil enough to do all Bush's thinking for him. Bush is a Ventriloquist's dummy who dreams of becomming a real boy. Ain't gonna happen. Not gonna do it!

when one recounts how easy it was for said “Baathists”, including Saddam’s large Republican Guard to empty, un-hassled by US and Mercenary Forces, formerly well-stocked arsenals of, amongst other ordnance, oodles of the explosives that make IED’s go BOOM. But I guess these things, like shit, just happens.

The list is endless. The US govt is illegitimate. I don't see the Democrats changing things. Revolution, maybe. But revolutions are not entered into lightly. Millions would suffer all over the world.

Who needs Dam Busters to take out poorly constructed Think Tanks, when one can drain them with the twin spigots of fact and reason.

You can download Eric Coates' great Dam Busters March at the following link. Sorry, I couldn't find a free download but that's not to say there isn't one.

Unknown said...

Anonymous said...

And so, the long march to court has begun. And we, comrades, shall remain its drill sargents, till Justice doth din our roar.

I'm not optimistic. This has happened before, with Nixon. Eventually, Nixon couldn't "hang tough" anymore. He didn't have the votes on the high court. It didn't even go that far.

Cheney learned the lessons of Watergate ...but all the wrong ones. Bush has packed the court with idiots --Scalito and Mr. Roberts.

Bush will let it all hang out. This will be quite a ride but it won't be fun.

Anonymous said...

Big Easy reporter, Fuzz Flash, takes an in depth look at America’s “Crisis of Faith” with their Decider-In-Chief.


From NYT Political Analysis

"...The President's Mojo Is Completely Gone"

In unprecedented moves today, Deputy White House Chief of Staff, Joe Hagin, announced that members of his staff had attempted to contact descendents of Mr. Mackinley Morganfield , the late and great Blue’s Musician, to seek assistance with President Bush’s “mojo situation”. Mr. Hagin said that so far, Morganfield family members had been co-operative, but unable to provide any “actionable information”

The investigation had at one stage focused on a midnight rendezvous between Mr. Hagin’s agents, and an “anonymous stranger” at the intersection of Highway’s 49 and 61 in the State of Mississippi. A reliable source said that when the “anonymous stranger” became aware that inquiries emanated from The White House, the stranger hissed with lofty disdain: “Why should I waste my efforts on people whose souls already belong to me?, before vanishing mysteriously into Delta mist.

Undeterred, the investigation will continue, according to Mr. Hagin, and has now moved to New Orleans, where there is a deep reservoir of goodwill for President Bush. Mr. Hagin urged fortune tellers, astrologers and voodoo devotees to come forward with any information that they feel might be useful.
He finished on an upbeat, yet surreptitious blue note by saying: “We refuse to rest until we get the President’s Mojo working again”.

Anonymous said...

Funny, Fuzzflash. And Bush's mojo? That's long gone.

Anonymous said...

"This will be quite a ride but it won't be fun."

Make that a ten four, Cowboy, on clause one, but a certain colorful Crescent City scribe begs to differ respectfully on clause two [:)

True Damien, it's just that Kid Imbecile has failed to grasp the reality of it yet.

hizzoner said...

Concerning the Heritage Foundation spouting half-baked, previously refuted Bush talking points:

Heritage Foundation is the outfit that gave Bush those talking points in the first place....they are as stale as an un-updated webpage...

Oh yeah...just by chance I stumbled on this passage from Stephenwolf this morning...

It is remarkable, all that men can swallow. For a good ten minutes I read a newspaper. I allowed the spirit of an irresponsible man who chews and munches anothers words in his mouth and then gives them out again, undigested , to enter my soul through my eyes."

1930's Germany or reading the Washington Post this morning? I can't tell the difference.

Thanks for the great work.

Anonymous said...

Alright, let’s recap here: Ultra-capitalism gave an alarming boost to global warming. Ultra-capitalism has been proven to have widened dangerously the gap between rich and poor. Ultra-capitalism has weakened our health care system to a critical point in which millions of our children are within lethal risks. Ultra-capitalism has decimated for good countless seas and forests. Ultra-capitalism has crushed farming life and vegetation varieties with extensive monocultures.
Ultra-capitalism has caused international wars for oil and natural gas. Ultra-capitalism’s food industry has degraded the natural status of many animals to the point of disgusting even the more staunch meat eaters. Ultra-capitalism has its foot on the starting block for future wars for the world’s potable water supplies. Ultra-capitalism is poisoning our children and fattened the coronaries and the brains of our baby boomers. Ultra-capitalism from the United States has helped poisoning Chinese skies and Rivers while poisoning our kitchen tops by proxies. Ultra-capitalism has made our teenager lazy and prone to violent behaviors. Without shame, Ultra-capitalism tosses every single day another heavy wrench toward our nation’s future for the sake of better returns toward a few privileged share-holders. Ultra-capitalism has evolved by giving us worsening leaderships and privatized governments that have become blind and deaf to all constituent’s pleas and wishes. Ultra-capitalism has dangerously decalcified our democracy and our rule of laws.

Should we wait for everything to go awry before trying something else, involving a general international social, economic and politic Armageddon; or would it be cleverer to start working on changes today?

Anonymous said...

There are people who will gloss over what you say Dante Lee, perhaps wrongly reading into it some hippy notion of returning to an age of mung beans and herbal tea while overlooking all the apparent capitalist growth taking place around us in places like China and India.

But the fact is that the world population is set to go from 6.5 billion to 9 billion in under 50 years. Half the world still lives on less than a dollar a day. And there is no chance that those extra 2.5 billion people are going to be getting sufficient food or water, let alone Ipods and Japanese robot toys. The world is heading into major resource wars over oil, water and food; millions will almost certainly die. That Bush is seeking to refurbish every one of 20,000 US nuclear missiles over the next 20 years, encourage a global nuclear arms race, and attempt to weaponize space is an appalling waste of human resources in the face of the world's real needs.

As you say so well Dante, "Ultra-capitalism has its foot on the starting block for future wars."

Anonymous said...

"Ultra-capitalism has dangerously decalcified our democracy and our rule of laws" - dante lee

I could not agree more, we have made that transition from a relative representative government to a blatantly manipulated imperial sham democracy.

"The world is heading into major resource wars over oil, water and food; millions will almost certainly die" -damien

"...while overlooking all the apparent capitalist growth taking place around us in places like China and India" - damien

Yeah, just as we see some movement in minor development of a middle class, in places like India & China, they will more then likely not develop into anything other then a high tech feudalism. With the carrying capacity of the planet already in check, and the expanding population bases that damien mentions, along with what ever global climate change may dish out...It will be a rough patch no matter what "system" develops. Not to mention the piss poor leadership we have witnessed on a global level for the past fifty years or so, that has not helped at all in fact has acted as the fulcrum of our current plight(seems every decent, or what appears to be independent leader, gets shot some how). But, it is also the fault of the rank and file citizen of many industrial democracies, for their lack of positive involvement with these growing concerns, and by allowing the evolution of this generation of miscreant leadership, along with it's rampant corruption.

But, I still believe we have a window of opportunity to engage the future in a way that helps one locally and globally simultaneously. That is by really getting involved with sustainable living concepts. I have followed several of them for some time, in terms of basic environmental and recourse issues. Eventually if one does that, they will be prepared for a round of self sufficiency, but at the same time will certainly have had a positive impact on the global resource issues.

Any how you guys always bring up issues that get me thinking, and I am just chucking n my two sense. And, through the "Hippy" movement, which was what I typically just consider a blip of short but unique social revolution, many ancient concepts that were taboo, or repressed or suppressed just re-emerged...many ancient thinkers and civilizations understood sustainable living, many times it was just a practical way of life.

So, don't make so much of the "Hippy" thing, they were just messengers for the most part, along with an abundance of free thinkers and a few renaissance men and women. I was reading on some other post about someone that was talking about how phony and misleading the 60's and 70's were, and that nothing was really accomplished that was of any use. Well, they are full of shit, it is where we have allowed ourselves to become in not following through with the notions that were realized.

benmerc

Anonymous said...

benmerc sez:

"I have followed several of them for some time, in terms of basic environmental and recourse issues"

that statement should read: "I have followed several of them for some time, in terms of basic environmental considerations concerning recourse issues and use"

benmerc

Anonymous said...

Len said:
Additional resources (some things to think about in your tank):



I believe "plotting" applies rather then "thinking"...Or, I suppose they do "think" of how to "plot"...

benmerc

Anonymous said...

Fuzz sez…

Dante Lee, wonderful to have you back ridin’ with the posse. I reckon your manifesto rocks. Drew a terrific response from former fabulous furry freak brother, Benmerc. Hope your M1A1 Abrams-Lee Pencil Tank will soon be relaunched after its upgrade. Three months is furlough enough, C’mondante, for a weapon so potent.

And Benmerc, it never ceases to amaze me how much we have in common. The underlinked has recently had it’s charter meeting. Certain undesirables known to this web log have become involved.

http://www.veggievillage.com.au/main/

Btw, I used to share a pad that had "roof rabbits". One of the occupants was writing his thesis on Fat Freddy's cat. Late Sixties, Sydney. Last I heard he was selling insurance in Omaha, Nebraska.

Anonymous said...

Hey fuzz, i will check it out, i suppose it could be some form of generational absorption...
i do recall a few freak bro antics...some of that stuff was a stitch to read.

resource, resource... etc. some how even my correction comes out "recourse" wtf. you all get the picture.

benmerc

Sebastien Parmentier said...

Sorry guys for such a long absence. And thank you for your kind words. My moving from LA to NY has put me in such debts that I had to go on pulling a 45 hours a week corporate job. This summer, in just a couple of weeks, I’ll be going to Japan. Then, once I’m back, in August, I will plunge into my education again, as I already been accepted to Stony Brooks University in order to continue my studies for a degree in Physics. By then, I will be back fully on the saddle, blogging hard and coming up with new toons. For now, though, I have to pull more hours at my job, so my rants will continue to be sporadic. Please keep my chair warm for the moment.

Anonymous said...

Sebastian...

wish you well with your studies, and transition to the east coast. It sounds like you certainly will have your plate loaded up for a while.

benmerc

Unknown said...

It's great seeing the Fuzz, Sebastien, and Damien on the same "board" --especially with all our many new friends. Welcome back Sebastien.

Texrat said...

Excellent rebuttal. Always good to see these disingenuous numbnuts hoisted by their own petard. Ted Rall is giving 'em hell, too: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucru/20070725/cm_ucru/pooranduneducatedlikewethought;_ylt=Ai6VigBQ8zlv8GHwk3SxhBcE1vAI