Friday, November 05, 2004
With a Commander-and-Chief Like Bush, Who Needs Enemies?
Bush War Planners Allowed Looting of Munitions Now Killing U.S. Troops, LA Times Reports
Los Angeles Times, Nov. 5:
by Mark Mazzetti
In the weeks after the fall of Baghdad, Iraqi looters loaded powerful explosives into pickup trucks and drove the material off the al Qaqaa ammunition site, according to a group of U.S. Army reservists and National Guardsmen who said they witnessed the looting.
The soldiers said that about a dozen U.S. troops guarding the sprawling facility could not prevent the theft of the explosives because they were outnumbered by looters. Soldiers from one unit - the 317th Support Center based in Wiesbaden, Germany - said they sent a message to commanders in Baghdad requesting help to secure the site, but received no reply.
The witnesses' accounts of the looting are the first provided by U.S. soldiers, and support claims that the American military failed to safeguard the munitions. Last month, the International Atomic Energy Agency - the U.N. nuclear watchdog - and the interim Iraqi government reported that approximately 380 tons of high-grade explosives had been taken from al Qaqaa after the fall of Baghdad on April 9, 2003. The explosives are powerful enough to detonate a nuclear weapon.
In the past week, when revelations of the missing explosives became an issue in the presidential campaign, the Bush administration suggested that the explosives could have been carted off by Saddam Hussein's forces before the war began. Pentagon officials later said that U.S. troops systematically destroyed hundreds of tons of explosives at al Qaqaa after Baghdad fell.
Asked about the soldiers' accounts, Pentagon spokeswoman Rose-Anne Lynch said Wednesday, "We take the report of missing munitions very seriously. And we are looking into the facts and circumstances of this incident." ...
[read more]
Los Angeles Times, Nov. 5:
by Mark Mazzetti
In the weeks after the fall of Baghdad, Iraqi looters loaded powerful explosives into pickup trucks and drove the material off the al Qaqaa ammunition site, according to a group of U.S. Army reservists and National Guardsmen who said they witnessed the looting.
The soldiers said that about a dozen U.S. troops guarding the sprawling facility could not prevent the theft of the explosives because they were outnumbered by looters. Soldiers from one unit - the 317th Support Center based in Wiesbaden, Germany - said they sent a message to commanders in Baghdad requesting help to secure the site, but received no reply.
The witnesses' accounts of the looting are the first provided by U.S. soldiers, and support claims that the American military failed to safeguard the munitions. Last month, the International Atomic Energy Agency - the U.N. nuclear watchdog - and the interim Iraqi government reported that approximately 380 tons of high-grade explosives had been taken from al Qaqaa after the fall of Baghdad on April 9, 2003. The explosives are powerful enough to detonate a nuclear weapon.
In the past week, when revelations of the missing explosives became an issue in the presidential campaign, the Bush administration suggested that the explosives could have been carted off by Saddam Hussein's forces before the war began. Pentagon officials later said that U.S. troops systematically destroyed hundreds of tons of explosives at al Qaqaa after Baghdad fell.
Asked about the soldiers' accounts, Pentagon spokeswoman Rose-Anne Lynch said Wednesday, "We take the report of missing munitions very seriously. And we are looking into the facts and circumstances of this incident." ...
[read more]
Exodus
CANADA REPORTS HUGE JUMP IN IMMIGRATION
Over 55,000,000 Requests for Citizenship Since Tuesday Night
Canadian immigration officials have reported a huge increase in the number
of requests for Canadian citizenship in the past twenty-four hours, with
over fifty-five million such inquiries pouring in since late Tuesday night.
Of those fifty-five million requests, well over 99.99% of them came from
U.S. citizens, the lion's share residing in such states as New York,
California, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington, Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and the
District of Columbia.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew said that he was
"flabbergasted" by the fifty-five-million-plus requests for Canadian
citizenship, adding that it was difficult to pinpoint the precise reasons
for the staggering increase.
My only theory is that after many years of exposure in the U.S., hockey is
finally starting to catch on," Mr. Pettigrew said.
He cautioned, however, that it is impossible to know exactly what is
sparking the sudden interest in America's frozen neighbor to the north:
"People answering our immigration hotline say that it is hard to understand
many of the American callers because they are sobbing uncontrollably."
In other news, President Bush used his acceptance speech Wednesday to reach
out to supporters of Sen. John Kerry, telling them, "You can run, but you
can't hide."
Meanwhile, in his first statement since being voted out of office Tuesday
night, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle said, "Do you want fries with
that?"
Elsewhere, experts said that exit polls may have falsely predicted a Kerry
victory because Kerry voters exited while Bush voters stayed behind and
voted again.
Over 55,000,000 Requests for Citizenship Since Tuesday Night
Canadian immigration officials have reported a huge increase in the number
of requests for Canadian citizenship in the past twenty-four hours, with
over fifty-five million such inquiries pouring in since late Tuesday night.
Of those fifty-five million requests, well over 99.99% of them came from
U.S. citizens, the lion's share residing in such states as New York,
California, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington, Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and the
District of Columbia.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew said that he was
"flabbergasted" by the fifty-five-million-plus requests for Canadian
citizenship, adding that it was difficult to pinpoint the precise reasons
for the staggering increase.
My only theory is that after many years of exposure in the U.S., hockey is
finally starting to catch on," Mr. Pettigrew said.
He cautioned, however, that it is impossible to know exactly what is
sparking the sudden interest in America's frozen neighbor to the north:
"People answering our immigration hotline say that it is hard to understand
many of the American callers because they are sobbing uncontrollably."
In other news, President Bush used his acceptance speech Wednesday to reach
out to supporters of Sen. John Kerry, telling them, "You can run, but you
can't hide."
Meanwhile, in his first statement since being voted out of office Tuesday
night, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle said, "Do you want fries with
that?"
Elsewhere, experts said that exit polls may have falsely predicted a Kerry
victory because Kerry voters exited while Bush voters stayed behind and
voted again.
Thursday, November 04, 2004
In Jesus Name, Bush Asks for Your Trust and Support, Amen
That's a rich one, isn't it? Yalie-turned-cowboy-dumb-fuck George W. Bush asking for our trust. Why should we trust him? Well, if you are a true believer, you'd have to say, as an article of faith, that he has been given direct instructions from God on how to lead this nation. God, of course, is known to act in mysterious ways. So mysterious, in this case, that he has endowed a stupid son of a former president, CIA director and oil executive ("Who's your daddy?) to be given the power and glory to order the invasion of ancient Babylon and kill an estimated 100,000 heathens. So what if they're women and children and old folks? As true believers, we know now that George W. Bush ordered the slaughter of these non-believers on direct instructions from JESUS Christ. JESUS has also instructed him the run the national deficit up to trillions of dollars, gut Social Security, bust unions, allow drug companies to overcharge for prescription drugs, outsource millions of jobs to Mexico and China, freeze the minimum wage, and eliminate millions of high-paying manufacturing jobs in the U.S. The devil didn't make him do these things -- JESUS did. JESUS also told him to let the assault rifle ban law expire and that with the help of God and Karl Rove, idiot voters in Middle America would be drawn towards him like flies on shit in defense of their precious "moral values."
Evidentally, JESUS, has a plan. And that plan calls for the destruction of the United States through White House-resident-idiot George W. Bush. Get with the program, children, or die, motherfuckers.
[read more]
Evidentally, JESUS, has a plan. And that plan calls for the destruction of the United States through White House-resident-idiot George W. Bush. Get with the program, children, or die, motherfuckers.
[read more]
In Jesus Name, Bush Asks for Your Trust and Support, Amen
That's a rich one, isn't it? Yalie-turned-cowboy-dumb-fuck George W. Bush asking for our trust. Why should we trust him? Well, if you are a true believer, you'd have to say, as an article of faith, that he has been given direct instructions from God on how to lead this nation. God, of course, is known to act in mysterious ways. So mysterious, in this case, that he has endowed a stupid son of a former president, CIA director and oil executive ("Who's your daddy?) to be given the power and glory to order the invasion of ancient Babylon and kill an estimated 100,000 heathens. So what if they're women and children and old folks? As true believers, we know now that George W. Bush ordered the slaughter of these non-believers on direct instructions from JESUS Christ. JESUS has also instructed him the run the national deficit up to trillions of dollars, gut Social Security, bust unions, allow drug companies to overcharge for prescription drugs, outsource millions of jobs to Mexico and China, freeze the minimum wage, and eliminate millions of high-paying manufacturing jobs in the U.S. The devil didn't make him do these things -- JESUS did. JESUS also told him to let the assault rifle ban law expire and that with the help of God and Karl Rove, idiot voters in Middle America would gather towards him like flies on shit in defense of "moral values."
Evidentally, JESUS, has a plan. And that plan calls for the destruction of the United States through the our president and White House-resident-idiot George W. Bush. Get with the program, children, or die, motherfuckers.
Evidentally, JESUS, has a plan. And that plan calls for the destruction of the United States through the our president and White House-resident-idiot George W. Bush. Get with the program, children, or die, motherfuckers.
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
Mr. President, We Are All Humbled by Your Victory
In proclaiming his win in the presidential race, George W. Bush said he was humbled by his victory. Millions of Americans from coast to coast couldn't agree more. We are all humbled by the fact that our leader is a vicious liar and coward, who has once again managed to dupe a majority of the electorate, which remains ignorant are your true policies and agenda. You don't deserve and will not receive the trust of those of us who see through the thin veneer of your hypocritical deceit.
Those of us who cherish of this country truly is supposed to represent feel dispossessed and abandoned in the land of our birth. No lame bullshit lies spewing from your mouth will change that now. You and your ideological henchmen can never represent us. The only way these wounds will heal are when you leave office. By the grace of God and sake of the future of this country and the world, that day will come before your second term expires
[read more]
Those of us who cherish of this country truly is supposed to represent feel dispossessed and abandoned in the land of our birth. No lame bullshit lies spewing from your mouth will change that now. You and your ideological henchmen can never represent us. The only way these wounds will heal are when you leave office. By the grace of God and sake of the future of this country and the world, that day will come before your second term expires
[read more]
Gnashing of Teeth on the Banks of the Great Brown God
Insane Clown Posse Returned to Power
There is palpable sense of grief on the Washington University campus today, tempered only by the youth of the mourners. Outside the walls of academia, the heavily Democratic city of St. Louis has also been stunned by the apocalyptic prospect of four more years of degenerate rule by the Bush Bund.
It is no surprise that this northern city finds itself surrounded by ignorant, backward-thinking Republicans who live in rural and suburban areas of the state. Missouri has been a border state since the Civil War and remains so. The only difference is that since the passage of the Civil Rights Act and legalized abortion in the 1960s and 70s the state has gradually been taken over right-wing conservative Republicans who have discarded the constitutional separation of church and state in favor of an exclusionary theocracy.
The absurdity of their ethos is borne out by their zealous protection of the "unborn" at the same time that their own sons and daughters are being sacrificed to an unjust war in which more than 100,000 innocent civilians have already died.
There is no rationale to explain these contradicting positions, of course, because there is nothing rational about believing that the inept president of the United States is somehow endowed directly with divine guidance. Since 9/11 this normally neurotic base of the Republican Party has been pushed into the abyss, resulting in a majority of the population in Missouri and other Republican-dominated states descending into a kind of mass psychosis unparalleled in American history.
Those of us who oppose this insanity find ourselves huddled into a ghetto of sorts, hemmed in by the Mississippi River, with few avenues of escape. The free state of Illinois lies but a few scant miles away, but how long will it be before officials in the Land of Lincoln seal off the borders to stem the tide of refugees seeking asylum? Surrounded by Know-Nothings and nativist babble, there is much gnashing of teeth in the Gateway City today and talk of self-imposed exile. The only city filled with more angst on this November doomsday would have to be Cleveland, and they are blessed by their proximity to Canada.
There is palpable sense of grief on the Washington University campus today, tempered only by the youth of the mourners. Outside the walls of academia, the heavily Democratic city of St. Louis has also been stunned by the apocalyptic prospect of four more years of degenerate rule by the Bush Bund.
It is no surprise that this northern city finds itself surrounded by ignorant, backward-thinking Republicans who live in rural and suburban areas of the state. Missouri has been a border state since the Civil War and remains so. The only difference is that since the passage of the Civil Rights Act and legalized abortion in the 1960s and 70s the state has gradually been taken over right-wing conservative Republicans who have discarded the constitutional separation of church and state in favor of an exclusionary theocracy.
The absurdity of their ethos is borne out by their zealous protection of the "unborn" at the same time that their own sons and daughters are being sacrificed to an unjust war in which more than 100,000 innocent civilians have already died.
There is no rationale to explain these contradicting positions, of course, because there is nothing rational about believing that the inept president of the United States is somehow endowed directly with divine guidance. Since 9/11 this normally neurotic base of the Republican Party has been pushed into the abyss, resulting in a majority of the population in Missouri and other Republican-dominated states descending into a kind of mass psychosis unparalleled in American history.
Those of us who oppose this insanity find ourselves huddled into a ghetto of sorts, hemmed in by the Mississippi River, with few avenues of escape. The free state of Illinois lies but a few scant miles away, but how long will it be before officials in the Land of Lincoln seal off the borders to stem the tide of refugees seeking asylum? Surrounded by Know-Nothings and nativist babble, there is much gnashing of teeth in the Gateway City today and talk of self-imposed exile. The only city filled with more angst on this November doomsday would have to be Cleveland, and they are blessed by their proximity to Canada.
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
My Voting Experience
Praise Jesus, and pass the ammo.
"Agnes, you need to initial it right here." The voice came from over my shoulder as I stood in line this morning at my precinct polling place in St. Louis. Agnes was the octogenarian Republican polling judge, who had only moments earlier demanded to see my driver's license to confirm my eligibility to vote. I suppose Agnes believed she was being diligent on behalf of God and George W. Bush, but the advisory that she received only moments after I had been standing in front of her struck fear in my heart. Had she challenged my vote? Is she blind? Is she senile? Agnes had told me when I signed my required signature on the polling rolls that she "thought that was the right line." She wasn't sure? She's the friggin' polling official, for Christ sake. The person telling Agnes where place her initials was one of the designated polling judges. What the hell was going on?
My concern increased when I exited the polling place and a UAW lawyer working for the Dems asked if I had encountered any problems voting. I told her no, adding that I was required to show my voter's registration card and driver's license.
"They're not supposed to ask to see your driver's license," the lawyer said. So now I'm not really sure whether my vote will even be counted. And I know the Republicans are breaking the election laws in a heavily Democratic ward in the city of St. Louis. This same kind of bullshit is probably going on all over the country at this very moment.
If Bush weaseles his way back in through voter fraud and bogus challenges, again, it will be time for the revolution to start now.
"Agnes, you need to initial it right here." The voice came from over my shoulder as I stood in line this morning at my precinct polling place in St. Louis. Agnes was the octogenarian Republican polling judge, who had only moments earlier demanded to see my driver's license to confirm my eligibility to vote. I suppose Agnes believed she was being diligent on behalf of God and George W. Bush, but the advisory that she received only moments after I had been standing in front of her struck fear in my heart. Had she challenged my vote? Is she blind? Is she senile? Agnes had told me when I signed my required signature on the polling rolls that she "thought that was the right line." She wasn't sure? She's the friggin' polling official, for Christ sake. The person telling Agnes where place her initials was one of the designated polling judges. What the hell was going on?
My concern increased when I exited the polling place and a UAW lawyer working for the Dems asked if I had encountered any problems voting. I told her no, adding that I was required to show my voter's registration card and driver's license.
"They're not supposed to ask to see your driver's license," the lawyer said. So now I'm not really sure whether my vote will even be counted. And I know the Republicans are breaking the election laws in a heavily Democratic ward in the city of St. Louis. This same kind of bullshit is probably going on all over the country at this very moment.
If Bush weaseles his way back in through voter fraud and bogus challenges, again, it will be time for the revolution to start now.
Monday, November 01, 2004
Rush to Sanity: Kerry Has Lead Among Early Voters
Political Animal, Nov. 1:
The early voters are breaking pretty heavily for Kerry: 51%-43% in Florida and 52%-41% in Iowa.
[read more]
The early voters are breaking pretty heavily for Kerry: 51%-43% in Florida and 52%-41% in Iowa.
[read more]
