MaxSpeak Weblog It is reputed that on the eve of his execution for a crime of which he was innocent, a fellow named Joe Hill said, "Don't mourn; organize." For the critics, the real problem with the funeral is that the attendees didn't all commit suicide and join PW in the hereafter. Damn they might even retain sufficient composure to retain the seat for the Democrats.

My personal hope for my own funeral, assuming anyone would bother to show up, would be for a wild bacchanal with people getting BJs & CJs under the tables, drinking and smoking themselves stupid, and indulging in political rhetoric that would make Hunter Thompson blush. Think garden of earthly delights. I only wish I could be there myself.

Stand Down: the Left-Right Blog Opposing an Invasion of Iraq:
Initiated by Max Sawicky (Maxspeak) and Julian Sanchez (Notes from the Lounge) this is a new weblog open to anybody opposed to the threatening war with Iraq.

The members of Stand Down hold a wide variety of different and, indeed, conflicting political positions, but all are in agreement on a single proposition: that the use of military force to effect "regime change" in Iraq is ill advised and unjustified. We do not deny that the current Iraqi regime is monstrous, but we hold, following John Adams, that the United States need not go "abroad in search of monsters to destroy" unless they pose a clear and direct threat to American national security.

Canada Issues Travel Advisory Against U.S.
A travel advisory issued by the Canadian government this week has an ironic twist - telling Canadian citizens born in Iraq, Syria and other countries targeted by U.S. anti-terrorism policies to consider avoiding travel to the United States.

And if you do have to go there, don't drink the water...

Melissa Lyttle... Meet The Stones, Megan, Mark, Allison, Taylor, and Piglet. "...The Stones have been homeless for almost two years. From sleeping on the streets to motel rooms to numerous shelters, the Stones' lives are constantly in transition and the childrens' personalities have been formed by the experiences they've been through." From Melissa Lyttle.

Mr. Potato Head......

Salon.com News | A day for peace -- and fury It was a rally rich with spectacle and passion where radical cant competed with political substance. There were indie-rock cheerleaders jumping around crying, "Liberate! Smash the state!" and huge banners with messages like, "Defeat US Imperialism: Defend Afghanistan and Iraq for Class War Against the Imperialism War." But there were plenty of committed, articulate people like Mark Arend, a programmer for Microsoft, who stood with his 13-year-old son and hoisted a sign built like a spiral notebook, each page turning to reveal a new anti-war message. He had so many reasons for opposing invasion he couldn't choose just one. "I don't have a lot of time -- I have a job and a family," he says. "But this is bugging me so much it's like a midlife crisis. I listen to the news and I have to do something."

Dwight Meredith at PLA chronicles the Bush lies better than the Washington Post.

via Liberal Oasis and this:


With former Vice-President Walter Mondale about to run for Senate, at the urging of Paul Wellstone’s surviving sons, the Right hit the Sunday shows and began the attacks.

What! You don't regularly read Liberal Oasis, get over there right now for some essential insights into a likely Mondale run.

Reporters Without Borders is publishing the first worldwide press freedom index, and it makes fascinating reading. At the top of the list Finland, Iceland, Norway, and the Netherlands, not much of a surprise. The surprises, the United States at 17th ranks below Costa Rica. Israel is at 92nd while Lebanon by contrast is at 56th and even the Palestinain National Authority ranks slightly higher at 82nd of course anything above 20 is nothing to shout about. Iraq at 130th and Syria at 126th are where one would expect to find them. The report also provides interesting commentary on the rankings.

via shou ?

Matthew Engel is a writer for the Guardian
Enough with the Hitler Analogies

Round here, we are not very keen on the notion of banning words of any kind. The time has come to make an exception. The following words should be banned henceforth from political discourse: "Hitler" and "Nazi."

This would not apply to discussion of German history in the years up to 1945. That is not the problem. The problem is the incessant appearance of the words as a resort to winning arguments about modern politics. Their use (along with that of "fascist") has always been a ploy of the intellectually dishonest. At rock-bottom they are tools for inductive reasoning: "I like dogs." "Hitler liked dogs. You're a Nazi, then!" Since the Iraq dispute began, mild overuse has turned to plague, and both sides have been as bad as each other.

Let's be clear about this. Saddam Hussein is not Hitler, as hysterical Americans keep claiming. The charges of external violence are 12 years old. There is no coherent evidence that he had any plans (at least before the US began goading him) for more adventures, merely that he is obsessed with stockpiling weaponry, a charge that applies equally to the Pentagon. Far from seeking global or regional domination, he only dominates portions of Iraq.

continued

via Fallacy Files Weblog for further information on weak analogies and guilt by association

Why I Oppose the US War on Terror:
an ex-Marine Sergeant Speaks Out

And now, this breaking news report on something

ANCHOR: We understand now that the police chief is having his briefing. Let's go there live.

CHIEF: I am here to say, I have nothing to say.

REPORTERS: Tell us all the secret things that you don't want to tell us.

CHIEF: That would jeopardize the case.

REPORTERS: Here, let us ask a bunch of speculative questions that still mean, tell us anyway.

CHIEF: No. Next briefing in 15 minutes.

ANCHOR: We'll be right back. (via)

all sniper all the time

our hearts, of course, go out to the many families of the victims of the dc sniper. and, we can't imagine what it would be like to be living in that area, knowing that any time you go out for a quick errand or to gas up your car, you may never come home (for a better idea of what that would be like, visit the blogs of tim dunlop or max sawicky, both dc residents).

any murder is a terrible, horrible thing. any crime spree which takes human lives is a senseless, pointless horror. but, having said that, we'd like to say something that some would consider tasteless sacrilege:

shut up with 24 hour sniper coverage already. but we doubt that will happen. and why?

"on tuesday, fox news channel averaged 1.12 million viewers, cnn had 1.06 million and cnn headline news had 294,000," says usa today. "for each network, it was the most-watched single day of the year, according to nielsen media research. that was the day after the sniper claimed its latest victim, 47-year-old fbi analyst linda franklin, outside a home depot in falls church, va. the story dominated the news networks."

ratings. big, cheap, fast, ratings. no wonder they're playing it all the time. saddam who? what election? recession? never heard of it! this story has legs!!

we heard a cnn reporter yesterday say that the nation is obsessed with the sniper story. au contraire, mon ami, it is you, the cable news networks, who are obsessed with this story. and why not? like the gary condit story, it's right there in your own backyard. you networks don't even have to uplink to a satellite, just drive across town (and hope the sniper isn't waiting for you at the press conference).

and that brings us to our second point. it's a news story that directly affects the people who run the news media. they pump gas into their cars. they go to home depot. they eat at the ponderosa. we bet wolf blitzer is a closet arts and crafter, and makes weekend runs to michael's. this sniper guy is killing people in their own neighborhoods. they are aghast and amazed, and incensed that the police haven't done a better job. why, both hannity and colmes might be next on the hit list! no wonder all the news networks have non-stop monday morning quarterbacking second-guessing the police.

and, like every other political story, it's so cheap to produce. just round up two or three ex-cops or private investigators (for gods sake, we saw mark fuhrman on tv this weekend!) and maybe throw in a gun-control freak to appear "fair and balanced," and you have a whole segment. and hey, maybe get a constitutional lawyer to talk, anne coulter's not busy.

and the websites for the news networks are no better. here's a real piece found on foxnews.com: son of sam tells sniper to stop. we're not making this up. and here's an interactive map of the shootings from cnn, or you can go to cbs, where you can "hunt for clues" or "avoid becoming a target." god, it's become a video game on the net!!

(we like this tip: "shop or buy gas in dark, out of the way places." oh, that's good! we bet all the muggers who read cbs.com will be especially grateful for that bit of advice being given to everyone!)

and not to make light of this terrible tragedy, but, with chief moose and spotsylvania county, we wonder if sometimes if we haven't fallen into an old rocky and bullwinkle cartoon.

our point is, if this crime spree was happening anywhere else but right in the hometown of the cable news media, it wouldn't be getting the 24 hour coverage. this detroit news piece from 2001 speaks of 1,100 unsolved murders in that city in the past five years. why isn't connie chung in motown every night, decrying that police force?

because, like with any other story, political or not, the electronic media make the mistake in thinking that if it's important to them, it's important to everyone. they only repeat the stuff they hear in their own hall ways. that's why, up to this sniper story, all we heard was "count down to iraq" and "showdown: iraq." because the planned iraq invasion was topic of choice all through washington.

actual reporting, as we have lamented in this space before, has long gone up to the clouds with huntley to watch brinkley down below hawk for archer daniels midland. if its cheap, fast, sexy and important to their bosses, the electronic news media will spout it 24/7. if it takes real reporting, real investigating, actual talking to actual americans, and especially if it costs money, you can forget it.

your choice tonight: black or white. sorry, gray is not on the menu

first, the good news: media horse on line is back from its vacation on the ranch in crawford, texas (oops! sorry! the horse is on vacation so much we get it mixed up with someone else!)

now, the bad news: democratic underground, another fine publication that we highly recommend, has begun a new policy on their message boards:

"for the next three weeks: it is forbidden to use the du message board in an effort to make our members withhold their precious votes from the democratic party, which is the only organization capable of stopping the republican onslaught. it is forbidden to use the du message board to organize protests or other actions against members of the democratic party."

we are sorry to hear about this, only because, it doesn't seem all that...well, democratic.

granted, flamers, trollers and freepers are as annoying as all get out (and if you don't like it, you can all get out!) and sure, democratic underground has never claimed to be anything other than highly partisan in favor of the democratic party, and that's ok with us. but with this new policy, we ask if they might want to change the name of their blog from "democratic underground" to "democratic party underground." truth in advertising and all, you know.

there is a difference between partisan and fascist. not letting somebody else say something that you don't agree with just doesn't seem very fair to us. especially if somebody wants to discuss the options of third parties in america (a verboten subject now on the du message boards). which actually brings us to the main point we are trying, albeit in a clumsy fashion, to make.

the democratic underground states the reason for its new policy is that the democratic party is "only organization capable of stopping the republican onslaught." we wonder aloud, which democrats are they talking about?

john breax, max clelland, zell miller, max baucus and ben nelson? how about tim johnson and jean carnahan? these folks all voted for mr. bush's trillion dollar tax cut. are those the democrats that will "stop" the republican onslaught?

how about hillary clinton, henry waxman, tom daschle, dick gephardt, joe lieberman, john kerry, john edwards, howard berman, jane harman, adam schiff, brad sherman, dianne feinstein, to name but a few of the 29 senators and 82 representatives
who voted for mr. bush's war resolution to attack iraq? this is the way to "stop" the republican onslaught?

our point is, if the democrats had shown one-tenth of the spine of jim jeffords in the past year and 3/4, we wouldn't be so botherd by the du's new message board policy. if it looked like the democrats actually even wanted to stop the republican onslaught, we wouldn't make such a fuss. but as it is, the democratic party, and by extension, the cheerleading the democratic underground, is not looking so much like the republicans' enemy, but rather their enabler.

To say the evidence of an al Qaeda Iraq link was weak would be overstating the case and yet it has become weaker still. A little honesty about our reasons for a regime change, a changing regime, whatever the hell the current definition of is is, will I suspect not be forthcoming.


The Czech president, Vaclav Havel, has quietly told the White House he has concluded that there is no evidence to confirm earlier reports that Mohamed Atta, the leader in the Sept. 11 attacks, met with an Iraqi intelligence officer in Prague just months before the attacks on New York and Washington, according to Czech officials.

Mr. Havel discreetly called Washington to tell senior Bush administration officials that an initial report from the Czech domestic intelligence agency that Mr. Atta had met with an Iraqi intelligence officer, Ahmad Khalil Ibrahim Samir al-Ani, in Prague in April 2001 could not be substantiated.

continued

Rockstars Against The War

hi. i am part of a group organizing buses from new york to dc for the protest on Oct. 26. plus were put together some sort of afterparty in dc (nothing like last minute planning) before we rock back to the big apple. if anybody is interested they should get on it because time and seating are limited. hopefully we will be organizing more protest/parties soon. The Future is Wow!

A Bird Lover's Guide to Chickenhawks
or Chickenhawk a la Mode by BEN TRIPP

George W. Bush couldn't cement the handle back on a shaving mug. He served some of a tour of duty defending Alabama from the Viet Cong, but the only scalp he ever saw was firmly affixed to George McGovern's head.

Julio Luna... Breaking Free (11 x 14 Pencil). "...The person depicted is confused because I struggle inside with good and evil, but I feel that the good in me outweighs the bad and that I will overcome my negative ways." From The Face Of Time: Prisoner Art Contest 2002 at the Fortune Society. "...There are over 130 artists, from 30 states represented in this contest. Some artists included a brief description of their artwork along with their submission. Others wrote a short paragraph describing what art means to them. The overwhleming message conveyed by these letters is that art provides prisoners with an outlet, as well as a sense of agency,of control over their lives. The artwork gathered in this collection represents over 130 different notions of freedom. It also gives a face to the people who are doing time in American's prisons."

CNN titles this article: "Canada's marijuana laws worry U.S." Said article includes this: "American officials caution they may be forced to drastically slow trade across the northern U.S. border if the Canadian government relaxes its marijuana laws." Bolstered by: "U.S. drug policy experts say decriminalizing marijuana in Canada will increase drug use in America and trafficking by organized crime elements on both sides of the border."

Really? So the U.S. threatens to hurt trade relations with Canada on the advice of it's "drug policy experts" and the titles says, "Canada's marijuana laws worry U.S.?" Note whose opinion the piece ends on, and also how many additional experts are quoted who question this (none).

CNN: Why don't they just fucking wear uniforms?

"The squares are running it. What we need are hip people."
-- Oscar Brown, Jr.
Oct. 3, 2002 on Democracy Now

Warbloggers are squares, too, aren't they? Take Scott Ganz, for instance--that boy is so square that if he were standing next to Soupy Sales, he'd be cramping his style.

roasted chicken hawks - a skippy rant

instapundit referred us to a new york post editorial by one retired army officer ralph peters, author and novelist. lt. col. peters makes some points that we would like to address.

lt. col. peters starts out, "there are few things more repugnant to a soldier than a coward who claims to speak on his behalf." at first, we thought he was going to be referring to the people in the adminstration who are happy to start a war without ever having served in combat, or even in the peacetime armed forces themselves (people like dick cheney, karl rove, andrew card, paul wolfowtiz, richard perle, ted olson, john ashcroft...oh, the list goes on. and don't get us started on the very very short list of commanders in chief who were in the service but went awol).

but no. lt. col. peters is talking about people who are against an armed invasion of iraq. apparently, he does not differentiate among the various points of view in the anti-iraq-invasion philosophies; there's no difference between a conscientious objector (pope john paul) or somebody who hopes saddam hussein wins (saddam hussein).

"self-appointed voices of conscience warn of tens of thousands of american dead. that's nonsense," he says, and he could well be right about that. although, personally, we have not seen anybody warn of "tens of thousands" dead; most reports indicate a few thousand young american service men and women could lose their lives in a worst case scenario. michael o'hanlon, in testimony to the armed services committee in congress, estimates casualties "could plausibly range from roughly 100 to 5,000, with total numbers of wounded about three to four times as great."

however, lt. col. peters goes on: "and when those who despise the men and women in uniform invoke the welfare of our troops to further their failing agendas, they transcend the commonplace cynicism of washington. this is hypocrisy as a moral disease."

ok, setting aside the question of what else besides a moral disease hypocrisy could possibly be, we must take offense at lt. col. peters' assertion that those of us who invoke the welfare of our troops are also those who despise our troops. we at skippy, and most of the people we know who are against a first strike against iraq, don't want our service men and women to die in such a war, because we think the war is not inevitable, necessary, or advisable, and therefore would only be political and economic in value. we don't want americans dying for that.

we don't want any young american troops falling in a first-strike battle against a small, weak country, which hasn't been proven to have any direct link to al qaeda terrorism, which hasn't made any aggressive moves against us, or anyone else for that matter, in recent history (yes, it invaded kuwait 12 years ago, and yes, we fought them back, and yes, we won. and the time before that when iraq used chemical weapons against another country, iran, it was with don rumsfeld's personally-delivered blessings).

but to say that those of us who oppose disregarding the united states' 200 year-plus standing position of not making the first strike, to say that we are in bed with saddam hussein, is to impune our patriotism, and our love of this, the greatest country in the world. yes, lt. col. peters, we admire and respect your service in the army for our country; but those bars do not give you the right to call us cowards because we refuse to support an obviously political drum-march into bloody battle, with no provocation, which is quite contrary to our country's moral code.

lt. col. peters goes on: "make no mistake: the anti-war voices long for us to lose any war they cannot prevent." whoa! hold the phone! way, way wrong, sir. when this country goes to battle, we want our troops to prevail. what kind of monsters to do you take us for? do you think we want our country to lose? just because we question the validity of one administration's aggression? maybe in the army there's no room for debate or questions, but sir, this is america, where debate and questions are the right of every citizen.

does lt. col. peters say that same thing about charles sheehan-miles, a decorated gulf war veteran who opposes a first strike against iraq? does he say it to any gulf war veteran who asks that we debate the validity of such a first strike?

does lt. col. peters say that about ordinary americans who express uncertainty about such a move? does he lump all of us into one big vat of cowardly traitors?

let us make one thing perfectly clear here: skippy's father served proudly in the pacific theater in world war two, and in fact was on one of the submarines in tokyo bay when the uss missouri hosted the signing of the surrender treaty. skippy's aunt and sister served in the navy, and both of skippy's sisters have husbands who served in the military. skippy's best friend was in the army. skippy will not stand for someone calling him a coward, or anti-military, or against our troops, just because that same someone questions skippy's right to disagree with one particular administration.

if this country goes to war, we are 100% on the side of our armed forces prevailing. we are not traitors, nor are we even so self-righteous or self-hating as to hope our country is defeated. but more to the point, we want as few casualties as possible when it comes to our young american men and women serving in our military. we support them all so much, we want them to return alive and well. you can't be much more supportive than than.

we would hope that the politicians back home don't put them in harm's way for nothing more than political expediency, or to pad somebody's pocket book, or to just make sure one party gets re-elected. the lives of service personnel are worth more than a seat in the house or senate. in fact, we'd rather see the politicians go to the front lines and experience the horrors of battle firsthand, and then make the decision as to whether or not they want to start a war.

make no mistake. if this nation commits to war, we want america to prevail. but it is not a game. it's not an x-box. it's not a pissing contest. it's not a political boost. it's war. it's life and death. and these decisions should be made with the gravitas and reverence that such weighty risks demand.

hey, we're reporters, not mathematicians

you may have seen news of the congressional budget office's letter to congress which estimated the cost of an armed conflict with iraq.

you may also have seen where we previously have said, in a nutshell, "it's gonna be 'spensive!" the cbo offered two different scenarios, one relying heavily on ground troops, and one relying heavily on air attacks, both costing approximately, in round figures, a whole lot of money.

well, the gang over at cnn.com, not to be outdone by skippy and his staff, also posted their version of the same figures from the same letter from the same congressional budget office. now, when we say "their version," we don't mean to imply they made up different numbers than the ones in the letter to congress from the cbo; the did not. but they seemed to play fast and loose certain factors the cbo mentioned, and their story leaves the distinct impression that a war will cost a whole lot less than the figure that anyone who actually knows how to add would come up with.

cnn's opening paragraph: "the congressional budget office said tuesday that a u.s. war against iraq would cost between $9 billion and $13 billion, according to an initial estimate sent to the house and senate."

we're sorry, but no matter how many different ways we read that sentence, the meaning always comes out to be a war would cost between $9-$13 billion. period. not $8.5 billion, not $13.2 billion. pretty simple on the face of it.

however, if we examine the cbo letter to congress, the source of cnn's bold statement, we find these words in the second paragraph: "the incremental costs of deploying a force to the persian gulf...would be between $9 billion and $13 billion." [empahsis ours]. (that's just getting everybody and everything over there, even before we begin!)

the next three sentences in the cbo letter states: "prosecuting a war would cost between $6 billion and $9 billion a month--although cbo cannot estimate how long such a war is likely to last. after hostilities end, the costs to return u.s. forces to their home bases would range between $5 billion and $7 billion. further, the incremental cost of an occupation following combat operations could vary from about $1 billion to $4 billion a month."

so let's cut cnn some slack and assume the war will last less than a month (it very well could). and let's even give their argument more advantage by taking the lowest of the figures the cbo offered. and let's pretend that in some wild scenario, the u.s. doesn't spend one thin dime for occupational forces after the shooting is done. even with all those concessions to bolster cnn's point, anybody who passed third grade math can see that

...........................$9 billion - - - to get the stuff over there
plus....................$6 billion - - - to actually fight the durn thing
plus....................$5 billion - - - to get the survivors home

equals................$20 billion.

that's at least $7 billion more than the "$13 billion" ceiling that the opening paragraph announces, more than 50% higher than cnn claims it will cost!

now to be fair to cnn (or perhaps to even make them look stupider, we're not sure which), the article goes on to mention that it would cost extra money actually fight the thing, and to bring people home, and for further occupation of iraq afterwards, and it cites correct figures from the cbo letter.

to wit: the sixth paragraph of the cnn story, in toto (gee, and even toto knows how to add, and dorothy too):

"once u.s. troops, equipment and warplanes were in position to do battle, it would cost about $6 billion to $9 billion a month to run the war."

well, gosh, pardon our websters, but doesn't "running" a war count as the "cost" of war? who's doing these books, arthur andersen? we don't understand how the article can state unequivocally in its headline and opening paragraph that a war would "cost up to $13 billion" and then go on to mention figures that add up to, even with the lowball prices, far more than that number.

do they think flunked arithmetic? are we suppose to sit back and say, "put that calculator away, mildred, i trust these cnn figures implicitly. $13 billion is doable. good thing it's not $19 billion or something like that. let's send in some money now. what's the address of the pentagon again?"

we are sorry that cnn resorts to such blatant propaganda and fact-spinning as to put forth one figure as the cost, and then to set out other figures that, literally, don't add up.

but, what do you expect from a network that uses connie chung and paula zahn as anchors?

Unknown News is back.

I am listening right now to Robert Byrd live on the Senate floor. Tune in, why don't you? This is what the real America--if such a thing exists--is all about.

American Hero Robert Byrd Most Likely To Pull A Mr. Smith: "But while it appeared to be clear sailing for the measure in the GOP-led House, Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., served notice on other Democrats at a party luncheon that he intended to use parliamentary tactics to delay a final vote, according to those who attended the session."

Jeffords Joins Byrd In Just Saying No To Bush Junta

A Detailed Analysis of October 7 Speech by Bush on Iraq by the Institute for Public Accuracy

Record Demand at Food Banks: "As Washington grapples with one of the nation's highest unemployment rates, a record number of the state's families are relying on food banks to stave off hunger."

To Catch a Killer: "An NYPD detective on the cops' best chance to nab the D.C. sniper." Slate

art imitates congress

last wednesday night marked the first appearance of sitting senator fred thompson as the new district attorney, arthur branch, on nbc's plow horse law and order.

senator thompson is no novice thespian. he costarred in a number of major hollywood productions before running for al gore's deserted senate seat in 1996. he replaced the inexplicably boring dianne wiest as the district attorney (she herself had replaced the incomparable steven hill, who is answer to the trivia question "who led the mission impossible force during the first year of that show?" extra points if you know the name of the character mr. hill played on imf).

for some reason, dianne wiest, who is a great actress, really sucked on that show. her character, nora lewin, was very uninvolving, and nothing about her performance really jumped out at the viewers. the most exciting thing she ever did on that show was be introduced, in her first episode, by america's mayor, rudy guiliani (who set the precedent for politicians moonlighting on dick wolf productions, we suppose). she was so uninteresting, we'd rather watch steven hill on his td waterhouse commercials.

but that's not the point of this rant, if there even is one. last night as we watched sen. thompson trade barbs with da jack mccoy and assistant da blondie barbie, or whatever her name is, mrs. skippy remarked "gee, do you think bill clinton will try to get a job on this show too?" (mrs. skippy is just as funny as skippy, and that's why he married her. we have no idea why she married him).

that got us to thinking. sen. thompson is still a sitting senator, working in congress, until the end of this year. we have spoken about sen. thompson's tv duties interfering with his day job here.

now, when rumors about bill clinton negotiating for a talk show were flying around the great echo chamber, there was such an indignant hew and cry coming from the screeching heads that you could fry an egg on your overheated tv set.

as it turns out, those rumors were just that: rumors. of course, that didn't stop anyone from decrying mr. clinton's lack of taste or dignity for contemplating something that it turned out he was never contemplating in the first place.

but mr. clinton was a private citizen when this was supposedly taking place. sen. thompson, if you'll notice our use of the title "senator," is still a senator.

take it from us, many of skippy's staff have worked on television shows (not law and order, but, buffy, fer shure!). it takes a lot of work and focus and energy and time and commitment. to be fair, none of us have ever been a senator. but we bet that takes at least as much work and focus and etc. as being a television actor. we are very unsure how anyone could do both at the same time.

trust us, it's hard enough to hold down a day job typing for insurance companies while trying to be in show biz, we can only imagine how difficult it would be to be a sitting senator (uh, mr. daschle, i can't be here for the vote on the resolution to invade iraq, i've got a...a dentist appointment. yeah, that's it. a dentist appointment. a 2 week dentist appointment. see yah.")

but we were unable to find any article or editorial online even approaching the reprimands that bill clinton got for maybe doing something in the future (which he never even was contemplating). with the exception of a piece that we ourselves first posted on sept. 2, which is no longer available on line. this is an excerpt from james brosnan, writing in the memphis commercial appeal:

"new episodes debut in late september. even though the part would require only two days a week of shooting in new york city, it could mean thompson would miss votes, committee hearings and other work. acting, like writing books, is one of the few exceptions to the senate ethics rules that bar outside earned income. but thompson has a moral obligation to voters to finish the job he hired on for six years ago. if he can't fulfill that role full-time, he should resign and let gov. don sundquist appoint an interim senator. or thompson should at least return a portion of his $150,000-a-year salary to taxpayers." (copyright 2002 the commercial appeal)

that's it. that's the only objection we could find to a sitting republican senator using his time as an actor. now, please don't misunderstand us. we think fred thompson is a fine actor, and we are looking forward to his work on law and order; maybe it will make it interesting again (we can dream, can't we?) he certainly can't be any worse than ms. wiest was.

but we just find it amazing at how the american media holds democrats to a different standard than republicans. oh, what the hell are we saying? we don't find it amazing at all. it's par for the course. what we find it as, is depressing. where's the fairness and balance? who stole america's sense of fair play?

where's goren and eames when you need them?

How to f*ck up a camera -say, a surveillance camera, with a $2 laser pointer...(snagged from Boing Boing).

let's hope they never disappear skippy

we were sailing along with the uss clueless reading his post that refutes a discussion on metafilter about the upcoming war with iraq.

the value of metafilter or the points made therein aside, mr. de beste did say something that we felt obligated to respond to:

" i'm afraid our metafilterian friends wouldn't know a police state if it fell on their heads, or repression if it was shoved up their asses." [ed. note: we have no knowledge if this is a true statement or not, nor do we ever wish to personally find out, especially in regards to the later half of the sentence.] "but they might try looking across the pacific, at one of those marvelous socialist people's paradises where there aren't any corporate devils running things, to get some idea what real repression is like. here's a clue: it doesn't mean that people call you names or are contemptuous because of your silly opinions. it doesn't mean that they disagree with you vehemently. it even doesn't mean that you can lose your job because you're a writer who is moonlighting.

it means that you get arrested. it means you get charged with subversion. it means that you get given a brief trial, in secret, with the outcome predetermined. it means that you can go away and never come back."

he then goes on to detail an example of a man in china being arresting for posting subversive text on the internet; which a terrible, truly terrible reprehensible event that no right thinking person would ever condone.

now, for the moment, let's not even bother to point out to mr. de beste that for most rational people on the left (you there, over on the right, stop laughing, there are such people), that for most of us, communism has long since been in disfavor; we all know totalitarianism is not good.

we hate to break this to you, but that's exactly why we are arguing so loudly about mr. bush's current tinkering with the constitution now. and we wonder why mr. de beste has to look all the way across the pacific for an example of someone getting "arrested," "charged with subversion," a trial in "secret," and going "away without ever coming back."

for instance, take mr. bush and mr. ashcroft's liberal (sorry, didn't mean to touch a nerve, there) application of the term "enemy combatant" to various individuals that they have stuck away in little tiny cells somewhere without access to lawyers or charges being levied. we wonder if those people can be called "repressed."

and we aren't the only ones wondering. sens. levin and feingold have written a letter to the justice department asking for specific definitions as to the term "enemy combatant" (among the questions: time limits of detention, recourse available to challenge such designations, what process is involved for designating someone as such, etc etc). to our knowledge, mr. ashcroft has not responded (please, anyone with facts confirming or denying this, let us know).

now, in case mr. de beste doesn't feel that carl levin or russell feingold's questioning of mr. bush and mr. ashcroft's actions holds any water in this discussion, how about the cato institute?

"in the year since the september 11 attacks, civil liberties for some people have fallen into a surreal legal limbo," wrote robert a. levy last august 30. "yaser esam hamdi is an example." hamdi, a u.s. citizen, is "being detained indefinitely, without seeing an attorney, even though he hasn't been charged with any crime. jose padilla, who allegedly plotted to build a radiological 'dirty bomb,' is also a u.s. citizen. he, too, is being detained by the military - indefinitely, without seeing an attorney, even though he hasn't been charged with any crime. meanwhile, zacarias moussaoui, purportedly the 20th hijacker, is not a u.s. citizen. neither is richard reid, the accused shoe bomber. both have attorneys. both are being tried before federal civilian courts."

how about the case of mohammed azmath, who was arrested on a train in texas on 9/12 right after the attacks. he was luckier than the two men mentioned above, because he was eventually charged after three months. the crime the government accused this man of? credit card fraud.

"azmath was in solitary confinement from september 14, 2001, when he arrived at the metropolitan detention center in brooklyn, until he was transferred to the jail's general population sometime this august. he was assigned a lawyer only after he was charged with the credit-card crime, in december."

at least the buffalo six are getting bond hearings. slow as it may be, they are getting their constitutional rights.

there are many many other instances of people "disappearing" in the post 9/11 atmosphere, and many attempts by the judicial system to do what it can to correct this situation.

"secret arrests are 'a concept odious to a democratic society,' and profoundly antithetical to the bedrock values that characterize a free and open one such as ours," wrote us district judge gladys kessler, in a ruling ordering that the government release all names of all detainees being held in post 9/11 investigations (she later stayed that order pending appeal). judge damon j. keith, in a sixth district court of appeals hearing on the case of muslim clergyman rabih haddad, who had overstayed his tourist visa, wrote "democracies die behind closed doors."

so, is there a point to our ranting? maybe, we're not sure, we never are. we do not under any circumstance contend that living in communist china is better than living in mr. bush's america. we also do not maintain that america is anywhere near as repressed as china, or several hundred other governments in the world.

but we do think that the constitution is being slowly, and, we must admit, artfully, dissassembled before our very eyes. and we don't have to go too far afield to find repression. at least, more repression than there was just one administration ago.



(many thanks to talkleft for providing many links to stories to bolster our case.)

Issei Sagawa... Ringo Hana Mikan (Apples, Flowers and Oranges. 1986). "...This Still Life was painted by Issei Sagawa, who has been studying art since the age of five, and was studying art on the Sorbonne in Paris when he was convicted of killing and dining upon the flesh of Renee Hartevelt, a fellow student from Holland." From The Gentleman Ghoul of Japan: Issei Sagawa.

Austin Against War: Cooler heads will prevail
What began as a march through the capital of Texas, closing the streets to all thoroughfare, spreading a beam of democracy through the heart of Texas, would end in a debate, that in my mind validates the whole reason for showing up.

The stage: 1500 to 2500 Austinites not willing to submit to the new world order from such varied political affiliation, it's as if the whole pig/wing experiment was a success.

Mike Hanson (candidate for Travis County Commissioner) was there in the crowd championing the "Ron Paul" mentality, standing shoulder to shoulder to the green, anarchist and socialist communities. Not a word of indifference; united against a common enemy.

Enter stage left: The bushbots...

Executive Order

Some say a flight of birds shot up the way

a flock surprised leaps free from field or marsh.

But no, that flash was not just boys at play.

It was a strike and flame more swift and harsh.

Some say the river stopped its glide of light.

Some tried again the doors, but locks were jammed.

Some say the smoke was thick and dark as night —

The slow and subtle suck of being damned.

There was a crack, a roar, then floor to floor,

They fall — the sides like skin just peel away.

Who counts the stars? Who stripes the map of war?

The nudge of earth just said, "Do come this way."

And so America both arms and morns.

God grants the rose. Be wary of the thorns.


White Men Dreaming

Western Lands make room for drums and bones.

While Chinese merchants
abacus their gain,

Our musty Congress sits and drones and drones-

Let's say Columbus better try again.

The Virgin Mary treads
upon The Snake,

But still the greedy banker's feet are cleft.

Do soccer moms rush home to scrub and bake?

Those hearts pump ash, there is no fire left.

Enslaved by protein shakes and C. K. joys,

Technique remains our nation's only end.

The painful beauty of the circuit boys

Is proof that tyranny is on the mend.

Alone and tired, he rides the midnight train,

To read at home, then listens to the rain.

Robert Klein Engler

John Walker's Blues

I'm just an American boy raised on MTV

And I've seen all those kids in the soda pop ads

But none of 'em looked like me

So I started lookin' around for a light out of the dim

And the first thing I heard that made sense was the word

Of Mohammed, peace be upon him


If my daddy could see me now – chains around my feet

He don't understand that sometimes a man

Has got to fight for what he believes

And I believe God is great, all praise due to him

And if I should die, I'll rise up to the sky

Just like Jesus, peace be upon him


We came to fight the Jihad and our hearts were pure and strong

As death filled the air, we all offered up prayers

And prepared for our martyrdom

But Allah had some other plan, some secret not revealed

Now they're draggin' me back with my head in a sack

To the land of the infidel
A shadu la ilaha illa Allah

A shadu la ilaha illa Allah


Steve Earle

Steun! Stem! Staak!
Support! Vote! Strike! 150 Dutch social and political posters from 1870 - 1998, posted online by the International Institute of Social History. The posters are divided into twelve periods and two special themes. The index is in Dutch, so here's my rough translation.

Menwith Hill. The original Big Brother, its history, and its relationship with the Echelon
network.
'Menwith Hill is the worlds largest monitoring communications station and is situated just outside
Harrogate, North Yorkshire, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. Its official title is R.A.F Menwith
Hill which is misleading since it is actually run by the US National Security Agency (NSA). '
'The official cover story is that it is an all-civilian base and is a Department of Defence
communications station, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) describing it as a "communications relay centre". '
'Little is known about the true activities of the station, although the word 'spying' seems to be
always associated with it. This could be due to its extensive 560 acre complex of masts, satellite dishes
and radomes (affectionately called 'golf balls' by the locals) and a fibre-optic link supplied by British
Telecom (BT) which has a call capacity of about 100,000 concurrent voice telephone channels (the
phone bill must be horrific). '
'The station is subject to much controversy, recently due to the planned installation of 'Star Wars'
equipment at the site. Two new radomes are to be built for the Space Based Infra Red System (SBIRS). The
Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases (CAAB) claim that the installation of the equipment
is unlawful under international arms control treaties. '
This site found via Daelnet, a website about the Yorkshire Dales.


The Native Born. Contemporary Australian
Aboriginal art. Wonderful.
'The Native Born is an exhibition of paintings and sculptures by distinguished Australian Aboriginal
artists from Ramingining, Arnhem Land in northern Australia. Arranged according to six different natural
environments found in this region:mangroves (larrtha’puy), forests (diltjipuy), waterholes (gulunbuy), jungles (retjapuy), beaches (rangipuy) and plains (ninydiyapuy), each painting and sculpture illuminates the specific cultural relationship between the Aboriginal people and the land. Two ephemeral commissioned works are featured: a large-scale wall painting and a sand sculpture.'

The Vietnam War. Essential - a stunning collection of photo-essays.
'In the 1950's, the United States began to send troops to Vietnam, during the following 25-year period, the
ensuing war would create some of the strongest tensions in US history. Almost 3 million US men and
women were sent thousands of miles to fight for what was a questionable cause. In total, it is estimated
that over 2 million people on both sides were killed.'
'This site does not try to document the entire history of the Vietnam War but is intended as a
picture essay, illustrating some of the incredible conditions under which soldiers from both sides lived,
fought, played and ultimately died. The legendary combat photographer, Tim Page, took almost all of the
images shown; they are nothing short of stunning. I have tried to minimize the download time. If you wish
to add any comments or share your experience with us on this site you will find email links on every page.'
'On Dao Island , Vietnam, an elderly woman dressed in
black, kneels amid young children praying for peace and an end to the Vietnam War. The island is actually
named Phoung and was an island of peace where prayer and meditation was the routine, 24 hours a day. There
were no weapons or bases and the island enjoyed a kind of immunity from all sides in the war. '


Human rights in the balance. (Amnesty International)
'The human rights situation in Iraq is being invoked with unusual frequency by some western political
leaders to justify military action. This selective attention to human rights is nothing but a cold and
calculated manipulation of the work of human rights activists. Let us not forget that these same
governments turned a blind eye to Amnesty International's reports of widespread human rights
violations in Iraq before the Gulf War. They remained silent when thousands unarmed Kurdish civilians were
killed in Halabja in 1988. '

Anatol Lieven: The push for war.'... What we see now is the tragedy of a great country, with noble impulses, successful institutions, magnificent historical achievements and immense energies, which has become a menace to itself and to mankind.'

'
Anthony Sampson analyses the roots of America's fear of the Iraqi dictator,and warns that toppling him
might cause less stability and more insecurity' Oldish article.
Anthony Sampson is worth reading as the author of
'The Seven Sisters', an analysis of the world's seven big oil firms, which won awards back in the
1970s.

The Iraq Foundation.
About the Foundation.
'The Iraq Foundation is a non-profit, 501(C)3 corporation, working for democracy and human rights in
Iraq, and for a better international understanding of Iraq's potential as a contributor to political
stability and economic progress in the Middle East. '
'The Foundation was established in 1991 by Iraqi expatriates with the purpose of working with Iraqis
and non-Iraqis in promoting its vision. The Foundation is non-partisan, non-sectarian and non-ethnic, and is
not affiliated with any other organization or political party. '
Human rights in Iraq.
Human rights campaign.

Indigenous
People's Literature. 'Indigenous Peoples Literature is a non-profit educational resource and
collaboration dedicated to the indigenous peoples of the world and to the enrichment it can bring to all people.'

Unrepresented Nations
and Peoples Organisation. 'UNPO is an international organisation created by nations and
peoples around the world, who are not represented as such in the worlds principal international organisations,
such as the United Nations.'
'Founded in 1991, UNPO today consists of over 50 members who represent over
100 million persons.'
'UNPO offers an international forum for occupied nations, indigenous peoples, minorities,
and even oppressed majorities who currently struggle to regain their lost countries, preserve their cultural identities, protect their basic human and economic rights and safeguard the natural environment.'

Contemporary
Conflicts in Africa. 'Destructive conflicts have turned Africa, the most diverse of all the continents
in the world, into a Continent unable to turn its trend of diversity into opportunities for development.'

The People of the other Village

hate the people of this village

and would nail our hats

to our heads for refusing in their presence to remove them

or staple our hands to our foreheads

for refusing to salute them

if we did not hurt them first: mail them packages of rats,

mix their flour at night with broken glass.

We do this, they do that.

They peel the larynx from one of our brothers’ throats.

We devein one of their sisters.

The quicksand pits they built were good.

Our amputation teams were better.

We trained some birds to steal their wheat.

They sent to us exploding ambassadors of peace.

They do this, we do that.

We canceled our sheep imports.

They no longer bought our blankets.

We mocked their greatest poet

and when that had no effect

we parodied the way they dance

which did cause pain, so they, in turn, said our God

was leprous, hairless.

We do this, they do that.

Ten thousand (10,000) years, ten thousand

(10,000) brutal, beautiful years.

~ Thomas Lux

The Trial of Arthur Miller

If I were in Arthur Miller's shoes, I do not know what I would do, but I could wish, for myself and for my children, that I would be brave enough to fortify and defend my private morality as he has. I feel profoundly that our country is better served by individual courage and morals than by the safe and public patriotism which Dr. Johnson called "the last refuge of scoundrels."

My father was a great man, as any lucky man's father must be. He taught me rules I do not think are abrogated by our nervous and hysterical times. These laws have not been annulled; these rules of attitudes. He taught me--glory to God, honor to my family, loyalty to my friends, respect for the law, love of country and instant and open revolt against tyranny, whether it come from the bully in the schoolyard, the foreign dictator, or the local demagogue.
And if this be treason, gentlemen, make the most of it.

John Steinbeck

Ashcroft’s Baghdad Connection
Why the attorney general and others in Washington have backed a terror group with ties to Iraq

VETERANS GROUP CALLS FOR RUMSFELD RESIGNATION

Asshole of Evil

It was a dark and stormy night and George was happy. "Can you feel it", he said. "Evildoer's everywhere". The signs had been apparent to him for some time. Back in September of 2001 George was on Air Force One flying over some fly over country, that is the nation's heartland, Kansas to be more exact. He was avoiding members of the axis of evil, though at that time they weren't called that they were the unknown unknowns.
So he is flying and looks out the window, he spots a crop circle right below him near Chapman confirming his worst fears. Aliens, yes aliens. That was it; aliens were responsible for the WTC. He ordered the military to Afghanistan an alien land if there ever was one. He was searching for bin Laden, certainly alien to the American way of life. He never found him. Perhaps a J-DAM got him or perhaps he's still hiding no one seems to know and few seem to care. Fortunately bin Laden was not the only alien. There was Saddam, the guy that tried to kill his Dad. No human would try and hurt someone's daddy he had to be an alien. George had spoken of his fear at home. Illegal aliens he said lock them up. The press misunderstood, illegal combatants they reported. George laughed, fucking press and they criticize me for misunderestimating stuff, and they laugh at my perkadillo's, pekadildos whatever. They won't be laughing long. George told the American People that evil had spread across the land. The axis of evildoers has expanded. First there were three then six and now it was nothing less than a modern day plague. God and the Supreme Court had chosen him to respond. The problem was not everyone could see the aliens. He had a poster printed, "Dead or Alive" it read. Many saw the picture but not an alien. They saw nothing but an Arab who needed his beard trimmed. Then he showed pictures of Saddam, and some blinded by the truth saw the leader of Iraq. A bad guy true enough but not an alien. Not George though, he saw deep into their souls and saw nothing human at all, just evil. Some even suggested they be given a chance to repent, a Christian Idea. But all knowing George said, "No need I've looked into their hearts, they have hardened, we'll get no repentance. Besides did you forget these are aliens." Some continued to protest but George told the press they were unpatriotic a concept alien to the American way of life. He told the congress that they would never get reelected if they didn't support him against evil, and besides they would lose their unfettered access to free cash and sexy interns. They bought it and all started beating the drums of war. "It's like masturbation once you've done it you never forget" said Trent Lott somewhat wistfully. George was giving the speech of his life. Who's your daddy that's what I want to know. Who's the alien now, motherfucker? George, George have you lost it this is the National Education Association you're speaking to. "I'm sorry", he said. I must have been dreaming. You see I keep having the same dream over and over again. I'm abducted and taken to a place with bright lights and a man with a mustache or a beard or something, but they are not humans. I think they are aliens and they are doing things to my body, it's okay it feels good, but I'm a moral man I realize I'm just being used. That's all I remember. So you see it's important that we get those aliens like Saddam and bin Laden and well we've got a list you know. I'm the President sometimes I think I'm dreaming I pinch myself all the time.

"George"

"Huh"

"George it's Dad."

"Yes Dad. I'll get them they won't hurt you any more."

"George you fuckup, Israel just nuked Iraq. The shit has hit the fan. What are you on these days?"

"Nothing Dad I promise nothing."

"Don't give me that shit George."

"Well okay I'm a little addicted to this power thing."

"Oh God George, I told you when you smoked dope in college when you drank your first beer, I told you when you started snorting that white stuff at board meetings, I told you that you'd never be satisfied you'd need more and more. What have you done George."

"I'm sorry Dad, but that's the guy that tried to kill you."

"Shut the fuck up George its over. Saddam escaped the blast he's giving a speech at the U.N. He's calling you the asshole of evil."

41 Million Americans Have No Health Insurance

When does a 'conspiracy theory' go mainstream and stop being a conspiracy theory? When someone like Al Gore gives it heft? Gore accuses White House of ignoring 9/11 warnings. Perhaps the term 'conspiracy theory,' like 'political correctness,' is simply an overloaded term used by the right in order to put down ideas which it does not like and does not want repeated. An unrelated paragraph I found interesting from the article: "Ironically, while Mr. Gore was escalating his attacks on the administration, former President Bill Clinton was planning to attend a Labor Party conference in Great Britain to help Prime Minister Tony Blair persuade skeptical party members to support Mr. Blair and Mr. Bush in taking military action against Iraq."

What, does Clinton get a seat on the Carlyle Group, too?

More on the Skull and Bones: "Amidst the debate over the impending US-led war against Iraq, some European media, mostly in Italy and Germany, took note of the publication of Secrets of The Tomb: Skull and Bones, The Ivy League and The Hidden Paths of Power.

" . . . What worries Europeans most about the Bonesmen is the suspicion that the organization may have a neo-Nazi tendency or that it may be animated by anti-Semitic sentiments. According to various reports about the activities of the Bonesmen throughout the years, it appears that many prominent members, in particular those linked to the Union Bank in New York and its sister bank in Holland at the beginning of WWII, were financing Hitler throughout the war and as late as 1945. Italians and Germans alike have a long history of secret associations meddling in the internal affairs of their countries."

What I find odd is that this article does not mention that Prescott Bush--George Jr.'s grandfather--was one of those who helped sell at least fifty million dollars worth of Nazi Party war bonds within America (in a time when fifty mil was a lot of money).

France and Germany Agree on Iraq (NY Times membership required)

As Congress moved to accept a resolution giving President Bush latitude to strike Iraq if he concluded that United Nations diplomacy was stalled, the leaders of France and Germany said they opposed any effort to alter the conditions under which United Nations inspectors operate.

Newt Gingrich To Join Fox News

Additionally, citing Salon.com as inspiration, Fox News has also announced that they are planning to add either Noam Chomsky or Howard Zinn to their news staff to provide 'balance.'

If you would like to hasten the return of Unknown News to the web and have, perchance, some extra duckets to throw behind that wish, please send your check or money order to Helen Highwater, care of Stephanie Webb, PO Box 32185, Kansas City MO 64111 (they need a new hard drive). Because the Highwaters are not presently entertaining a bank account, please make those checks or money orders payable to Stephanie Webb. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Helen Highwater here (she's keeping in touch with email thru the library at twenty minutes a day).

And remember, kids: "If you're not reading Unknown News, you're letting the terrorists win."

Senators Threaten To Rein In Bush

I'm somewhat ashamed to say that I have never called a Congressman or Senator in my life, tho spent high school living next-door to Rep. Fazio (D) from California, went to school with many politician's sons and daughters (including one of Colin Powell's daughters), and spent two years walking up and down the six Congressional and Senate buildings (3 each, one group on each side of the Capitol like shoulders with the Supreme Court in the middle and behind and a subterrean network linking them all underneath) delivering letters and packages when I worked as a bicycle messenger there while going to school (I wasn't the slightest bit political back then; the only thing I noticed was how consistently beautiful every Congressman's or Senator's receptionist was when going down the hall).

But I intend to call my Congresswoman and Senator now--for this. Perhaps after I make my initial call, it will then be easier to make a habit of it.

Congress Overwhelmed With Anti-War Calls From "The Silenced Majority"

Some details about the smuggled uranium seized by Turkish police.
I'll wait patiently for the President and the pro-war crowd to
correct the record.

The playbook for the Pax Americana was written long before Septermber 11th, 2001.

Off-the-Grid Urban Living, Part 1

MIT OpenCourseWare: "We hope the idea of openly sharing course materials will propagate throughout many institutions and create a global web of knowledge that will enhance the quality of learning and, therefore, the quality of life worldwide."

This, I love.