Why Bush Doesn't Get It

Why Bush Doesn’t Get It

We need more people in government that can speak for minorities and the poor.  Right now we only have ONE African-American Senator.  If you aren’t familiar with him, he was elected in 2004 to represent Illinois.  Check out what his perspective can bring to the national debate.

While appearing on ABC News “This Week”, Obama was asked about whether racism played a role in the poor planning and response to Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans. While Obama didn’t want to use the word “racist” to describe the government’s response, he offered these very realistic observations.

“Whoever was in charge of planning was so detached from the realities of inner city life in New Orleans ... that they couldn’t conceive of the notion that they couldn’t load up their SUV’s, put $100 worth of gas in there, put some sparkling water and drive off to a hotel and check in with a credit card,” Obama said.

“There seemed to be a sense that this other America was somehow not on people’s radar screen. And that, I think, does have to do with historic indifference on the part of government to the plight of those who are disproportionately African-American.” He added that “passive indifference is as bad as active malice.”

Rather than being outright racists, I think this “passive indifference” is what has characterized Republican administrations from Reagan’s, George H.W. Bush, and the current administration.  The poor and minorities that have NOT yet pulled themselves into the middle or upper classes are not understood well by the people in the White House.  Their world-view does not include a realistic understanding of what it is to be born without privilege.  

One cannot be a “compassionate conservative” without this understanding.

Stupid Quotes About Hurricane Katrina

Stupid Quotes About Hurricane Katrina
From Daniel Kurtzman,Your Guide to Political Humor.
I saw this on about.com and couldn’t resist posting them.  Yes, these are all real.
Mr. C

20 Mind-Numbingly Stupid Quotes About Hurricane Katrina And Its Aftermath
1) "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees." –President Bush, on "Good Morning America," Sept. 1, 2005, six days after repeated warnings from experts about the scope of damage expected from Hurricane Katrina (Source)2) "What I'm hearing which is sort of scary is that they all want to stay in Texas. Everybody is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway so this (chuckle) – this is working very well for them." –Former First Lady Barbara Bush, on the Hurricane flood evacuees in the Houston Astrodome, Sept. 5, 2005 (Source)3) "It makes no sense to spend billions of dollars to rebuild a city that's seven feet under sea level....It looks like a lot of that place could be bulldozed." –House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), Aug. 31, 2005 (Source) 4) "We've got a lot of rebuilding to do ... The good news is — and it's hard for some to see it now — that out of this chaos is going to come a fantastic Gulf Coast, like it was before. Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house — he's lost his entire house — there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch." (Laughter) —President Bush, touring hurricane damage, Mobile, Ala., Sept. 2, 2005 (Source)5) "Considering the dire circumstances that we have in New Orleans, virtually a city that has been destroyed, things are going relatively well." —FEMA Director Michael Brown, Sept. 1, 2005 (Source)6) "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." –President Bush, to FEMA director Michael Brown, while touring Hurricane-ravaged Mississippi, Sept. 2, 2005 (Source)7) "I have not heard a report of thousands of people in the convention center who don't have food and water." –Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, on NPR's "All Things Considered," Sept. 1, 2005 (Source)8) "Well, I think if you look at what actually happened, I remember on Tuesday morning picking up newspapers and I saw headlines, 'New Orleans Dodged the Bullet.' Because if you recall, the storm moved to the east and then continued on and appeared to pass with considerable damage but nothing worse." –Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, blaming media coverage for his failings, "Meet the Press," Sept. 4, 2005 (Source) 9) "I mean, you have people who don't heed those warnings and then put people at risk as a result of not heeding those warnings. There may be a need to look at tougher penalties on those who decide to ride it out and understand that there are consequences to not leaving.” –Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA), Sept. 6, 2005 (Source)10) "You simply get chills every time you see these poor individuals...many of these people, almost all of them that we see are so poor and they are so black, and this is going to raise lots of questions for people who are watching this story unfold." —CNN's Wolf Blitzer, on New Orleans' hurricane evacuees, Sept. 1, 2005 (Source) Heard another stupid quote? Send it to politicalhumor.guide@about.com
20 Mind-Numbingly Dumb Quotes About Hurricane Katrina And Its Aftermath
11) "Louisiana is a city that is largely under water." —Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, news conference, Sept. 3, 2005 (Source) 12) "It's totally wiped out. ... It's devastating, it's got to be doubly devastating on the ground." –President George W. Bush, turning to his aides while surveying Hurricane Katrina flood damage from Air Force One, Aug. 31, 2005 (Source) 13) "I believe the town where I used to come – from Houston, Texas, to enjoy myself, occasionally too much – will be that very same town, that it will be a better place to come to." –President George W. Bush, on the tarmac at the New Orleans airport, Sept. 2, 2005 (Source) 14) "Last night, we showed you the full force of a superpower government going to the rescue." –MSNBC's Chris Matthews, Sept. 1, 2005 (Source)15) "You know I talked to Haley Barbour, the governor of Mississippi yesterday because some people were saying, 'Well, if you hadn't sent your National Guard to Iraq, we here in Mississippi would be better off.' He told me 'I've been out in the field every single day, hour, for four days and no one, not one single mention of the word Iraq.' Now where does that come from? Where does that story come from if the governor is not picking up one word about it? I don't know. I can use my imagination.” –Former President George Bush, who can give his imagination a rest, interview with CNN’s Larry King, Sept. 5, 2005 (Source) 16) "...those who are stranded, who chose not to evacuate, who chose not to leave the city..." –FEMA Director Michael Brown, on New Orleans residents who could not evacuate because they were too poor and lacked the means to leave, CNN interview, Sept. 1, 2005 (Source)17) "We just learned of the convention center – we being the federal government – today." –FEMA Director Michael Brown, to ABC's Ted Koppel, Sept. 1, 2005, to which Koppel responded " Don't you guys watch television? Don't you guys listen to the radio? Our reporters have been reporting on it for more than just today." (Source) 18) "I actually think the security is pretty darn good. There's some really bad people out there that are causing some problems, and it seems to me that every time a bad person wants to scream or cause a problem, there's somebody there with a camera to stick it in their face." –FEMA Director Michael Brown, CNN interview, Sept. 2, 2005 (Source) 19) "I don't make judgments about why people chose not to leave but, you know, there was a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans." –FEMA Director Michael Brown, arguing that the victims bear some responsibility, CNN interview, Sept. 1, 2005 (Source) 20) "Thank President Clinton and former President Bush for their strong statements of support and comfort today. I thank all the leaders that are coming to Louisiana, and Mississippi and Alabama to our help and rescue. We are grateful for the military assets that are being brought to bear. I want to thank Senator Frist and Senator Reid for their extraordinary efforts. Anderson, tonight, I don't know if you've heard – maybe you all have announced it -- but Congress is going to an unprecedented session to pass a $10 billion supplemental bill tonight to keep FEMA and the Red Cross up and operating." –Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), to CNN's Anderson Cooper, Aug. 31, 2005, to which Cooper responded:"I haven't heard that, because, for the last four days, I've been seeing dead bodies in the streets here in Mississippi. And to listen to politicians thanking each other and complimenting each other, you know, I got to tell you, there are a lot of people here who are very upset, and very angry, and very frustrated. And when they hear politicians slap – you know, thanking one another, it just, you know, it kind of cuts them the wrong way right now, because literally there was a body on the streets of this town yesterday being eaten by rats because this woman had been laying in the street for 48 hours. And there's not enough facilities to take her up. Do you get the anger that is out here?" (Source) Heard another stupid quote? Send it to politicalhumor.guide@about.com

Who is to blame for unpreparedness?

I haven't posted anything on Hurricane Katrina yet.

It has been hard for me to say in a short space everything that I would like to say on the subject. It has been horrible to see the suffering and agony of the citizens of the Gulf Coast. Like a lot of Americans, we sent in a contribution to the Red Cross and wish we could do more.

Like a lot of Americans, my family watched in horror as people died, mourned, and waited and waited and waited for help that didn't seem to be coming.

There was a lot more that should have been done at all levels of government, but I found myself most angry and appalled by the lack of response by the Bush administration in the first days of the tragedy. With the thoughts constantly in the back of my mind about all the money, servicemen, and equipment we have in Iraq, I wondered where are the choppers, the transport planes, the ships, the military, FEMA, etc.

Finally, some help has made a dent in some of the human suffering, but how many died and will continue to suffer grief and loss because precious days and hours were wasted? Why did it take the mayor and other people from the region to be yelling and swearing and begging for help for there to be a response equal to the need? Did race and poverty play a role?

I'm not sure whether or not race did, but I certainly think this tragedy exposed the ugliness of the poverty we have allowed the U.S. economic system to perpetuate. People suffer needlessly all the time in the United States because of their economic situation. We need to do more for our poor. The wealthy don't need a permanent estate tax cut (for just one example).

If these events don't make Americans wake up to what is going on around them, I don't know what will.

What are you reactions? Do you find fault with the government's response? Who is to blame? How have your reacted to the suffering you have seen.

Share your comments and thoughts with me.

UPDATE: Sept. 6 - 6:15am
There are lots of people criticizing Bush and the governement out there, but here is one well-respected journalist Tim Russert:

“Matt, something terrible happened here – the fact is state, local and federal government did not protect its people. It’s why governments were created.”
-Tim Russert, NBC News – September 6, 2005

and the conservative Wall Street Journal editorial page printed this:

“…Voters will forgive a President many mistakes, but no leader can survive a public judgment that he is unsure of himself and hostage to events…
-Wall Street Journal

Baghdad and Philadelphia - New York Times

More views comparing the two conventions appeared in the NY Times.

One Mother Ignites a Movement

"The president says he feels compassion for me, but the best way to show that compassion is by meeting with me and the other mothers and families who are here. Our sons made the ultimate sacrifice and we want answers. All we're asking is that he sacrifice an hour out of his five-week vacation to talk to us, before the next mother loses her son in Iraq." -- Cindy Sheehan, Camp Casey, Crawford, Texas

Whether you agree with her or not, Cindy Sheehan is a testament to how much of an impact one concerned citizen can make. She has light a fire under the anti-war movement that has shaken the P.R. machine in the White House to its core.

What do I think of Cindy? More to come....

A website sympathetic to her has a live blog from Camp Casey where she and her supporters are gathered. It is interesting to read at truthout's website.

Will Iraqis Ratify Their New Constitution?

Iraq has finally completed writing its constitution! They missed their Aug. 15th deadline, but everybody gets to turn in late work every now and then, right? So, all of this is good news, right? Well, maybe not. While two of Iraq’s major groups are pleased with the constitution, one of them is not, and it must be ratified by a vote of the people. Why do many Kurds and Shiites (a/k/a Shia) agree to the draft constitution and most Sunnis do not? It turns out that the Sunnis are opposed to adopting a system of federalism instead of a unitary nation. (Gee, I've seen these terms in my "We the People" book!) The BBC has done a good job of summarizing all of this in a relatively short article.)

Also there is a possibility that some in the Sunni minority (along with others opposed to the new government) will respond with increased violence. All of this is bad for the U.S. mission in Iraq, that a majority of the public think is being mismanaged by the Bush administration.

Okay, so why oppose federalism? Would you be surprised to learn that at the root of it is who gets to control the nation's oil wealth? From an article in the NY Times comes the following:

The issue of federalism is critical: Sunnis fear not only a giant Shiite state in the south but also future bids by the Kurds to expand their region into northern oil-producing areas, as they have demanded. That would leave the Sunnis cut off from Iraq's oil wealth.

Of course, not all of the Shiites agree. Followers of Muqutada al-Sadr are opposing the constitution as well. (Read more here.) On the streets of Iraq, many of the people are less interested in the constitution than they are in getting basic services back that still have not been restored fully since the U.S. began it's attack on Iraq. From the NYTimes:

"What constitution are you talking about?" Mr. Sami, a Shiite, said sardonically. "We are fed up with this thing! We would prefer to solve our problems first, such as electricity, water and security. How come they gathered to approve the constitution while Iraqis are slaughtered?"

Pat Robertson is an Idiot

Pat Robertson is an Idiot

Jon Stewart lampooned televangelist Pat Robertson the other night because Robertson offered an on-air, heartfelt prayer to God asking for another chance to appoint a Supreme Court justice this summer.  

It seems that Robertson doesn’t only have federal judges on his hit list.  Today comes news that he is calling for the assassination of Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez.  (Chavez, if you aren’t aware, is a socialist who has been intensely critical of U.S. foreign policy.)   Here are the good Reverend’s words:

“You know, I don’t know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we’re trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it,” Robertson said. “It’s a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ... and I don’t think any oil shipments will stop.”

Well.

This is why so many people I know love to watch the 700 Club for the sheer entertainment value.  Personally, I’d like to see him run for the Republican nomination for president again.  We could all enjoy the laughs.  

Of course, Venezuela’s government is not laughing.  Their Vice-President issued an interesting statement saying, “The ball is in the U.S. court, after this criminal statement by a citizen of that country,” Rangel told reporters. “It’s huge hypocrisy to maintain this discourse against terrorism and at the same time, in the heart of that country, there are entirely terrorist statements like those.”

MSNBC also reported a Venezuelan legislator putting it more simply and directly:  “This man cannot be a true Christian. He’s a fascist.”

Comments?

Irony in the War on

Irony in the War on Terror

This statement from our government strikes me as utterly bizarre:  

"In light of the recent bombings in London, it is crucial that police, fire and emergency medical personnel take notice of their surroundings, and be aware of 'vagrants' who seem out of place or unfamiliar," said the message, distributed via e-mail to some federal employees in Washington by the U.S. Attorney's office.

Can someone explain this to me?  Are there homeless people on the streets that seem like they are NOT out of place?  I mean, isn’t that the definition of what it is to be homeless – out of place – one who has been displaced by landlords, places of work, and society in general?  Have we become so callous as a society that there are ‘vagrants’ that are simply commonplace and familiar?

Of course, this warning does make some sense if you go beyond the absurd bureaucratic wording of the statement, but I think it does speak volumes to us about our society’s priorities.  

What do you think?

Negotiations over Iraqi Constitution Continue

There are three major areas of disagreement among the Iraqis trying to write a constitution for their nation: the role Islam will play in the nation's legal system, the extent to which they will follow a federal system of government, and how to divide the nation's oil wealth which is not evenly distributed across the nation.

The NY Times has a nice overview of all of this and where things stand as of now.

If you would like to weigh in on these matters, Slate magazine has a humorous survey going.

More seriously, these talks will have a tremendous impact on the rights of women in Iraq.
Depending on how sharia, or Islamic law, is interpreted and implemented, women may be getting a new birth of freedom in the region or be relegated to second-class status. Read one woman's commentary on all of this.

How does the situation in Iraq compare to the conflicts our Framers faced in that hot summer in Philadelphia in 1787? While the similarities have been often pointed out, there are some very big differences. An interesting analysis appeared in Slate.

Finally, an analysis in the CS Monitor states that while all are hoping a successful constitution and election will help bring down the level of violence in Iraq (and make it easier for the U.S. to withdraw quickly) a state of civil war essentially already exists, making this constitutional convention more like peace talks than anything our Framers engaged in.

More on Iraq and One Mother's Opposition

The U.S. is really pinning its hopes on a Constitution being drafted, and accepted in the next several months. Even though there are deep divisions between the rival factions on important issues in the draft Iraqi Constitution (one example being women's rights, and others discussed here), the U.S. wants the process to stick to the deadline of being finished by August 15. Elections will follow in the fall. The Bush administration seems to reason that this is the only way out for U.S. troops.
In the meantime, this will mean more troops in the short run. See the article in the Seattle Times.

While Bush is taking the longest vacation in presidential history (okay, it is a working vacation, but excuse my Michael Moore-ish description) one woman who lost her 24 year-old son in Iraq has camped outside his Crawford Ranch and demanded a meeting with the President. She says she won't leave until he meets with her. She is proving quite the embarassment for the President as she is intelligent, articulate, and full of righteous anger. Read her writings here about her protest:

George Bush said speaking about the dreadful loss of life in Iraq in August:
(08/03/05): "We have to honor the sacrifices of the fallen by completing the
mission." "The families of the fallen can be assured that they died for a noble
cause."
In reaction to these two assinine and hurtful statements, members of
Gold Star Families for Peace (GSFP) are going to George's vacation home in
Crawford, Tx this Saturday, August 6th at 11:00 am to confront him on these two
statements.
1) We want our loved ones sacrifices to be honored by bringing
our nation's sons and daughters home from the travesty that is Iraq IMMEDIATELY, since this war is based on horrendous lies and deceptions. Just because our children are dead, why would we want any more families to suffer the same pain and devastation.
2) We would like for him to explain this "noble cause" to us and, if the cause is so noble, ask him why Jenna and Barbara are not in harm's way.
3) If George is not ready to send the twins, then he should bring our troops home immediately. We will demand a speedy withdrawal.

Read the rest of her statement at BuzzFlash.com.

More trouble between the west and the remaining members of the "axis of evil"
Iran's new President has renewed his determination to enrich uranium that could be used for nuclear weapons, and is forging an anti-American alliance with Syria. URL: Iran resumes uranium work, ignores warnings

The New York Times has some very complete coverage.

Should the Patriot Act be Renewed?

The House of Representatives voted yesterday to renew and make permanent almost all provisions of the Patriot Act. At the same time the Senate Judiciary Committee is acting to reign in some of the powers the government took under the Patriot Act. Is the Patriot Act making us safer and protecting us from terrorists or is it a dangerous limitation on our liberties as individuals? It is a good debate. While I tend toward the second view on the more controversial provisions of the bill, not everyone agrees. If you want to talk about the U.S. Constitution in this day and age, you can't avoid this issue.

National Public Radio has an excellent page on the Patriot Act. Check it out. Listen to or read some of the stories and become more knowledgable about this important issue.

Rove in Trouble

Karl Rove, the mastermind of Bush's political successes has been a demon to those on the political left for a long time. We have seen him as a smart, shrewd, but devious political operative whose calling card is impugning the character of those who present a challenge to Bush.

Many of us suspected that Joseph Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame was unmasked as an undercover CIA operative in retaliation for Wilson's harsh remarks about Bush's handling of WMD intelligence. At the time, Bush said he would fire any aide that leaked Plame's name to reporters.

This week, as Rove has been fingered as having a hand in talking to reporters about Plame's undercover status, Bush has changed his tune. Now he will only fire an aide who broke the law in revealing the name of an undercover CIA agent.

This is convenient for Bush, but he shouldn't get away with it, and Rove should have to pay a high price for his misdeeds, criminal or not. He should resign, because is method of operating can no longer be denied. He is a back-stabbing, cut-throat, political operative that has no business prowling about the highest office in the land. He should resign because of the disgrace he has brought to the White House, a place 2000 candidate Bush said he would restore to its dignity.
The lies and manipulations of evidence that have gone on in this administration are appalling. We deserve better, and we ought to demand it.

Confused about all of this? Check out the CS Monitor's Q & A.

Oh yeah, and all of this seems to be hurting Bush's popularity.

Terrorists took much more than 37+ lives in London

The bombings in London on July 7th were tragic. I sat, watching the footage on CNN in horror like everyone else in the world. What made it more sad for me though, is that the whoever was responsible for the terror bombing did a lot more damage than just what we saw on TV. It changed the focus of the G8 Summit and diverted the world’s attention from the issues of poverty and climate change. Consider for a moment two facts:

37 people were killed in the bombings in London
1 child dies every 5 seconds of hunger somewhere in the world (according the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, as reported by the BBC).

Which is more horrible? Do the math.

The G8 summit can be considered a success though, because the world’s wealthiest nations agreed to double the amount of aid to Africa and cancel the debt of the 18 poorest nations in Africa. The world leaders need praise and encouragement for this positive step toward ending a more serious and deadly threat than world terrorism.

As reported by the BBC:

In the words of Tony Blair: "It isn't the end of poverty in Africa, but it is
the hope that it can be ended. It isn't all everyone wanted but it is progress -
real and achievable progress."

And Bob Geldof, the former rock star
and Live 8 organiser, paraphrased words first uttered by Winston Churchill.

"I wouldn't say this is the end of extreme poverty, but it is the
beginning of the end," he said. Of course, the various deals fall far short of
what many campaigners wanted.

There was more disappointment in the area of climate change. The United States of America is still refusing to join other nations in taking concrete actions to lower emissions standards although Bush did agree to language that stated that human activity is playing a role in global climate change.

With the publicity from Live 8, there was tremendous focus on this summit. Looking at the news now, it has taken a back seat to concerns and fears over the terrorist attacks. This means we have more work to do in keeping these issues on the agenda of news providers and world leaders.

O'Connor Resigns High Court

July 1st

Sandra Day O'Connor left an incredible mark on the Court and an even greater on on American history. (Read the story from the New York Times.) She was a pivotal "swing" vote in the ideological battles between the Court's conservatives and it's liberals. Her vote was the deciding factor in many of the Court's 5-4 decisions. She was pragmatic and had a sense for finding the pulse of the American people in striking compromise language on a number of issues. Read some excerpts from her opinions.

July 5th update
O'Connor's influence on Court decisions is discussed in the CS Monitor.

ONE Campaign

JOIN THE ONE CAMPAIGN!

If you haven't already visited http://www.one.org/, than you ought to immediately. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, do not get a snack from the fridge. Just check it out and if like what the campaign is about, sign the letter to President Bush urging him to do more to help the poorest of the poor nations by getting serious about debt relief for these nations.
Lots of pop/rock/rap/etc. stars are participating in concerts around the world this weekend to bring publicity to the cause. (Bono and Bob Geldof are the driving musical forces behind the event.) It is well timed as the big summit of the G8 powers is happening this coming week. What the little old people like you and I can do is make sure that our leaders know we are concerned and take this problem seriously.
If you haven't heard about the ONE campaign, here is a brief description from the web site:

"ONE is a new effort by Americans to rally Americans – ONE by ONE – to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty. The ONE Campaign is engaging Americans through a diverse coalition of faith-based and anti-poverty organizers to show the steps people can take, ONE by ONE, to fight global AIDS and poverty."

REMEMBER - While many of us our enjoying our summer vacations:

38 million people around the world are infected with HIV/AIDS
1 in 5 people around the world live on an income of less than $1 per day
104 million children around the world do not attend grade school
1 person in 7 has no access to clean water for drinking, cooking or washing.
1 person in 7 suffers from hunger
Millions of the world's children have become orphans because of AIDS, war, or other causes
Instead of spending money on these problems, many governments around the world are spending money paying back debt to the world's wealthy nations and international institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Every year Sub-Saharan Africa, the poorest region of the world, spends $14.5 billion dollars repaying debts.
Many of the poorest nations have governments that are rife with corruption.

Bottom Line - There is a lot of work to do. One concert isn't going to change everything. One petition isn't going to change everything. But one small step at a time, we can change things if we work together.

Fake News better than Real News

Again, Jon Stewart and the Daily Show have done a better job of holding the administration accountable for their lies and deceptions. If you didn't see them skewer Cheney and Rumsfeld for the recent remarks about the Iraqi insurgency being in its last throes, check out the following link. By the way, "Crooks and Liars" is an intersting blog site.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/06/27.html#a3668

Death in Iraq, State of Denial in D.C.

Sadly, the Bush administration continues its campaign of propaganda about the war on terror and the war in Iraq. In recent days, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Bush have tried to paint a picture of positive momentum and an insurgency in Iraq that is in its "final throes". Unfortunately, the news out of Iraq doesn't give us any reason to believe them. Actually, the assesments of our own military commanders betrays the falsehoods spouted by our top elected officials:

"Yesterday, the top American commander in the Persian Gulf told Congress the Iraqi insurgency has not grown weaker in the past six months. 'I believe there are more foreign fighters coming into Iraq than there were six months ago,' Gen. John Abizaid said.

This on a day when many Americans were killed in Iraq. Also at the same time Bush refused an Iraqi request to set a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq while meeting with an Iraqi leader in D.C. Funny how we can set timetables for Iraqi elections and constitution writing, but they can't ask us to set timetables for ourselves.

A lot of this is detailed in the Seattle Times.

The New York Times published a stong editorial about the dishonest nature of the Bush administration in the war on terror. The article said three facts need to be acknowledged about Iraq:

1) The war has nothing to do with Sept. 11.
2) The war has not made the world, or this nation, safer from terrorism.
3) If the war is going according to plan, someone needs to rethink the plan.

Meanwhile, the U.S. policy of extraordinary rendition has come under fire from one of our biggest allies in the war in Iraq: Italy. The Italian Justice department has issued arrest warrants for CIA officers who arrested a terrorist in Italy and sent him to Egypt where he was tortured. It turns out that Italy had been building a case against the terrorist for a long time and was ready to make an arrest. But now the whereabouts of this terrorist is unknown. See the article in the Seattle Times.

End of the School Year!

Oh, the end of the school year!

It's sad to say good-bye to the seniors, but I feel confident that the class of 2005 will be good about staying in touch, so I'm hopeful about that.

Not much time to stay on top of current events lately, although I'm in total agreement with the Bush administration in their opposition to a bill the U.S. House of Representatives just passed that threatens to cut our funding of the United Nations in half. It is a really stupid idea for our security, our policies, and the world as a whole.

Cheney Lies More About Guantanamo Bay

How stupid does the Vice-President think the American people are? How short does he think our memory is?

At a recent news conference, Cheney was answering questions about Guantanamo Bay and talked about how "essential" the base is to our "strategy," and how much the rest of the world DOESN'T have a problem with it. But as Newsweek points out, he is choosing to forget some important facts. From their article:

As early as January 2002, the Secretary of State Colin Powell wrote to President
George Bush urging him to apply the Geneva Conventions to all detainees.

That same month, his British counterpart, Jack Straw, told the BBC he wanted to see British detainees returned home to face justice in the United Kingdom, not Guantanamo Bay, after photos of shackled detainees sparked widespread
condemnation across the political spectrum in Britain. The British government
opposed the Gitmo process so deeply that it eventually negotiated the return of
its detainees earlier this year, when they were set free after initial questioning.

In 2003, after a lengthy series of exchanges between Powell and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the administration agreed to speed up the processing of detainees at the camp (who numbered around 660 at the time, compared to around 540 today). Rumsfeld himself acknowledged that Powell—and the administration—were responding to international opinion.

And these are just actions of the administration and our ally in the Iraq war, Great Britain. Let's not even talk about the rest of Europe and the Muslim world.

Will someone please tell the Vice-President to tell the truth or keep his mouth shut?

Opposition to Iraq War is Growing

Over half of those surveyed in a recent poll don't think that the war in Iraq is making Americans more secure at home. The Washington Post poll also found that the Americans are very down on Bush's handling of security in general. According to MSNBC:

Nearly three-quarters of Americans say the number of casualties in Iraq is unacceptable, while two-thirds say the U.S. military there is bogged down and
nearly six in 10 say the war was not worth fighting -- in all three cases matching or exceeding the highest levels of pessimism yet recorded. More than four in 10 believe the U.S. presence in Iraq is becoming analogous to the experience in Vietnam.

Perhaps most ominous for President Bush, 52 percent said war in Iraq has not contributed to the long-term security of the United States, while 47 percent said it has.

The real question is when does this disaffection turn into activism? How long will it take for people to realize we were all lied to about this war and hold these people responsible? For some of us, opposition to the war has been an on-going campaign, but how can we mobilize others who have come to agree with us about the Iraq war?

These are my thoughts. We need lots of informed debate and action on important issues in this natino. I read a call to action on behalf of our basic principles with a "new American spirit" by a guest editorialist in the Christian Science Monitor today. Check it out for some inspiration!