Hypocrisy 101

Polly,

Their hypocracy knows no end. There are times when I shake my head in wonder that anyone still claims to support the current Majority party and this administration.

How can they?

Furthermore, it brings to mind a conversation with some voters from last year when they said, 'It seems to me that we should let them stay in power so they can have the chance to clean up their own messes!'

Please! Where is the logic in that? Fire the current incompetent janitor and hire a new competent janitor instead! Do you rehire the same electrician who messed up the wires on your house and caused it to burn down? Or do you hire a professional?

While this article is not on the topic of Veteran's Day Hypocrisy, I certainly think it is worthy of our attention today . . .

Libby May Have Tried to Mask Cheney's Role

" In the opening days of the CIA leak investigation in early October 2003, FBI agents working the case already had in their possession a wealth of valuable evidence. There were White House phone and visitor logs, which clearly documented the administration's contacts with reporters.

"And they had something that law enforcement officials would later describe as their "guidebook" for the opening phase of the investigation: the daily, diary-like notes compiled by I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, then Vice President Cheney's chief of staff, that chronicled crucial events inside the White House in the weeks before the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame was publicly disclosed.

The investigators had much of this information before they sat down with Libby on Oct. 14, 2003, and first heard from him what prosecutors now allege was a demonstrably false version of what happened. Libby said that, when he told other reporters about the CIA operative and her marriage to Iraq war critic Joseph C. Wilson IV, he believed he had first learned the information from Tim Russert of NBC News and was merely passing along journalistic hearsay. This was an explanation made dubious by Libby's own notes, which showed that he previously had learned about Plame from his boss, Cheney ". . . --By Carol D. Leonnig and Jim VandeHei, Washington Post, Sunday, November 13, 2005; Page A06

--more--
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/12/AR2005111201085.html?nav=hcmodule

Here is a Vietnam Vet's commentary on the article where Daniel Ellsberg comparies Iraq war to Vietnam war:

The Vietnam war is an appropriate analogy for the quagmire part --- but the Vietnam war was self-contained. The occupation in Iraq is like vietnam "on fire" with gasoline poured on it. Although the US casualties are low compared with Vietnam, the long-term political damage resulting from the Iraq war is a much more grave situation.

& here's the Ellsberg link:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5411324,00.html

And here is another, worthy of attention ....

Civil Rights Focus Shift Roils Staff At Justice . .
Veterans Exit Division as Traditional Cases Decline

The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, which has enforced the nation's anti-discrimination laws for nearly half a century, is in the midst of an upheaval that has driven away dozens of veteran lawyers and has damaged morale for many of those who remain, according to former and current career employees.

Nearly 20 percent of the division's lawyers left in fiscal 2005, in part because of a buyout program that some lawyers believe was aimed at pushing out those who did not share the administration's conservative views on civil rights laws. Longtime litigators complain that political appointees have cut them out of hiring and major policy decisions, including approvals of controversial GOP redistricting plans in Mississippi and Texas., By Dan Eggen, Washington Post, Sunday, November 13, 2005; Page A01 . . .
--more--
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/12/AR2005111201200.html

Heartland,
I spoke with a friend who works for OSHA yesterday and she had similar stories to tell. Exiting professional investigators, increasing centralization and control by the oversight agency (Labor), and virtually no work completed because nothing meets the standards set up for a "problem".

These people must go. Soon.

Karen,

We are in absolute agreement that the situation must change soon, however the question is, "How do we accomplish this?"

In attempting to find ways to participate in the process of change, I went to the DNC's website, to sign up for a National Organizing Kickoff on Nov. 15. There I did a search for an "event" and found one within a radius of 100 miles. I registered, but sent a comment saying I'd much prefer to organize something in my own community, so I set up a local event with lots of TBDs, and I've heard absoltely nothing . . . from either registration.

It's a bit discouraging. Suggestions?

I belong to two what you would call democracy cells here in Seattle. One has 84 people and a guy sends out articles for comment - the last one was on fundraising.

Several shot back letters that they couldn't support people like Senator Cantwell because they voted for the IWR. I put in my 2 cents worth about how I vote for candidates, not necessarily expecting 100% representation of my personal values.

But Emily said it best and I believe she nailed it - I believe it's true in any state and with any candidate - we need to reform the "ugly system" but that won't happen before the next election:

The DINOs disgust me too-but we need each and every one of them.
Why?-because without them we can't build the majority in Congress that we need to control the agenda. Committee chairmanships and control of those committees go to the majority party. .

Those who wonder why Bush hasn't been investigated or impeached need only look to who holds the majority for their answer. It's an ugly system but it's what we've got. As regards Ms. Cantwell, I agree she has hardly been a voice for the Progressive but she IS a vast improvement over Slade (Gorton).

The Greens often claim that it was their get-out-the-vote effort on behalf of Nader (they chose not to run a senate candidate) that made the difference in the election between Cantwell and Gorton in 2000. Yet even with their help, it was within a few hundred votes-and there was a recount. In order to be elected, Cantwell has to represent not just me in the heart of Seattle but people in Wilbur, Richland, and Humptulips. It's another case of us all hanging together or all hanging separately.

Posted by: Heartland at November 13, 2005 11:05 AM

"Darth" Cheney indeed looked miserable when placing that wreath on the tomb of the unknown soldier. No traces of conscience noted, but he looked like he was indeed not a happy camper.

Libby may stay quiet, if promised a pardon. If not, he may squeal.

Rove, on the other hand, (in my opinion) looks like he hasn't a care in the world. He was laughing and joking with the press the Friday after the indictments came down on Libby. (What, me worry????)

THIS CAME IN FROM MY FRIEND JUDE AT "POLITICAL WAVES"

There was a fascinating interview on CNN today -- a frankly admiring reporter spoke to a young officer who had established peace and restoration in a small city in Iraq with a handful of troops and a small budget. "HOW?" she breathed, as if this was some kind of miracle. Here's how -- he went to the mayor and enlisted his cooperation and that of the town fathers; he went to the banker and had him reopen the bank so that paychecks and accounts could be activated. He employed local people with his small budget to make required repairs. He asked for volunteer's to refurbish the schools. In other words -- he gave the situation back to the people.

From the very beginning of reconstruction in Iraq, it's been CEO consciousness that his made it a misery. Halliburton and RBK have taken the jobs and the money -- there has been no restoration of the public good, the public paycheck. The very things that are basic to a society are still missing in Bush's Iraq -- leaving the people to suffer and choose which tyrant they dislike more, the American's or the Rightwing Islamist's.

I don't think American's get this -- they aren't thinking that deeply about this issue. Katrina should have informed them, but they're not connecting those dots. The cynical nature of Bush's exploitive policies at home are beginning to impact, but they haven't realized that what he does here that smacks of racism, arrogance and greed is played out in Baghdad with even less subtlety.

John McCain is on Meet the Press now, with much this message. His plan includes more more more soldiers, but he also speaks to empowering people with employment and security and involvement ... nothing that Bush is interested in. The government of Iraq is seen as "puppet" and rightly so and it trickles down from there. Giving them back their country [which is the Pub ploy, by the way ... as soon as they can achieve their "markers," they WILL give it back and then when it all goes wrong, they'll say -- well, we tried!!] has never been in Dub's sites ... a good CEO keeps the profits for the shareholders.

The officer that had such success with the little Iraqi community was NOT a CEO, he was NOT a political gamesman. He brought common sense to a village he did not seek to own and exploit, and it worked. We WILL leave Iraq at some point -- but it will be in defeat, no matter what George says. The defeat will be that we never gave rebuilding an honest shot, and each hospital and school and public works repair that our warriors provided the Iraqi people will be ignored thanks to the greed and cynicism of George Bush and his war cabinet.

When George Walker Bush campaigned for president, he told us he wasn't interested in "nation building," and he wasn't just whistling The Yellow Rose of Texas. It isn't in him to build -- just destroy. His entire life has been testimony to breaking rules, skimming the cream and escaping unscathed ... and that is what he will leave as his presidential record -- unless we can figure out a way to stop him and hold him accountable. All eyes are on 2006.

Has Bush gone to China yet?
His bedtime is 10 PM so that will be like 1 PM the next day. He is going to have his head on the lectern and even yak butter tea won't keep him awake in Mongolia (our next biggest per capital coalition partner after Britain).
Will China change the value of the currency &
increase the number of English teachers/
fundamentalist Christian missionaries?
Not likely.
Meanwhile Condi has been to the meeting of most of the Arab states & Egypt put a wrench in the works. She wanted to set up one of those systems like we have in the former Soviet breakaway republics where we rig their elections for regime change and call it "spreading democracy."

I think Freedom is a codeword for fundamentalist rightwing Christianity and Democracy means corporate capitalism.

& if you don't work for a big company but are (gasp) an artist, writer, actor, small business person, etc. - no health insurance for you, at least not affordable health care. You have to work in the corporate world to be taken care of.

Fe
That piece you just posted completely goes with my line of thinking for what I just wrote.

The fact that most people could use a paycheck - whether in New Orleans, Basra or Beijing - that there is rent to pay, food to buy etc.

My dad used to tell me (when we argued about Vietnam) - "those people don't care if the government is capitalist or communist, they just want to eat!" (supporting my argument & defeating his own but then he wouldn't admit it) When I wouldn't eat something he'd say "I've seen kids with arms as big around as your fork"

Heartland,

We have no choice but to respond and participate in all actions we can in order to build public understanding of the situation we face today.

The DNC is but one organization formulating these kinds of grassroots organizing actions. Every day, on the front page of this website, we try to bring you a range of actions you can take in order to:

1. Develop your own voice of reason and persuasion towards restoring democracy to the United States

2. Inform your neighbors and friends and co-workers about the issues at hand

3. Work in concert with others to bring about legislative changes that are in line with your own beliefs as a citizen-activist

4. Utilize new media to tell your stories

5. Access mainstream and alternative media, op-eds, LTES and other approaches to building public knowledge and opinion.

Here is a list of organizations we are aware of trying to do similar or related things:

Progressive Dems (http://www.pdamerica.org)
Democracy for America (http://www.democracyforamerica.com)
Personal Democracy Forum (http://www.personaldemocracy.com/)
Media Matters http://www.mediamatters.org)
MoveOn (http://www.moveon.org)
People for the American Way (http://www.pfaw.org)

The advantage you have HERE is that we look at all these webpages FOR you and WITH you, and we select those actions we think people can do and be a part of planning for, that will be effective more often than not.

Also--have you considered running for public office yourself? Nothing like it for learning how to put your money where your mouth is...

Oh my goodness - we now have a philosophical discussion going on in Seattle via email list & it involves 84 people. It started out with commentary about the RNC bringing more in than the DNC. Then people started to say they couldn't support most Democrats because of the IWR. Then a few of chimed in that we had to be pragmatic and face reality - the majority party is controlling everything. Then it turned to the idea of thinking globally, acting locally - which I am currently championing. We need to convince people to "connect the dots" - if the situation of the poor in New Orleans is in some ways parallel to the situation of the poor in French suburbs - should be be thinking about what the IMF, WTO, UN and other international organizations are doing right and wrong? Should we think about what is the role of government and how we should view charity, training, integration and diversity? We had started to talk about whether we should support the antiglobalization movement & then someone asked if this was realistic when we were living in the richest country. Then others had been talking about whether we should only support progressive candidates, but if we did that, would we just completely lose because there aren't enough progressive constituents on a statewide or national basis.

This is exciting!

TO HEARTLAND:

Unfortunately the Democratic Party is quite disorganized and of course underfunded. I would try interest groups such as Move On or the Progressive Democrats of America to form in your area. Here is a listing of some events planned in Michigan for this Wednesday:

http://political.moveon.org/event/events/i...ml?action_id=28

Events in your area: click on an event name to sign up

16 Nov 12:00 PM Camp on Upton - 22 miles away
157 S. Kalamazoo Mall
12 registered participant(s) (20 maximum)
Ferndale
MI
49007
Hosted by Carl Weiler
Description This outdoor site is on Burdick Street between E.Michigan Avenue and E. South Street. It is open to the elements. We have speakers, guests, media, and a mock Thanksgiving table.

16 Nov 11:00 AM STOP the Reverse Robin Hood Budget - 43 miles away
Congressman Mike Rogers' Local Office
11 registered participant(s) (100 maximum)
Lansing
MI
48912
Hosted by Julie Soliz
Description Come show Congressman Mike Rogers how you feel about the Reverse Robin Hood Budget. It's time people who are not wealthy have a voice!! Help be that voice. We will be gathering for our Speak Out outside the Local Office of Congressman Mike Rogers. There is plenty of space without obstructing the daily flow. LOCATION: 1327 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing, MI 48912 (just East of Sparrow Hospital between N. Holmes St. and Ferguson St.)

16 Nov 11:00 AM Fairness in the Budget - 0 miles away
Rep. Schwarz Office, W. Michigan, Battle Creek
1 registered participant(s) (30 maximum)
Battle Creek
MI
49017
Hosted by R. E. Heubel
Description A gathering to protest the budget priorities of the Republican Congress, the House of Representatives and or Republican Representative Joe Schwarz. Parking is nearbe and it is wheelchair accessible.

Host your own Speak Out Against the "Reverse Robin Hood" Budget event
Right now, there are 131 gatherings planned.

I think Freedom is a codeword for fundamentalist rightwing Christianity and Democracy means corporate capitalism.

& if you don't work for a big company but are (gasp) an artist, writer, actor, small business person, etc. - no health insurance for you, at least not affordable health care. You have to work in the corporate world to be taken care of.

Dianne:

All your posts point up to a general point arrived at in a series of steps the world seems to be taking (sometimes violently)--globally. The corporate world has gone global, but so has the misery of the people who are exploited. The number of years it has taken to rise has sped up exponentially because of technology, wireless and internet. The promise of a global market in the 90s was turned into a nightmare by greedy cunning corporate thought.

How we start the process out for EVERYONE to end poverty and social disparity globally begins with setting a new example of what government is and could be for people. Not the ultimate corporate dream of outright privatization of basic necessities such as water, air and fuel.

That half of the nations outside our borders do not have access to clean water, properly running sewer systems, and electricity contributes to instability and ultimately failed states. Once those things are provided, along with decent health care, education, it can become the decision of the communities to self-determine their destiny and the destiny of their lands and people. This seems to be a frightening thought to the powers that be.

Ironic that its France, US, and Latin America in this strange triangle of political potential. But the people need to matter first, and that is what is missing from all the equations that involve foreign trade and policy, starting from early in the 20th century to now.

Let's Try Baloney
By Eleanor Clift
Newsweek

Bush went on the offensive Friday, saying in a Veteran's Day speech that critics of his Iraq policies are undercutting American soldiers on the front lines. He also attacked Democrats who claim that pre-war intelligence was manipulated by the White House. But evidence to the contrary will make this a hard sell.

The people who most want Bush to succeed are the alumni of his father's administration, and they are in despair over the state of the White House. One former diplomat after three glasses of wine at an embassy dinner confessed that he has a recurring image of the White House as a crab with seven atrophied legs and one over-developed leg, which would be Karl Rove, pulling everything along. "If he goes, there's nothing left." Exhausted and demoralized Bush aides are turning on each other and leaking stories to the press, a breakdown in discipline that was common in the Clinton White House, but new to the Bush operation. Friends of the senior Bush are blaming Cheney for usurping too much power, but that's why they wanted him there, as a minder for the man-child who should never have been made president.

This is a battle between the Bushes of Kennebunkport and the Bushes of Crawford, and who prevails will determine which direction Bush 43 goes for the rest of his term. The Connecticut crowd is headed by Bush 41 with Brent Scowcroft, the former national security adviser, speaking for the father, James Baker the consigliore, and chief-of-staff Andy Card their mole. Scowcroft has terminally offended the White House with his anti-Iraq war views. "He might as well be dead," says the former diplomat. "If you say anything publicly, you're frozen out. You have to show comity toward them, or they won't listen to you."

Suiting up on the Crawford side is Rove, and of course Bush 43, who reinforce each other. If Bush sticks with Rove and goes to the right, there's a ceiling on his popularity at best of 45 percent. If he moves to the center, like the Bush 41 crowd would like, the base collapses and he doesn't necessarily pick up votes in the center. The administration is too far gone, the problems intractable.

continue here
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/111305E.shtml

Fe
You are so right & someone just did a really good job in the on-going local political discussion that is going on right now in this "cell":

A local person (not me) wrote:

If you mean by globalization, trade around the world, I agree. That has always happened and probably should continue. I think it will become more difficult, however, as the cost of extracting petroleum increases and the effects of global warming accelerate.

The difference comes when you look at the mechnanisms at work in what is called globalization today. The IMF and the World Bank policies have been disastrous for countries they have targeted. Examples close at hand are Argentina, Venezuela, and sadly Haiti. That's what the ruckus is all about. These countries, are now pushing back, a fact that encourages me greatly. It has taken an uprising by the people most affected to bring this about and they are by no means out of the woods. When our government talks of "spreading democracy", look out. I think we all know by now that is not what they mean.

NAFTA, CAFTA, etc. have begun to bring home the costs of these policies to us here in the US. We are, I'm sad to say, back in the days of the old "robber barons" only this time they are not necessarily subject to our laws and will be much harder to rein in.

One writer who speaks in a clear voice about these issues is Naomi Klein. I would refer you to her books and to her website: http://www.nologo.org Click on Globalization FAQs and then start grazing.

Another fascinating source is "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" by John Perkins. It's available at your local bookstore or through the library.

If I run across an article which puts the issues of present day globalization in a nutshell, I'll pass it along.

Is it 2008 yet?

Not to spread rumors but there is a National Inquirer type magazine called the Globe and the cover story is about our president. It seems stress is getting to him.

Fe
I actually was sent a Canadian article which had a comment at the end by a reader advocating more Canadian military because they were afraid that in the future we would attack to take some of their water!

& I read once that France was investing heavily in "owning" alot of the world's water sources, not just petroleum.

My little French friend and I were talking about stereotypes - he said someone else was a "yuppie" and that I was a "hippie." I asked - "Well what are you?" and he said "a nolo" - & that is "No name, no logo" - so he's into things like American Apparel from LA, which operate without sweatshop labor and Adbusters.

& my son is sometimes glad when things happen like the increase in gasoline or Mad Cow disease - even though some people are hurt in the short term, he thinks that in the long-term it may cause people to cut back on consumption & help rein in the petroleum companies, corporate farming etc.

On my way back from the grocery store, I heard the beginning of a speaker who really nailed this situation that we have right on the head.

He was comparing the U.S. from FDR days to GWB and called what we have now, "A rogue state! With Brittain enabling us to throw International Law away".

Posted by: not my president at November 13, 2005 03:12 PM

Yep..just saw that magazine at the grocery store too.

I don't know that it adds any credibility to anything, seeing how it's the same magazine that talks about martians imprenating women here. (I think it was that magazine.)

no it's not that type of magazine - it's the same type that talks about Brad Pitt & Angelinia Jolie. If they go too far, they're subject to litigation. It's not that different (re Bush) than Capital Hill Blue.

It's Weekly World News that talks about martians etc. Inquirer and the other used to be that way in the old days but now they have turned to celebrities. They have been turning out to be more credible than those glossies like Us and People.

Posted by: DiAnne at November 13, 2005 03:50 PM

Really? They're credible?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051113/ap_on_re_us/ellsberg_iraq

MAPLEWOOD, N.J. - The former Defense Department official who leaked secret documents about the Vietnam War said Saturday that he sees many similarities between that conflict and the one in Iraq.

Events unfolding on the phoney election of 2004

Plaintiffs Blocked During Discovery Phase of New Mexico '04 Election Lawsuit
Kept From Inspecting Voting Machines as Promised
Process So Far Has Revealed Votes Changed from One Candidate to Another, Disappearing All Together...

We've failed to report too terribly much on it to date, but there is a very important lawsuit quietly proceeding in New Mexico which is challenging the results of the 2004 Presidential Election there. The final result of that election was very close, and Election Reform advocates -- and indeed a great deal of evidence -- suggest that something was amiss there. Michael Collins wrote a good article about the suit a couple of weeks ago for New Zealand's SCOOP.

Yesterday, VoterAction.org sent out an email about some roadblocks that the plaintiffs are suddenly facing in the discovery phase of the trial. They were supposed to have been allowed to have experts inspect -- for the first time -- the Electronic Voting Machines that were used in the '04 Election, along with the actual results that they gave.

All of a sudden, Voter Action says, the county clerks have flat-out refused to permit the inspections by the plaintiffs' experts. That, after some interesting evidence has already been found by the experts during discovery, like tests where they were able to see votes for one candidate being registered for their opponent (as has been so widely reported as happening in so many elections of late!) and ballots being confirmed with NO choice for President at all, which wasn't supposed to have been possible on at least one of the machine types being looked at.

Voter Action didn't post the article from their email on their website, so we'll post it here in its entirety. Check it out...

NM Election Officials Try to Block Machine Inspections

Voter Action New Mexico Update 11/11/05

In the past week, two New Mexico election officials refused to allow the voter plaintiffs in the case of Patricia Rosas Lopategui v. Rebecca Vigil-Giron, et al. to conduct meaningful inspections of their electronic voting machines. This despite clear indications that there were serious problems in last years presidential election with these same machines, which do not produce a voter-verifiable and auditable paper record.

Bernalillo County Clerk Mary Herrera has given no explanation for her sudden, flat refusal to permit any inspection after weeks of discussions between plaintiffs attorneys and attorneys for the county. Plaintiffs have sworn statements from Bernalillo County voters who tried to vote on the countys paperless touchscreen voting machines, manufactured by Sequoia Voting Systems, and whose votes were switched before their eyes from the candidate they supported to a different candidate. Plaintiffs also have evidence that the Countys widespread use of another type of paperless machine, the Shoup 1242, resulted in the erasure of votes that citizens tried to cast for presidential candidates.

San Juan County Clerk Fran Hanhardt permitted limited inspection of her countys voting machines. She would not, however, open the voting machines to permit plaintiffs experts to examine their components. The experts included Dr. David Dill, a computer science professor from Stanford University with extensive knowledge of electronic voting machine issues. The reason? Doing so would void the Countys warranty from the manufacturer, Election Systems and Software (ES&S).

Ms. Hanhardt also refused to allow plaintiffs experts to examine or copy electronic files containing the results of the November 2004 presidential election that were stored in the machines redundant memories. The reason? The machines store the results of public elections in a secret, proprietary format that ES&S claims as its private property. According to Ms. Hanhardt, allowing plaintiffs experts to see those results in their original form would violate the countys contract with ES&S, which prohibits disclosure of proprietary information.

However, plaintiffs experts did cast votes in simulated voting on two touchscreen machines, and noted several anomalies. Several times when they tried to vote for a candidate, the X appeared instead in the adjacent box for a different candidate. Once when boxes for two candidates were pressed at the same time, neither registered a vote but an X appeared in the box of a third candidate between them. In addition, the experts were able to cast ballots that contained no votes whatsoever, something the County Clerk and her staff had told them the machines would not permit. They did this by first selecting the straight party option, which marked votes for every candidate of the selected party on the ballot. Next, they pressed the boxes for each of the partys individual candidates, which erased those votes. Finally, they pressed the Vote button, and the screen notified them that they had successfully voted

The right to select our governmental representatives in free, fair and transparent elections is the foundation of our democracy. Before electronic voting, candidates, political parties and ordinary citizens had the right to monitor and observe every step of the election process. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case.

Neither unreasonably broad warranty restrictions nor the intellectual property claims of private corporations should trump the publics right to know exactly how their votes are recorded and counted. Elections officials should not be able to contract away this right when they buy voting machines. They should not be able to hide behind contracts with private companies to avoid having a bright light shown on the inner workings of the paperless electronic voting machines. Unless and until everything about how these machines work is open to public scrutiny, voters are being asked to take it on faith that electronic voting is accurate, reliable and secure. With everything that is known in other fields about the prevalence of programming errors, software bugs, and hacking where computers are concerned, that is asking too much.

What comes next? The attorneys for the plaintiffs will ask the court to order the defendants to permit full inspections of the voting machines. They will also proceed to amass more evidence by taking depositions of witnesses from public elections agencies and the private voting machine companies.

Let us know what YOU think info@voteraction.org

Voter Action is a project of the International Humanities Center. www.voteraction.org

http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002008.htm

Greetings from the Land of Morning Calm...

As I sit in a country whose very existence was defended by America's brave soldiers, I continue to be appalled at the ignorance of the people both here and back home in the US.

It was the selfless troops who came here to defend a people they never knew, that made the modern Korean democracy possible. It was NOT the policies of the United States government, which often served to hamper South Korea's democratic process, especially during the fascist years of the 1960s through 1980s.

The current policy of the US is to glorify the leaders who fight wars in Iraq and elsewhere for their selfish gain. The veterans who actually did the hard work and helped democracy bloom here in Korea, and elsewhere, get no credit.

Every Korean I meet over the next week will get to hear from me about how much I despise the Bush Administration.

Well if that doesn't beat all, I have to come to the blog to find out what's happening in my own backyard!

Yes, people complained of several of those issues at the time of the campain. We had early voting, and most people very quickly learned to double check the ballot before hitting the final vote button.
There are other issues as well in San Juan County, most notably very inconvient polling places, almost all of which are in Democratic (read high Native American population) areas. My own polling place was 7 miles from my house.

I remember asking at the time I voted if there was a paper trail, and being assured that there was. I find it very disquieting that what ever trail there is can't be seen !!

I shall follow this with great interest, and will try to let you know what, if any, changes I see.

Ally, IRC, I"m up even if everyone else is alsleep

Ladytechie - sorry I missed you! It's only 2PM here in Seoul, but 10PM in NM!

Sparrow

I wouldn't necessarily call the magazines like Inquirer credible, more like speculative or gossipy but sometimes they turn out to be right.

Janet Jackson is indeed gaining weight and probably isn't pregnant and probably doesn't have a child from a former relationship. Jacko could very well be living in a middle eastern country now. Brad Pitt did really end up with Angelina Jolie. Tom Cruise really is a Scientologist, I think, & perhaps W has a little problem.

The trick is to wait & see! I think they are more free to report "gossip" of that type now that his popularity is going down. & some of the readers are probably Fox News crowd, and Fox News has 8 Republicans to every Democrat (acc/FAIR). Maybe this is a wierd kind of "balance" developing!

Those magazines have changed over the years though - mostly what they do is send out paparazzi to catch people hooking up with the wrong people, sunbathing on the beach with a little too much flab and cellulite, coming out of the plastic surgery clinic, or sometimes a source will suggest that someone has had an alcohol problem & has to go to rehab. Could be Kate Moss, could be someone else too.

We will have to wait & see!

& this (sent to me by a SF guy named Apollo & I hope he's credible because Pat Robertson sure isn't! I assume Robertson mouthed off on the 700 Club, as usual.):

ROBERTSON BLAMES HURRICANE ON CHOICE OF ELLEN DEGENERES TO HOST EMMYS

Lesbian is New Orleans native

Hollywood ˆ Pat Robertson on Sunday said that Hurricane Katrina was God's way of expressing its anger at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for its selection of Ellen Degeneres to host this year‚s Emmy Awards.

"By choosing an avowed lesbian for this national event, these Hollywood elites have clearly invited God's wrath," Robertson said on "The 700 Club" on Sunday. "Is it any surprise that the Almighty chose to strike at Miss Degeneres‚ hometown?"

Robertson also noted that the last time Degeneres hosted the Emmys, in 2001, the September 11 terrorism attacks took place shortly before the ceremony.

"This is the second time in a row that God has invoked a disaster shortly before lesbian Ellen Degeneres hosted the Emmy Awards," Robertson explained to his approximately one million viewers.

"America is waiting for her to apologize for the death and destruction that her sexual deviance has brought onto this great nation."

Robertson added that other tragedies of the past several years can be linked to Degeneres‚ growing national prominence. September, 2003, for example, is both the month that her talk show debuted and when insurgents first gained a foothold in Iraq following the successful March invasion. "Now we know why things took a turn for the worse," he explained.

In order to avoid further tragedy, Robertson called not only for the Television Academy to find a new heterosexual host, but to bar all homosexuals and bisexuals from taking part in the ceremony.

He said employees at the Christian Broadcasting Network had put together a list of 283 nominees, presenters, and invited guests at the Emmys known to be of sexually deviant persuasions.

"God already allows one awards show to promote the homosexual agenda," Robertson declared. "But clearly He will not tolerate such sinful behavior to spread beyond the Tonys."

Click here to read Pat Robertson‚s response. http://datelinehollywood.com/archives/2005/09/18/pat-roberston-corrects-dateline-hollywood-article/

Ally
Greetings in Seoul!

Here is an actual t-shirt, available on the internet

The Twelve Steps of Bush

1 Admitted I have the power
2 Came to believe I am sane
3 Turned my will over to me
4 Made an inventory of everyone else's morals
5 Admitted to the world, I am never wrong
6 Became entirely ready to sacrifice others' lives
7 Removed all "truth"
8 Made a list of all persons I had harmed, and laughed
9 Harm some more
10 Never admit I'm wrong
11 Know I'm God
12 Remind others I'm God

Another thoughtful post from someone in our cell:

Might be instructive to read an old book by Richard J. Barnett, in which he talks about the rise of "multinational corporations" (the term alone tells you how old it is).

As I remember it, the basic point is that the MNCs are transnational, potentially more powerful than any national government, and if we look clearly at what's really happening, what we'll see is that no national government can really control the biggest corporations, and no international mechanism exists yet to balance their power either.

This power shift is reminiscent of the power struggle between the kings of Europe and the powerful barons and lords, early on, when the kings were actually quite weak, as at the time of Magna Carta, and of the laisse faire capitalism of the late 19th century.

In both cases, the needs of those not powerful enough to be in the fight directly were shamefully neglected.

Instructive, too, to look at the early fights in the 1990s against GATT and NAFTA--the point that's been lost since, partly because it was deliberately ignored by the media at the time and since, is that the choice is not Trade/No trade, but "Free" Trade vs. Fair Trade.

The opposition to "Free" Trade never said the US should retreat from the world; what we said was that trade agreements should protect human rights, workers' rights, consumers, and the environment, that trade should enhance everyone's life rather than being a race to the bottom.

CAFTA has a few, very few, more protections than NAFTA, nodding in the direction of fairness, but only a nod. And in part that's a result of corporations having more power than government at the moment.

Corporations, even if their employees and owners are decent people, are structurally required to pay attention only to profits and the bottom line, every quarter, and therefore they need the balance of governmental power to require them to moderate their profit-driven behavior with attention to other values such as safety and environmental health.

Posted by: DiAnne at November 13, 2005 11:53 PM

Baloney... it's amazing that Robertson continues to get taken seriously.

Unfortunately, I've seen plenty of his supporters on both sides of the Pacific.

Fortunately, here in Seoul, the Koreans are getting their act together, by repealing a homophobic law enacted by a past right-wing government (the same one that drove South Korea into bankruptcy in 1997). Unfortunately, I cannot say the same of the Korean community back home in Los Angeles.

Thanks for the hello, DiAnne!

Corporations, even if their employees and owners are decent people, are structurally required to pay attention only to profits and the bottom line, every quarter, and therefore they need the balance of governmental power to require them to moderate their profit-driven behavior with attention to other values such as safety and environmental health.

Posted by: DiAnne at November 14, 2005 12:02 AM

Here in Seoul, the last two presidents, both left wing, have decided that South Korea's fabulously successful corporations needed some control, and tightened their rein.

The corporations cried foul, but it turned out good for them, as they now compete in the world market by innovation, technology, and quality, not by low labor costs and union-busting as was the case.

The current left-wing president is too much of an ideologue though, and is not running the economy particularly well. But the gap between the rich and poor, though very large, is not at American levels. That's a good thing.

And one more - both right and left wing governments here have stressed that the corporations' innovations must benefit the people. The results: a dense network of expressways, a REAL bullet train line (not some wannabe like Amtrak's Acela), and broadband in almost every home.

OK, check out today;s front page

We're going after Wal-Mart this week...

Jeb Bush Leave Open White House Run

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/13/AR2005111300319.html

Ally
Thanks for the news from Seoul.
It's the hot art and cultural scene now too, upstaging Tokyo.

In order to avoid further tragedy, Robertson called not only for the Television Academy to find a new heterosexual host, but to bar all homosexuals and bisexuals from taking part in the ceremony.

He said employees at the Christian Broadcasting Network had put together a list of 283 nominees, presenters, and invited guests at the Emmys known to be of sexually deviant persuasions.

"God already allows one awards show to promote the homosexual agenda," Robertson declared. "But clearly He will not tolerate such sinful behavior to spread beyond the Tonys."

Click here to read Pat Robertson‚s response. http://datelinehollywood.com/archives/2005/09/18/pat-roberston-corrects-dateline-hollywood-article/

Posted by: DiAnne at November 13, 2005 11:53 PM

Ally and DiAnne:

I'm sure Mr. Robertson would not want to know the NFL includes some of the very people he condemns as sexually deviant.

DiAnne and Fe,

Re: Pat Robertson.

Boy, you guys really had me going there for a minute!!

I thought, Pat Robertson has really lost it this time!!!

Funny!!!