"I drive around and try to figure out those Byzantine markings and symbols that the cops and the National Guard spray-painted on all the houses around here, cryptic communications that tell the story of who or what was or wasn't inside the house when the floodwater rose to the ceiling. In some cases, there's no interpretation needed. There's one I pass on St. Roch Avenue in the 8th Ward at least once a week. It says: '1 dead in attic.' " --Chris Rose, Times-Picayune
Yesterday marked the 1st anniversary of the maiming of New Orleans and other parts of the gulf coast by Hurricane Katrina. I spent part of it watching, again, Spike Lee's powerful and gut wrenching documentary, "When the Levees Broke," which is showing on HBO all this month.
Every politician Congress should be forced to watch this film over and over until it sinks in that this country is headed in the wrong direction. We are wasting billions on a war against a country that did nothing to us. Billions on no bid contracts to Halliburton and their subsidiaries that gets sucked up by a black hole - never to be seen again. Billions to kill innocent citizens of that country, while citizens of a region of our own country live far away from their homes in a diaspora of biblical proportions. Their home towns and cites left behind to rot and mold; their families scattered; their lives shattered. And so many died.
Our politicians fritter away their time debating whether to allow flag burning, or whether marriages all over the country will self destruct if gays are also allowed to sanctify their unions. They approve money to build bridges to nowhere, and move recently rebuilt railroads a few miles up the road. Then they go on vacation. Our president (not) spends most of his time on vacation. He was there during Katrina. He was there when he was told "Bin Laden determined to strike in America" and then he stayed on vacation.
We need to wake up, people. We need to rise up, and we need to demand that our representatives focus their energies and our tax dollars where they belong. Here at home helping our people. Helping New Orleans and Mississippi rise from the muck and the wreckage. Building a proper memorial to those brave men and women who died trying to help others escape from the hell that was 911. We need to bring back America to the land of the free, home of the brave.
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The quote above comes from a column in the Times-Picayune, written by Chris Rose. He has compiled a collection of his columns and stories , recounting the first four harrowing months of life in New Orleans after Katrina into a book called "1 dead in Attic" You've got to read this book ... and see Spike Lee's film. Ya just gotta do it.
"The only sure bulwark of continuing liberty is a government strong enough to protect the interests of the people, and a people strong enough and well enough informed to maintain its sovereign control over its government."" --Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd US President
Writers of fiction try to achieve something they call "suspension of disbelief." Wikipedia defines this as "the willingness of a reader or viewer to accept the premises of a work of fiction, even if they are fantastic or impossible. "
The Media College online glossary has this to say, "In the world of fiction you are often required to believe a premise which you would never accept in the real world."
From my conversations with many of my fellow citizens, I have come to the conclusion that the American people need a strong dose of "suspension of disbelief" when it comes to what this president (not) and his administrative cabal are doing to our country.
If they were reading a novel by Tom Clancey or Robert Ludlum about a man who managed to seize the presidency through dirty tricks and by manipulating a submissive press, they would willingly believe the story line because Mr. Clancey and Mr. Ludlum craft their stories well. If the story went on to describe how a horrific and cataclysmic event spurred Congress to allow this illegitimate president to take powers and liberties no American citizen would dream of allowing their president, most readers would eagerly turn the pages and read on. If through plot twists and turns this president tricked the very same Congress into voting to authorize a war against a country that had absolutely nothing to do with with the horrific event - but he convinced them it did - and if this same evil leader held a nation thrall by telling them terrorists are ready to strike at any moment and only he could protect them, the reader would be passing the book on to friends with high praise. "What an exciting story - a real thriller, a page turner," they would say."
While they were reading that story, they would be caught up in the moment and believe as the tale unfolded. They would suspend their disbelief. The only problem is that this is really happening, but far too many do not believe what they see before their eyes.
They think perhaps - if they have a negative opinion of George Bush - that he is misguided or maybe they think he is an idiot. But they don't think that he is evil or controlled by an evil cabal. As a real life situation this is too much for the mind to grasp. We can't possibly have a person or persons of diabolical intent in charge of our government, can we? We the American people wouldn't chose such a man as president. Can't happen. Not here. Hmmm ... where have we heard that before? September 11, 2001 perhaps.
Anyone who says that it certainly can and has, is quickly crowned with a tin-foil hat. "No conspiracies here, Nope. Not here. Can't happen."
They can't get their minds around that "suspension of disbelief" issue. They simply can not accept that this fantastic tale could be true.
But it is folks. I have no doubt in my mind that George Bush and company stole 2 presidential elections - and perhaps a few more local elections for Congressional and Senate seats. I have no doubt in my mind that this government had some hand in the events of 9/11. I'm not sure if it was merely that they let it happen, or if someone in the government - probably PNAC members - took an active part. But I do not believe it was a surprise.
I firmly believe that George Bush and Company lied to get us into this disastrous war in Iraq to achieve the goals of the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) gang. There is no doubt in my mind that they have manipulated the media and the terror alert system for political purposes. And I have no doubt in my mind that they intend to drag us and Israel into another war - this time with Iran and Syria. I also have no doubt that they intend to make this one nuclear.
Come on people. take the blinders off. Suspend your disbelief long enough to see what is really going on. Remove the criminals from office. Impeach them now! We can do it. The people have the power. Taking advantage of "Jefferson's Revenge," state legislatures have brought impeachment much closer to reality.
Sites to learn more ...
After Downing Street
Articles of Impeachment
And if you are in NJ check out Impeachbushnj where you can join the cause.
I've been watching Spike Lee's excellent documentary, "When the Levees Broke". I think everyone in America, especially those in the government should have to watch this. It's heartbreaking and astounding that this could be happening in our country.
According to an article in Common Dreams, "Asian tsunami relief workers who visited New Orleans over the summer were shocked at the lack of recovery. Somsook Boonyabancha, director of the Community Organisations Development Institute in Thailand, told Reuters she was shocked at the lack of progress in New Orleans. 'I'm surprised to see why the reconstruction work is so slow, because this is supposed to be one of the most rich and efficient countries in the world. It is starting at such a slow speed, incredibly slow speed.'"
People pay takes for years, yet when they need help from their goverment, this administration tells them to "go pound salt." They pay insurance companies for years and get nothing in return when it comes time to collect. If you have no flood insurance, they claim "water damage," and if you have flood insurance they find some other excuse not to pay. It's all just corporate greed.
It's just absolutely disgusting! This is not America ... not the land that I have always loved. This is some third world country that doesn't care a hoot about it's citizens.
I think this is disgusting ....
From Media Matters
Imus producer on man who admitted killing Ramsey: "He looks like Ned Lamont, actually. Is that who you want representing you, Connecticut?"
On the August 17 edition of MSNBC's Imus in the Morning, executive producer Bernard McGuirk said that John Mark Karr, the man who reportedly admitted to killing 6-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey in 1996, "looks like Ned Lamont, actually." McGuirk then asked: "Is that who you want representing you, Connecticut?"
McGuirk's remarks were just the latest attack against Lamont, the Democratic nominee for a Connecticut Senate seat. As the weblog Think Progress noted , on the August 16 edition of Fox News Live, former Weekly Standard deputy publisher David Bass said that a woman who caused a plane to be diverted after suffering a panic attack was "probably not a terrorist; could just be a Ned Lamont supporter." As Media Matters for America has noted, since his victory in the primary on August 8, Lamont has been cast by members of the media as a part of the "Taliban wing" of the Democratic party, " anti-American," " defeatist" and the latest example of how Democrats have become "apologists for terrorists."
Write to MSNBC - viewerservices@msnbc.com and tell them to take Imus off the air or at least demand that they fire the producer.
I'm so sick and tired of hearing about the "liberal" press. Tucker Carlson, Joe Scarborough, Rita Cosby, Imus? These aren't liberals no matter how loosely you want to define the term . In fact they aren't even close to the middle of the road.
We seriously need to lobby congress to bring back the Fairness Doctrine
Read Greg Palast's excellent article on how Bush is protecting us.
And how about that TSA read about it on Alternet - do you feel safer now?
Watch Keith Olbermann's commentary on the relationship between terror alerts and political doings.
Seeds of Wisdom: "There is nothing to fear except the persistent refusal to find out the truth, the persistent refusal to analyze the causes of happenings." -- Dorothy Thompson, a prominent journalist, political commentator (1893-1961)
I've been suffering from brain freeze lately. You know, like when you eat something cold and you get that pain between your eyes. I've been taking in too much information. It freezes up my brain and I can't write, even though I desperately want to. I have to do something, so I've just decided to grab a random thought and run with it. I hope I don't babble incoherently.
When Ned Lamont won the Democratic primary in CT last Tuesday, I listened as the Republicans quickly started cranking up sirens of fear. "Over here, over here," they cry, "We'll keep you safe you from the big bad Terrorists!" Yeah right. The only thing they are keeping us safe from is freedom and democracy.
I don't know why people think Bush & Company will protect them, but far too many still do. And those same people will vote Republican in 2006 and again 2008 (that is if we are still having elections then.) What is it about that man, about this government that makes people think they are intent on keeping the nation safe? If they were, they would have continued to chase and capture Osama bin Laden. But they didn't. Instead, they followed the Neo-Con white rabbit down this hole they call "The war in Iraq."
It was a war back when it started in March of 2003. An illegal war foisted on us, and the Iraqi people, through lies and intimidation - fear, plain and simple. Members of this administration frightened us with "Weapons of Mass Destruction" and "smoking guns" in the form of "mushroom clouds." Donald Rumsfeld told us the war would last "6 days, maybe 6 weeks, I doubt 6 months." In one way he was correct. On May 1, 2003 Bush strode out onto the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln and declared "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed." What we now have is an occupation that the administration and the mainstream press persist in calling "The War"
It is no longer a war. It's an Occupation! How can we ever hope to take back control of the country if we can not even control the language.
Way back in December of 2001, I had an argument with a friend about the searches the management of the Meadowlands Sports complex had put into place to "keep us safe" from terrorists while watching hockey games. Way back then, I saw the beginnings of the freedom erosion. Way back then, I knew it was just beginning and would never stop. I told my friend that I thought the searches were ridiculous, and weren't doing the least bit to keep us safe. I told him that that aura of safety that he and others felt was just an illusion. It wasn't real safety. I also told him that most Americans don't know about hockey, so why would a terrorist chose to blow up a hockey game - but that's another issue altogether.
Or maybe it's not. Maybe that is the crux of the issue. This administration and those that are doing their bidding are just doing the window dressing of safety. They are like those sets in Hollywood where the buildings look real, but they are just facades. That's what we have - just safety facades with no real safety supporting them. It's all flash and mirrors. All style and no substance. Or as they say in Texas, all hat and no cattle.
The things that might serve to protect us - border security, port support, cargo screenings, nuclear and chemical plant security, money for first responders - aren't being attended to. Funds are cut (and given to Halliburton, and their subsidiaries, then the money vanishes into thin air), or not appropriated at all. No, instead we take off our shoes at the airport and leave our creams at home. We surrender meekly to pat downs and bag searches at hockey games. Mothers are forced to drink their own breast milk just to take their babies on a plane. And I don't even want to know what airport security does with colostomy patients.
The world isn't a safe place, and most of you should know that. We are surrounded by things that can hurt us, or even kill us. You could slip and fall in the bathtub or down your cellar stairs. You could get hit by a truck or a bus on your way to work. Your laptop computer could catch fire next to a box of ammo that you carry in your car. You could choke on a bit of sirloin and have no one around to do the Heimlich Maneuver. Danger lurks around every corner from the moment you set your foot on the floor every morning. And your chances of encountering any one of these things is far greater than any chance you have of being the victim of a terrorist's evil deeds. Could it happen? - Sure, but so could a million other random bits of bad luck. You can't cower in the corner forever if you really want to live your life.
Come on people! This is America! We are Americans! We live in "the land of the free, home of the brave" - not the land of the scared sheep. Stand up. Stand tall and proud. Wave your flag defiantly in the face of this reprehensible administration and tell them in no uncertain terms that you "are mad as hell and you're not going to take it anymore."
Don't let them intimidate you. Don't let them coerce you into keeping them in office. They need to be thrown out and thrown out NOW!
This November will be one of THE most important elections you have ever voted in - and if you've never voted, shame on you! We must restore the checks and balances to this government, if nothing else. I'm not such a huge fan of the Democrats either. I tend to chose candidates individually, rather than by party, but this November, you have to vote Democratic. We have to put a leash on this out of control government. We need inquiries and investigations and I think if the Democrats gain control of the House and Senate we'll see that. Write to them. Tell them that they are on notice. We want our country back and if they don't do it, we'll find someone who will.