The Guerrilla Campaign

The irony of Billy Graham winding up his visit to New York City just as the president Bush is set to address the nation in an attempt to garner support for war is pulchritudinous. The Reverend Billy Graham is the most apolitical evangelical minister I can think of. One can only presume that he is in sync with the message of rendering onto Caesar what is Caesar's. His work of bringing people to Jesus Christ is not filled with direction or missions; he leaves each follower to follow their own heart with the guidance of Jesus as they come to know him. He tells people up front what to expect from their commitment. He stands in higher esteem than all of the other notable evangelicals, some of whom seem to have been corrupted by money, fame or power by contrast. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righ...

there's too much shit going on right now that I can't seem to grasp all of it, and make some sense of it. Each seems to be a piece of a puzzle piece: the Downing Street memos, and the media's reaction the Iraq war the Afghanistan war the threat of new war with Iran the recent public humiliation of frist by the president bush the bolton nomination the continued craveness of the democrats the open and notorious corruption of the republicans the evil hearts of the right-wing 'christians' the looting of the US Treasury by the rich and powerful the destruction of the safety nets for the working classes the list goes on. I'm going to spend some time reading Mario Milosevic's Conditional Reality , and get myself re-centered. And then, I'm going out 'shop-dropping'.

Bush's WMD 'Joke': Is the Media Still Laughing? By Greg Mitchell http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/columns/pressingissues_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000964303%20%20 […] …So allow me to focus, instead, on one brief moment in the Thursday forum, which took me back to a connected, equally brief, Washington moment last year. It represents one of the most shameful episodes in the recent history of the American media, and presidency, yet is rarely mentioned today. It occurred on March 24, 2004. The setting: The 60th annual black-tie dinner of the Radio and Television Correspondents Association (with many print journalists there as guests) at the Hilton. On the menu: surf and turf. Attendance: 1500. The main speaker: President George W. Bush, one year into the Iraq war, with 500 Americans already dead. Now you may recall what happened. President Bush, as usual at such gatherings of journalists, poked fun at himself. Great leeway is granted to presidents (and their spouses) ...

Earned pension 6/12/2005 http://www.news-press.com/ United Airlines has no right to cancel the company retirement plans. Such plans are part of "agreed-to" negotiations between the company and personnel. The retirement payments were agreed to as part of the employee's pay! The employees gave up part of their pay to be put aside for retirement. The money is not a gift from the company. The company has absolutely no right to it. William B. Nash Fort Myers Stealing is rule 6/14/05 http://www.news-press.com Re: "Earned pension," William Nash, June 12. Mr. Nash seems to have forgotten the times we're living in. Of course, United Airlines is entitled to steal the workers' pensions. After all, isn't it the president who is stealing our Social Security, and our Treasury, and our children's futures? Stealing it with his tax cuts to the rich, and the need to finance his obscene war in Iraq. Why, if it's good enough for the president, it should be good ...

I ran across this in a book I’m reading, in a section dealing with serial killers. […] As in all serial rapists and murderers, the perpetrator operates in a world of power, control and domination… […] As with most psychopathic and sociopathic cases, there is no remorse, coupled with considerable manipulation of people and various systems. […] and further on, […] …but a lot of what motivates serial killers also motivates kids in the inner cities and kids in small towns who are going out on a Saturday night and, for the thrill, the excitement, basshing people, assaulting people… […] …they see murderers seeking the ultimate control, power over life and death… […] And when we remember that the bush liked to blow up frogs as a kid, according to friends, it would seem that the president bush fits this pattern. How’s that for a scary Sunday morning thought? We have a man, who’s finger is on the button of the ultimate controller of life and death for the world, who is a serial killer. Further ...

Bush and Blair Deny 'Fixed' Iraq Reports By Elisabeth Bumiller Published: June 8, 2005 http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/08/international/08prexy.html? WASHINGTON, June 7 - President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain presented a united front on Tuesday against a recently disclosed British government memorandum that said in July 2002 that American intelligence was being "fixed" around the policy of removing Saddam Hussein in Iraq. "There's nothing farther from the truth," Mr. Bush said in his first public comments about the so-called Downing Street memo, which has created anger among the administration's critics who see it as evidence that the president was intent to go to war with Iraq earlier than the White House has said. "Look, both of us didn't want to use our military," Mr. Bush added. "Nobody wants to commit military into combat. It's the last option." Mr. Blair, standing at Mr. Bush's side in a joint ne...

He criticized China for increasing military spending despite the absence of a threat from another country […] Rumsfeld said the Pentagon's annual assessment of China's military capabilities shows China now has the world's third-largest military budget, behind the U.S. and Russia. from The Associated Press Saturday, June 4, 2005 U.S. officials have said they are worried that Chavez's dominance of his country's courts, military and other state institutions, combined with his government's persecution of political opponents, puts Venezuela's democracy at risk. from Reuters Sunday, June 6, 2005 Two fascinating looks at the delusional bush administration. The bush borrows us into bankruptcy (a large share picked up by China) to finance his obscene wars. Over 50% of his budget request goes to the military. This is separate from the comparatively paltry amount for veterans’ benefits. As a country, we devote more of our resources to the military than the next 20 coun...

What IF John Bolton Gets a Recess Appointment to U.N. Ambassadorship? The Washington Note June 02, 2005 http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/000695.html Constitution of the United States Adopted by convention of States, September 17, 1787; Ratification completed, June 21, 17881 Article II. Section. 2. Clause 3: The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session. Now, I may be reading this wrong, but this says that for a president to be able to make a recess appointment, the vacancy must occur during the recess. It doesn’t say the president can appoint people that are waiting for confirmation just because the Senate goes on recess. The vacancy in the UN post has already been addressed by the president bush. He nominated john bolton. The Senate has already started into the confirmation process. If the bush appoints bolton during the recess, I’ll go so ...

Memorial Day, 2005 the Guerrilla Campaign We remember our military men and women who have been killed and wounded in our many wars. We also remember the countless peoples who have been killed and wounded by our actions. Today, our young again face the same dilemma that many Americans my age faced during Vietnam. The choice is as stark now as it was then. Face jail, or exile, or a life on the run, or fight in an unjust, immoral war. These are all brave men and women, and nothing in their life has prepared them for this choice. Whichever decision they make is a profoundly life-altering experience. Post-trauma disorders. Vietnam veterans faced a life after exposure to “Agent Orange” with all its attendant health problems. Today’s veterans face a life after exposure to the effects of our DU munitions with all of its consequences; a slow painful death, severe health disorders, birth defects in their children, and their children’s children. Many of our Vietnam veterans are homeless. Many of ...

I’d like to comment a moment on C Wilson’s post Honoring Our Heroes by CJW. Specifically, […] Or, perhaps Bush thinks all mommies are like his -- they don't want to be bothered with wasting their beautiful minds... Usually, I don’t bother the spouses and families of political figures. But both the presidential bush women have inserted themselves into the political arena. So for me, they are fair game. That quote got me to thinking about the barbara bush. The woman has no heart, and I wonder about her mental abilities. No matter how good a mother is, sometimes a kid will grow up to be sociopathic. But when at least three of your children, the boys, georgie, jeb, and neil, grow up to be sociopaths, I think one must look to the parents to find out why. We already know georgie the elder was so out of touch by 1992, that he didn’t know what a supermarket scanner was. And we know that georgie the younger so addled his brain with alcohol and drugs, that he hears voices, and thinks it’s Go...

It is recommended that you read The Climate of Man part III by Elizabeth Kolbert; published in The New Yorker May 9, 2005 as the final installment of a three part series. It is not available online yet but the following link will take you to an informative discussion with Kolbert and to parts I & II. http://www.newyorker.com/online/content/?050425on_onlineonly01 Will our species--the only one capable of changing the global climate--be here in a hundred years? Will we be able to alter the way we have always done things in favor of the way we will have to do them in order to ensure the viability of our biosphere? We would like to think the answer is yes. That answer, however, is not a measure of our intelligence as a species, it is a measure of our fortitude and determination to act altruistically on behalf of our greater, communal self-interest. Scientists have been warning us for some twenty precious years that we are on the brink of disaster. The facts are irrefutable and our outl...

Well, here's a nice piece of news from the administration of the president bush. And just in time for Mothers' Day too. The lack of any compassion or empathy for anyone reinforces the fact that the president bush is a true sociopath (The Sociopathic Bush Administration) . Why we let these people continue to ruin the lives of countless millions, is beyond me. A part of their agenda seems to be to grind the less fortunate down. These people are neither Christian, or compassionate. They are frauds. Dangerous frauds. They are also war criminals. The world would indeed be "better off" with these people removed from office, and any position of influence. Under New Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, Food Stamps May Be Reduced By ROBERT PEAR May 8, 2005 http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/08/politics/08drugs.html WASHINGTON, May 7 - Elderly people with low incomes may lose some of their food stamps if they sign up for the new Medicare prescription drug benefit, the Bush administrat...

Bush Social Security Plan Would Cut Future Benefits By Jim VandeHei and Michael A. Fletcher Washington Post Staff Writers Friday, April 29, 2005; A01 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/28/AR2005042801044.html ...Despite opposition from Democrats and a lukewarm response from the public, he intensified his push for private accounts financed by a portion of a worker's payroll taxes. To pacify those worried about the risk associated with investment, the president, for the first time, said one of the investment options should be no-risk Treasury bonds . ... Now would those be the same bonds that the president bush has called "worthless IOU's?"

Just a quick post before the Anointed One and Source of All Wisdom, the president bush, gets up to spew his enlightenment on us mere mortals. Here’s the stock market as it stood at closing on April 22, 2005. How’d you like to retire on these numbers?

Deepening the Religious Divide Republicans think they can put right-wing religion above the rule of law. That might be their biggest mistake. By Robert B. Reich Issue Date: 05.06.05 American Prospect In the religious war now being waged by the Republican Party, battles are designed not to be won but to mobilize troops for larger battles to come. The ultimate goal is not to dismantle the wall between church and state, although this would be a byproduct. It is to bring the majority of Americans who consider themselves religious into the Republican Party, thereby securing the GOP’s dominance for generations to come. […] A Fine Christian Nation Sex Trumps Torture and Murder DAVE LINDORFF, CounterPunch http://www.counterpunch.org/lindorff04262005.html […] we don't see nearly the public interest in this scandal, don't see nearly the media coverage, and even when, as happened this week, the top generals who oversaw the whole thing, and who helped try to cover it up, are exonerated by...

American Progress IRAQ $300,000,000,000.00 We'd call it buyer's remorse, but "remorse" doesn't quite capture the stunning tragedy of the moment. Following yesterday's Senate approval of the latest war supplemental , American taxpayers will soon have paid three hundred billion dollars – that's $300,000,000,000.00 – to help finance the most disastrous foreign policy decision of our generation. You paid. Your co-workers paid. Elderly couples, struggling single parents, college kids, middle-class families – we all paid.... 1744 Coalition deaths, 1567 of them American 11888 US wounded in action and over 100,000 Iraqi's killed

President Dedicates Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Springfield, Illinois For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary April 19, 2005 http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/04/20050419-5.html 11:59 A.M. CDT Our interests are served when former enemies become democratic partners -- because free governments do not support terror or seek to conquer their neighbors. Our interests are served by the spread of democratic societies -- because free societies reward the hopes of their citizens, instead of feeding the hatreds that lead to violence…. Well, I guess it’s official. Especially among those who worship the president bush, and believe only the truth comes out of his mouth. There it is, right in his speech. America is no longer a free, democratic society. Gotta be true, georgie says so. Flying a plane into a building full of people is terrorism. Dropping a bomb from an airplane into a building full of people is terrorism. No difference. We could ask the people...

There are millions of Christians in the world, and the vast majority of them pattern their lives according to the teachings of Jesus. These are not the Christians I’m talking about. There is a cult that has formed on the fringes of this religion. And this cult has gained power and influence far out of proportion to their numbers. The american taliban is about one step away from completing their takeover of the US government. The policies of these ‘christians’ would condemn all, believers and non-believers alike, to a life of fear and distrust. How else would a person react, while waiting for the denunciation that will be coming from someone who has a grudge against them. That is the end result whenever any religion gains the ascendancy in the political arena. We’ve had the Inquisition, the Salem Witch Trials, the Stalin show trials, the Taliban in Afghanistan. Throughout history, we see the religious wars that have caused so much death and destruction. Basing their social contract on t...

Loudly, With a Big Stick By DAVID BROOKS OP-ED COLUMNIST Published: April 14, 2005 http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/14/opinion/14brooks.html Disaster, Not Diplomacy By Richard Cohen Thursday, April 14, 2005; Page A27 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51669-2005Apr13.html I've posted both of these at the Guerrilla Campaign site together . And my response to Mr Brooks is below. In the first column, Brooks, rather ineffectually I think, takes the position that bolton would be a good choice for our ambassador to the UN. It seems, though, that it's his disdain for the UN that makes him the right person. Since it seems to match Brooks' disdain. In the second, Mr Cohen argues that bolton would be a disaster for the people of the US and the world, if he were to be confirmed. "...But there are things that the United States will want done at the United Nations -- and Bolton is the wrong guy to get them done. After all, once an ambassador is instructed as to a policy ...

The doubling of child malnutrition in Iraq is baffling Terry Jones Tuesday April 12, 2005 Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1457630,00.html A report to the UN human rights commission in Geneva has concluded that Iraqi children were actually better off under Saddam Hussein than they are now. This, of course, comes as a bitter blow for all those of us who, like George Bush and Tony Blair, honestly believe that children thrive best when we drop bombs on them from a great height, destroy their cities and blow up hospitals, schools and power stations. It now appears that, far from improving the quality of life for Iraqi youngsters, the US-led military assault on Iraq has inexplicably doubled the number of children under five suffering from malnutrition. Under Saddam, about 4% of children under five were going hungry, whereas by the end of last year almost 8% were suffering. These results are even more disheartening for those of us in the Department of Making Things Better...