Hey, Monkeyboy- I thought you told us that Pakistan and Musharraf were "valued allies" in the "war on terror." Can I assume this was just another duplicitous lie?

I am not even going to pretend that I can cover the bombshells of the past 48 hours- Bush has gotten the exclusive right to torture, and the writ of Habeas Corpus is now a mere triviality. Bush is determined to stay in Iraq, and has vowed to ignore facts on the ground, even if only his wife and dog are the only ones who stay by his side in the end (Again drawing a parallel to the A.H. fella- in the end, all he had was Eva, and his doggie- the latter he used to test cyanide- the former, he joined in suicide.) Baghdad is now under a curfew, after escalating violence, and a rumored coup attempt. Bob Woodward's book is due to explode on the scene, come monday, and the details leaked to the press have already thrown things into a fever-pitch of spin and recrimination that I've not been able to assimilate into a cohesive whole, as of this hour.

The folks over at Buzzflash featured a comprehensive rundown of things as they stand, today- I'd recommend that you take a few minutes to read it.

For the next 38 days, expect the confusion of today to be a fading memory of stability...

The Republicans are very close to losing not only the house, but the senate is now hanging in the balance. The party has now had 4 years of exclusive, universal rule over every branch of government, and quite frankly, they've screwed the pooch in more ways than I could list, in a dozen volumes. Having long since abandoned any pretext to the slogans of "fiscal responsibility", and "compassionate conservatism," look for the right-wing echo chamber to muddy the next 38 days with as much Lee Atwater-era obfuscation and dirty tricks as they can trot out.

Let me draw a parallel, thusly: The wild bear, after taking a dump in the proverbial woods, is directed by base instinct to stir up a cloud of dust, to cover their spoor. In this fashion, they hope to deter potential predators by both covering the odor of their odeur, and creating a distraction that will confuse any potential threat.

In a similar fashion, the republican party, through the painfully incompetent stewardship of this formerly great nation, has squeezed out a coil of foulness who'se stench will haunt us for decades to come. Their only hope for survival, is to raise enough of the same "fear and smear" and "wedge issue" bullplop to distract enough voters that they might just might well save their hides.

But here's what gets me:

The republicans were able to steal the 2004 vote, with only 100,000 highly-suspicious ballots in Ohio. The Diebold machines will only need to send a similar number of votes to the republican camp, across a dozen states, and the GOP will retain control of both houses of congress.

Whether or not this happens is all up to you. Get involved with the DCCC, and if you are able, give and hour or two of your time to their efforts.

Why didn't I give a mention to, or endorse the Green Party, here? Because the Green Party, bless them, have pretty much ceased to be. They're an exterior oddity that, despite their strong first showing in american politics, have become ineffectual hangers-on who are just laughable. The last few notices I've received from the Greens are about whether or not party by-laws should be amended, so that people can bring snacks containing meat to party meetings. Not one word about policy- not one word about the congressional races- not one word about the issues that the greens claim to love so much (poverty, education, peace, environmentalism, etc..)

I'm sorry- I'm truly, sadly, and lamentably sorry- but the Greens are a dead party, when they waste their time debating the legitimacy of a beef hoagie or a pepperoni pizza, when they could be tackling bigger issues.

The dems are are our last and only hope, now...

May "Bob" have mercy upon our souls...

According to reports, Keith Olbermann returned to his New York home tuesday night, to find a california-postmarked envelope that contained a white powdery substance, along with a note stating that this was in retaliation for Mr. Olbermann's criticisms of the Bush administration, in recent weeks.

In these times, we are repeatedly told by those in power that we americans are facing an enemy that seeks to destroy us, and our freedoms. Indeed- we are facing such an enemy- but this threat does not eminate from the high mountains of Pakistan- but from within our own borders. One must wonder what kind of nation this country has become, where people who are simply excercising their right to free speech are targeted- not by those who cower in caves halfway around the world- but by right-wing americans who find such acts of free speech so reprehensible.

While those who issue these amateurish fatwas must feel within their shrivelled hearts and addled minds that their attacks against free speech are warranted in the name of "defending" their particular twisted interpretation of "patriotism," it in fact only casts a harsh and damning light upon the attitudes that this administration has inculcated within the souls of the least among us.

Have I ever threatened the life of a single human being? No- but the morons over at NiceDoggie.net found my amateurish flash animations such an affront, that they took it upon themselves to not only threaten my life, but to offer a reward for my premature demise. Did Ava Lowery, the fifteen-year old webmaster of Peace Takes Courage, ever advocate harm or homicide in any of her works or words? No- but some idiot felt their fragile worldview so threatened by her efforts, that they threatened her life. Did Keith Olbermann, in any of his commentaries or reportage during his time at MSNBC, ever once commit an act so heinous, that it warranted the threat that he encountered, last night?

Again- what has become of our nation, when the mere act of exercising one's right to free speech- an act enshrined in the first amendment of our constitution- makes one a target for extermination?

I cannot speak for Keith, or Ava, or any of the others who have been the target of these homegrown terrorists- I can only speak for myself.

Whenever some cretin sends me a threatening e-mail, with my home address and phone number featured prominently at the top, I am not frightened, nor cowed. In fact, these sub-literate, rambling missives inspire me, for they remind me of the importance of speaking out, and how far we have to go, before things are set right once again, in this country.

Despite the machinations of these homegrown republican taliban, I have more faith in the good heart of this country, than in the pathetic and futile threats of the self-appointed white-trash brownshirts who feel that the only way to battle thoughts and ideas is with violence.

Ahhhhhh.

Seeing Colbert on TV, and seeing him in person, are two totally different experiences. This is a man who is at the top of his game, and having the time of his life, every moment he's on the job. The more cynical among us might chalk it up to the fact that he's getting paid millions for a few hours of work a day- but the same could be said about any television personality.

What made Colbert unique, is that from the moment he bursts onto the stage, until he saunters off, he tackles his job with the ferocity and maniacal intent of a kamikaze pilot in the final moments before impact, and he takes you along for the ride. His hurried conferences with his crew during commercial breaks are every bit as entertaining as the on-air material, whether it be becoming blood-brothers with the stage manager after suffering a paper cut, or dancing to the impromtu applause of the audience.

It was unbelievable fun- sorta like watching "Snakes on a Plane" while huffing nitrous oxide and eating a #1 special from Nathan's Famous (a comparison that's far beyond the comprehension of the average republican, I know- but there you have it.)

I guess this is another situation in which I can only say:

I TOLD YOU SO!!!

Now- all niceties aside- I am forced to point out the obivous:

Bush and his nest of vipers have, through thier illegal, unconstitutional, and unwarranted agression against Iraq, aided and abetted Al Qaeda. Where once there was no haven for terror, Bush and the neocons have built an incubator for the very foes they claim to be the greatest bulwark against.

Seriously- pause, and consider: The policies of the Bush Bowl have created a breeding ground for terrorism where there was none, before- that makes them accomplices to every terrorist act- every suicide bombing- every life lost.

In the wake of the Fox "News" Clinton flap- I am left to recall the vigorous republican-led impeachment of the former president, because- let's face it- Bill recieved oral sex from an intern.

That's the worst the right wing has to throw against Clinton, when you get down to brass tacks- Clinton got a blowjob.

Bush, on the other hand, invaded a sovereign nation that never threatened us nor attacked us. In the process, this administration has lent aid and comfort to the enemy that attacked us on 9/11, and sewed the seeds that are destined to sprout a thousand Bin Ladins in years to come. 1.9 billion of our tax dollars dollars per week are squandered on his bloody misadventure. Thousands of americans, and tens of thousands of Iraqis are a'mouldering in the grave, and still, there is no exit strategy- no solution- no respite...

Two Americans, and 30 Iraqis will die, while I sleep tonight- and there's nothing I can do to stop it...

Goddamn...

When I started Bushflash.com four years ago, I did so, because I felt that too few people are articulating the true nature of the insidious and malevolent machinations of the criminal administration that currently holds sway in our nation. Olbermann, in times past, has held his cards close to his chest, but over the past month, he has distinguished himself as one of the few true voices of sanity...

Watch, listen, and get busy...

Despite the media whitewash, the McCain-led republican "backlash" basically kowtowed to the White House, once again. The congress will soon be called to vote on a bill that gives George W Bush the right to define the parameters of common article 3 of the geneva convention, constrained only by a tacit assurance that he won't kill anyone in the process (heaven forfend that Bush should actually kill anyone- hold on....)

What's unique about this bill, from what I've read, is that it doesn't endow the executive branch, per se, the right to re-define torture- it gives only the current occupant of the white house to power to do so... Yep- this bill gives George W Bush, in all but name, the exclusive power to re-write this treaty.

This is insane. This is like giving Jeffrey Dahmer the exclusive rights to define "cannibalism."

Again, one might- nay- MUST hope that the republicans in congress hold within their hearts enough fear for their positions and souls to vote this down. I still firmly believe that this is a Rove distraction ploy- but one cannot be too careful, in these times...

On tuesday, I'll be basking in the radiant light of truthiness that is Stephen Colbert. The tickets have been acquired, and lemme tell ya- to me, this is like going to see a jam amongst Laibach, Noam Chomsky, early 90's Ministry, Beethoven, Marylin Manson, George McGovern, and an ass-kicking machine...

Here's hoping one of my buddies brings in a cell phone with a camera...

by Dave Lindorff
Courtesy of The Nation

As reports circulate of a sharp debate within the White House over possible US military action against Iran and its nuclear enrichment facilities, The Nation has learned that the Bush Administration and the Pentagon have issued orders for a major "strike group" of ships, including the nuclear aircraft carrier Eisenhower as well as a cruiser, destroyer, frigate, submarine escort and supply ship, to head for the Persian Gulf, just off Iran's western coast. This information follows a report in the current issue of Time magazine, both online and in print, that a group of ships capable of mining harbors has received orders to be ready to sail for the Persian Gulf by October 1.

As Time writes in its cover story, "What Would War Look Like?," evidence of the forward deployment of minesweepers and word that the chief of naval operations had asked for a reworking of old plans for mining Iranian harbors "suggest that a much discussed--but until now largely theoretical--prospect has become real: that the U.S. may be preparing for war with Iran."

According to Lieut. Mike Kafka, a spokesman at the headquarters of the Second Fleet, based in Norfolk, Virginia, the Eisenhower Strike Group, bristling with Tomahawk cruise missiles, has received recent orders to depart the United States in a little over a week. Other official sources in the public affairs office of the Navy Department at the Pentagon confirm that this powerful armada is scheduled to arrive off the coast of Iran on or around October 21.

The Eisenhower had been in port at the Naval Station Norfolk for several years for refurbishing and refueling of its nuclear reactor; it had not been scheduled to depart for a new duty station until at least a month later, and possibly not till next spring. Family members, before the orders, had moved into the area and had until then expected to be with their sailor-spouses and parents in Virginia for some time yet. First word of the early dispatch of the "Ike Strike" group to the Persian Gulf region came from several angry officers on the ships involved, who contacted antiwar critics like retired Air Force Col. Sam Gardiner and complained that they were being sent to attack Iran without any order from the Congress.

"This is very serious," said Ray McGovern, a former CIA threat-assessment analyst who got early word of the Navy officers' complaints about the sudden deployment orders. (McGovern, a twenty-seven-year veteran of the CIA, resigned in 2002 in protest over what he said were Bush Administration pressures to exaggerate the threat posed by Iraq. He and other intelligence agency critics have formed a group called Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity.)

Colonel Gardiner, who has taught military strategy at the National War College, says that the carrier deployment and a scheduled Persian Gulf arrival date of October 21 is "very important evidence" of war planning. He says, "I know that some naval forces have already received 'prepare to deploy orders' [PTDOs], which have set the date for being ready to go as October 1. Given that it would take about from October 2 to October 21 to get those forces to the Gulf region, that looks about like the date" of any possible military action against Iran. (A PTDO means that all crews should be at their stations, and ships and planes should be ready to go, by a certain date--in this case, reportedly, October 1.) Gardiner notes, "You cannot issue a PTDO and then stay ready for very long. It's a very significant order, and it's not done as a training exercise." This point was also made in the Time article.

So what is the White House planning?

On Monday President Bush addressed the UN General Assembly at its opening session, and while studiously avoiding even physically meeting Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was also addressing the body, he offered a two-pronged message. Bush told the "people of Iran" that "we're working toward a diplomatic solution to this crisis" and that he looked forward "to the day when you can live in freedom." But he also warned that Iran's leaders were using the nation's resources "to fund terrorism and fuel extremism and pursue nuclear weapons." Given the President's assertion that the nation is fighting a "global war on terror" and that he is Commander in Chief of that "war," his prominent linking of the Iran regime with terror has to be seen as a deliberate effort to claim his right to carry the fight there. Bush has repeatedly insisted that the 2001 Congressional Authorization for the Use of Force that preceded the invasion of Afghanistan was also an authorization for an unending "war on terror."

Even as Bush was making not-so-veiled threats at the UN, his former Secretary of State, Colin Powell, a sharp critic of any unilateral US attack on Iran, was in Norfolk, not far from the Eisenhower, advocating further diplomatic efforts to deal with Iran's nuclear program--itself tantalizing evidence of the policy struggle over whether to go to war, and that those favoring an attack may be winning that struggle.

"I think the plan's been picked: bomb the nuclear sites in Iran," says Gardiner. "It's a terrible idea, it's against US law and it's against international law, but I think they've decided to do it." Gardiner says that while the United States has the capability to hit those sites with its cruise missiles, "the Iranians have many more options than we do: They can activate Hezbollah; they can organize riots all over the Islamic world, including Pakistan, which could bring down the Musharraf government, putting nuclear weapons into terrorist hands; they can encourage the Shia militias in Iraq to attack US troops; they can blow up oil pipelines and shut the Persian Gulf." Most of the major oil-producing states in the Middle East have substantial Shiite populations, which has long been a concern of their own Sunni leaders and of Washington policy-makers, given the sometimes close connection of Shiite populations to Iran's religious rulers.

Of course, Gardiner agrees, recent ship movements and other signs of military preparedness could be simply a bluff designed to show toughness in the bargaining with Iran over its nuclear program. But with the Iranian coast reportedly armed to the teeth with Chinese Silkworm antiship missiles, and possibly even more sophisticated Russian antiship weapons, against which the Navy has little reliable defenses, it seems unlikely the Navy would risk high-value assets like aircraft carriers or cruisers with such a tactic. Nor has bluffing been a Bush MO to date.

Commentators and analysts across the political spectrum are focusing on Bush's talk about dialogue, with many claiming that he is climbing down from confrontation. On the right, David Frum, writing on September 20 in his National Review blog, argues that the lack of any attempt to win a UN resolution supporting military action, and rumors of "hushed back doors" being opened in Washington, lead him to expect a diplomatic deal, not a unilateral attack. Writing in the center, Washington Post reporter Glenn Kessler saw in Bush's UN speech evidence that "war is no longer a viable option" in Iran. Even on the left, where confidence in the Bush Administration's judgment is abysmally low, commentators like Noam Chomsky and Nation contributor Robert Dreyfuss are skeptical that an attack is being planned. Chomsky has long argued that Washington's leaders aren't crazy, and would not take such a step--though more recently, he has seemed less sanguine about Administration sanity and has suggested that leaks about war plans may be an effort by military leaders--who are almost universally opposed to widening the Mideast war--to arouse opposition to such a move by Bush and war advocates like Cheney. Dreyfuss, meanwhile, in an article for the online journal TomPaine.com, focuses on the talk of diplomacy in Bush's Monday UN speech, not on his threats, and concludes that it means "the realists have won" and that there will be no Iran attack.

But all these war skeptics may be whistling past the graveyard. After all, it must be recalled that Bush also talked about seeking diplomatic solutions the whole time he was dead-set on invading Iraq, and the current situation is increasingly looking like a cheap Hollywood sequel. The United States, according to Gardiner and others, already reportedly has special forces operating in Iran, and now major ship movements are looking ominous.

Representative Maurice Hinchey, a leading Democratic critic of the Iraq War, informed about the Navy PTDOs and about the orders for the full Eisenhower Strike Group to head out to sea, said, "For some time there has been speculation that there could be an attack on Iran prior to November 7, in order to exacerbate the culture of fear that the Administration has cultivated now for over five or six years. But if they attack Iran it will be a very bad mistake, for the Middle East and for the US. It would only make worse the antagonism and fear people feel towards our country. I hope this Administration is not so foolish and irresponsible." He adds, "Military people are deeply concerned about the overtaxing of the military already."

Calls for comment from the White House on Iran war plans and on the order for the Eisenhower Strike Group to deploy were referred to the National Security Council press office, which declined to return this reporter's phone calls.

McGovern, who had first told a group of anti-Iraq War activists Sunday on the National Mall in Washington, DC, during an ongoing action called "Camp Democracy," about his being alerted to the strike group deployment, warned, "We have about seven weeks to try and stop this next war from happening."

One solid indication that the dispatch of the Eisenhower is part of a force buildup would be if the carrier Enterprise--currently in the Arabian Sea, where it has been launching bombing runs against the Taliban in Afghanistan, and which is at the end of its normal six-month sea tour--is kept on station instead of sent back to the United States. Arguing against simple rotation of tours is the fact that the Eisenhower's refurbishing and its dispatch were rushed forward by at least a month. A report from the Enterprise on the Navy's official website referred to its ongoing role in the Afghanistan fighting, and gave no indication of plans to head back to port. The Navy itself has no comment on the ship's future orders.

Jim Webb, Secretary of the Navy in the Reagan Administration and currently a Democratic candidate for Senate in Virginia, expressed some caution about reports of the carrier deployment, saying, "Remember, carrier groups regularly rotate in and out of that region." But he added, "I do not believe that there should be any elective military action taken against Iran without a separate authorization vote by the Congress. In my view, the 2002 authorization which was used for the invasion of Iraq should not extend to Iran."

Copyright © 2006 The Nation

Call me a johnny-come-lately, call me gullible- but after watching this administration issue forth insane policy after insane policy for the past 6 years, the prospect of the Bush Bowl attempting to re-write the Geneva convention seemed utterly plausible.

However, it turns out that this was a Rovian smokescreen, that served a multitude of purposes- primarily:

1: It gave an increasingly unpopular republican majority in both houses to stake positions that were in opposition to a floundering and chronically unpopular white house. (I refer you to my earlier prediction that republicans facing re-election will be running a more vigorous anti-Bush campaign than the Democrats.)

2: It allowed the right-wing echo chamber to muddy the waters of what should be a black-and-white issue: Torture. We've now had 72 hours of right-wing pundits filling the ears of gullible FoxFans with pure, DC-grown spin. Now, we have millions of people who think that the issue of whether or not our nation should sully its name and honor by engaging in the reprehensible practices of torture is a legitimate point of debate.

3: While folks like I were focusing on a piece of legislation that didn't have a chance of passing through a congress that increasingly regards Bush initiatives as if they're tainted with the political equivalent of the ebola virus, we took our eye off the ball- specifically, the war in Iraq, and the economy (which, despite the obfuscating spin of the pundit corps, remains sluggish and offers the average american little to feel good about.)

I hate to say this- I've grown to respect Karl Rove. That's not to say that I like the guy, one bit- but damnit- he's an absolute master of the most cynical and base arts of dirty politics- he can smack you in the head, and it'll be two days before you even realize it.

However- there is one thread of consistency that weaves its way through the past six years of Rove's ill reign: Distraction. Whenever the chips are down, and the republicans are facing their comeuppance, they bring out the non-issue (Terry Schiavo,) the red herring (Terror alerts,) and the smear (Swift Boating.) When all else fails- just throw something totally outrageous into the mix, and rely on the talking heads on the corporate news to blow it into something worthy of pushing the bad news off the front page.

The best strategy to counter this, of course, is to stay on-message:

1: Don't let the republicans quote corporate gains as concrete evidence of an economic revival. Ask the question made so famous by Reagan: "Are you better off now, then you were six years ago?" Ask it once, ask it twice, ask it a thousand times, at every campaign rally, every press briefing, and every debate.

2: Iraq is the republican Achilles Heel- their previous slogan of "Stay the Course" has been replaced with "Adapt and Win." Great jingoistic soundbites, but one must ask: by what measure has this administration, and the republican party, earned the confidence of the american people in their ongoing approach to the catastrophic disaster that Iraq has become? At what point, during the past three years of misery, death, and incompetence has the republican party shown their ability to lead, on this issue? Name one initiative- show one policy- demonstrate one concrete benefit that the republican approach has introduced to this ongoing atrocity, that has not made things worse.

In a related issue:

And it ain't just our soldiers doing it, now. Read about the report, here. Makes you proud to be an a 'murkan, right?

Lessee- electricity in Baghdad is still below pre-invasion levels, Anbar Province (which is pretty much 1/3 of Iraq) is now controlled by various insurgent militias, 100+ people per day are dying in the ongoing (yet still unacknowledged) Iraqi civil war, and now, we find that the average Iraqi is more likely to face torture, then they were under Hussein.

Here's my problem with all of this: I knew this was sorta crap was gonna happen, back when the war drums began beating back in 2002- it was only damned common sense.

Again, I am reminded of Bush, Rumsfeld, and the usual suspects telling us that this would be a cakewalk- a slam dunk. The rosy predictions of postwar Iraq would be funny, in retrospect, had not things gone their inevitably bloody way.

In the face of the spectacle which we see playing out before us in Iraq, one must wonder not only at the total cluelessness of those who were the architects of this historic tragedy, but also at their childishness.

We are well aware of the machinations of the Project for a New American Century. For too many years, we have seen these people as cunning Machiavellians, shuffling chips behind the scenes to forge a new american empire...

Now, they have been exposed for what they are: Clueless children who saw geopolitics as their own avaricious version of "Risk"- a board game in which they were willing to sacrifice american lives, honor, and prestige- simply because they could. These children, endowed with age untempered by wisdom, given status without prerequisite merit, and granted power free of the constraints of conscience, have shown themselves unable to wield the mighty powers at their disposal.

It's time for these children to be sent to bed, so that adults can rectify the situation.

Excellent!

Sorry I was away for four days- but I've had to deal with a lot of obligations- the new video card has been acting freaky, and is as difficult to set up to record future broadcasts as a 1980's-era VCR. I missed a lot of good stuff, despite my best intentions.

The one drawback to videoblogging, is that I spend about four hours a day with Fox "News" going on in the background, and DAMN... I've been subjected to short bursts of this kinda idiocy- but I've never endured solid HOURS of it- and it's confounding as all hell... Is this station broadcasting from a distant star system? I wonder- because what I see there is so divorced from reality, that I keep expecting Morbo to show up, right next to Greta Van Sustren.

One of the choicest bits that my video card failed to record was friday's press conference in the White House rose garden- go and watch it, here. Fast-forward through the first few minutes- they're full of the usual fearmongering BS that we've grown to despise, over the past five years- and start watching when bunnypants takes his first question.

Ladies and gentlemen- I give to you the frightened, defiant redneck cornered rat- notice how he bellows, huffs, and breathes heavily after each sentence, as if the mere task of thinking causes him actual physical distress.

Here's the facts behind the spectacle:

The Supreme Court recently handed down a ruling that requires Bush to ensure that US government personnel conform to the regulations put forward in common article 3 on the Geneva Convention. For clarity's sake, here it is, in its entirety:

In the case of armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the territory of one of the High Contracting Parties, each Party to the conflict shall be bound to apply, as a minimum, the following provisions:

(1) Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those placed ' hors de combat ' by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria.
To this end, the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with respect to the above-mentioned persons:

(a) violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture;

(b) taking of hostages;

(c) outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment;

(d) the passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court, affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.

(2) The wounded and sick shall be collected and cared for.

An impartial humanitarian body, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, may offer its services to the Parties to the conflict.
The Parties to the conflict should further endeavour to bring into force, by means of special agreements, all or part of the other provisions of the present Convention.
The application of the preceding provisions shall not affect the legal status of the Parties to the conflict.

Now- this causes a LOT of trouble, for the Bush bowl, because, well- they've been torturing people, all over the globe in secret prisons, and within Iraq- and the Red Cross has irrefutable evidence. Bush's last-ditch effort to save his skin is to force a bill through the congress, that would give the US Government the right to "clarify and define" the following clauses:

(a) violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture;

(b) taking of hostages;

(c) outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment;

"Clarify and define", my ass- what they want the congress to do is to pass a Bush-approved interpretation of the Geneva Convention into law. Par for the course, with Bush- he's never been held accountable in his life, for any of his actions- why should torture be any different than the DUI your daddy erased for you, twenty years back?

The problem is that a number of republicans, fearing for their political lives (not to mention their immortal souls,) are not falling into line.

Can we officially declare this administration has stepped into the deepest of the deep ends, as of friday? I mean- Bush has the supreme court and the congress in his corner, and he's gone too far, even for them!

The upshot of all of this is that Bush is faced with a great crisis- unless the congress caves, and passes his "clarification" into law- He, Alberto Gonzales, Donald Rumsfeld, and a HELL of a lot of american operatives will be in official breach of the Geneva convention- making them WAR CRIMINALS.

Unfortunately, Bush has the clout and the cash to pull enough republicans into line, to get his own personal common article 3 passed into law- and this, of course, sets a very dangerous precedent- if the United States can declare that it has the unilateral power to re-define international agreements, who is to say that North Korea, Zimbabwe, or any other lunatic regime could do the same, with any other treaty that it is a signatory to?

This was sent to me by a number of folks, in just the past hour. Yep- you read that right- Secretary of the United States Air Force Michael Wynn said that nonlethal weapons should be tested on american protestors, before they are introduced to foreign battlefields...

Now- I can hear the apologists saying "well- these things have got to be tested on SOMEONE- might as well take advantage of what's at hand." Uhh- no- I know the concepts of "principle" and "humanity" aren't native to the conservative mindset, but this falls under the heading of "unamerican bullplop." American citizens engaging in free speech and the freedom to assemble are exercising their rights under an old and tattered document called the CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA- they are NOT to be used as testing subjects for weapons of war.

What's truly frightening about this, is that there are american citizens over at free republic, who will cheer this, saying "it's about time- once them anti-'merkuns get a good beating, they'll shut up, and fall in line!" Good freaking lord.

The republican/conservative strategy, here at home and abroad, is summed up thusly:

The reason that the (enemy du jour) hates us so much, is because we haven't humiliated them, subjugated them, or hurt them enough. Look at this guy- we bombed his village, and killed his entire family- but rather than be grateful for the gift of liberty that we have bestowed, for some reason, he's gone off, and joined an insurgent group. I see where we went wrong- we left one member of the family alive- maybe we just need to bomb a tad more, next time....

I know it's painful for the folks out there who fell into line to support this war and the simplistic rhetoric of this administration, simply because the thought of big american bombs falling on brown people made their balls feel a tad more weighty, but lemme put it plain:

PEOPLE ARE DYING, AS A RESULT OF YOUR VOYEURISTIC FANTASIES. It's NOT COOL- yeah, their skin is a tad darker than yours, and they're muslims, but they're still freaking HUMAN BEINGS. If any conservatives out there are having a problem with this moral algebra, lemme make it clear:

When you are an accessory to killing someone who never bore you ill will, then-well, you've taken a big dump on the cause of american righteousness, and have created an enemy, where previously, there was none. Any sane person could figure this one out, but alas, we're left with Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and the PNAC crowd to ignore logic in favor of their messianic crusade for a unipolar world.

I'm a child of the cold war, and I listen, attentively, to those who were our ostensible enemies in years past- the Russians, the Chinese, India, and other sources- and you know what their attitude towards this nation is?

"Look at this poor, fallen republic, who still seeks to dominate the world through arms- look at them, spending billions in an almost laughable attempt to hold together a word-spanning empire through sheer military force- all well and good, because while the USA is wasting money and prestige on military adventures, we'll just wait around for the inevitable aftermath, and inherit the ruins..."

Russia has virtually unlimited energy reserves- India is a tech superpower- and China has everything but fresh water. What do we have, other than the prestige our nation has garnered over the past half-century? Not much- other than our ability to float huge quantities of debt, on the basis of our fiat currency- and that isn't going to last very long- considering we're almost bankrupt, and Bush and the Neocons keep pushing us deeper and deeper into their own personal hell (If China called in all their investments tomorrow, we'd be screwed.)

Does this mean that this country is a lost cause? Hell, no- we might be in a dark time, now, but dammit- we're AMERICANS: Citizens of the good ol' USA- people who were a beacon of liberty, in times past, and can be again. No matter the obfuscations placed upon our identity by the likes of Karl Rove, and George Bush, we americans are good folks...

We just keep voting like idiots, is all...

Got a new video capture card, today, and this is my first grab. I know that posting Keith has become de rigeur on many liberal blogs- but that is not without good reason- Keith has distinguished himself as one of the most courageous voices on national television, today. He is intelligent, factual, consistent, and, in short, the kinda guy I wanna be when I grow up.

Tonight, just before Bush was to pre-empt broadcasting on all major networks, Keith used his last ten minutes on the air to deliver the most eloquent, comprehensive, and damning critique of this administration that I have ever heard, hands down.

I am loathe to become one of those who, like the misguided followers of Rush Limbaugh, surrender my voice or my opinion and merely "ditto" the chorus resounding from their partisain echo chamber. I rarely would say that any particular individual "speaks for me," regardless of their qualifications. That having been said, I will say that Keith has succeeded in summing up everything that's been going through my head, in the past 24 hours.

I'll be videoblogging for the folks over at democrats.com, in coming weeks- finally, I can start grabbing footage for a proper video project (and a new flash, as well!)

Ya gotta give ABC credit- rather than seeing the almost-universal condemnation of their slander-mentary "Path to 9/11" as a liability, they decided, in the vein so favored by The Connecticut Screech, to view scorn as free publicity.

Jeane Kirkpatrick, along with a diverse cadre of conservatives, liberals, and even the show's headlining talent- Harvey Keitel- have been issuing statements either condemning the series outright, or questioning the airing such a fallacious spectacle. I figured ABC would have smelled the coffee, and shunted the whole mess over to cable, as CBS did with their Reagan docudrama after the right wing raised a ruckus.

Well- I was wrong, and now, the whole issue of 9/11 is now burdened with yet another layer of obfuscating disinformation. What is worse, is that bunnypants himself will be giving his 9/11 warcry speech, smack-dab in the middle of episode two, this very eve...

Did I watch it? I was tempted, out of the same morbid curiosity that has made me a diehard fan of the Jerry Springer show- but hell- tonight saw the season premieres of Family Guy, The Simpsons, and American Dad, and there was no way I was gonna miss that. During a commercial break, I switched over, and what I was sorta looked like "Traffic", with camerawork that made me wonder if they had handed the camera over to someone suffering from severe cerebral palsy.

There's little I can add to the insanity of all this- Media Matters has made this series front-page stuff, for the past few days- and can fill you in on the gravity and scope of this matter, far better than I ever could...

Terrorism is not an entity, a state, nor is it an ideology. It may play a part in the implementation of all of the former, but, by definition, "terror", as a modern concept, is none of them. In this contemporary context, "terror" is a strategy- Not an end unto itself- but rather, a means to an end.

That end? The folks at Baader-Meinhof hit the nail on the head- they defined terrorism as a means to force people to act against their "class interest."

In other words, Andreas Baader, Ulricke Meinhof, and their cadre of nutjobs (Including the Sozialistisches Patientenkollektiv, a cell of mental patients who were diagnosed as being "driven mad by capitalism") believed that if they set off enough bombs on commuter rail lines, the government of the Bundesrepublik Deutschland (the erstwhile West Germany) would implement draconian security measures to thwart them.

Secret arrests- illegal detentions and wiretaps- suspension of the fundamental protections of law- suppression of free speech- you know the drill: A populace turned one against another in a paroxysm of fear and mutual suspicion and recrimination will accept anything, as long as those who are cracking down define their efforts as a "means to bring an end to the current crisis."

Sound familiar?

Osama Bin Laden and George Bush are different sides of the same coin- both want the same thing- the elimination of liberty, freedom, and all that is good and decent. They're working towards the same ends- but I doubt that either one knows it...

Tony Blair, who has distinguished himself as Bush's lapdog and the favorite european statesman of the republican party, has confirmed that he will resign as Labour Party leader within the next 12 months. Gordon Brown is the likely successor, and to be quite frank, I know jack-all about the guy. I'll have to spend the next few hours researching this...

Full story here.

Let it be known that I, and a hell of a lot of other folks out here, are getting sick of receiving e-mails from ya'll filled with feel-good nonsense, promising us the moon, come election time. I know you have to rally the base, but trust me- after three disastrous elections, and four years of being effectively shut out of government, liberals and progressives don't want someone to pat us on the back, and remind us that we're all good little boys and girls- we want to fight, and fight hard.

Sometimes, when I get these missives, I'm reminded of the stuff I got from the John Hagelin campaign, back in 2000 (which I followed, as a disinterested observer.) Their typical e-mail was full of flowery Maharishi Yogi-inspired ramblings, and you could count on the word "historic" being used at least four times in every paragraph. The 83,000 votes Hagelin received that year should serve as a testament as to how successful that sorta crapola is.

If you really want to get the troops going, here's what you gotta do: send us messages assuring us that you'll not tolerate more of the same petty, shallow, smear-and-fear foolishness that went unanswered in the previous two elections, and that you will go on the offensive, whenever this disgraceful tactic rears its ugly head. We're already stoked- we're already confident- we don't need cheerleaders- we need generals.

Give us less Freddie Mercury, and more GG Allin- less Al Franken, and more Mike Malloy- less Elaine Boozler, and more Bill Hicks.

I have oft stated that I don't cover 9/11 stuff here- ya know why? Because, as I predicted after the premature ending of the ill-funded and maligned 9/11 commission, the community that is dedicated to investigating the incidents of that dark day has turned into the JFK assassination conspiracy community on crack. If your outlook on the destruction of 7 WTC differs from one faction's particular outlook, you'll soon be getting death threats from that faction, while the others rip you to shreds, because you happen to point out conjectural evidence in favor of "pancaking", simply out of intellectual curiosity. During my short three and a half years maintaining a political website, I've gotten enough death threats and abusive e-mails to suit me until my dying day, thank you very much. (And, again, as I've stated time and again, there are a million and one sites out there dedicated to this topic, and they do a damned good job of muddying the waters by themselves, without my help.)

That having been said, ABC Television will be soon airing a "documentary" about the 9/11 attacks, titled "The Path to 9/11". This series, written by arch-conservative Cyrus Nowrasteh, once again tries to pin the blame on the then-out-of-power Clinton Administration, while falsely drawing repeated ties between the 9/11 attacks and Iraq, and casting the Bush administration as lilly-white crusaders for all that is virtuous and good. The network has, of course, defended the upcoming broadcast, saying that it is presented as a "dramatization", with disclaimers stating it as being such being used as bumpers between commercial breaks.

Okay- here's my problem with this excuse:

1: A five-second "bump" showing a line of white text against a black background just ain't gonna compete with two hours of flashy, high-production video entertainment. Half the audience won't even bother to read it, and the rest will be still rising from their toilet seats, by the time the disclaimer fades from the screen.

2: The american public, lamentably, is able to suspend disbelief to an extraordinary measure, when it comes to television. Currently, jury pools that are called into judge homicide cases are given a routine "CSI: Las Vegas isn't the real world" lecture. The folks who are producing this 6-hour-long extravaganza of misinformation know very well the power they wield over their audiences, and in creating this series, are being grossly irresponsible.

3: ABC is providing copies of this "dramatization" free to schools, along with a Scholastic "Study Guide" (currently offline, following massive and universal criticism.) If this is supposed to be fiction, why the hell is the network selling it as an educational tool to public school classrooms?

You can read a full and comprehensive run-down of why this whole affair sucks ass, here. You can take action, and demand that the series never be aired, here- but don't expect ABC to pay attention- they blew a ton of cash producing this foolishness, and I doubt they're willing to take the loss, and fill 6 hours of prime time TV with re-runs of "Dancing with the Stars."

(Oh- and as a side note- I really am disheartened to see one of my favorite actors, Harvey Keitel, was a part of this. Harvey- you were great as a alcoholic voyeuristic crackhead homosexual rapist cop in "Bad Lieutenant", and you OWNED "Reservoir Dogs"... You are the only white person that Spike Lee has ever portrayed in his films as even remotely likeable- why the hell did you have to go and take a dump on your career, like this?)

My Malloy petition, after a few days online, has only garnered about 700 signatures, while the one run by the folks at Air America Phoenix boasts almost 10,000. I urge everyone to sign their petiton, now. My (admittedly pitiful) petition will be sent to Air America, tomorrow, along with a statement informing them of the much larger petition developed by AAR Phoenix.

A patriot is a person who loves his or her country. Who among you loves your country so much that you have come here today to raise your voice out of deep concern for our nation--and for our world?

And who among you loves your country so much that you insist that our nation's leaders tell us the truth?

Let's hear it: "Give us the truth! Give us the truth! Give us the truth!"

Let no one deny we are patriots. We love our country, we hold dear the values upon which our nation was founded, and we are distressed at what our President, his Administration, and our Congress are doing to, and in the name of, our great nation.

Blind faith in bad leaders is not patriotism.

A patriot does not tell people who are intensely concerned about their country to just sit down and be quiet; to refrain from speaking out in the name of politeness or for the sake of being a good host; to show slavish, blind obedience and deference to a dishonest, war-mongering, human-rights-violating President.

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As has become evident over the past 24 hours, the Bush Bowl is pulling out all the stops in the last two months before the midterms. After Rumsfeld's sterling performance that impugned the morality and intelligence of a majority of the people in this country, Idiot boy wandered up to the podium in Salt Lake City, and really delivered the goods:

After four years of hearing the right-wing noise machine call us who have opposed this war from the beginning "Traitors" and "Un-American", we're also, apparently, the inheritors of the legacy of those who appeased Hitler, and communist fifth columnists.

Now, even the corporate media isn't buying this line, and this leaves the right in a sad position: They're pretty much one-trick ponies, when it comes to campaigning on this issue (which is the only one they have left), and they have two more long months to drag this out.

The whole nazi/commie thing is gonna wear out quick, and then, you're left with no option other than to issue terror alerts on a daily basis, until election day.

Now, never let it be said that I'm not a magnanimous soul- tonight, I hand the republicans a sure-fire way to build this whole historically-myopic pageant that they're trying to weave into something that will last until election time...

Karl Rove? Are you listening, you fat blister-whelk? Here's what I propose- why not expand the historical focus of your mudslinging? I mean- you've never let the standards of decency stand in your way, when it comes to electing scumbags- why not break the laws of space and time, while you're at it, and compare democrats to famous charlatains and appeasers of the FUTURE?

Think of the possibilities:

		I'D RATHER FIGHT THEM IN THE GAMMA QUADRANT, THAN THE ALPHA QUADRANT...
		Those who question this essential battle in Iraq are the ideological equivalent of the misguided Vorta clone-race, who, despite their best intentions, remain unthinking slaves to their changeling masters. Make no mistake, these people are good, patriotic Americans and Bejorans, but have no true knowledge of what would certainly happen, should we withdraw from the fight. If we don't fight them in the Gamma Quadrant, they'll pour through the wormhole, and before you know it, we'll be fighting the Jem'Hadar in the streets of Risa, maybe even Earth, itself!

		VOTE REPUBLICAN: THE EMPEROR WILLS IT.
		These "cut-and-runners" remind me of the dark days of the Horus Heresy, when the forces of Chaos were knocking on the door of Holy Terra Itself. I would bet that Cindy Sheehan and Ned Lamont would have been among those who cheered, when Patriarch Sanguinas fell before the Chaos Demon at the gates of the imperial palace. True, these misguided agents of Slaanesh mean well- but they don't know the true horrors that await the Imperium of Man, should the Great Crusade fail. Be pure- be vigilant- behave!

		IF WE LEAVE IRAQ, THEN GAIUS BALTAR WINS.
		When I hear people telling me that it's time to produce a timeline for withdrawal in Iraq, I'm reminded of those who voted for the collaborationist Dr. Baltar, rejecting the wise leadership of Laura Roslyn. Yes- New Caprica has wide-open spaces, but hell- you're living in TENTS, for the gods' sake! I'm sure that the democrats who criticise our leadership would be more than willing to live under the occupation of the cylons- that doesn't mean they're bad people- it just means that love toasters more than humans.

		YOU GONNA LET NARNS RUN ALL OVER THE PLACE?
		Yeah, we sent Bolton to the League of Non-Aligned worlds, but for some reason, the Vorlons and the Minbari just don't want to face the enemy that's staring us in the face. When the Babylon 5 station seceded from the Earth Alliance, I hear they had Harry Belafonte playing at Sheridan's dinner parties! Let's get down to brass tacks- when Harry Reid keeps raising a ruckus about the well-deserved no-bid contracts to Haliburton, he just as well be handing the shadows the key to Centauri Prime...

Yeah, Yeah- I hear ya, Karl- this is idiocy- but hell- a majority of the republican base still believes that the fable of Noah's Ark is historical fact- if they can swallow that, it's a small leap to have them believe that Captain Kirk is alive and well, and sitting at the helm of the Enterprise...

Oh- one last thing Karl- have I told you, this evening, how much I hate you? All Kidding aside, I really, really, REALLY hate you.

Bush and his cadre haven't learned a thing- this "new" speech is the same bullplop we've been hearing for the past five damned years.

How stupid do they think we are? No- wait- please don't answer that...

Mike Malloy has announced, via his website, that Air America Radio has cancelled his show. This is a truly lamentable blunder by that network.

While the majority of Air America's lineup has always struck me as a tad too "genteel" for my tastes, I always could count on two folks- Mike Malloy and Randi Rhodes- to deliver the goods. They were the only two veteran broadcasters brought on to the network, and always had the best shows.

As much as I love Randi, Mike was my favorite. I had been a fan of his, back when he had a similar show at the now-defunct I.E. America network, and was overjoyed the day I learned that he had reappeared on Air America. Mike has been a nightly companion for years now, and to know that his voice has now been silenced, just sucks.

If you don't know who Mike Malloy is, an archive of his programs is hosted at the White Rose Society. Download any of his shows, and you'll see why Mike's brand of talk radio is so desperately needed, in these times.

I have never posted media in the middle column, full-sized, but in this case, I have to make an exception- this is just simply wonderful.

The number one hit on my comedy parade, these days, is seeing Monkey Boy try to pronounce the word "Islamo-Fascists." Somehow, his primitive speech center can't handle two sibilants joined with a plosive, and it comes out as "Islamo-Fashishtsh." Sometimes, he gets self-conscious, and pronounces "fascist" as "fas-kissed."

Now, I have a rule to go by, when it comes to the verbal arts: If the speaker doesn't know how to pronounce a word, it's a dead cert that the speaker doesn't know what that word means.

Now, every good liberal knows the internet meme that is (falsely) attributed to Mussolini (the first fascist head of state):

"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power."

Fascism is a far deeper pool than that- I'll refer anyone interested in the nuances to Mussolini's "The Doctrine of Fascism."

In modern parlance, the term "fascist" has come to be used as a general epithet towards anything considered to be authoritarian. However, this interpretation of the term bears no resemblance to the context in which it is used in the Bush Bowl:

The term "fascist" has been dredged up, as part of the new effort to legitimize the horrific debacle Iraq has become. They tried "Weapons of Mass Destruction", "Mission Accomplished", "Bringing democracy to the middle east", and so on, and so forth. However, these soundbites lost their resonance as the years have drawn on, and dangit- reality is a bitch, for people whose primary occupation is to sell fantasy drenched in the blood of children.

Now, these weavers of dreams have come up with a new spin: "Let's just call 'em Nazis, and try to sell this as WW2, part 2"

So- this is how we enter the campaign season- Monkey Boy is telling us we're fighting WW2, all over again. I'm trying to figure it all out, and really, there are only three possibilities:

1: Bin Laden, Mullah Omar, Zarquawi are, indeed, Fascists. As leaders of a stateless, loosely-knit network of operatives and cells, they've figured that the best way to run their organization is a template laid out my a bunch of european authoritarian types almost a century ago. They saw old newsreels of Mussolini, and thought "gee- I wish I had a balcony, from which I could scream and posture." Thus, their insidious plan is laid bare- these terrorists are car-bombing because they believe in a hierarchal obverse meritocracy where authority is granted by those above, rather than by democratic means. Their goal? A bald, screaming fat italian dude on a balcony on every streetcorner of the world- it's a NIGHTMARE, I tells ya.

2: Alla the nazis killed in world war two rose from their graves, and strode the earth for 50 years as anonymous zombies, finally settling accross the middle east, where they now live lives as impressionable young muslim men.

3: Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, Wolfowitz, and Bolton are talking out of their asses.

Maybe it'll all become clearer, tomorrow.

I've been out of touch with the world, for the past month, and today's my first day back here, paying attention to news. I see there's something about a decade-old murder case that no one gives a rat's ass about, a plane going down- and as usual, not much of a peep about what's going on in Iraq, where the slaughter continues, unabated (60 more Iraqis died while I was eating my bagel this morning- can I take this to mean that George W. Bush square hasn't opened in Baghdad, yet?) I still haven't made it through the hundreds of articles sent to me during the past month, but after skimming about 40, it looks like the same idiocy that was plaguing the nation and the world is heading apace, in greater strides.

Expecting different would have been folly- but I hoped there would be a few rays of sunshine...

It'll take me another couple of days to get up to speed- I still haven't rifled through Crooks & Liars, yet- but in lieu of anything political, just yet, I present a few new media items, and few new pics in the gallery, and: