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July 30, 2004
Time to Ban Ads for "The Manchurian Candidate"?
I occasionally visit MovieGuide.org, which reviews movies from a conservative, Christian perspective. Today I was reading the review of the new version of The Manchurian Candidate. While the reviewer understandably complains about the anti-capitalist bias of the film, there's also this little tidbit that apparently is a big strike against it: "questions anti-terror policies and Mideast policies by U.S. government."
Horrors! How could any Christian--or, for that matter, any good, patriotic American--stomach a movie that questions our ever-so-righteous government's foreign policy and war on terror--especially when it's being run by George W. Bush? We must keep our children's minds from being polluted by this anti-American, left-wing bilge! Everyone knows the U.S. government, which conservatives will tell you does a lot of bad things at home, is the epitome of virtue when it acts in other countries and acts to "protect" us.
Let's see if we can ban advertising for this movie like the GOP tried to do for Fahrenheit 9/11. Better yet, let's declare everyone involved an "enemy combatant" and lock them all up in Gitmo.
Posted by Mike Tennant at 11:50 AM | Comments (0)
July 28, 2004
And He Wants the Rest of Us Tested for Mental Illness?
Here, courtesy of the blog at LewRockwell.com, is the latest sad but scary story about the POTUS and his erratic behavior:
President George W. Bush is taking powerful anti-depressant drugs to control his erratic behavior, depression and paranoia, Capitol Hill Blue has learned.
The prescription drugs, administered by Col. Richard J. Tubb, the White House physician, can impair the President’s mental faculties and decrease both his physical capabilities and his ability to respond to a crisis, administration aides admit privately. . . .
“We have to face the very real possibility that the President of the United States is loony tunes,” [one long-time GOP political consultant] says sadly. “That’s not good for my candidates, it’s not good for the party and it’s certainly not good for the country.”
Posted by Mike Tennant at 09:01 PM | Comments (0)
Press Freedom in Iraq
Here's another example of the "freedom" the U.S. government has brought to Iraq:
Iyad Allawi, Iraq's prime minister, has established a media committee to impose restrictions on print and broadcast media, a government official announced yesterday. The step underlines an aggressive new attitude towards press freedoms, in spite of US efforts to nurture independent media.
Ibrahim Janabi, appointed to head the new Higher Media Commission, told the FT the restrictions - known as "red lines" - had yet to be finalised, but would include unwarranted criticism of the prime minister.
How does the Iraqi puppet government justify this?
"In a difficult security situation, we need to fight the terrorists by all means, and one of the main means is the media. We need them all to co-operate, even the private sector. It's for national security," said Mr Janabi, a former Iraqi intelligence officer who for a decade served as Mr Allawi's eyes and ears in neighbouring Jordan, but has never worked as a journalist. "The red lines must be very clear. Whenever we find someone endangering national security, we will give notes to our legal committee that they are breaking the rules," he said.
They have learned from their American masters well.
Posted by Mike Tennant at 02:40 PM | Comments (0)
July 27, 2004
Bad News for the Feds is Good News for Us
Here's some good news disguised as bad news:
More than 7,000 people who should have been barred from buying guns were able to buy them anyway in 2002 and 2003, according to a Justice Department review released Monday. . . .
Federal law stipulates that gun buyers might have to wait up to three business days before receiving their weapons; under a system of instant FBI (news - web sites) background checks instituted in 1998, most sales are approved much quicker. Of the 17 million gun purchases in the last two years, 122,000 were denied because of the checks.
If the background check isn't completed within the period, however, the law says the purchase must go through. In 2002 and 2003, there were a combined 7,030 "delayed denial" cases in which the FBI found that a prohibited person was able to get a gun after the period expired, according to the review by Glenn A. Fine, the Justice Department's inspector general.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives retrieved the weapon in 97 percent of those cases. That sometimes took a year or longer, ample time for an illegal buyer to use the gun to commit a crime.
Fortunately for us (most of the time), the government is inept. Their solution to the number of illegal gun purchases?
ATF is seeking more money from Congress for its firearms investigations
Oh, yes. One more thing that ATF discovered:
"We were also told that `bad guys' generally do not purchase their firearms through legitimate dealers" but instead do so illegally, at unregulated gun shows or flea markets or through other means, the review said.
Gee, where have we heard that before? From "gun nuts," perhaps?
Posted by Mike Tennant at 11:02 AM | Comments (0)
July 23, 2004
Thoreau Was A Fascist....
According to one of Lyndon Larouche's good little brownshirts.
Today when I was walking to lunch in downtown Burbank, I was approached by a pleasant looking young woman working for the Larouche Youth Movement who inquired if the person on my shirt was Thoreau. When I replied, "yes it is", her reply was to scream at me "did you know he was a fascist"!!!!!
I nearly peed in my pants with laughter!!!!!!!
However, I did manage to hold it together. Since she was obviously attempting to bait me into an argument, as I have witnessed the LYM do on several occasions, I simply told her "you are either too ignorant, stupid or both to have rational discourse with, or you are attempting to bait me into an argument. I do not have time today for an exercise in futility. Have a nice day".
Funny how things never change. Larouche's big talk of combating fascism, and he utilizes a page right out of Hitler's playbook - the youth movement.
Take a look at them next time you pass by one of their outposts. They scream, harass and try to intimidate old ladies into listening to their manure.
Posted by Duke Heberlein at 04:58 PM | Comments (270) | TrackBack
July 22, 2004
Imagine This, Imagine That
Need another reason to hate government? Read this:
“The Sept. 11 commission concludes that a ‘failure of imagination,’ not governmental neglect, allowed 19 hijackers to carry out the deadliest terrorist attack in U.S. history.”
Others are more qualified than I to discuss the Orwellian aspects of these comments. But allow me to point out the most obvious observation, being that over $2 trillion of individual wealth is stolen each year so that those in authority may make, we hope, effective uses of their “imagination” for our security. Millions of those stolen dollars are used to make a sham study to explain the inexcusable ineptness of those responsible for security.
The undeniable and unarguable fact will always be this: If people were allowed to protect themselves by carrying firearms (a supposed constitutional right) these supposed hijackings would have never taken place and 9/11 would be just another date on the calendar. No “imagination” necessary, just common sense.
Posted by Roger Young at 03:32 PM | Comments (166) | TrackBack
Yet Another Iraq WMD "Find" Bombs
The latest breathless report of nuclear weapons supposedly found in Iraq (see my blog entry from yesterday) turns out to be a fraud, too.
A U.S. military official Wednesday denied a report of Iraqi missiles carrying nuclear warheads being found in a concrete trench northwest of Baghdad. . . .
"Nothing's been found. The report is not factual," said Master Sgt. Robert Cowens, a spokesman for the 1st Infantry Division, based in Tikrit.
Oh, well. The story, which first surfaced in a U.S.-backed Iraqi paper, has served its purpose. Far fewer people will see the "correction," and the Bush supporters will continue to be amazed that anyone can believe that Bush lied when so many, many WMDs have been found.
Posted by Mike Tennant at 08:16 AM | Comments (246)
July 21, 2004
Debating With a Neocon
A neocon acquaintance of mine gleefully sent me an e-mail entitled "W vindicated?" this morning, saying, "He lied to us? He played on our fears?" and including a link to this story, which claims that some nukes were found buried in Iraq.
I responded:
We'll just wait for this one to fall apart like all the others [which, I now add for blog readers, it has already started to do].
And, of course, we had well-founded fears of the Soviet Union for years but
somehow managed to avoid going to war with them.
Oh, yes. Is the murder of tens of thousands of Iraqis a fair price to pay
so that you can personally feel marginally safer? And should we apply the
same rules here, killing people who have guns?
Responded Neocon Man:
You can't compare Iraq with the Soviet Union. They were not hell bent on
wiping Israel off the map for no good reason.
We used the principle of Mutually Assured Destruction with them.
I didn't bother pointing out that Mr. Neocon had just proved the point that the war was about Israel at the same time that (most likely) he believed that anyone saying exactly that must be anti-Semitic. I did reply:
No, the Soviets just wanted to take over the rest of the world for the good
reason of imposing communism on us all.
And why wouldn't MAD have worked with Saddam? Israel has loads of nukes,
and Saddam never attacked them with anything other than a few Scuds when the
U.S. attacked Iraq the last time.
Besides, since when is it the job of the UNITED STATES military to eliminate
enemies of Israel?!
Now, one might have expected my correspondent to respond with some substantive comments on why MAD wouldn't work with Saddam or why the U.S. is duty-bound to wipe out Israel's enemies; but one would be wrong. The reply?
Bush good Kerry bad...
Sad. Very sad.
Posted by Mike Tennant at 11:56 AM | Comments (111)
A Few Bad Apples or a Bad Apple Tree?
We all know that the Abu Ghraib and other prison abuse stuff happened as the result of "a few bad apples" and was not approved by anyone at or near the top--right?
Well, Yahoo! news reports: "A US citizen in court charged with running a private "war on terror" in Afghanistan claimed he and two other Americans were working with the full knowledge of US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld."
In fact, the "group had emails, faxes and recordings to prove their links with senior US Defence Department officials."
Looks like those bad apples came from a tree with bad roots.
Posted by Mike Tennant at 11:48 AM | Comments (114)
July 19, 2004
Washington's Imperial Socialism
Here's one for you to send to your conservative friends who think that the "compassionate conservative," George W. Bush, is bringing freedom to Iraq. Ted Galen Carpenter writes:
Critics have castigated the Bush administration’s nation-building venture in Iraq as a manifestation of U.S. imperialism. That is an apt description of the Iraq mission, as well as the ongoing missions in Bosnia and Kosovo. America’s nation-building bureaucrats are not pursuing just any kind of imperialism, however: It is a distinctly left-of-center variety. As the mission in Iraq shows, an ostensibly conservative U.S. administration is helping to install a system of politically correct welfare-state socialism. . . .
Americans have ample reasons to be uneasy about Washington’s nation-building missions in Iraq and the Balkans. Those ventures bear more than a slight resemblance to imperialism, and they are often regarded as such by subject populations. That is bad enough. It is worse, however, when America’s nation builders encourage, and sometimes impose, policies that have brought political repression and economic stagnation (or worse) to so many societies. It is unlikely that the American people expected a supposedly conservative administration to enshrine the virtues of socialism abroad. Yet that is what the Bush administration is doing. This President’s betrayal of conservative principles in foreign policy is now complete.
Posted by Mike Tennant at 03:10 PM | Comments (107)
From Garbage Intelligence to Gay Marriage
Justin Raimondo, as usual, has a darn good column, this one on the Joe Wilson "credibility" problem over which all the neocon enablers are crowing.
However, at the end of the column, in "Notes in the Margin," comes this gem, wherein Raimondo explains why he skipped an article in the latest issue of The American Conservative, in which one of his own articles appears:
There's lots of other great stuff in this issue of TAC, but I have to admit skipping "Scofflaw Sexuality," by Peter Wood – after skimming for my name – because I don't need any more reasons to be against gay marriage apart from the looming prospect of gay divorce. If I'm going to break up with my boyfriend, I don't want to have to pay a price higher than a few broken vases and a call to 911. As far as I'm concerned, if ever there was an argument for the existence of "homophobia," then this is it: "gay marriage" is the revenge of the heterosexuals, who resent and hate us for our gay fun-filled lives and advanced powers of color-coordination. It's a nefarious plot to make us all as boring and unbearable as Andrew Sullivan, and I, for one, will have none of it.
That is probably the funniest rant against gay marriage I've heard from anyone.
For a more serious take on the subject, check out Bob Murphy's column at LewRockwell.com.
Posted by Mike Tennant at 09:54 AM | Comments (212)
Who to Vote For?
Who serves you better, Martha Stewart or George W. Bush? If you prefer an entrepreneur's style of improving our lives, you can vote for Martha by buying her products, such as her magazine, Martha Stewart Living. Or if you prefer a politician's techniques for building a better world -- lies, theft, and coercion -- be sure to show up at the polls in November.
Posted by George F. Smith at 09:48 AM | Comments (191) | TrackBack
July 17, 2004
Hillary, Robot
I just saw the new Will Smith movie, I, Robot. Pretty entertaining. But I wonder how many viewers will recognize the film's V.I.K.I. as the robotic Hillary Clinton she is...
"My logic is undeniable..."
Posted by Wally Conger at 01:06 AM | Comments (188) | TrackBack
July 16, 2004
Terror in the Skies, Again?
I sent this story to my friend Patrick Chkoreff. Here's his response:
That's interesting Rob -- a neo-conservative and highly frightened
neighbor of mine forwarded me that same link about six hours after you
did. Here is my response to her.
-- Forwarded response:
Well, I would say to Northwest Airlines management that if they can't
maintain an orderly and secure environment onboard their flights that
I will take my business to an airline who can. Obviously having armed
guards on board is not enough, since that flight #327 did have such
guards. The attendants need to enforce discipline, order, and decorum
on the flight, and management needs to set the guidelines and provide
Taser devices if necessary.
As for the larger question of how to prevent making bombs on board
from smuggled components, that's a tough one. Many components could
be made unrecognizable or incorporated into structural elements of
suitcases, etc. The explosive chemical compounds themselves should
give off traces which might be picked up by existing detection
devices. That is, unless these too can be synthesized on board from
more benign constituent ingredients.
I imagine that such an onboard assembly and perhaps even chemical
synthesis would require several different people engaging in some
pretty obvious questionable behavior, and perhaps the enforcement of
order and decorum would go a long way toward stopping such efforts
before they can proceed very far.
Stinger missiles fired from woods surrounding airports are another
potential threat.
No amount of centralized totalitarianism can achieve perfect safety --
indeed, I suspect that such measures work to DECREASE safety because
they are applying an essentially socialistic and bureaucratic response
to an inherently decentralized problem. Similarly, the problem of
wheat production in the Soviet Union could not be solved by central
planning -- only a free market could work out the prices and
incentives necessary to get food out of the ground and onto people's
dinner tables. Food is even more critical to human life than defense
against airline attacks, so if markets -- that is, free individuals
cooperating for mutual benefit -- can address the food problem
effectively, I imagine they could address the far less critical
defense problem as well.
[From the neoconservative:] By the way, I just heard that the Chinese are not allowing Muslims to board airplanes.
Maybe Northwest Airlines could adopt this policy. It might be a nice
competitive advantage for them. Some people might want non-Muslim
flights just as they want non-smoking flights. Only problem is you'd
need a centralized totalitarian bureaucracy ear-tagging every person
in the nation like a head of cattle, and even then terrorists could
manufacture fake IDs. Perhaps the bureaucracy could force every
Muslim to sew a yellow crescent moon emblem to his or her outer
garment. You see, the cure is worse than the disease. If they do
anything like this, I never want to hear the words "fighting for
freedom" again because it's just an empty slogan.
Actually I believe airlines already have a policy where if enough
passengers don't want a particular passenger to fly, they'll remove
the offending passenger. I don't know exactly how the procedure
works, but I've heard stories of it being enforced on a couple of
occasions. That sounds like another possible competitive advantage
for airlines.
-- Patrick
Posted by Rob at 11:19 PM | Comments (126) | TrackBack
The FedGov's Intelligence Quotient, Part II
Here's another one for the "Would you trust the U.S. government to know where WMDs are in Iraq?" file:
China's naval buildup has produced a new type of attack submarine that U.S. intelligence did not know was under construction, according to U.S. defense and intelligence officials. . . .
One official said the new submarine was a "technical surprise" to U.S. intelligence, which was unaware that Beijing was building a new non-nuclear powered attack submarine. U.S. intelligence agencies have few details about the new submarine but believe it is diesel-powered rather than nuclear-powered, said officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
But they knew exactly where all those weapons were in Iraq.
And I'm Donald Trump.
Posted by Mike Tennant at 10:30 AM | Comments (114)
July 15, 2004
Don't Vote -- READ!
Whenever I mention the option of non-voting (the only consistent action for libertarians and anarchists to take during Election 2004), I'm asked, "Well, then, what do you propose we DO?"
Let me recommend Claire Wolfe's new book The Freedom Outlaw's Handbook, a noble update and expansion of her earlier 101 Things to Do 'Til the Revolution and Don't Shoot the Bastards (Yet). Here's your answer, friends. Claire's fun to read, one of the best freedom writers we've got, and she also has some pretty fine ideas about how to both free ourselves up and win little battles against our Masters. Even if you own the first two books, this is worth buying. Lots of new stuff.
Loompanics is the publisher.
Posted by Wally Conger at 11:23 AM | Comments (292) | TrackBack
July 14, 2004
Government Announces Find of Nuclear Material
Would you trust the U.S. government to know where WMDs are in Iraq? Get a load of this:
Two highly radioactive pieces of spent nuclear fuel were found Tuesday where they belong, in the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant's spent fuel pool, three months after they were reported missing.
The discovery was made by engineers using a special tool to open a container in the pool, which houses thousands of spent nuclear fuel assemblies from the plant's 32 years of operation, a Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman said.
The government can't even locate nuclear fuel rods in its own country, and they turn out to be right where they belong. I'm sure they knew exactly where every last alleged WMD was in Iraq, a country in which we had not a single spy on the ground. Uh-huh.
Posted by Mike Tennant at 03:52 PM | Comments (370)
How About a Shot of Pepsi?
"A Denver police officer likely mistook a soda can for a weapon before shooting and killing a 63-year-old man in his bed, Police Chief Gerry Whitman said Monday," reports the Denver Post.
"Instead [of Frank Lobato, the man who was shot], officers were searching the home at 1234 W. 10th Ave. for Lobato's nephew Vincent Martinez, who was wanted on suspicion of domestic violence, assault and false imprisonment. Martinez, 42, was captured Monday evening."
Oh, well. I guess these things happen. Mistakes are made. Nobody's really to blame. Who can really feel sorry for this Lobato guy, anyway? The Post helpfully points out, in completely irrelevant detail, that Lobato was "a career criminal and formerly homeless man."
The Denver P.D. has "promised a full investigation" into the matter. But since, as the Post also points out, this time with good cause, "[n]o criminal charges have been filed against a Denver police officer for an on-the-job shooting during [D.A. Bill] Ritter's 11-year tenure," does anyone really expect the officer to be given anything more than a mild reprimand?
Posted by Mike Tennant at 11:20 AM | Comments (271)
July 13, 2004
Nine Months Up In Smoke
I happened to click to Jay Leno one night last week as he was interviewing Tommy Chong who was recently released from a federal prison after a nine month sentence. Chong gave a hilarious account of his bust and stay in jail. When they came to his house in the middle of the night with guns and masks he remained calm. The house lights were off. They would check each room with flashlights attached to their gun barrels and than yell, "all clear." Chong pointed to the wall and said, 'the light switch is right there." He said he had grass in the house but they never found it. It was wonderful to see Leno and the audience laughing heartily at the ridiculous antics of those who fight The Drug War.
Amazing, but despite Chong’s reputation, he's never been busted before, not even a parking ticket. According to Cheech and Chong.com, not only did the arresting agents “appear to be embarrassed that they had to conduct this raid,” but they “confiscated the bongs, but left the opium pipes because Operation Pipedream only wanted marijuana-related items.” Other interesting facts about this monumental bust can be seen at the C and C site.
Posted by Roger Young at 06:20 PM | Comments (190) | TrackBack
Four More Years? Limbaugh Has a Surefire Solution
Said only half-jokingly by the "Doctor of Democracy" yesterday:
"Now, what do you think about this whole notion that we need to start now and come up with a scheme, some sort of a plan that would, oh, postpone the November elections? The only way I'd go for this is to postpone them for four years. If we postpone the election for four years we'll get the Clintons on our side, we'll get the Clintons on board, that may make it happen. But if we can't postpone the election for four years, folks, I think this is a bad idea."
He ultimately concludes that we shouldn't postpone the election because then we'd be like Spain, giving in to terrorists. Still, he doesn't seem too concerned if there's no election altogether, as long as that means Bush stays in office.
Posted by Mike Tennant at 09:49 AM | Comments (162)
July 08, 2004
Stewart and Lay in Just One Day
Two evil corporate crooks get their comeuppance in one day!
I clicked on the link in George's post on Ken Lay, and lo and behold, there was a "breaking news" headline at the top of the page: "Judge denies Martha Stewart bid for new trial."
Stewart was requesting a new trial because a Secret Service "ink expert" had lied on the witness stand during the original trial. As expected, though, government lying under oath is perfectly okay, whereas Stewart's alleged lies to federal agents (in which she merely maintained her innocence) are grounds for arrest and imprisonment.
What matters, of course, is that Bush will get credit for putting away another evil rich person, regardless of her guilt and the government's methods of obtaining a conviction. Bush does like to emphasize his administration's prosecution of corporate crooks in his speeches, so this makes perfect sense. Oddly enough, he always puts it something like this:
"And as we were recovering from [9/11], we faced corporate scandal. I don't know if you remember the period -- I clearly do -- that we were beginning to recover, and CEOs in corporate America didn't tell the truth, which shook the confidence of this country. In other words, these people weren't responsible citizens. They didn't tell the truth to shareholders, they didn't tell the truth to employees, and it hurt. We passed tough laws. We said there will be a consequence if you're not a responsible CEO in corporate America. We made it clear that we're not going to tolerate dishonesty in the boardrooms of America. And the people in America are now beginning to see justice being done."
Mr. Pot, meet Mr. Kettle.
Posted by Mike Tennant at 01:31 PM | Comments (476)
U.S. Foreign Policy - in 1821
John Quincy Adams delivered a speech to the House of Representives on July 4, 1821, a portion of which reads: "Wherever the standard of freedom and independence has been unfurled, there will [America's] heart, her benedictions, and her prayers be. But she goes not abroad in search of monsters to destroy."
Read it and weep, for what we have lost.
Posted by George F. Smith at 12:34 PM | Comments (433) | TrackBack
The Wrong Man in Cuffs
The headline on MSN.com read, "Kennith Lay in FBI Custody." Click on the link and you see a picture of that terrible person, Ken Lay, handcuffed and being nudged ahead by a smiling female cop in Houston. Bush theater at its best. This is what happens to lawbreakers, even the ones at the top.
Unless they work for government, of course. Unlike you or me, Ken Lay was motivated by profit. Profit is evil, regardless of how one pursues it, because success breeds envy and we won't stand for that. George Bush and friends are driven by saintly motives -- has not Bush been tapped by God to use the U.S. war machine to save the world? Sure, he might make a few mistakes, but it's intentions that count, right? So what if he slaughters countless innocents and runs up a bill in the hundreds of billions and piles lie upon lie in the process? Imagine how really bad things would be if it weren't for the integrity and dedication of our public servants. Disgrace for Ken Lay, re-election for Bush.
Whatever his crimes, Ken Lay is a political scapegoat. If the guiltiest should be punished first, then it should've been a handcuffed Bush in that picture.
Posted by George F. Smith at 12:19 PM | Comments (625) | TrackBack
Some Phony Security Plans Are More Equal Than Others
A husband and wife have been indicted on charges they tried to pass off a filing cabinet as a security device that could protect people against chemical and biological attacks in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Federal authorities say the filing cabinet, which was painted yellow and had a siren and flashing red light attached, was promoted by Stewart Kaiser in a press release that helped him sell his company's stock at inflated prices.
Ah, the irony! The feds offer us security at vastly inflated prices (in both money and liberty), with no choice whether to pay; and when the government's security fails (as it did, for example, on 9/11), we have to pay more and are asked to put more faith in them. Meanwhile, when private citizens try the same tactic, they're arrested and sent up the river.
Frankly, if you're stupid enough to invest in a filing cabinet that supposedly protects people from chemical and biological attacks, you probably deserve to lose your money.
Posted by Mike Tennant at 09:15 AM | Comments (453)
July 07, 2004
REMEMBER- THESE PEOPLE VOTE
Take a look the at the recent article by Stewart Nusbaumer, published at Intervention Magazine, and you’ll be reminded why democracy is something to be feared.
Mr. Nusbaumer profiles the usual pathetic, whining slobs said to represent the voice of the heartland. They, predictably, espouse the usual doctrine that government action is always a solution to their problem- when government action, along with natural societal and economic change, is the dominant factor in the cause of their perceived problems.
Agriculture, certainly one of the most subsidized industry in the country, is the dominant enterprise in this part of the world. Despite this government intervention, this part of the world continues to become more impoverished. How many more decades of bad policy and billions of wasted tax dollars before they see the connection?
Their blaming of Walmart for problems show they have the economics acumen of a 9-year old. They claim to be getting poorer but they seem to have money for beer. They ought to sit down and figure how much money they pissed away (literally) on beer over the years- probably a good little stake.
At least they are beginning to get a clue about the war in Iraq- just a year or so too late.
Posted by Roger Young at 09:05 PM | Comments (276) | TrackBack
Iraq Gets Its Freedom After All
Here's "freedom and democracy" for you: "Ten days after taking office, Prime Minister Iyad Allawi is poised to give himself sweeping powers to declare martial law in parts of Iraq." (Link courtesy Antiwar.com.)
Apparently Allawi wants to be just like his puppeteer, George W. Bush:
If martial law is declared, according to this draft, Allawi would have the power to:
• Take command over all police, intelligence, army, and other security forces in that area.
• Create special civilian courts for people accused of major crimes - anything from murder, rape, and kidnapping to destroying government property - if the criminal courts are swamped.
• Appoint civilian or military administrators in areas under martial rule.
• Release any defendant from custody, if Allawi deems it necessary for reasons of security.
• Monitor and restrict mail, telegrams, and wireless communications in affected areas.
• Freeze the assets of anybody accused of crimes that undermine national security, as well as those who are accused of providing shelter, funding, and assistance to suspected insurgents.
So does this mean we're living under martial law, too? Or is Iraq merely going to be enjoying the "freedom" that we have that makes the terrorists hate us so much?
"We hope there will be martial law," says Evan Esho, a Baghdad resident. "If the police and the security hang these criminals - five of them, every day, in the street - then things will get better.
"It's not about human rights," adds Mr. Esho, who describes himself as an "almost-engineer" (he confesses he recently flunked his final exams). "We all believe in freedom. But we want the government to rule this country with an iron hand."
Yikes.
Posted by Mike Tennant at 10:01 AM | Comments (209)
July 06, 2004
Let's Try This One More Time, Dickie . . .
9/11 Commission: There was no collaborative relationship between Iraq and al-Qaeda.
Dick Cheney: Yes, there was. I have more information than that entire panel, and they're dead wrong.
9/11 Commission: We have exactly the same information as you do, Mr. Vice President, and we stand by our earlier findings.
Isn't it sad that they have to repeat this in the first place? It's like parents telling a kid that the world is round and the kid saying, "No, it's flat," so they have to repeat it for the kid again, who will probably still refuse to admit that the grown-ups are right.
It reminds me of a cartoon in the latest issue of The American Conservative, which depicted Cheney as the Energizer bunny, beating away at the drum of an Iraq/al-Qaeda connection, only to have his batteries, labeled "9/11 Commission," fall out. If only the real Cheney would wind down that easily!
Posted by Mike Tennant at 10:31 PM | Comments (206)
No, You Stupid Frenchman! They Hate Us for Our FREEDOM!
"The US-led occupation of Iraq had boosted recruitment to Islamist groups in Europe and was a 'black hole' pulling in militants from across the Middle East, France's top anti-terrorist judge warned yesterday," according to the Australian.
Well, who woulda thunk it? A war against an Islamic people making other Muslims hate us and want to destroy us? No, it can't be!
Then again, this is coming from a Frenchman, so how can we take it seriously? Those cheese-eating surrender monkeys love Saddam so much they didn't want us to eliminate his ever-growing threat to the entire free world! Even if this guy is an expert on terrorism, his pronouncement creates cognitive dissonance for those of us who know that the terrorists hate us for our freedom and not for our government's actions, so we must dismiss it.
There. I feel better now. I am back in America the virtuous, hated because we are so good. *Sigh of relief*
(Link courtesy Antiwar.com.)
Posted by Mike Tennant at 02:07 PM | Comments (600)
July 04, 2004
Hoist the Gadsden Flag!
Happy Independence Day!
For the past three years, I've shunned the old Stars & Stripes and hoisted the classic Gadsden flag wherever we happen to be BBQing and firing off our illegal fireworks.
For the uninformed, the Gadsden is the brilliant yellow flag from the American Revolution with the coiled rattler on it, the words "Don't Tread On Me" rolling beneath it. It was named for its designer, "the Sam Adams of South Carolina," radical-liberal Son of Liberty Christopher Gadsden.
So if you can get your hands on one at this very last minute, why not lift high the Gadsden flag this July 4th? Its message is the REAL meaning of Independence Day!
Posted by Wally Conger at 03:09 PM | Comments (218) | TrackBack
July 01, 2004
The Cat's Out of the Bag
"WASHINGTON (AP) - The government needs to establish guidelines for canceling or rescheduling elections if terrorists strike the United States again, says the chairman of a new federal voting commission."
At least the illusion of "democracy" would be gone. If elections can be suspended at the whim of a bureaucrat, they're obviously meaningless. But they've always been meaningless, haven't they? Government has always had power to eliminate elections, and we all know that elections have no real bearing on political reality.
So why would they suspend them if they have no meaning anyway? Symbolism. Just as elections are symbolic of "democratic" consent of the criminal gang that is the state, the power to suspend even this superficial legitimacy puts people in their place.
I guess we will get to see what happens, which is all we anarchists really have in this sad world, anyway. As Mencken said,"I enjoy democracy immensely. It is incomparably idiotic, and hence incomparably amusing."
Posted by Anthony Gregory at 12:24 AM | Comments (163) | TrackBack