July 31, 2007
"Olde Europe" Opinion on Bush's 'Gift' for Foreign Policy
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By Bloomberg News
July 31, 2007
Germany's ruling Social Democratic Party said President Bush's plan to sell arms to Saudi Arabia and five other states in the Gulf is misguided and myopic.
Mr. Bush "is obviously gifted in the way that he always picks exactly the wrong approach in foreign policy and security matters," Hubertus Heil, general secretary of the Social Democrats, which is in coalition with Chancellor Merkel's Christian Democrats, told a news conference in Berlin yesterday. "It's short-sighted and irresponsible" to distribute weapons in the Gulf region.
Weapons of Messopotamia Destruction , WMD
By Bloomberg News
July 31, 2007
Germany's ruling Social Democratic Party said President Bush's plan to sell arms to Saudi Arabia and five other states in the Gulf is misguided and myopic.
Mr. Bush "is obviously gifted in the way that he always picks exactly the wrong approach in foreign policy and security matters," Hubertus Heil, general secretary of the Social Democrats, which is in coalition with Chancellor Merkel's Christian Democrats, told a news conference in Berlin yesterday. "It's short-sighted and irresponsible" to distribute weapons in the Gulf region.
Weapons of Messopotamia Destruction , WMD
Labels: Bush, criminal incompetence, faith based initiatives, foreign policy
July 29, 2007
Rove Takes Fifth Amendment
Karl Rove is taking the Fifth Amendment.
That is, he's taking it right out of the constitution.
He has line item power over the Constitution.
(Heard on Nat'l Public Radio humor show.)
That is, he's taking it right out of the constitution.
He has line item power over the Constitution.
(Heard on Nat'l Public Radio humor show.)
Labels: constitution, fifth amendmendment, line item veto, rove, subpoena
July 27, 2007
Does Gonzo know he's lying?
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To be a brilliant lawyer, or a brilliant mind requires parsing nuances in an intricate web of logic, sort of like a chess player seeing several moves ahead.
I frankly don't think Gonzo has this kind of mind.
Also, if he ever did have abundant perspicacity, imagine the effect of spending years around the W' who eschews acutely competent aides and reduces complex planet consequential events to aw shucks and ayups.
Also, like Scooter, Gonzo has spent years now around the likes of W', Rove and Cheney where truth has been reduced to a discussion point anathematical by its nature to their causes. If these guys had consciences and knew when they were lying, they would all probably have developed spastic tics by now.
I'd say "God help them, they know not what they do" but then children would stare and shun me to see my ears twirl and hear low exorcistical moaning erupting from my viscera d' veritude.
To be a brilliant lawyer, or a brilliant mind requires parsing nuances in an intricate web of logic, sort of like a chess player seeing several moves ahead.
I frankly don't think Gonzo has this kind of mind.
Also, if he ever did have abundant perspicacity, imagine the effect of spending years around the W' who eschews acutely competent aides and reduces complex planet consequential events to aw shucks and ayups.
Also, like Scooter, Gonzo has spent years now around the likes of W', Rove and Cheney where truth has been reduced to a discussion point anathematical by its nature to their causes. If these guys had consciences and knew when they were lying, they would all probably have developed spastic tics by now.
I'd say "God help them, they know not what they do" but then children would stare and shun me to see my ears twirl and hear low exorcistical moaning erupting from my viscera d' veritude.
Labels: criminal incompetence, gonzales, impeachment, Leahy, lying, Specter, subpoena
General Petraeus and More Dying to do in Iraq
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The Sunni insurgents are a viable fighting force numbering in the tens of thousands. At no point in our lifetime will they be defeated.
Therefore political accommodations may be made to install peace in Iraq, but there is categorically no 'victory' available.
The enemy we set out to defeat, the forces of Saddam and the Baathists, are still viable and present on the battlefield. We have backed new governing forces, which already reek of Baathist misconduct and which also must accommodate the insurgents politically to survive. There is no victory ever to be had in Iraq.
That the dominant American political civilian overseers (Bush / Cheney / neocons) lack both desire for and any visible skill in negotiating makes the difficult simply impossible.
A sincere best of luck to Gen. Petraeus.
The Sunni insurgents are a viable fighting force numbering in the tens of thousands. At no point in our lifetime will they be defeated.
Therefore political accommodations may be made to install peace in Iraq, but there is categorically no 'victory' available.
The enemy we set out to defeat, the forces of Saddam and the Baathists, are still viable and present on the battlefield. We have backed new governing forces, which already reek of Baathist misconduct and which also must accommodate the insurgents politically to survive. There is no victory ever to be had in Iraq.
That the dominant American political civilian overseers (Bush / Cheney / neocons) lack both desire for and any visible skill in negotiating makes the difficult simply impossible.
A sincere best of luck to Gen. Petraeus.
Labels: Iraq, negotiating, no victory in Iraq, Petraeus
July 26, 2007
Are Those Liberals Wearing Crosses?
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Imagine a handful of mostly older women handing out toothpaste, razors and toothbrushes at a homeless shelter.
Imagine a group of mostly older women in the basement kitchen of a church cooking up chicken, peas and mashed (lots of coffee) for their weekly soup kitchen for the poor.
Imagine thousands of mostly older women volunteering and performing acts of charity all across America.
Some of the ladies have crosses in their lapels; are they not liberals?
Some of their brethren are altruistic agnostic or atheist volunteers; are they not serving the morality engendered in the world's god based religions.
It may serve Karl Rove's vision of political dominance to set these kind faced Americans upon each other over implications of being a 'liberal' but it really isn't the American way.
And it's not a word that anyone should remotely shy away from.
Craig Johnson
Imagine a handful of mostly older women handing out toothpaste, razors and toothbrushes at a homeless shelter.
Imagine a group of mostly older women in the basement kitchen of a church cooking up chicken, peas and mashed (lots of coffee) for their weekly soup kitchen for the poor.
Imagine thousands of mostly older women volunteering and performing acts of charity all across America.
Some of the ladies have crosses in their lapels; are they not liberals?
Some of their brethren are altruistic agnostic or atheist volunteers; are they not serving the morality engendered in the world's god based religions.
It may serve Karl Rove's vision of political dominance to set these kind faced Americans upon each other over implications of being a 'liberal' but it really isn't the American way.
And it's not a word that anyone should remotely shy away from.
Craig Johnson
Labels: Christian, Clinton, edwards, good works, Liberal, Progressive, Two Americas
Middle East Sports are Complicated
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I've been trying to imagine the Iraq situation as a football game.
Start with Shia on one side of the ball and Sunnis on the other. The Yanks are the Officials.
Embedded in both side are criminal elements who from time to time shoot somebody in the huddle or kidnap a prominent son or daughter, demanding a first down as payment.
Also playing are a number of foreign Jihadists who plant explosives in the football just when one side appears poised to score. They, to date, have been so efficient that the goal line areas have all but disappeared.
The field is surrounded by US tanks because the stands empty in violent protest after close calls bring cries of favoritism. For cheers, “Satan’s Lackeys” and “Give us back our Oil” seem to be crowd favorites.
The Mullahs, of course, declared a fatwa regarding the use of pigskin which was particularly dicey but had the cheering side effect of seeing all participants line up on the same side for a mercurial moment.
The Mullahs also pointed out that the “Hail Mary” pass was forbidden eleven centuries prior to the invention of the game of football which speaks volumes about the locals’ concept of time.
The part of the game that is most dispiriting however are the cheerleaders. First of all there are one hundred and six different cheerleader contingents representing each of the religious, familial and tribal loyalties with feuding interests. Then there's the fact that they're covered from head to toe which gives one the sense of how oxy-islamic the whole concept of organized competition here truly is.
The fact that the stands keep disintegrating, which requires additional kickbacks to Halliburton and KBR, who somehow have all the concessions, doesn’t help in the slightest.
Well, to quote Rummy, “it's complicated.”
(add your dream team comments here)
I've been trying to imagine the Iraq situation as a football game.
Start with Shia on one side of the ball and Sunnis on the other. The Yanks are the Officials.
Embedded in both side are criminal elements who from time to time shoot somebody in the huddle or kidnap a prominent son or daughter, demanding a first down as payment.
Also playing are a number of foreign Jihadists who plant explosives in the football just when one side appears poised to score. They, to date, have been so efficient that the goal line areas have all but disappeared.
The field is surrounded by US tanks because the stands empty in violent protest after close calls bring cries of favoritism. For cheers, “Satan’s Lackeys” and “Give us back our Oil” seem to be crowd favorites.
The Mullahs, of course, declared a fatwa regarding the use of pigskin which was particularly dicey but had the cheering side effect of seeing all participants line up on the same side for a mercurial moment.
The Mullahs also pointed out that the “Hail Mary” pass was forbidden eleven centuries prior to the invention of the game of football which speaks volumes about the locals’ concept of time.
The part of the game that is most dispiriting however are the cheerleaders. First of all there are one hundred and six different cheerleader contingents representing each of the religious, familial and tribal loyalties with feuding interests. Then there's the fact that they're covered from head to toe which gives one the sense of how oxy-islamic the whole concept of organized competition here truly is.
The fact that the stands keep disintegrating, which requires additional kickbacks to Halliburton and KBR, who somehow have all the concessions, doesn’t help in the slightest.
Well, to quote Rummy, “it's complicated.”
(add your dream team comments here)
Labels: Civil War, Creative Writing, Iraq, iraq combatants
July 23, 2007
The Hillary exit plan debate has sharp political subtleties
If Cheney and Rumsfeld had not, in what is called an act of depraved indifference, blocked plans and strategies by State, CIA and the Military to prepare for worst case scenarios before engaging in Iraq, America would today have significantly less casualties.
When Hillary says where is the exit plan, which of course the Military has game-played for ten different scenarios, she is saying that America will not again tolerate political operatives to force our Military into incompetent life and death alternatives.
Hillary is stating that America does not want a White House political slogan or Bush/Cheney political plan to masquerade as a well thought out withdrawal plan.
Congress and the troops deserve a set of plan outlines, in hand now thank you very much, created by the best minds so that the withdrawal will neither be delayed nor botched to give political advantage to the creators of this mess.
Military planning will indicate how many deaths, how much cost and what time frame(s) their withdrawal plans indicate.
Knowing the Military's best estimates makes the overall cost of withdrawal more of a debatable factual matter and less open to Bush/Cheney/Rove fear mongering, propaganda and general political sloganeering.
Craig Johnson
When Hillary says where is the exit plan, which of course the Military has game-played for ten different scenarios, she is saying that America will not again tolerate political operatives to force our Military into incompetent life and death alternatives.
Hillary is stating that America does not want a White House political slogan or Bush/Cheney political plan to masquerade as a well thought out withdrawal plan.
Congress and the troops deserve a set of plan outlines, in hand now thank you very much, created by the best minds so that the withdrawal will neither be delayed nor botched to give political advantage to the creators of this mess.
Military planning will indicate how many deaths, how much cost and what time frame(s) their withdrawal plans indicate.
Knowing the Military's best estimates makes the overall cost of withdrawal more of a debatable factual matter and less open to Bush/Cheney/Rove fear mongering, propaganda and general political sloganeering.
Craig Johnson
Labels: depraved indifference, Hillary Clinton, Iraq exit plan, Iraq withdrawal
July 18, 2007
In search of Papal logic
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One of the Catholic Church's Papal-blessed apologia denial statements was that the incident of abuse by Priests was statistically the same as the greater population.
Stand that up aginst the Pope's latest call for World Peace in his recent commentary that, "If you're not Catholic, you suck."
One of the Catholic Church's Papal-blessed apologia denial statements was that the incident of abuse by Priests was statistically the same as the greater population.
Stand that up aginst the Pope's latest call for World Peace in his recent commentary that, "If you're not Catholic, you suck."
Labels: Fallibility, Papal logic, whoo-ee Sister Marie, World Peace
July 17, 2007
Computer Era Corporate Innovations
From "Innovations of the Paperless Age, Cognitorex Press."
Hire basic labor force at less than full time thereby shedding the cost of health care, pensions and seniority benefits. Transfer savings to executive management.
Transfer previously tax paying internal accounting divisions to Offshore Tax Havens. Transfer savings to executive management.
Underfund pension obligations, then enter bankruptcy to avoid promised worker retirement benefits. Transfer savings to executive management.
Hire basic labor force at less than full time thereby shedding the cost of health care, pensions and seniority benefits. Transfer savings to executive management.
Transfer previously tax paying internal accounting divisions to Offshore Tax Havens. Transfer savings to executive management.
Underfund pension obligations, then enter bankruptcy to avoid promised worker retirement benefits. Transfer savings to executive management.
Labels: CEO embezzlement, national health plan, what pensions
July 16, 2007
God Discusses Condoms: Papal Penis Proclamations Flawed
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I just spoke to God. He said, "My plan for the planet earth is a forty per cent reduction in homo sapiens to three point eight billion inhabitants, you know, global warming, famines and all that shit.
A large component of the math is the 'how many babies per couple?' formula.
This turns out to be one point two six children per do-it-yourself couple planet wide.
This takes getting a whole bunch of weenies and vaginee parts to leave each other alone. Ergo, he continued, I'm going to crank up production of my weenies of mis direction children , or WMDs as the Neo-Theos call them until at such time that the planet's CO2, oxygen, food, water, etc return to homeostasis. This I call 'harmony with the divine.'
Actually, I sent Mr. Darwin down to sort of explain it all, but that's another story.
Speaking of other stories, Mr. Kvatch on his blognonymous website gets a gold star for his comments on the need for and the long term benefits from non reproductive sexual behavior.
Given his well honed sense of humor, may I ever so deliciously point out to him that if the NeoTheos and Big Benny forwent the skinny dipping good, Papal Penii Protection Bad Proclamations and pedalled condoms worldwide like their bigoted, capalist, money grubbing asses were falling off, I would not have to alter your planet's sexual mores for, hmm, let me see, I've got my notes right here, the next thirty one thousand years.
I just spoke to God. He said, "My plan for the planet earth is a forty per cent reduction in homo sapiens to three point eight billion inhabitants, you know, global warming, famines and all that shit.
A large component of the math is the 'how many babies per couple?' formula.
This turns out to be one point two six children per do-it-yourself couple planet wide.
This takes getting a whole bunch of weenies and vaginee parts to leave each other alone. Ergo, he continued, I'm going to crank up production of my weenies of mis direction children , or WMDs as the Neo-Theos call them until at such time that the planet's CO2, oxygen, food, water, etc return to homeostasis. This I call 'harmony with the divine.'
Actually, I sent Mr. Darwin down to sort of explain it all, but that's another story.
Speaking of other stories, Mr. Kvatch on his blognonymous website gets a gold star for his comments on the need for and the long term benefits from non reproductive sexual behavior.
Given his well honed sense of humor, may I ever so deliciously point out to him that if the NeoTheos and Big Benny forwent the skinny dipping good, Papal Penii Protection Bad Proclamations and pedalled condoms worldwide like their bigoted, capalist, money grubbing asses were falling off, I would not have to alter your planet's sexual mores for, hmm, let me see, I've got my notes right here, the next thirty one thousand years.
"Christ, is that right? Thirty one thousand.....?"
Labels: blognonymous.com, Darwin, evolution, global warming, God, mis directed weenies, Pope, skinny dipping
July 13, 2007
Bush Applauds Pope’s World Peace Message
(A Bridge Over Troubled Waters?)
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George W calls out to Rove and Cheney. "Hey, did you hear what 'Big Benny' said?
He said, "if you're not Catholic, you suck."
"Now that's my kind of Uniter."
George W calls out to Rove and Cheney. "Hey, did you hear what 'Big Benny' said?
He said, "if you're not Catholic, you suck."
"Now that's my kind of Uniter."
Rove chimes in, singing and doing his famous rap dance, "When you're down ...and feeling blue...incite the base...I do, I always do. ..When you're down and out...and feeling small.."
Cheney harrumphs, "Send the old curmudgeon a triple secret E-Mail. Ask him to set up a slush fund for us. Tell him we'd be glad to take out a few thousand apostates for him, starting with a Congressman or two."
Bush; "Operation 'Top Robe,' that's what we'll call it. Gotta ring to it. Armies of God and all that good stuff."
"And tell him to fax us the "Inquisition: Then and Now" manual they've been working on. It seems like we've been waiting for it for ages."
Labels: Bush, Catholic. Catholicism, criminal incompetence, inquisition, World Peace
Bush..Character and Iraq Responsibility
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And there was the point in W's remarks last night to the Press where he said, "I asked the Military (Tommy Franks) if we had enough troops to do the job, including doing the job after we had defeated Saddam and the answer was yes."
His Father, the CIA, General Shinseki and Colin Powell told him the truth which he ignored or in the case of the General Shinseki, he fired as he rushed pell mell into the neocon nightmare.
Now he is reconstructing that he at least asked the right questions, that the debacle is not his fault. This is actually quite sad.
If he admits the truth that he, in conjunction with Cheney, Rumsfeld and many others, for reasons still not wholly understood, deliberately went against the advice of the majority of experts then he has to say, "I am to blame."
It is a hell of a choice.
He can admit the truth that his plan and planning was incompetent and made America less safe and less respected. He can admit the truth that he, as Commander in Chief, in the end, bears the ultimate responsibility for this horrendous misadventure.
Or he can cling to a concocted excuse that once upon a time, after he had dispensed with all contrarion voices, that he did ask a General "Do we have enough troops?"
The whole world knew prior to Bush Jr.s' elections that he had in his lifetime established no record of integrity, courage and character.
We should not expect him to display such ethical fortitude now.
It's sad for George W.. It's sad for his family. And it's sad for America and all Americans.
Craig Johnson
And there was the point in W's remarks last night to the Press where he said, "I asked the Military (Tommy Franks) if we had enough troops to do the job, including doing the job after we had defeated Saddam and the answer was yes."
His Father, the CIA, General Shinseki and Colin Powell told him the truth which he ignored or in the case of the General Shinseki, he fired as he rushed pell mell into the neocon nightmare.
Now he is reconstructing that he at least asked the right questions, that the debacle is not his fault. This is actually quite sad.
If he admits the truth that he, in conjunction with Cheney, Rumsfeld and many others, for reasons still not wholly understood, deliberately went against the advice of the majority of experts then he has to say, "I am to blame."
It is a hell of a choice.
He can admit the truth that his plan and planning was incompetent and made America less safe and less respected. He can admit the truth that he, as Commander in Chief, in the end, bears the ultimate responsibility for this horrendous misadventure.
Or he can cling to a concocted excuse that once upon a time, after he had dispensed with all contrarion voices, that he did ask a General "Do we have enough troops?"
The whole world knew prior to Bush Jr.s' elections that he had in his lifetime established no record of integrity, courage and character.
We should not expect him to display such ethical fortitude now.
It's sad for George W.. It's sad for his family. And it's sad for America and all Americans.
Craig Johnson
Labels: blame, Bush, criminal incompetence, Iraq
July 10, 2007
The Blivet Presidency
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The majority of Americans, both highly informed and barely informed, are now comfortable stating that George W. Bush is incompetent.
The politically active voters are fully aware that what once passed for a Bush strength, that he rarely changed course, has now been unveiled as the cornerstone of his incompetence.
Over and over again he and his crew have offered political slogans in lieu of reasoned action policies only to be dragged to ignoble defeat and capitulation to the forces of reason allied against him.
An image comes to mind for me. Ten pounds of propaganda in a five pound bag, our very own "blivet" presidency.
The majority of Americans, both highly informed and barely informed, are now comfortable stating that George W. Bush is incompetent.
The politically active voters are fully aware that what once passed for a Bush strength, that he rarely changed course, has now been unveiled as the cornerstone of his incompetence.
Over and over again he and his crew have offered political slogans in lieu of reasoned action policies only to be dragged to ignoble defeat and capitulation to the forces of reason allied against him.
An image comes to mind for me. Ten pounds of propaganda in a five pound bag, our very own "blivet" presidency.
Labels: Bush, criminal incompetence, Iran, propaganda, stay the course
July 03, 2007
Libby's Pardon: America's Flag in Disgrace
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Dick Cheney and George Bush are a disgrace to our country. They are skillful liars as are all psychopaths. In fact, lack of concern for community or democratic values combined with habitual lying defines psychopathy. It defines Cheney and Bush.
I personally don't think Scooter is a psychopath on the order of Cheney and Bush. I believe he lived in an environment where lying and duplicity were practiced daily on the most egregious levels. Living in this environment day in and day out, he had little practical knowledge or experience that there could or might be even one possible iota of repercussion for bold faced lying. Lacking the snakelike skills of a Cheney or Bush he blew it.
That Scooter, the person, should not have to spend years in prison strikes a sympathetic chord with me.
That Scooter, the representative of an administration that adheres to no moral system in the pursuit of power and economic gain, should avoid justice makes me vomit.
I think we should fly all American flags upside down* until these mendacious psychopaths are escorted out of the White House, one way or the other. Better yet perhaps, would be to visit or demonstrate in D.C. and simply leave flags (upside down flags ?) at the White House gates and the Supreme Court building. This, turning in of the flags, will represent that the Red, White and Blue is used only for propaganda by Bush, Cheney and the neocon party and it does not at the present represent American values.
It is in disgrace.
Bumper stickers of an upside down flag would be a good national campaign , a visible symbol of shame and outrage.
* (original post suggested flag at half mast which by popular acclaim has been amended to use of flag as a distress signal, upside down. Thanks to the many amendees!)
Craig Johnson
Dick Cheney and George Bush are a disgrace to our country. They are skillful liars as are all psychopaths. In fact, lack of concern for community or democratic values combined with habitual lying defines psychopathy. It defines Cheney and Bush.
I personally don't think Scooter is a psychopath on the order of Cheney and Bush. I believe he lived in an environment where lying and duplicity were practiced daily on the most egregious levels. Living in this environment day in and day out, he had little practical knowledge or experience that there could or might be even one possible iota of repercussion for bold faced lying. Lacking the snakelike skills of a Cheney or Bush he blew it.
That Scooter, the person, should not have to spend years in prison strikes a sympathetic chord with me.
That Scooter, the representative of an administration that adheres to no moral system in the pursuit of power and economic gain, should avoid justice makes me vomit.
I think we should fly all American flags upside down* until these mendacious psychopaths are escorted out of the White House, one way or the other. Better yet perhaps, would be to visit or demonstrate in D.C. and simply leave flags (upside down flags ?) at the White House gates and the Supreme Court building. This, turning in of the flags, will represent that the Red, White and Blue is used only for propaganda by Bush, Cheney and the neocon party and it does not at the present represent American values.
It is in disgrace.
Bumper stickers of an upside down flag would be a good national campaign , a visible symbol of shame and outrage.
* (original post suggested flag at half mast which by popular acclaim has been amended to use of flag as a distress signal, upside down. Thanks to the many amendees!)
Craig Johnson
Labels: Cheney, disgraced, justice, Libby, pardon, psychopath, scooter
July 01, 2007
Faith in Buddhist Practice
"Gone Beyond the Shore"
....(painting title)....
"A critical element of "Faith", in Buddhism, or "faith", in meditating, is believing that the Buddha nature exists in yourself.....each, while meditating, should minimally allow that this possibility exists and nourish and cultivate this belief.....and eventually discover that it's not only present while quietly meditating in the sangha."
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Meiyou Woziji, Xian Shi
Labels: Buddhism, faith, Meditation, no-self help, self help
