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Democracy: A Content Analysis
On a Friday morning, with not much to do (or rather, lots to do that seems so overwhelming, it's better to play some word games!), I decided to do a Google search for the word "democracy."
artwork by Phil Scroggs, for UCLA
There were 89,100,000 hits. I went through the first three pages of hits and made a spread sheet of the descriptor words for democracy, and the active verbs most closely associated with the concept of democracy. This seemed appropriate because the top sites are the ones most widely read, so I wanted to see what concepts we are associating with the idea of democracy, at least, this week.
I found, in those first three pages:
Democracy Now, the Democracy Journal, and a democracy game. Lots of blogs, including ours (although not in the first three pages), The Democracy Project on PBS (for kids), democracy.org (Bob in Washington, just a page with no links), the Center for Democracy and Technology, Democracy for America, democracy.com, the democracy channel, and, of course, de Tocqueville's essay on Democracy in America. Democracy is also a piece of apparently squirrely software.
But let's go to the videotape, so to speak:
Descriptors for the term "democracy" included the following:
Pro-
Freedom
Self-government
a vibrant and vital progressivism
Active public
Pure vs. representative
Rule by the people
Associanalism
Equality of condition (Tocqueville)
Active participation of people
Rule of law
The concepts that seem to be repeated over and over again include the notion of an active, vibrant, associative public . The word "rule" is included in this list rather than in the active verb list because in the current conceptualization of democracy, "rule" is often used as a qualifier rather than as an action to be taken. The "rule of law" or "rule by the people" shows a certain amount of tension with the verb "to rule". We are in a period of deep parsing, and it would appear we'd like to establish just who, or what is ruling us.
The active verbs most closely associated with democracy (on the top, or most visited sites) are equally interesting:
forces (to stop)
echoes
build
vested (power, in the people)
exercised (by people)
play (an active role)
guiding (the country)
choose (to participate)
promote (values) enhance (free expression)
finds, trains, supports (candidates) harness (power) advocate encourage (reform)
integrate educate include (people)
choosing and replacing (leaders)
protecting (rights)
On a simple level, just finding so many active verbs is heartening; too often it seems democracy is a passive form of government, and clearly, at least conceptually, that is not the message internet readers are getting. But President Bush and his corporate board members (aka, the Cabinet) would have the masses believe otherwise.
Deeper analysis if the verbs, above, shows that democracy is a constructivist process, at least in current thinking. This is in contrast to the notion of democratic institutionalism, in which people elect others to oversee the building of institutions of governance and go about their daily business without doing anything other than voting occasionally. The sheer number of websites promoting activity is encouraging.
But as pervasive as the internet is, and as much as it models the notion of participatory, active, and interactive democracy, the countering messages of passivity, mindless entertainment, denial as a lifestyle, and sheeple-ness are equally, if not more pervasive.
Somehow, we the people are still charged with changing those messages. Somehow, we the people have to model building, vesting, exercising, guiding, choosing, promoting, forcing, echoing, enhancing, finding, training, supporting, harnessing, advocating, encouraging, including, choosing, replacing, protecting, and generally playing an active role in a vibrant and vital democracy, even if it is just a dream. Even if it just a wisp of a memory. Even if it is just a hope for the future; the one our children will construct, if they and we are lucky.
So, democracy mavens, what's up for today? I'm grabbing a cuppa joe and thinking hard...
If you want to build a ship, don't herd people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.
~Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Wow - you are playing my favorite game!!
I am including selections from a WaPo article here, because it relates so deeply to today's discussion:
In New York, a Word Starts a Fire
Arabic Educator's Brief Defense of 'Intifada' T-Shirts Makes Her a Target
By Robin Shulman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 24, 2007; A06
NEW YORK -- The goals were clear when Sheneen Jackson enrolled her son in one of the first public schools in the nation to focus on Arabic language and culture. First, her 11-year-old would master Arabic. Later, doors would open for him in government and diplomacy -- maybe a job at the United Nations, international travel, the prospect of contributing to Middle East peace.
Instead, Jackson discovered that the distrust and tension that infuse many Middle East issues had tainted the Brooklyn middle school.
"It's unfortunate, but I know a lot of people in New York are sensitive," Jackson, 33, a Verizon technician, said of the controversy over the school. "That's the whole premise of the school."
Officials had no sooner announced in February the formation of the Khalil Gibran International Academy than conservative columnists and media outlets attacked, suggesting the principal -- an observant Muslim Arab woman -- might push an agenda of Islamist extremism.
Principal Debbie Almontaser said her mission was to foster tolerance and understanding. But she resigned Aug. 10 after the New York Post quoted her talking about definitions of the word "intifada."
***
Almontaser was silent this summer until the school board suggested that she grant an interview to the New York Post, in which the reporter asked about the slogan on the now-infamous T-shirts displayed by members of Arab Women Active in the Arts and Media.
"The word basically means 'shaking off,' " Almontaser was quoted as saying in the Aug. 6 article. "That is the root word if you look it up in Arabic."
"I understand it is developing a negative connotation due to the uprising in the Palestinian-Israeli areas. I don't believe the intention is to have any of that kind of [violence] in New York City. I think it's pretty much an opportunity for girls to express that they are part of New York City society . . . and shaking off oppression."
The next day, Almontaser issued a statement through the press office: "The word 'Intifada' is completely inappropriate as a T-shirt slogan."
"By minimizing the word's historical associations, I implied that I condone violence and threats of violence. That view is anathema to me and the very opposite of my life's work," the statement continued.
But the damage was done. The New York Post called her "Intifada Principal" and published an editorial with the headline "What's Arabic for 'Shut It Down'?" Others, including Weingarten, condemned her statements.
Almontaser did not respond to requests for an interview.
After her resignation, officials named as interim principal Danielle Salzberg, who is experienced in setting up new schools. But some supporters of the academy said they fear she, too, will be a divisive figure, because she does not speak Arabic and happens to be an Orthodox Jew.
"It's a slap in our face," Wael Mousfar, president of the Arab Muslim American Federation, said of Salzberg's inability to speak Arabic. "I think she has great abilities, as I read about her -- but it's not the right choice for this school."
The school is set to open in September, but its troubles may not be over. "The next step is to get the academy itself canceled," Pipes wrote in the Aug. 15 New York Sun.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/23/AR2007082301933.html
I just sketched out a great piece of work, and knowing it is for a halliburton employee totally sucks.
But the worst part, is now I have to go back up to hs woman and get the final color selections down so I can lay paint.
I am so scared everytime I talk about the color black, I may drop to a conspiratal whisper!
I may just do it to amuse myself, but, the moneys good, so I will honestly try not to.
But just thinking about it is making me giggle.
I love this piece, Karen.
Word association:
Democracy: Contact sport.
Freedom: overused
Anyone want to continue?
NMP
".. it's because of people like you being there that I am more intrigued with going back and learning. I have mentioned the people we met on the cruise ship who were from north of New Orleans and warned us not to go there and told us their opinion of why."
I truly appreciate that. I do. I try not to hate it too, but sometimes it is utterly depressing.
That shock Karen speaks of, it is sad, but I am not ever shocked by it anymore. I can see it coming a mile away.
Thats neat, cause your story about the cruise ship cemented in my mind just how...REAL?... it is. Not sure if real is the right word, but it seems to be.
I bet, if either of us could stomach it, I bet I could paraphrase those people almost perfectly, and I have no idea what you actually heard, but I bet I can guess almost the exact words and logic they used.
They all have the exact same fears. None of them founded.
I think you are right too, it is about early childhood. Kids kept in one basic race or group will later shun or fear anything different.
I made it a point to racially integrate my kids childhoods. Thank God it worked too, they do not buy into the fear, they do not retain it.
devil= cheney
good = courage
democracy = myth
freedom = state of mind
congress = cesspool
fear = chaos
terror = Iraq
Putin = puto + KGB
health care = a funeral
infrastructure = empty promises
bin laden = georgie
Words - what does "gone missing" mean?
A few months ago a whole lot of rocket launchers "went missing". Have they been found yet?
In Baghdad a while ago, millions of dollars "went missing". Have found the cash?
And, again in Baghdad, a heap of weapons "went missing".
And now, in China 8 kg of radioactive has "gone missing".
China searches for 'missing' uranium
August 24, 2007 - 1:45PM
Eight kilograms of radioactive uranium has gone missing in China, delaying the verdict in a trial of four men charged with attempting to sell it on the black market, state media said today.
A court in Guangzhou, capital of China's southern province of Guangdong, heard the four tried to sell the material, which can be used in making nuclear weapons, between 2005 and January 2007, the China Daily said.
Continued .......
http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/china-searches-for-missing-uranium/2007/08/24/1187462495734.html
It is the Australian army that is searcing for the rocket launchers which "went missing".
This is gonna be bad. Maybe very bad.
Three Britons die in US 'friendly fire' in Afghanistan
Three British NATO soldiers were killed in an apparent friendly fire incident in Afghanistan when US jets dropped a bomb on them during a firefight with Taliban militants, officials said Friday.
http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Three_Britons_die_in_US_friendly_fi_08242007.html
Let's think about the term "friendly fire."
Not so friendly, no?
Friendly fire=incompetent assholes with poor communication skills
Friendly Fire= another inevitable tragic result of war
Karen, Friendly fire can occur from very competent people who have been overstressed and overowrked, such as is the case with our soldiers right now. Also, friendly fire account for an astonishingly high percentage of total deaths, not just in Iraq War, but in any war. I can't remember the exact percentage, but I remember being shocked at the time I read what it was.
The percentage of KIA as a result of friendly fire during WWII was higher than any war since. It is one of the inevitable, inescapable consequences of any war. It's just such a waste.
Posted by: Christy at August 24, 2007 10:10 AM
Christy, that also explains the level of racism, sexism, and homophobia in monoethnic societies/communities. They hate mixing with other groups.
The Korean community in Los Angeles is such an example.
And what's even more telling is the Republicans' defense and coddling of the Korean community and other groups that suit their purpose so well.
Even hardline xenophobes from the Republican side fall into this whole "we are a nation of immigrants" line, and call ME a xenophobe, whenever the subject of Korean immigration comes up.
Not bad for a community that considers honest-to-goodness Mexican working class subhuman.
Posted by: Christy at August 24, 2007 10:19 AM
I'll play that game too, but from the Korean viewpoint:
Mexicans = subhuman
Bush = savior
gays = exterminate
white Americans = masters
And some more...
Democrats = black unwed mothers' welfare
Republicans = common sense
Clinton = playboy
Taxes = evil
Blacks = lazy ass
Reagan = hero
BTW Speaking of stereotypes:
I made it onto C-Span's Washington Journal this morning. It was the last segment, with a rather boring black Republican (probably being well-paid by WND to write his column).
I said that it was such a shame that the Republican party had turned to hatred and bigotry to sell its candidates. I said that most of the white Southern racists are now in the Republican party (no longer Dixiecrats). The guy just ignored my question... said I was "ignorant".
Posted by: Casey Morris at August 24, 2007 11:00 AM
I agree that friendly fire has happened by accident and under great stress, and I agree that our troops are overstressed and fried right now.
But we have far better means of communication nowadays and our armies ought to be using them and using them better.
Also, there are too many horrific stories coming out of both Iraq and Afghanistan about soldiers being shot in the face, in the shower, etc. and that is being called "friendly fire". The case of John Torres comes to mind, as does the case of Pat Tillman as it unfolds.
And of course, it would be nice if the troops got some rest and adequate protection while they are fighting. I imagine one gets pretty grumpy and impulsive when body armor and recuperation are so elusive.
No way in hell Pat Tillman was 'friendly fire'.
Three bullets to the forehead at close range only has one cause. Homicide.
Cold blooded murder.
BTW, soldiers and police are both taught to shoot in three shot bursts.
It is no wonder the medical staff was the first to raise a red flag. I bet they raised those flags as soon as they looked at his wounds.
There really is only one way to get three headshots in one skull.
Who ever killed Pat Tillman, was looking directly into his face when they executed him.
They were probably eye to eye. There was no way he could have been mistaken, or just wasn't seen.
HAd it honestly been an accident, they never would have lied to this extent.
Haditha Investigator Urges Dropping of Marine's Case
An investigating officer has recommended that a Marine Corps general drop all charges against a Marine accused of murdering civilians in Haditha, Iraq, finding again that the 2005 shootings were "tragedies" but that the Marine did not violate the laws of combat.
Lt. Col. Paul J. Ware wrote in a 29-page report that there is insufficient evidence to show that Lance Cpl. Stephen B. Tatum did anything other than follow Marine Corps rules when he killed women and children in two houses in a residential neighborhood in Iraq on Nov. 19, 2005. Ware found that Tatum followed orders to attack the houses and shot a group of civilians only because another Marine in the unit was already shooting at them.
The case is the second in which Ware has recommended to Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis that charges be dismissed, arguing in both instances that the Marines were operating in a complex combat environment. Mattis agreed with Ware's earlier recommendation and dismissed all charges against Lance Cpl. Justin L. Sharratt, who killed a group of men in a house hours after Marines stormed into two homes and killed civilians inside.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/23/AR2007082302173.htm
This is what really disturbs me, with American so called justice in this war.
With Abu Grahib a few lowly soldiers where put on show to the world, indicted and locked up to protect the higher eschalon. It Had to be for Rummies, Cheneys, Georgies protection.
There have been so many heinous crimes committed in Iraq, where the cases have been dropped or the individuals who have committed these crimes are out in a couple of months, sometimes even less
Seems the only crime of so many committed crimes where some charges might stick will be the case of Abeer and Her Family, and that is a maybe to.
Looking in from the outside, Muslims and people around the world must think there is no justice for a people that where supposed to be liberated from Sadam.
This is why I understand Layla's and Rivers rage and anger at the injustice of it all. There seems to be no justice for Iraqi families, under American Justice, So How the Hell can they tell the world that they where Liberating the Iraqi people from Sadam when the same heinous crimes are being committed against them, from the people who where supposed to be liberating them.
The Iraqi citizens who fight to retain there Country their Nation are called Terrorists not resistance fighters, who is left to protect the Iraqi people from their LIBERATORS
The world looks on at the American Justice System
HILLARY HAS THE SUPPORT OF THE WEALTHY WASHINGTON INSIDERS:
The people and organizations run the gamut: Togo West, former Secretary of Veterans Affairs and CEO of The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the nation's premier black think tank; Elizabeth Bagley, former US Ambassador to Portugal whose Georgetown home has been the gathering place for countless fundraisers; Elizabeth Birch, former head of the Human Rights Campaign, and her former partner, MSNBC and CNBC commentator Hilary Rosen and, of course, former DNC chair and money-man extraordinaire Terry McAuliffe.
Those names only touch the surface of Clinton's support among the Democratic establishment.
Take Matthew Bernstein, a prominent Hillary-backer. He is a classic Washington success story. Once a lowly legislative assistant to former Senator Howard Metzenbaum, he is now a lobbyist whose clients paid his law firm $1.98 million during just the first half of 2006, according to reports filed with the Senate. Among those clients is the Estate Tax Coalition seeking permanent elimination of the burdensome levy placed on the nation's wealthiest citizens.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
HILLARY - REPUBLICAN LITE
"So How the Hell can they tell the world that they where Liberating the Iraqi people from Sadam when the same heinous crimes are being committed against them, from the people who where supposed to be liberating them."
It really quite simple Rossi.
The ones saying it are lying.
Lying to you, to themselves, to each other, it doesn't matter. It is still just as much of a lie no matter why they say it.
Our country is ruined. But not all of us are willing to lie to you.
I would tell you I am ashamed, but I went way beyond shame a long time ago.
I only hope our friends that do understand what is happening here do not abandon us, if for no other reason than to bear witness to our fate.
What is coming will be far worse than we have already seen.
Posted by: Christy at August 24, 2007 02:32 PM
What C said...
...rocker Ted Nugent tossed some rhetorical bombs at a few top Democrats, and possible future gubernatorial candidate joked about executing the most prominent African American politician in a generation.
"Obama, he's a piece of shit, and I told him to suck on my machine gun," Nugent said in front of a screaming crowd as he brandishes what appear to be two large assault rifles. He was referring to Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination and would become the first black man to occupy the Oval Office.
In a video from a recent performance posted on LiveLeak, Nugent, a prominent pro-gun advocate, paced the stage with a machine gun in each hand as the crowd eggs on his increasingly vulgar tirades.
The video appeared Friday, but the date and venue of the performance is unclear. Nugent performed Thursday in Jackson, California, while a comment left on a YouTube post said that it was taken from an Anaheim performance last Tuesday.
"Hey Hillary, you might want to ride one of these into the sunset you worthless bitch," Nugent said, brandishing his weapons.
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/In_obscenitylaced_tirade_Ted_Nugent_jokes_0824.html
"He also went after Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), suggesting she, too, might like to "suck on my machine gun." Nugent's tirade against California's other Democratic Senator, Diane Feinstein, is too garbled to transcribe, but one can hear Nugent call her a "whore."
Oh, I would so like to meet this man and his big, big machine guns. I don't own a gun.
I bet I could get him to threaten to shoot me inside of 3 minutes.
No...2.
Almond Joy has nuts, Nugent don't.
And yet, he is.
Hillary leads in Iowa poll for the first time:
By JENNIFER JACOBS
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
August 22, 2007
10 Comments
Sen. Hillary Clinton has climbed to the top of the Democratic lineup in Iowa in a NewsMax/Zogby poll for the first time.
Former Sen. John Edwards, the 2004 vice presidential nominee, has been on top in most Iowa polls of Democrats this year.
But the poll made public Tuesday shows Clinton is supported by 30 percent of Iowa Democrats likely to attend their precinct caucuses next January. Edwards receives 23 percent support, and Sen. Barack Obama received 19 percent support in the telephone poll taken last weekend by NewsMax/Zogby, a national opinion research company.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who had just 1 percent support in January, is now firmly in fourth place with 10 percent, the new poll shows.
Thirteen percent of those polled remain undecided.
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article
?AID=/20070822/NEWS09/708220387/1056/NEWS09
What is coming will be far worse than we have already seen.
Posted by: Christy at August 24, 2007 02:32 PM
Remember you told me to fly your flag that you sent me upside down Christy. A cry of distress, I remember. Now if I did it in your country today I would be arrested, like the family that was arrested a couple of weeks ago, but here Down Under, I cannot be touched.
Myself of all people, know the sadness, the anger, the distress of the minority of the citizens of your nation.
I think the majority are against the war, because of all the dead and wounded, of your own military and that the war is not going well.
And then the rest don't care at all, sadly, or think the the Iraqi people innocent of any crime against America, Britian, and Australia deserve what they get, this I will never understand.
We are there to Christy, My Country is there to we are just as complicit in the crimes just by being there.
Karens words in yesterdays post stuck with me because I know I felt those exact feeling myself, coming to his site when he was elected in the primaries to run for President.
I don't know if we have a real democracy NOW, much less what will be in 18 months. I think we have lost so much.
I agree that JK was a great loss and not a day goes by that I don't feel terrible for our children that we failed to elect such a good person. I was in love with the image of JK and THK and JRE and EE sitting down to breakfast with all of us every day and discussing how we would be cleaning up the mess, except the sitting down to breakfast bit.
I do not believe that we would be where we are today if JK had been President today, the world would be a different place, I do not think the crimes that are being committed today in Iraq would be committed. You have a Ignorant President you have the Crimes because if you military see ignorance from their president they feel okay to commit these crimes, you have a Just President you will have crimes yes, but hopefully not such henious crimes, maybe I am wrong in my thinking I don't know.
My family ask all the time, why, why spend so much time on American Politics, why worry, but if we don't worry Georgie Cheney and Gates have their fingers on the Atom Bomb that they can drop in an instance, Can you imagine that, these deplorable, corrupt criminals can drop another atomic bomb for Georgies Pleasure, that blows my mind.
Howard is Georgies Poodle just like Blair, he disgusts me but he cannot drop and Atomic Bomb at the drop of a hat.
Darn it all it scares the Shit out of me.
Hillary leads in Iowa poll for the first time:
Posted by: Ralpheh at August 24, 2007 03:21 PM
Remember Ralphep you can't believe in your polls, if you can't believe in you exit polls you can't believe any of them.
Schwarzenegger On GOP Electoral Reform In CA: "Don't Change Rules In Middle Of Game"
AP | August 24, 2007 11:13 AM
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger gave a chilly reception Thursday to a GOP-backed plan to change the way California awards electoral votes in presidential elections -- a proposal critics say could tilt the outcome in favor of Republicans.
"In principle, I don't like to change the rules in the middle of the game," the Republican governor told reporters.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20070823/california-votes/
Now why would I beleive someone who spends his time sleezing and touching up women, it is what the man represents, Friking Pervert. Just another Republican of Georgies Calaber
Chocolate Cake
by Crowded House
Not everyone in new york would pay to see andrew lloyd webber
May his trousers fall down as he bows to the queen and the crown
I dont know what tune the orchestra played
But it went by me sickly sentimental
Can I have another piece of chocolate cake
Tammy bakers got a lot on her plate
Can I buy another cheap picasso fake
Andy warhol must be laughing in his grave
The band of the night take you to ethereal heights over dinner
And you wander the streets never reaching the heights that you seek
And the sugar that dripped from the violins bow made the children go crazy
Put a hole in the tooth of a hag
Can I have another piece of chocolate cake
Tammy baker must be losing her faith, yeah
Can I buy another cheap picasso fake
Andy warhol must be laughing in his grave
And dogs are on the road, were all tempting fate
Cars are shooting by with no number plates
And here comes missis hairy legs
I saw elvis presley walk out of a seven eleven
And a woman gave birth to a baby and then bowled 257
Now the excess of fat on your american bones
Will cushion the impact as you sink like a stone
Can I have another piece of chocolate cake
Tammy baker, tammy baker
Can I buy another cheap picasso fake
Cheap Picasso, cheap Picasso fake
Can I have another piece of chocolate cake
Kathy straker boy could she lose some weight
Can I buy another slice of real estate
Liberace must be laughing in his grave
EX-BUSH SPOKESMAN BLAMES CARTER FOR IRAN
In latest twist, former Bush spokesman blames Carter for Iran
MSNBC's Joe Scarborough conducted a phone interview on Thursday morning with former white House press secretary Ari Fleischer, who heads a group that is running an ad campaign to convince Congress to continue funding President Bush's Iraq War.
"When we see all the missteps [in Iraq] ... it makes it harder, does it not, for the American people to trust this administration moving forward?" Scarborough asked Fleischer.
"Look at the other side," Fleischer answered. "I could blame Jimmy Carter for creating the mullahs and the ayatollahs in Iran."
"But Jimmy Carter's not president right now," said Scarborough. "Jimmy Carter's not saying 'Trust me.' George Bush is."
This add is going to take them down, with the people more I hope?
Wasn't this A****** involved in the treasonous leaking of Plames Name.
Posted by: Ralpheh at August 24, 2007 02:25 PM
Human Rights Campaign is not worth it. It only represents the white rich gay male elite, and believes in selling the weaker ones in the gay community - women, people of color, transgenders - to advance its agenda.
Just because it's headed by a woman doesn't make it any better.
God please make this stop.
"The tragedy of her story begins there.
After an investigation, the Army declared LaVena's death a suicide, a finding refuted by the soldier's family. In an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Lavena’s father pointed to indications that his daughter had endured a physical struggle before she died - two loose front teeth, a "busted lip" that had to be reconstructed by the funeral home - suggesting that "someone might have punched her in the mouth."
The military said that the matter was closed.
Little more on LaVena's death was said for many months until a recently televised report on KMOV in St. Louis disclosed troubling details not previously made public:
*Indications of physical abuse that went unremarked by the autopsy
*The absence of psychological indicators of suicidal thoughts; indeed, testimony that LaVena was happy and healthy prior to her death
*Indications, via residue tests, that LaVena may not even have handled the weapon that killed her
*A blood trail outside the tent where Lavena's body was found
*Indications that someone attenpted to set LaVena's body on fire
And yet, the Army continues to resist calls by LaVena’s family and by local media to reopen its investigation. "
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/pfc_lavena_johnson/
They tried burning her remains....
We all know where we heard that one before.
They tried burning her remains....
We all know where we heard that one before.
Posted by: Christy at August 24, 2007 05:15 PM
They Have a link up for her I am sure Christy because I have been there, of course it is a cover up there is no doubt about it, and what has been done about all the other womens deaths because they where afraid to leave their rooms at night for water, becasue they where scared shitless about being raped by their own. They even passed it over in the congress, so where do these women go from there.
It is pathetic that these crimes can be hidden, but it is happening time, and time again and we call ourselves civilized Nations.
Yes that is the site, that I saw I put it up at Rebelle, I am going to post it again.
Evangelicals Go Green -- Will Conservative Candidates Follow Suit?
Some Christians Lead the Charge in Environmental Policy
Evangelical Christians are getting religion on the environment, and it may shift their allegiance away from Republican candidates.
Nearly one-quarter of the nation's voters are evangelical Christians, and since the 1980s most of them have endorsed Republican candidates. They helped elect President George Bush to a second term, constituting more than one-third of his votes in 2004.
But today some evangelicals are saying their votes can't be taken for granted. Looking beyond traditional litmus test issues such as abortion or gay marriage, some young Christians say they are no longer calling themselves Republican.
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/GlobalWarming/story?id=3511781&page=1
Green said the number of young, white evangelicals between the ages of 18 and 29 who identify themselves as Republican remained fairly consistent from 2001 to 2005. Since then, however, the data show a steep decline. Fifty-five percent of young, white evangelicals self-identified as Republican in 2005, while in 2007, only 37 percent consider themselves members of the GOP.
"The first time I broke ranks with the right it was about the environment," Rhodes said. "What good was it to the unborn if my Republican votes saved them from the abortion clinics, only to deliver them into a resource-scraped world of want, devoid of wild places?"
How about they add only to deliver them into illegal wars and occupations
Youssif's Fund
Friday, August 24. 2007
I received a lot of emails from people wanting to help after hearing the story of 5 year old Youssif being brutally set on fire in Iraq.
GOOD NEWS - The Children's Burn Foundation is bringing Youssif to the US for treatment.
You can donate to help cover the cost of travel and more than a years worth of surgeries that will help this young boy get his life back.
https://www.applyweb.com/public/contribute?s=childb
scroll down from the 'general donation' box to 'Youssif's fund'
Posted by Jeff Farias at 10:23
Posted by: Ralpheh at August 24, 2007 02:25 PM
Human Rights Campaign is not worth it. It only represents the white rich gay male elite, and believes in selling the weaker ones in the gay community - women, people of color, transgenders - to advance its agenda.
Just because it's headed by a woman doesn't make it any better.
Posted by: Ally McRepuke at August 24, 2007 04:46 PM
@@@@@@@@@@
Yeah, but here is the headline over at Huffington Post:
Hillary-locks-up-the-backing of DC Democratic Establishment
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/08/23/hillary-locks-up-the-back_n_61603.html
I haven't read all the posts, but I think those who read the Age articles that I post, may like to take a look at this 3 part series called Living With Terror.
http://www.theage.com.au/flash/livingwithterror/main.html
"Living With Terror is a three-part series by senior Age writers in Australia and overseas that explores the worldwide terrorist threat, how it shapes our lives today, and what the future might hold. Looking across the globe and into our back yard, these articles chart the response - successes and mistakes - to extremists who fight for a cause many in the west fail to understand."
DailyKos: Outrage! The NY Times Lies About Obama and Military Funerals! (8/21/07) by RedGlare
Responding to a New York Times article about Sen. Barack Obama’s address to the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Kansas City, blogger RedGlare remarks, "if you cannot competently paraphrase a candidate for president, then simply quote him." The Times claimed that Obama "said it was wrong for anti-war activists to protest at military funerals, declaring: 'It needs to stop.'"
Here's what Obama actually said:
Our sacred trust does not end when a service-member dies. The graves of our veterans are hallowed ground. When men and women who die in service to this country are laid to rest, there must be no protests near the funerals. It's wrong and it needs to stop
As RedGlare points out, the only protests at military funerals have been staged by homophobic groups protesting gays in the military.
This is not the first time the Times has published material confusing anti-war demonstrators with homophobic militants; see FAIR's Action Alert: Smearing Anti-War Activists? NY Times Op-Ed Laments Anti-War Funeral Protests (6/16/06)
Haley Barbour, He's you Guy isn't he Christy
Allawi Pays $300k for Anti-Maliki US Campaign
Bush's Former Envoy to Iraq is Top US Lobbyist for Key Iraqi Critic of Iraqi PM
Documents obtained by IraqSlogger show Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki's chief Iraqi opponent, Ayad Allawi, is paying Washington lobbyists with close ties to the White House $300,000 to help with Allawi's efforts in the U.S. to promote himself and undermine Maliki.
The powerhouse Republican firm retained by Allawi is Barbour, Griffith, & Rogers (BGR), and its BGR International unit is headed by President's Bush's one-time White House point man on Iraq, Robert Blackwill, who will lead the lobbying efforts on Allawi's behalf.
Allawi signed the BGR lobbying contract with Blackwill, who served as Presidential Envoy to Iraq in 2004 when Allawi was appointed the country's interim prime minister with the U.S. government's blessing.
http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/4052/subscriptions/splash.html
Bill Moyers transcript:
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/08242007/transcript4.html
I made it a point to racially integrate my kids childhoods. Thank God it worked too, they do not buy into the fear, they do not retain it.
Posted by: Christy at August 24, 2007 10:10 AM
I did the same and it worked wonders, proving your theory, I think.
People wanted something quite different from the public schools than what I wanted, which was exposure, free-thinkingness, diversity, ability to get along with others. I didn't want a hothouse flower.
Christy,
Ted Nugent is a loser and Michigan hillbilly, always was. Looks like a tweaker, always has. Bad music, mad image. My brother is a bow hunter and is deeply insulted by the fact that Nugent is also a bow hunter. My brother actually uses the bow, makes his own bow and arrows, eats what he kills. He doesn't have or need assault rifles like Nugent. Nugent should go hunting with Cheney.
Posted by: Not My President at August 24, 2007 11:13 PM
Good idea nmp. They could use each other for target practice.
Thank you Christine Nixon! A voice of reason at last.
Win hearts and minds in terrorism fight: Nixon
Nick McKenzie, Daniel Flitton and Sarah Smiles
August 25, 2007
THE domestic struggle against terrorism should focus on winning the hearts and minds of alienated Islamic communities and avoid the phrase "war on terror", says one of the nation's top law enforcement officers, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/win-hearts-and-minds-nixon/2007/08/24/1187462524568.html
Fringe Evangelicals Distort US Military Policy
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/082407R.shtml
Thomas D. Williams and JP Briggs II, Ph.D. report: "For decades, especially since the end of the Vietnam War, the US military has been wrestling with aggressive sects of doomsday Christians demanding control and conversions of those of other faiths as well as nonbelievers within the armed forces."
The last two posts are related, as for some, War Against Terror is War Against Islam. & for some terrorists, it's War Against Christianity. That puts us back a few centuries, to approx. 1100-1300.
& what was the purpose then? To take back Jerusalem from the Muslims. The Crusades were started by the Eastern Orthodox religion, so should not technically be compared to Islamic Jihad, as is currently sometimes done. There were six Crusades in all, and only the first one was sanctioned by the Pope. After that, others took it upon themselves.
Posted by: rossiann at August 24, 2007 04:14 PM
I'm referring to Fleischer accusing Jimmy Carter of creating the Mullahs and Ayatollahs in Iran.
That is ludicrous.
The process started in the early 1950s when our government helped with the overthrow of democratically-elected Mosadeq in Iran and replaced him with dictator Shah Reza Pahlazi, whose terror police caused the people to rise up and overthrow him and the Ayatollahs and their fanaticism stepped into the vacuum during the anarchy which followed. & I have heard that the son of the Shah is waiting in the wings for power, sanctioned by our government.
You know what else is ridiculous?
When Bush compares the Iraq war to World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam because we upheld democracy. Why?
1. South Korea and South Vietnam had dictatorships even though they were fighting Communists, so we were supporting dictatorships not democracies.
2. Germany, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Iraq were all countries, but in the latter case we are not fighting the country. We are supposedly fighting terrorists who have infiltrated the government after we attacked because of suspicion that Iraq's leader had weapons of mass destruction which he could share with terrorists. We are not fighting a defined state with a defined enemy.
He is just so wrong to make these parallels. It would be nice to say "Surely everybody can see that." Millions are being pumped into the current propaganda effort to "sell" the public on the war (after 4-1/2 years). Sometimes I think that Bush could come on Fox News naked and no one would notice anything strange.
War doesn't work.
Sometimes the only way force works after diplomacy fails (assuming the "actor" person or country knows HOW to negotiate, use leverage etc.) is if EVERYONE is killed.
If women were in charge, it might be easier. When men murder they typically use guns, just as when they commit suicide (which they are more likely to succeed at than women). So in war, it may follow that explosive weapons are used more readily.
When women murder, they typically use poison, and they also tend to choose less violent methods of suicide (and are less likely to follow through.) What if women were in charge of war? How about this methodology: Go to Tora Bora - Infiltrate, seduce, poison - simple! (I think it comes from centuries of cooking, and being physically smaller on average)
This is the type of thing I think about while driving. ;) The FBI seems to me very masculine, but the CIA with its subterfuge, more feminine.
Bill Moyers transcript and video
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/08242007/transcript4.html
Always good.
Now must see Mr. Bean movie.
Does anyone else ever get the feeling we are fighting ALL the wars of history again, in one fell swoop?
The Crusades, Hitler, the Revolution, Vietnam, the Mexican American war. War of the sexes and race wars, the French Revolution and the Barbery Wars too.
It really seems like what georgie has done has caused all of history to be forced into a single point in time.
All I can think of is Einstien and him not knowing how the 3rd WW would be fought. I think he did not know the method because he could not see the cause.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0453451/trailers-screenplay-E33118-10-2
Mr. Bean trailer
Laugh.
Then go to MoveOn.Org and sign up for a Tuesday night vigil or town hall meeting, to let our Congresspeople know they had better start listening.
Christy,
I agree. All I can figure out is that some people are making a big profit off wars. There is a book called "Addicted to War."
http://www.addictedtowar.com/
I bought it once but gave it to Kayakbiker (my blogmate) since he's a Vietnam Vet. This is their website. The book is in comic format but very good.
We are addicted to war (the military industrial complex).
The military is a big welfare state.
This is the type of thing I think about while driving. ;) The FBI seems to me very masculine, but the CIA with its subterfuge, more feminine.
Posted by: Not My President at August 25, 2007 10:05 AM
Not me. Not now. I hear CIA and I see torturing in dark Eastern Europe holes. And to me - that isn't feminine.
and speaking of torture...new thread
Torture isn't feminine - I was just thinking of doing something involving communication before resorting to violence, and if being violent, finding a way to use less force. I am a feminist and was speaking strictly anthropologically - alot of it is cultural, some physical and contextual.
Great thread up ahead.
GI Morale not too much in agreement with White House "Happy Talk", it seems
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-morale25aug25,0,3144924.story?coll=la-home-center
What Christy said .. about Einstein
The Coming Corporate Armies
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/8/24/214350/183
not wanting to change topic too much up in next thread