News -- March 21, 2006

Bush warns Iran on Israel - "US President George W. Bush said he hoped to resolve the nuclear dispute with Iran with diplomacy, but warned Tehran he would "use military might" if necessary to defend Israel." -- And the real reason is mentioned?

IRAN vs. USA: NEW RESEARCH PAPER BY TWO DISTINGUISHED PROFESSORS SHOWS HOW THE PRO-ISRAEL LOBBY MANIPULATES AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY - "(1) the pro-Israel lobby inside the U.S. has managed to convince American lawmakers, officials, and U.S. public opinion to support Israel "no matter what," even though this support runs counter to America's own national interests; (2) pro-Israel officials inside the Bush administration - namely, neocons Paul Wolfowitz, Douglas Feith and David Wurmser - were behind the push for war with Iraq, and pro-Israel lobbying groups were a driving force in encouraging the Bushites to invade Iraq; and
(3) the pro-Israel lobby actively suppresses American public debate about U.S. Middle East policy by disingenuously accusing everyone who disagrees with their pro-Israel positions of being "anti-Semitic." [2]"

Why the war is a waste - "Three years after the invasion of Iraq, the only positive result of this war that the Bush administration can claim is the removal of Saddam Hussein, who had been our man in the Middle East, from power. Otherwise, the Iraqi people are worse off than before, and so are we."

Iraqis Think U.S. in Their Nation to Stay - ""I think we'll be here forever," the 19-year-old airman from Wilkes-Barre, Pa., told a visitor to his base. The Iraqi people suspect the same. Strong majorities tell pollsters they'd like to see a timetable for U.S. troops to leave, but believe Washington plans to keep military bases in their country."

Editorial Writers: The Silence of the Sheep - "As the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq passed into history, the White House continued to dumb down what defines "victory," Bush administration officials regurgitated their upbeat talking points, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld wrote an op-ed claiming, "The terrorists seem to recognize that they are losing in Iraq. Now is the time for resolve, not retreat." We may or may not agree with the president and his people, but at least they have an opinion. Sadly, the same can't be said of the editorial writers for America's most influential mainstream media."

Man Overboard - "I have a new theory about what's behind everything that's wrong with the Bush administration: manliness. ... Manliness, he writes, "seeks and welcomes drama and prefers times of war, conflict, and risk." It entails assertiveness, even stubbornness, and craves power and action. It explains why men, naturally inclined to assert that "our policy, our party, our regime is superior," dominate in the political sphere."

Religious fanaticism out of control - "Two of the country's bigger pharmaceutical companies Merck and GlaxoSmithKline have developed and proven the safety of a vaccine that prevents a common sexually transmitted disease called human papillomavirus (HPV). Strains of HPV are known to cause cervical cancer in early adulthood. The vaccine needs to be administered to girls before they become sexually active, which is an average age of 17. And therein lies the rub for the religious base of the Republican Party that George Bush and company have installed in crucial posts in the health department. That base and George W. Bush himself steadfastly adheres to the proposition that kids need to practice abstinence. In their eyes, anything from promoting the use of condoms to giving young girls vaccinations against sexually transmitted diseases only encourages promiscuity among young people. These people refuse to believe results of the numerous scientific studies that have shown the availability of condoms, for instance, has absolutely no impact on the rate of teen sex, or that young people who pledge to abstain actually engage in sex as often as those who don't take a pledge. Their religion maintains that premarital sex is a sin, period, which is fine except that Bush has created a situation where those overzealous religious beliefs instead of scientific fact determine national policy."

Harris tells Christian group she believes God wants her in public service - "Harris, who told a national television audience Wednesday that she would be spending $10 million to win Florida's U.S. Senate race, said she never would have entered politics if she did not believe that God wanted her to make public service part of her life." -- Jesus.

Rewriting The Science - "As a government scientist, James Hansen is taking a risk. He says there are things the White House doesn't want you to hear but he's going to say them anyway. ... "In my more than three decades in the government I've never witnessed such restrictions on the ability of scientists to communicate with the public," says Hansen."

Ethiopia gripped by fear of regime - "A climate bordering on fear has taken hold of the Ethiopian capital as journalists, lawyers and politicians carefully measure their public remarks and contacts in the face of widespread arrests and prosecutions."

Thank You Bastards! - "You! Yes, you! You flag waving beer swilling brain damaged chemically imbalanced paranoid idiot! You know I'm talking about you, you bastard. The idiot who voted for Bush, twice. Those who insist, still, that Saddam had WMD. The seriously deluded fuckhead who thinks we're there to bring freedom to the Iraqi people. The misguided moron who thinks this war is "going to make America strong." You know who I'm talking about, if your not against it, then you are for it, you bastard.And what are you for? Beyond the civil war? Beyond the establishment of a Islamic state in the place of a secular one? Beyond the senseless slaughter of innocent civilians? Beyond the lies of a corrupt and devious administration? Let me tell you what you're for."

Lawmakers get out of the House - "The House of Representatives is on track this year to be in session for fewer days than the Congress Harry Truman labeled as “do-nothing” during his 1948 re-election campaign. ... Through Friday, the House was in session for 19 days, compared with 33 for the Senate. If they stick to their current schedule — including two weeks off in April, a week in May and July, plus all of August — House members will spend 97 days in Washington this year. The House was in session 108 days in 1948, according to the chamber's archives, compared with 141 days last year."

Chinese Internet dissident gets 10-year sentence - "Chinese authorities have sentenced a man to 10 years in prison for posting an anti-government article on the Internet, a human rights advocacy group said."

Daytime TV tied to poorer mental scores in elderly - "Older women who say talk shows and soap operas are their favorite TV programs tend to score more poorly on tests of memory, attention and other cognitive skills, researchers reported Monday."


I'm disappointed with Blogger as 3 of the last 4 days I have been unable to upload pictures to this blog. If this problem gets fixed, I will resume posting bumper stickers and such in this space.


Quote of the Day
"I've developed a new philosophy...I only dread one day at a time."
~ Charlie Brown