Happy Friday...Now Here's Your Diplomacy Roundup

The Evolution of Bush Crisis Management

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1757821

Why bother with genuine diplomacy when the wonderous end is so near?

(.... and you wonder how terrorists could blow themselves up to please/meet their maker?)

No Big Diff

At the press conference today, David Gregory asked George this question:

Mr. President, three years ago you argued that an invasion of Iraq would create a new stage of Arab, Israeli peace. And today there is an Iraqi Prime Minister who has been sharply critical of Israel. Arab governments, despite your arguments, who first criticized Hezbollah have now changed their tune. Now they are sharply critical of Israel. And despite from both of you, warnings to Syria and Iran to back off support from Hezbollah, effectively Mr. President, your words are being ignored. So, what has happened to America's clout in this region that you've commited yourself to transforming?

You can read his answer in this diary:
Bush: Frighteningly Stupid
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/7/28/164830/476

(Scroll to the bottom of the diary to get a summary of his answer...)

Reboltin' Bolton
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/07/28/bolton/index_np.html

Makes me think of the scene in "Fahrenheit 9/11" where Wolfowitz spits on his comb.

should be Revoltin' Bolton
Sorry

Ed Schultz made a good point today. Gas prices when Bush took office were a high of $1.47 today they are $3.01. (Though earlier this week when I filled up it was $3.20)

Wonder what my fundie in-laws who sent me the petition to GWB 5 days after Katrina hit thinks now!

Hey,

I came within one minute of getting on the Ed Schultz show today. I was next in line when...time ran out.

Wahhhhhhhh

Another war over wrong thing?

Allegations that israeli soldiers were
conducting patrols in lebanese territory, thus they were attacked and captured in foreignterritory- not israel as they claim- which would put a whole new spin on this conflict.

AP article:
http://www.forbes.com/technology/feeds/ap/2006/07/12/ap2873051.html

Article taken from gnn.tv

Official justification for Israel's invasion on thin ice

As Lebanon continues to be pounded by Israeli bombs and munitions, thejustification for Israel's invasion is treading on very thin ice. It hasbecome general knowledge that it was Hezbollah guerillas that firstkidnapped two IDF soldiers inside Israel on July 12, prompting an immediateand violent response from the Israeli government, which insists it is acting
in the interest of national defense. Israeli forces have gone on to killover 370 innocent Lebanese civilians (compared to 34 killed on Israel'sside) while displacing hundreds of thousands more. But numerous reports from
international and independent media, as well as the Associated Press, raisequestions about Israel's official version of the events that sparked theconflict two weeks ago.

The original story, as most media tell it, goes something like this:
Hezbollah attacked an Israeli border patrol station, killing six and takingtwo soldiers hostage. The incident happened on the Lebanese/Israel border in Israeli territory. The alternate version, as explained by several news
outlets, tells a bit of a different tale: These sources contend that Israelsent a commando force into southern Lebanon and was subsequently attacked byHezbollah near the village of Aitaa al-Chaab, well inside Lebanon's southern
territory. It was at this point that an Israel tank was struck by Hezbollahfighters, which resulted in the capture of two Israeli soldiers and thedeath of six.

I...don't....know
but am never taking sides in any religious war or knowingly participating materially or bodily in neocon military adventurism, nor my son

David Swanson | Where Were You When They Took Your Rights Away?
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/072806E.shtml
David Swanson asks, "Can you name the one country on earth where the government can steal elections, strip away basic rights, spy on citizens, and launch wars based on lies, but where the people do not take over the nation's capital in protest?"

Joshua Holland | "Free Market" Ideology Has Killed Thousands in Iraq
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/072806D.shtml
Joshua Holland writes, "Iraqis have been brutalized not only by bombs and bullets; they've also been the victims of economic violence in the form of the free market 'shock therapy' cooked up by a firm in Virginia on a $250 million no-bid contract before the US invasion."

Republican Says We Need a Democrat Majority in Congress
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/072806A.shtml
Former Republican congressman and presidential candidate Pete McCloskey writes in a letter, "Republican House leadership has been so unalterably corrupted by power and money that reasonable Republicans should support Democrats against DeLay-type Republican incumbents in 2006."

John Dean Knocks "Imperial Presidency"
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/072806B.shtml
In his new book, "Conservatives Without Conscience," John Dean says the country has returned to an "imperial presidency" that is putting the United States and the world at risk.
On the same link below the above story is this:
What We Can Learn From 1920s Germany
By Brian E. Fogarty
Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune

Gonzales Lobbies Congress for Torture Shield
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/072806N.shtml
An obscure law approved by a Republican-controlled Congress a decade ago has made the Bush administration nervous that officials and troops involved in handling detainee matters might be accused of committing war crimes and prosecuted at some point in US courts.

Gene C. Gerard | Backpedaling at the IRS
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/072806L.shtml
"The New York Times reported this week that the Bush administration is eliminating almost half of the lawyers at the Internal Revenue Service who audit the tax returns of the wealthiest Americans," writes Gene C. Gerard. "These lawyers specialize in auditing the returns of those who are subject to gift and estate taxes. Since taking office in 2001, President Bush has consistently lobbied Congress to repeal the estate tax, but he hasn't been able to get Congress to go along with him. Instead, the Bush administration has now decided to force the IRS to backpedal and circumvent the tax laws."

GOP Congressman Tied to Consulting Firm
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/072806P.shtml
Two months before Congressman Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) became chairman of the powerful House Government Reform Committee in January 2003, one of his close friends formed ICG Government, a consulting company for technology firms seeking government contracts.

Making a House Call on Congress
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/072806O.shtml
When Congress voted to "stay the course" in Iraq on June 15, many military families were furious. "I watched the entire mock debate on C-Span for 13 hours," says Stacy Bannerman, a member of Military Families Speak Out (MFSO). "That day, I decided that if they wanted to 'stay the course,' they would have to explain their rationale to my face."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5223586.stm
UN body criticises US on rights

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5223940.stm
US 'outrage' over Israeli claims

Hezbullah Wants an Immediate Cease-Fire
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/072806C.shtml
Hezbollah wants an immediate cease-fire and is ready to swap the two abducted Israeli soldiers "in six hours" after it comes into force, according to officials from Amal, a Shia party allied to Hezbollah.

Dahr Jamail | "War Is the Total Failure of the Human Spirit"
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/072806K.shtml
"'War is the total failure of the human spirit,' says British journalist Robert Fisk, which I think encapsulates it better than just about anything I have heard," writes Dahr Jamail. "But war forces humans to survive under seemingly impossible circumstances, and in these conditions some strive to help others when barely capable of helping themselves."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060728/ap_on_re_mi_ea/mideast_fighting_oil_spill
Oil from bombed plant covers Lebanon shore
{It's not enough to kill our own species while in the midst of revoltingly rock-dumb-stupid decisions to make war on each other, now the results of the bombs dropped are killing of other species, thanks to that huge oil slick and the oil-soaked sand....}

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060728/ap_on_go_co/raid_on_congress
Court blocks feds on congressman's files

Posted by: monkey at July 28, 2006 05:31 PM

The thing that makes my mind go into altered states of rapture is a fantasy:

The Cretin, the Vice Cretin, and their Criminal Cabal are in the domain of the Norse Goddess Hel where temperatures are always freezing... and that when frozen as cold as they can become, the fires of their 'christian' hell hit them... and they shatter into a million pieces when that much heat hits that much cold.... Poof! Pink mist!

Ah, the Rapture of my Sweet Fantasies....

Nancy Greggs at DU writes some pretty amazing pieces. Here's her latest, with a list of double/triple dares for GOP elected officials who will be home for their summer vacations. She has some really good ones that I plan to use.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2746452

Rep. Louise Slaughter has the latest on what's happening on the House floor tonight RE: how the Republicans are tying a minimum wage increase bill to another bill repealing the estate tax for the richest families in America. Watch C-SPAN & call/email your rep RIGHT NOW to tell him/her what you think.

Republicans Sneaking a Trojan Horse on to House Floor on Friday Night
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/7/28/21226/2204

--snip--

Republicans want to pretend they care about working Americans, but they are doing everything they can to leave no billionaire behind.

It's Christmas in July for the richest of the rich, and April Fool's Day for everyone else.

--snip--
I also want to let you know that House Democrats are fighting hard for a clean minimum wage increase bill.

In the Rules Committee earlier tonight, we called for an up-or-down vote on a stand-alone minimum wage bill, and my colleague Rep. George Miller (D-CA-7) offered a Motion to Recommit bill which would allow such a vote to take place. Republicans in the Rules Committee quashed it in a partisan vote.

We are not giving up and we are speaking up on the House Floor tonight.

If you are watching C-SPAN tonight watch how the Republican Congress tries to brazenly ignore the needs of tens of millions of working Americans.

Now we have "breaking news" downtown that a Muslim-American, acting alone, got through security at the Jewish Federation and killed someone, wounded 4 others.

Everyone everywhere is affected by war.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003159826_webbelltown28.html

Michigan news:

Mich. House Approves Bills Requiring Abortion Clinics To Screen
for Coercion, Intimidation
[Jul 28, 2006]

The Michigan House on Wednesday voted 67-38 to approve a package of bills (HB 5879, HB 5880, HB 5881, HB 5882, HB 5883) that would require abortion clinics to determine if women seeking abortions are undergoing the procedure because they have been intimidated or coerced, the AP/Mlive.com reports. The bills also would make coercing and intimidating women into seeking an abortion illegal and would give coerced women the ability to file a civil lawsuit. State Rep. Stephen Adamini (D) introduced an amendment, which the House did not support, that would have made it illegal to coerce a women into undergoing or not undergoing an abortion. Opponents of the bills say the legislation discourages women from seeking abortions, but advocates of the measures say that the bills attempt to "crack down on domestic violence," the AP/Mlive.com reports. "It is not about abortion," state Rep. Judy Emmons
(R), a sponsor of the bills, said, adding, "It is about domestic
violence ... all aspects of domestic violence and how it affects women." Adamini said the approved legislation violates a woman's constitutional rights and is discriminatory. The bills now move to the state Senate for consideration (Martin, AP/Mlive.com, 7/26

Ed Schultz made a good point today. Gas prices when Bush took office were a high of $1.47 today they are $3.01. (Though earlier this week when I filled up it was $3.20)

Posted by: Suz at July 28, 2006 06:01 PM

Prices here before the Selection of 2000 were close to, but not quite, $2/gallon. After 9/11 they dropped to $1/gallon. They've surely, steadily climbed ever since.

Here in California, the oil companies are doing everything to convince the consumers that Democratic treehuggers are the reason for the state's extra-high fuel prices. And the car enthusiast set have bought into it - especially since their favorite product, the premium unleaded gasoline, has gone from 92 octane to 91 octane "due to new state regulations." Never mind that I can buy 92-octane gasoline in Las Vegas and Phoenix, cities that get their gasoline pumped in from Los Angeles - so that excuse is pure BS.

I consider myself a car enthusiast, and it's frustrating to see the community turn into another right-wing bunch similar to the gun owners and the sportsmen.

Posted by: DiAnne at July 28, 2006 09:30 PM

Religion is supposed to save, not kill. But our organized religions are killing more than saving.

But then, you and I knew that already.

Ally
I think it's the fanaticism & extremism, the manipulation of religious sentiment by those seeking power, & the social engineering of those trying to remake the middle east so that we have a military foothold & more control of dwindling resources. The combination is volatile. We are going against the grain in even going in there & we are never told the true reason (oil greed). The violence creates scapegoats which creates more fanaticism and search for revenge. Then alot of lies & propaganda are propagated on all sides & people act out of belief, not knowing what is true. There doesn't seem to be any answer, but there does seem to be a pattern to what has gone wrong. The oil greed even violates major religious tenets.

I was going to supply another link but the news stories already have photos of innocent bystanders, stretchers, something blood-soaked, swat team, etc. & the comment/blog thing is starting to fill up with people talking about Islamofascists, liberals, antiSemites & otherwise insulting stuff that is not helpful. This is happening like it does in Europe & it's backlash from what's happening in the middle east. That's what I mean that war affects everyone everywhere.

My mother was on tv tonight.

For the first time in 23 years the Red River Sherriffs dept. has now been publicly accused of covering up for that serial killing punk.

Victim's sister alleges cover up

Tonight, allegations of a cover up twenty-three years ago, in connection with confessed Ark-La-Tex serial killer Robert Browne.

The sister of one of Browne's possible victims is speaking exclusively to News 12, saying Browne could have been caught years ago.

Kathy Cole is raging, not only about how her sister was murdered, but even more about how she believes authorities handling the investigation, in the earlier eighties, tried to cover up the crime.

Continues...

http://www.ksla.com/Global/story.asp?S=5213149

The oil greed even violates major religious tenets.

Posted by: DiAnne at July 28, 2006 11:35 PM

Absolutely!

It's not the religions themselves that are wrong, it's the organizations and the power structures that use the religions to consolidate their grip on power and oppress the weak.

For example, Jesus left with a message of love, but the likes of St. Paul brought back the strict moral codes that define Christianity to this day - and oppress women and LGBTs. And while I can never claim to be a student of Islam, I would conclude the same way - what originally had been a religion of peace is now corrupted into one of violence.

My husband has the Hate Crime on tv - lots of coverage because it's local. I've already read enough. I'm closing the door. I hope this kind of thing doesn't become prevalent. We already had some guy come in from suburbia & try to torch a mosque after 9/11.

The church down the street from my house has a marquee that says, "We have no business proclaiming the gospel" - not sure what they mean but they also had one recently about how "our foreign policy reflects our spiritual well-being" and when the Iraq war started, they put up "Who Would Jesus Bomb?" They are a "peace church."

Ally
Check out the Sufis! I bought some Nasrudin in Turkey - I've been reading it since I was 17. I loved especially "The Book of the Book" - we special ordered and when we finally got ahold of this rare volume, it was complete blank. It out zenned Zen!

Nasrudin walked into a shop one day, and the owner came forward to serve him. Nasrudin said, "First things first. Did you see me walk into your shop?"
"Of course."
"Have you ever seen me before?"
"Never."
"Then how do you know it was me?"

"Why are you sitting at the crossroad Mullah?"
"One day something will happen here, and a crowd will gather. When that comes about, I may not be able to get close enough to see - so I am preparing my position now."

Nasrudin returned from the imperial capital, and the villagers gathered around to hear what had passed.
"At this time," said Nasrudin, "I only want to say that the King spoke to me."
All the villagers but the stupidest ran off to spread the wonderful news.
The remaining villager asked, "What did the King say to you?"
"What he said - and quite distinctly, for everyone to hear - was 'Get out of my way, Imbecile!'"

Every profound religion revers the Holy Fool!!

We have someone who pretends to be Holy and is a Fool, but he's more embodied by the TIME magazine cover I just clipped out, which says "The End of Cowboy Diplomacy" and has a giant hat with a Presidential seal, dwarfing some cowboy boots.

What makes the Sufi? Purity of heart;
Not the patched mantle and the lust perverse
Of those vile earth-bound men who steal his name.
He in all dregs discerns the essence pure:
In hardship ease, in tribulation joy.
The phantom sentries, who with batons drawn
Guard Beauty's place-gate and curtained bower,
Give way before him, unafraid he passes,
And showing the King's arrow, enters in.

Rumi, 11th Century, Afghanistan

Some newspapers are already using inflammatory headlines to describe the Hate Crime - emphasizing the religious affiliations, type of weapon, very sensationalistic. Offenders so far in TX, NC, LA. It's reaching foreign papers. I hope it was basically an isolated incident but things like this can be used easily to fan flames of intolerance, especially as people with biases start adding commentary and speculation.

Email roundup

Someone sent me an article about how the new Chinese railway is already in danger of sinking into the permafrost - because of global warming.

I also got one about how all these people are scandalized by the cover of a breastfeeding magazine - it shows a photograph of a woman breastfeeding an infant.

Strange world.
Scared to look at the news.

VIDEO | Five Fasters Arrested During Blair Visit to White House
A Report by Geoffrey Millard and Scott Galindez
http://www.truthout.org/multimedia.htm
On the 25th day of the "Troops Home Fast," four fasters and one supporter, ranging in age from 58 to 74, were arrested attempting to block British prime minister Tony Blair from exiting the White House. Diane Wilson, one of the arrestees, said their goal was to "keep Tony Blair and George Bush in their room until they came up with a plan to end the war."

& there is an article title about Bush and Blair "Pushing Peace" - were they just looking for another alliteration?

9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11....

In his weekly radio address on Saturday, President Bush called the conflict in the Mideast "painful and tragic" but also "a moment of opportunity for broader change in the region," RAW STORY has found.

"This moment of conflict in the Middle East is painful and tragic," Bush said. "Yet it is also a moment of opportunity for broader change in the region."

"Transforming countries that have suffered decades of tyranny and violence is difficult, and it will take time to achieve," Bush continued. "But the consequences will be profound -- for our country and the world. When the Middle East grows in liberty and democracy, it will also grow in peace, and that will make America and all free nations more secure."

Calling Lebanon the "latest flashpoint in a broader struggle between freedom and terror that is unfolding across the region," Bush characterized the September 11 attacks as one of the consequences of failing to "achieve peace in the Middle East."

"For decades, American policy sought to achieve peace in the Middle East by promoting stability in the Middle East, yet these policies gave us neither," Bush said. "The lack of freedom in that region created conditions where anger and resentment grew, radicalism thrived, and terrorists found willing recruits."

"We saw the consequences on September the 11th, 2001, when terrorists brought death and destruction to our country, killing nearly 3,000 innocent Americans," Bush continued.

"The experience of September the 11th made it clear that we could no longer tolerate the status quo in the Middle East," Bush said. "We saw that when an entire region simmers in violence, that violence will eventually reach our shores and spread across the entire world."

Bush stressed the importance of supporting Iraq's "unity government," Lebanon's "democratic government," and "the forces of moderation" in the "Palestinian Territories" as they fight back against terror.

"When the Middle East grows in liberty and democracy, it will also grow in peace, and that will make America and all free nations more secure," said Bush.

Transcript of Bush's radio address:

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Bush_Conflict_in_Mideast_moment_of_0729.html

Of course he cites 9/11 - as a failure of dealing with events in the middle east - but whose fault is that - he had been president for quite some time!!