tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-301772392011-11-27T19:37:03.945-05:00Something just doesn't add up...FearItselfnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1501100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-71220411779333456262008-08-29T22:21:00.002-04:002008-08-29T22:26:04.600-04:00

You know, I was thinking I just might start posting here again. I'm not sure, of course, as I have been terribly busy with other things. But I was reading my stuff a moment ago (which I do from time to time because I get quite a kick out of myself sometimes -- all blogging is an exercise in narcissism to some extent after all) and started to miss the process of dumping my demented thoughts into

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-21101838649548523162007-10-08T19:28:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:32.677-05:00

Thom Hartmann brings us this special Columbus Day message from ol' Christopher himself:Columbus and his men also used the Taino as sex slaves: it was a common reward for Columbus’ men for him to present them with local women to rape. As he began exporting Taino as slaves to other parts of the world, the sex-slave trade became an important part of the business, as Columbus wrote to a friend in

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-72390580835982330092007-10-05T09:26:00.000-04:002007-10-05T09:33:30.749-04:00

This is kind of old but, since I'm seeing it for the first time, it's not old to me.A little civics lesson for the chirrens, because they are the future.

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-71475603306298427432007-09-29T18:40:00.000-04:002007-09-29T19:34:12.529-04:00

I've always known that the real, whole truth of the Iraq War, if ever revealed, would be far worse than even I imagine it. That's probably still the case even today. As we fall further into the rabbit hole, Juan Cole brings us more on the Spanish "Downing Street Memo" in a very worthwhile post(via Empire Blurlesque).For a devastating take on the latest confirmation of Bush's criminal intent to

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-34842322275394087982007-09-29T10:33:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:32.808-05:00

Truncation. It'll get you every time.This is what happened when the good people at Access Hollywood decided to cover Elizabeth Taylor and her new boyfriend...Yes, that's right. It's Liz Taylor, a black man and caption that reads, "Liz Taylor: Ready to get hit..."The actual headline, truncated by the link, reads, "Liz Taylor: Ready to get hitched again?"I just thought that was funny. Carry on.

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-48129163263554944492007-09-29T08:25:00.001-04:002009-06-02T23:08:27.228-04:00

I'd actually intended to do a lot less Iraq War blogging going forward, figuring that 1) others had the subject pretty well covered, 2) I'd pretty much summed it up with this post and 3) I don't want my blog to be just another collection of links. But, as will happen from time to time, something comes up that is impossible to ignore. I give you the Spanish "Downing Street" Memo, courtesy

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-84373426540320177502007-09-24T17:41:00.001-04:002007-09-29T19:27:37.936-04:00

I know this may come as a shock to people who follow major broadcast and print news in the US but it's true. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian President, is not - I repeat, not - the ruler of Iran.He does not set national policy.He does not command Iran's armed forces.He cannot pursue a nuclear weapons program without explicit permission (which he does not have).He cannot order attacks on Israel

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-86687057158372513562007-09-03T08:28:00.001-04:002007-09-03T13:48:32.761-04:00

Among the many contradictions rife in "conservative ideology", such as it is, is their penchant for accusing their critics of wanting to "blame America first". This meme is usually trotted out whenever someone criticizes certain aspects of US foreign policy. The first and most glaring contradiction inherent in this tactic is the fact that it is these very "conservatives" who tell us incessantly

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-83295308863455830662007-09-03T08:23:00.001-04:002007-09-29T19:32:15.017-04:00

I haven't been posting much lately, choosing to spend more time on other things. But there are some topics I've been wanting to write about for some time. I've decided it makes more sense to grit my teeth and once again and wage my existential struggle against the Blogger editor in order to post them here than to continue to flood my friends' and family's e-mail with them. So, enough with this

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-61026036014458431582007-06-10T09:12:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:33.236-05:00

Miscellaneous items of note:Empire Burlesque: Seasons in Hell: Voices From the American GulagThe Independent has a remarkable story on Sami al-Haj, the Sudanese journalist who has been held in George W. Bush's concentration camp in Guantanamo Bay for five years. Haj has not been charged with any crime, but he is undoubtedly guilty of a grave sin in the eyes of the Bush Regime: he is a cameraman

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-18056287532943955732007-06-08T22:49:00.000-04:002007-06-12T10:27:13.039-04:00

I just saw this on Glenn Greenwald's blog:I see that Hilzoy this morning is discussing an amazing new report (.pdf) issued jointly by six human rights groups concerning 39 individuals whose whereabouts are unknown and at least some of whom, it seems quite likely, the U.S. has simply "disappeared," secretly holding in detention. Among the disappeared, Hilzoy highlights, are likely children as

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-43830114255308093712007-06-08T13:50:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:33.368-05:00

Per this AP story, our counterproductive Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice was at it again today:Rice: US pursues own missile planBy MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Writer 16 minutes agoNEW YORK - The United States will pursue its own plans to put a missile defense in Eastern Europe despite Russia's surprise suggestion to locate it outside the region, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told The

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-81317277345859519032007-06-06T14:19:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:33.761-05:00

Authorities have identified the mastermind behind the recent spate of terror plots hatched by dastardly Caribbean allies of Al Qaeda. The suspect is shown here in recently-released footage from a training video found during a raid of an alleged Al Qaeda safe house cleverly disguised as a beef pattie stand:Boo, unlikely Caribbean Islamic extremist!Hooray, FEAR!The Nexus of Politics and Terror

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-11761101436508862102007-06-06T11:47:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:33.988-05:00

Why does Ron Paul hate public education?A lot of people have been getting excited about Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul (R-TX) lately after his performances in the recent Republican primary debates, his appearance on The Daily Show and Bill Maher's glowing endorsement of him on his show, Real Time. Clearly, he has done a very good job of positioning himself as a new kind of "maverick

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-42730044779194872412007-06-05T12:26:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:34.170-05:00

[Cue mysterious-sounding music]In a world where domestic budget surpluses abound.......where international weapons inspectors can completely disarm a tyrant......and the "communist threat" suddenly vanishes......all your hopes and dreams for a global Armageddon hang in the balance. Now, there's only one man you can turn to... "I'm the commander guy!" New, from the the makers of..."Big Brother

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-46771715805493763492007-05-28T13:34:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:34.411-05:00

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, here's your response for the next time some closet bigot or one of their enablers asks you why the folks in the 9th Ward of New Orleans can't "get their act together" like those can-do, salt-of-the-earth, real Americans in Mississippi...Since Katrina, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has received heaps of praise for his political savvy -- and ability to

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-74688395505846391102007-05-28T08:13:00.000-04:002007-06-08T12:52:35.562-04:00

A couple of months ago Tom Englehardt, in an article I referenced here, wrote in amazement about the lack of media coverage of the apparent support the Bush administration was giving to Sunni extremists groups in Lebanon, some of whom are known to be sympathetic to Al Qaeda. I repost his remarks here:Let me see if I've got this straight. Perhaps two years ago, an "informal" meeting of "veterans"

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-9450319454121616672007-05-25T06:35:00.000-04:002007-05-25T07:04:14.578-04:00

As you well know by now, American Strongman George W. Bush held a press conference in which he once again invoked Al Qaeda as a justification for everything he does. Some of the reporters present tried to challenge this tired old framing by asking him direct questions about his utter failure to capture Bin Laden after nearly 6 years. But at this point it seems clear to me that this is a waste

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-9441436303915106332007-05-12T23:58:00.000-04:002007-05-13T00:00:48.941-04:00

This is old but I'm seeing it for the first time. Regardless, it's too funny to not post...

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-52776013581296205172007-04-04T08:44:00.000-04:002007-04-04T08:56:41.786-04:00

I caught this video on C&L today:Who is really in charge here?

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-47555396357397912062007-03-17T20:01:00.000-04:002007-04-04T09:19:28.340-04:00

"Creative destruction is our middle name, both within our own society and abroad. We tear down the old order every day, from business to science, literature, art, architecture, and cinema to politics and the law. Our enemies have always hated this whirlwind of energy and creativity, which menaces their traditions (whatever they may be) and shames them for their inability to keep pace. … They must

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-49999178660666630492007-03-17T18:05:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:34.564-05:00

Fox News is a complete joke.Nearly a month after CNN thoroughly debunked its preposterous "madrasa" smear of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, Fox News, amazingly, is still peddling revised versions of this steaming loaf of journalistic dung. I quote none other than the former journalist, Brit Hume, directly:New Information on Whether Barack Obama Was Once a Practicing MuslimNever

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-72777799688562985562007-03-15T16:00:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:35.004-05:00

Apocalypticism in Action"We’re conducting military operations inside Iran right now. The evidence is overwhelming. From both the Iranians, Americans, and from Congressional sources."Col. Sam GardinerArmy War CollegeCNN, September 18, 2006I call attention to my earlier allusions to the Bush Administration's penchant for apocalyptic thinking here, here and here to provide context for what's going

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-50820580789352672612007-03-14T16:53:00.001-04:002008-12-09T05:22:35.105-05:00

Via Kottke.Org:Among the many interesting things in Online Journalism Review's article about using eyetracking to increase the effectiveness of news article design is this odd result:Although both men and women look at the image of George Brett when directed to find out information about his sport and position, men tend to focus on private anatomy as well as the face. For the women, the face is

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-70352890117999246012007-03-13T15:20:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:35.202-05:00

I "Dugg" this one a moment ago...Wouldn't you like to know where Dick Cheney puts his money? Then you'd know whether his "deficits don't matter" claim is just baloney or not.Well, as it turns out, Kiplinger Magazine ran an article based on Cheney's financial disclosure statement and, sure enough, found out that the VP is lying to the American people for the umpteenth time. Deficits do matter and

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-76419979843949355442007-03-13T14:52:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:35.725-05:00

I accept responsibility...Attorney General Alberto Gonzales acknowledged that mistakes were made and accepted responsibility Tuesday for the way eight federal prosecutors were fired.At a news conference Tuesday, Gonzales said he would find out what went wrong but said he would not resign. "I acknowledge that mistakes were made here. I accept that responsibility," Gonzales said amid growing calls

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-51068138208278641532007-03-11T20:48:00.001-04:002007-03-11T21:45:48.163-04:00

As alluded to in previous posts, much is made of the state of Israel's "right to exist" and I have called into the question whether it really is Israel whose "right to exist" is genuinely threatened. But there's another weakness in this framing of the conflict that I neglected. The entire argument is nonsensical on its face. In a piece in the Los Angeles Times today entitled, Why Does The

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-58318913867694555952007-03-10T08:48:00.000-05:002007-03-10T09:51:00.186-05:00

Davida Sirota, in a post entitled "Dems' Big Middle Finger to the American Voter", explains why we all need to be wary of politicians from both parties, particularly when it comes to Iraq (one party more so than another, yes, but still...) In the Washington Post's solid writeup of the debate over Iraq in the House, a faction of Democrats continues to attack the very Election 2006 mandate they

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-53288591827647695392007-03-01T16:20:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:22:35.901-05:00

This is the kind of post The Fear of All Sums was really created to cover, people playing mind games with words and figures like this.In an essay entitled, The Words None Dare Say: Nuclear War, George Lakoff, Professor of Linguistics at UC Berkley, breaks down the way Strongman George Bush's insane plans are being soft-pedaled in the media...The elimination of Natanz would be a major setback for

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-915455199176451042007-02-28T12:10:00.000-05:002007-03-03T03:01:09.304-05:00

Condoleeza Rice recently made a comment about how the excitement around Barack Obama's candidacy showed how far blacks had come in America. I'd have to agree with her for once but, at the same time, her remarks made me think of a Chris Rock routine, "The Black Progress Chart". I can just picture it in my mind:"Barack Obama runs for President? Moooooovin' on up!""Condi Rice speaks in public?

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-28415079141088356952007-02-19T15:26:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:22:35.973-05:00

Abandoning any pretense of not being a complete joke, the High Lord & Protector of the Realm today compared his war on terrah with the American Revolution, I shit you not.President Bush honored the 275th birthday of the nation's first president on Monday, likening George Washington's long struggle that gave birth to a nation to the war on global terrorism."Today, we're fighting a new war to

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-74515595044314441322007-02-19T08:44:00.000-05:002007-03-03T03:04:33.639-05:00

Last month the Washington Post ran this bit of head-slapping idiocy by Liz Cheney, daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney, flogging the strictly Dickly meme that opposition to Maximum Ruler's "troope surge" is unpatriotic, helps the terrorists and is hurting the troops. To be sure, the piece is barely worthy of the bottom of a bird cage and I certainly can't fault anyone who feels moved to slam

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-71733909370536523672007-02-19T05:45:00.000-05:002007-03-03T03:05:31.648-05:00

A British news team explores the underreported side of the conflict in Iraq. I've added this one to the side bar as a Web Gem.

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-89910270665231890612007-02-17T09:32:00.000-05:002007-03-03T03:08:58.577-05:00

I've been tossing this thing around in my head for some time now, trying to figure a way to summarize all the propaganda surrounding Dear Leader's glorious march to another war in a single post. I've not been successful thus far, such a mess it is. Then along comes The Daily Show to once again show us how it's done: ...and here:Once again, unfortunately, these clips come with an expiration date

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-35930699996805223792007-02-15T07:50:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:22:36.202-05:00

Every time I think I'm ready to post something comprehensive about the selling of our next big war-for-no-reason-at-all I find myself knocked down and overwhelmed by another gust of hot air. We are being inundated at this time by a barrage of amazingly transparent propaganda accompanied by almost no common-sense analysis.It is truly breathtaking to watch the machine at work, I must admit and I

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-66957459098009260852007-02-14T09:01:00.000-05:002007-03-03T03:08:30.057-05:00

The Daily Show's "Senior Black Correspondent", Larry Wilmore, breaks down the Obama Presidential run...Unfortunately, this clip comes with an expiration date of March 12, 2007. To view the clip after this date visit Crooks & Liars here.

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-33752731742030292262007-02-13T07:24:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:22:36.566-05:00

Once again Russian President Vladimir Putin has sparked controversy for daring to tell the truth about US foreign policy, an unforgivable sin.We all remember July of last year when Putin landed a shot right between the eyes of the American President in a response to US criticism of his commitment to democracy. It was a real knee-slapper.This past weekend he was at it again. At a security

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-68937045570034568512007-02-12T16:40:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:22:36.696-05:00

Before this gets completely lost in the shuffle of our inexorable drive towards another war, I thought I should at least make a passing reference to this well-documented but little discussed fact. The very people who are now telling us that the supposed nuclear weapons threat posed by Iran is the most important thing in the world right now are the same people who saw fit to blow the cover of a

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-73505165590117619382007-02-11T17:13:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:22:36.964-05:00

Whenever the subject of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is raised much is made of what is called "Israel's right to exist" and the justification for its actions in light of this right. But much less is made of either the Palestinian right to exist or the fact that Israel is largest military power in the "middle-east" region today while Palestine has no military to think of. With that in mind,

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-91711123985687476312007-02-11T11:19:00.000-05:002007-03-03T03:11:02.722-05:00

Whenever I read Chris Floyd's Empire Burlesque I get a strange feeling of deja vu, as if I'm reading my own thoughts penned by a better writer. Writing about the latest Milleresque propaganda -- crying out for Iranian blood -- splashed across the pages of the New York Times, Floyd touches on a point about the "surge" that I've been stuck on for some time. Floyd writes:But what's most notable

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-81273602977862850932007-02-09T14:39:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:22:37.065-05:00

Gary Unger, author of House of Bush, House of Saud upon which much of Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 was based, has written an extensive essay for Vanity Fair dealing with the parallels between the propaganda leading to the invasion of Iraq and what we're hearing today about Iran. I don't have much to add because Unger lays it all out so plainly. I'll let this extended excerpt speak for itself

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-87915372944848616862007-02-08T06:55:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:22:37.910-05:00

"Bush's new budget asks for an astounding $745 billion in defense spending. Will Congress give it to him?"Continuing on our occupation theme, Ari Berman at The Nation magazine has written a very relevant piece about the new budget released by His Majesty this week.Need proof that George W. Bush is not planning to withdraw US troops from Iraq on his watch? Just look at his latest budget.The Bush

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-37145957719867020732007-02-06T23:43:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:22:38.058-05:00

I quote him again:"As anyone who studies the behavior of the U.S. empire during the last century discovers a common factor; every time the US are going to attack someone, they don’t do it right away, they start by preparing the terrain of their internal public opinion, one of the things that worries them the most....That way, when they launch the attack, they obtain the support of a big part of

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-5839737906982146612007-02-03T11:17:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:22:38.407-05:00

I'm a little late posting this one but it's worth a look anyway. Former President Jimmy Carter appeared on NPR recently to defend his new book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. Carter has predictably come under attack from supporters of Israel's government and its policies over his use of the term "Apartheid". Carter defends himself well against these attacks and certainly doesn't seem to need

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-89780301959799224532007-02-02T17:58:00.000-05:002007-03-03T03:15:36.119-05:00

A voice from the past. Is anyone listening? What's going on?

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-34665395534528732082007-01-28T21:33:00.000-05:002007-03-03T03:18:54.096-05:00

This is being posted, if for no other reason, because CBS refuses to air it and all the sad and sorry truths about our media that their refusal symbolizes. The segment in question -- "Battle for Haifa Street" -- is a piece of first-rate journalism but one that appears only on the CBS News website -- and has never been broadcast. It is a gritty, realistic look at life on the very mean streets of

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-39981980256930005422007-01-23T14:37:00.000-05:002007-03-03T03:18:25.129-05:00

I think this AP story serves as a good follow-up to the "The" vs "A" post from a few days ago. That earlier post dealt with the use of language to control the terms of a debate, focusing on the use of indefinite article "the" to reinforce false assumptions (e.g., "What are we to do about the WMD in Iraq"). The following excerpt is an example of same technique applied this time by the use of the

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-42176606590640826132007-01-20T15:25:00.000-05:002007-03-03T03:18:00.426-05:00

I just saw this on Crooks & Liars and I'm just speechless (well, almost). It is an excerpt of an independent transcript of an exchange between your Attorney General of the United States of America, Alberto "V05" Gonzalez and Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) on the writ of habeas corpus in US law. Get a load of this:Specter: Now wait a minute, wait a minute. The Constitution says you can't take it

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-45737572271537341872007-01-18T23:48:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:22:38.598-05:00

Yesterday, January 17th, was the 46th anniversary of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's famous farewell address, the speech most credited with introducing the Military-Industrial Complex to the American consciousness. I know this has been posted a thousand times in a thousand different blogs. But that's for good reason given the state of our world and today. This man, for all his achievements,

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-4551277416480144052007-01-17T21:50:00.001-05:002007-03-03T03:20:24.390-05:00

This is my kind of article. A psychology professor breaks down one glaring example of the use of language to control the terms of the debate. In this case he looks at the impact of the indefinite article:American psychologist, Elizabeth Loftus, and her colleagues have shown how rhetorical tricks can make people misconceive reality. In one study by Loftus and Zanni (1975), people were shown a

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-63930435883573704092007-01-16T12:51:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:22:38.723-05:00

From Pat Begley of the Salt Lake Tribune:

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-14542001421999868892007-01-13T06:55:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:22:38.811-05:00

Via Norm at OneGoodMove.Org, the programming lineup following the President's speech:There's poetry all around you, if you just look for it.

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-3604928467592460862007-01-13T05:51:00.000-05:002007-03-03T03:23:52.357-05:00

A buddy of mine joked recently that these BushCo people are making me look like a genius. I got a good laugh out of that one but I'm here to tell you that it just ain't so. It's not them and I'm not a genius or an insider. The truth is that I simply have a fool-proof method for dead-on-balls accurate political punditocritizin' and, for a limited time, I'm willing to share my secrets with the

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-17270131309044144832007-01-09T22:09:00.000-05:002007-03-03T03:24:57.787-05:00

Following up on my previous post, I've run across two articles online that further examine the nature of the US occupation of Iraq and the coming escalation. The first comes from Michael Klare in the The Nation. Are you wondering why would the US would put a naval man in charge of the land-based CENTCOM forces in the middle-east? Klare explains:Part of the explanation for this move, of course,

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-83188265791594294112007-01-07T09:20:00.000-05:002007-03-03T03:26:05.993-05:00

The Sunday Times of London is reporting that Israel is planning a nuclear strike against Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities. The strike is described as involving conventional nukes to open a tunnel underground after which "tactical" nuclear weapons (that's "weapons", with an 's') are to be used to destroy the facilities.Israel has already issued a denial of the report.An aside: If you do a

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-23164066820962800962007-01-01T13:46:00.000-05:002007-03-03T03:14:27.416-05:00

Every now and then I find myself in "enemy" territory.For instance, I was invited to a small New Year's Eve gathering by some relatively new acquaintances. I understand that many of my views are hard for some folks to swallow at first glance. They cut against the "mainstream", nightly news grain so I don't walk into new environments with pistols blazing or anything. But sometime during the

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-62764615374560154472006-12-30T08:33:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:22:39.175-05:00

[Federally-mandated "I don't like Saddam either" disclaimer*]Not that Saddam Hussein deserves any sympathy but...[Start actual blog entry]I ran across a story on the execution of Saddam Hussein this morning and upon seeing this accompanying photo couldn't help but notice how familiar it looks.Is there anything about this image that significantly differs from any of the other snuff videos we've

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-78960901790319536032006-11-30T23:13:00.000-05:002006-11-30T23:47:01.835-05:00

NOTE: I really am composing my follow-up to the Dixie topic, believe me. I just suffer a bit from blogger ADD and all this interesting stuff keeps coming up, like this one. Former President Jimmy Carter has penned a new book critical of Israel and US policy in Palestine entitled, "Palestine: Peace, Not Apartheid" . With regard to that title I humbly give reference to an earlier post from

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-88445410392220045852006-11-23T20:56:00.000-05:002006-11-23T21:05:53.881-05:00

I'll get back to the Tom Schaller stuff soon enough. In the meantime I'm enjoying my holiday, getting all fat and happy. So, while it's still not too late, please by all means have a Happy Thanksgiving with your family, friends, the meal with all the trimings, the big game......or whatever it is you enjoy.

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-53003279808103300932006-11-20T17:58:00.000-05:002006-11-20T18:44:07.651-05:00

In my earlier post I republished several bullet points posted at The Gadflyer by Tom Schaller to explain why he believes this month's mid-term elections vindicated his position outlined in his book, "Whistling Past Dixie". The following is the first installment of my unsolicited, point-for-point rejoinder, adjusted to reflect the corrected criteria outlined in the update to my original post:1)

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-45420002453570542222006-11-20T07:19:00.000-05:002006-11-20T08:21:00.414-05:00

I'll get back to the Tom Schaller stuff soon enough, but this just has to be posted...Hersh: CIA Analysis Finds Iran Not Developing Nuclear Weapons Agence France-PresseSunday 19 November 2006Washington - A classified draft CIA assessment has found no firm evidence of a secret drive by Iran to develop nuclear weapons, as alleged by the White House, a top US investigative reporter has said.

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-9891397868008666942006-11-11T22:43:00.000-05:002006-11-18T13:38:25.931-05:00

Tom Schaller speaks! Responding in The Gadflyer to Joshua Holland's post, which echos many of my critiques of Schaller's Whistling Past Dixie, Schaller offers the following bullet points to explain why this election vindicates his position:Sure, we can cherry pick here and there to find southern wins. And I never said there would never be southern wins at any level, ever again. But let's look

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-30266620811684479672006-11-09T01:17:00.000-05:002006-11-20T14:58:12.441-05:00

With Tuesday's long-overdue and merciful election results now a reality some of the folks on The Gadflyer -- a blog I really enjoy reading, just so you know I'm not sniping at them -- have taken this as an opportunity to unite in praise of one Tom Schaller, author of Whistling Past Dixie: How the Democrats Can Win Without the South.Before I begin with my reservations about that, I have to

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-11120472581388485182006-11-08T12:22:00.000-05:002006-11-08T14:35:42.662-05:00

I've made reference to how glad I am to have seemingly been wrong about about another round of apparently massive electoral fraud being on the horizon for these elections. So, to discuss my wrongness in greater depth, I think it's appropriate check out Glenn Greenwald, one of my favorite bloggers, who has a very good and interesting post up at Crooks & Liars about the meaning of the Democratic

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-7501964890903890292006-11-08T02:02:00.000-05:002006-11-08T02:22:21.019-05:00

Well, this is a pleasant surprise and relief!The House went down and it went down hard. All fall down! The majority has literally flipped.Say hello to your new Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, John Conyers.Say hello to your new Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Charles Rangel.Say hello to your new Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.The Senate is still slightly up in the

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-53716256200385960012006-11-07T17:03:00.000-05:002006-11-07T17:28:20.183-05:00

I'm watching Wolf Blitzer on CNN today and Ken Mehlman is on talking about how unreliable exit polling is, how it all has an inherent bias. He had the nerve to cite the 2000, 2002 and 2004 elections as proof that exit polling is problematic. This is a man who speaks for a government that promotes the use of exit polling themselves to as a means of safeguarding elections in several nations:The

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-82104393605317810912006-11-07T10:09:00.000-05:002006-11-07T11:10:02.227-05:00

In the wake Daniel Ortega's apparent victory in Nicaragua's presidential election yesterday I made reference to the following comments of an official at the US Embassy in Managua:The U.S. Embassy said it was too soon to "make an overall judgment on the fairness and transparency of the process...""We are receiving reports of some anomalies in the electoral process, including polling stations that

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-1327193195778128082006-11-07T06:39:00.000-05:002006-11-07T06:51:24.846-05:00

I'm going to vote this morning. In the evening I'll try to find a good place to track the election returns live and in real time. I did this during the '04 election and it was very interesting to see how the initial returns all changed and moved uniformly in a Bushwardly direction, one after the other. States where Kerry had a large lead all narrowed. States where Kerry had a small lead went

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-77985300636558969402006-11-06T19:55:00.000-05:002006-11-06T21:41:51.255-05:00

It's back to the future in Nicaragua: Daniel Ortega wins Nicaragua presidencyBy TRACI CARL, Associated Press WriterMANAGUA, Nicaragua - Former Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega appeared headed for victory Monday in his longtime quest to regain power, 16 years after a U.S.-backed rebellion helped drive the former Marxist revolutionary from office. Early results from Sunday's presidential election

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-29633057002418527372006-11-06T19:18:00.000-05:002006-11-06T19:38:48.408-05:00

I have watched with great amusement the recent parade of neo-conservative pundits and politicos across my television screen denouncing Bush and Rumsfeld for their "incompetence" in handling the war. Here we have nearly the entire body of the neo-con movement stumbling over themselves to hold a televised John Kerry-alike contest. Watching people Andrew Sullivan and Richard Pearl attack Bush's

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-27071812672912011532006-11-04T11:42:00.000-05:002006-11-04T12:35:53.771-05:00

I really enjoyed this little baseball-induced hiatus, I must tell you. Watching my favorite boys of summer throw a big pie in the faces of all the supposed experts was very, very satisfying. Watching Jeff Weaver's moment in the sun, shutting down his old team to deny them the World Series title they seemingly felt entitled to was absolutely priceless. Yes, I enjoyed this quite a bit.After

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-22191520831123514072006-10-27T23:43:00.000-04:002006-10-28T01:52:48.957-04:00

2006 World Series Champions!Tigers - 2 Cards - 4 FINALSt. Louis WINS 2006 World Series 4-1The St. Louis Cardinals wrapped up their National League best 10th World Series title tonight with lights-out pitching, 2-out hitting and the federally-mandated throwing error by a Tiger pitcher.The Real StoryHow WRONG were all the experts? The word at the outset of this series was "Tigers in 3". The

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-67271692266151687552006-10-24T20:41:00.000-04:002006-10-24T20:45:42.989-04:00

Chris Carpenter looks sharp early. Tiger fans overconfident. Good signs...

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-43052150126370789392006-10-22T18:18:00.000-04:002006-10-22T18:50:31.094-04:00

Tigers closer Todd Jones was kind enough to provide all the bulletin board material we could hope for:"I am the wrong guy to ask about Jeff Weaver... I am not a big advocate of his, and I wasn't a big advocate of his when he was here... He was a good pitcher who never really panned out here. Maybe he found a home in St. Louis, but there's no love lost here [now] that he's gone."Thanks,

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-87217018037331480822006-10-21T23:08:00.000-04:002006-10-22T18:18:07.671-04:00

2006 World SeriesBeertown vs MotownThe Drunk Driving SeriesGame #1Cards - 7 Tigers - 1 FINALCardinals lead series 1-0Wow, I stopped just short of calling the hell out of this one.For those keeping score at home, THAT was the Anthony Reyes the Cardinals had tabbed as their top pitching prospect going into spring training. THAT was the Anthony Reyes who one-hit the White Sox and filled in so

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-77020790394344141162006-10-21T17:57:00.000-04:002006-10-21T23:39:53.740-04:00

Every year there is a lame-0 mayoral or gubernatorial wager that is staged between the competing cities in major sports championships like the World Series. Another annual ritual is the naming of the series with something catchy symbolizing both cities. For example, the Mets and Yankees had the "Subway Series", the Cardinals and Royals had the "I-70 Series" and so forth. For this year's World

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-19601945356951858562006-10-21T16:20:00.000-04:002006-10-21T23:42:58.462-04:00

National League Championship Series:Cards - 3 Mets - 1 FINALCardinals win NLCS 4-3What can I say about Jeff Suppan? The man is money in the postseason. I can forget about how he gets tagged in April, May and June. Come July, the man is on the money. By postseason he's incredible. They've got to re-sign this guy. Find a way to keep him around. A guy who pitches like this in the big time

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-20248249315938840122006-10-19T16:38:00.000-04:002006-10-19T17:01:47.293-04:00

Nuts!Cards - 2 Mets - 4 FINALThe Cardinals mostly got what they needed from their ace, Chris Carpenter, but were let down by their bats. Two wasted opportunities early sandwiched around a solo-shot by Jose Reyes to lead off the bottom of the first were the first several bad omens for the Cards. Carpenter left the game having surrendered only two runs but the Cardinals had none on the board

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-63012224973123382382006-10-17T23:53:00.000-04:002006-10-18T00:13:44.212-04:00

Mets - 2 Cards - 4 FINALCardinals lead series 3-2Jeff Weaver delivers again, teaming up with the bullpen to pitch the Cardinals back into the lead. His performance late in the regular season through this postseason has been as outstanding as it is utterly unexpected. What a turnaround!If the Cards earn at least a split in NY he'll be going back to Detroit to face his old team NEW & IMPROVED!

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-2994675123265049832006-10-16T19:52:00.000-04:002006-10-16T20:26:46.264-04:00

Game 5 of the NLCS has been postponed by rain. Now both pitchers get an additional day of rest which I can only think helps the Mets. Glavine, who pitches poorly on 3-days rest now doesn't have to. On the flipside, Carpenter gets an extra day of rest as well. But I don't think that will make as big a difference for him as it will for Glavine.Either way, it wont matter much if guys come out of

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-8549331421333030312006-10-15T23:40:00.000-04:002006-10-18T00:04:53.391-04:00

Mets - 12Cards - 5 FinalA missed opportunity for the Cardinals. You can't lose at home to Oliver Perez with Tom Glavine coming up next.

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-16378613020785807132006-10-14T23:16:00.000-04:002006-10-18T00:04:19.656-04:00

Cardinals' right-hander, Jeff Suppan pitches 8 shutout innings and belts a solo HR, Spiezio is clutch again and Josh Kinney mops up in the 9th.NY Mets - 0Cardinals - 5 FINALCardinals lead NLCS 2-1Vindication: All the analysis before the series began portrayed the Cards as a one-man team, focusing on stopping Pujols to stop the Cardinals. After three games, Pujols has ZERO RBIs and the Cardinals

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-65054265167554029342006-10-14T18:03:00.002-04:002006-10-14T18:41:33.106-04:00

I'm taking a little time-out from all the heaviness to engage in a little baseball-induced frivolity.So, we meet again!Re-live all of So Taguchi's brilliant, game-winning at-bat vs Billy Wagner that kicked off the Cards' 3-run, 9th inning rally and sent the series back to Bussssssssch tied at 1-1. Oh-my-Gawd! He is like, So Taguchi! Like TOTALLY!

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-71155555123784628042006-10-10T20:04:00.000-04:002006-10-10T20:48:02.580-04:00

The four remaining teams in the Major League Baseball playoffs are as follows: The St. Louis Cardinals The New York Mets The Detroit Tigers The Oakland AthleticsFor the 2nd year in a row, the NY Yankees have been eliminated in the first round. Can we get just a little less coverage of the team that's been eliminated and a little more coverage of the teams that actually might win the World

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-35497963469818619232006-10-09T10:57:00.000-04:002006-10-09T11:09:01.603-04:00

Once again, I'm late with this one. Once again, better late than never.Keith Olbermann lays it all out... No further commentary necessary.

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-53566496265364908232006-10-06T17:00:00.000-04:002006-10-06T17:19:38.377-04:00

The Uses of "Islamo-Fascism" “Yes, [fascism will come to America], but we will call it ‘anti-fascism’.”- Huey LongThere are several incarnations of the above quote floating around the internet. Another version goes "If fascism ever comes to America, it will come wrapped in an American flag." But the general idea remains the same. Fascism, if it ever showed up in our society, would cloak

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-55264152306885423272006-09-29T15:45:00.000-04:002006-09-29T15:52:44.268-04:00

Here's a quick look at some selected quotes from this week that provide a very disturbing and sobering peek into the mindset of our current leadership. Let these statements stand as a monument to the ignorance, arrogance and moral bankruptcy of these men:#1. President George W. Bush on the toll of the Iraq War as told to Wolf Blitzer on CNN's "Late Edition":"Yes, you see — you see it on TV, and

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-4992680265710568172006-09-27T23:54:00.000-04:002006-09-28T00:44:16.961-04:00

Just quick update on the big "republican revolt" on torture. As predicted, the charade ended with these supposedly maverick senators selling us all and the constitution down the river for the price of cheap political points. Anyone sitting at home hanging all their hopes on the idea of this bunch standing up for the constitution, the rule of law and the moral conviction that shuns torture under

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-4464199151183202652006-09-27T23:34:00.000-04:002006-09-27T23:51:55.912-04:00

Just a quick note. In the aftermath of Isreal's assault on Lebanon here's a snapshot of what Lebanese support for Hezbollah looks like:That's Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in the foreground speaking to the throngs attending a pro-Hezbollah rally last week. It seems the local backlash against Hezbollah we were promised is slow in coming. In fact, one could argue that the exact opposite has

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-62558941122241089692006-09-24T18:01:00.000-04:002006-09-24T19:03:43.624-04:00

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Frias is one of those people in the world who will seldom be allowed to speak for himself in the US media. For the past few days I have read and watched with dismay the narrowly focused overage of his speech to the 61st UN General Assembly on September 20, 2006. In an effort counteract this and, in my own small way, to elevate the discourse on the subject I am

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-33772604862406967192006-09-20T23:50:00.000-04:002006-09-21T01:52:04.238-04:00

This just in. The most recent USA Today/Gallup Poll, taken September 15 -17, revealed, among other things that an astonishing 55% of Americans approve of President Bush's warrantless wiretapping program.Well... actually not quite. It seems the respondants do approve of the program that was described in the question. Unfortunately, that program doesn't exist. It's too bad too because it

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-11175113584396742292006-09-18T21:53:00.000-04:002006-09-18T22:53:12.852-04:00

Early last year Seymour Hersh of the The New Yorker wrote this piece outlining what his sources told him was a plan by the Bush administration to put special forces inside Iran -- to perform search & destroy missions, target identification and foment unrest -- in preparation for an attack on that country. At the time the article was published his assertions were ridiculed as "far-fetched" and "

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-1291973157562194962006-09-18T06:34:00.002-04:002006-09-18T08:01:58.502-04:00

Don't Be Hoodwinked! I've withheld comment on the supposed "revolt" a few Republican senators and Colin Powell are being credited with staging over the last few days, ostensibly in response Bush's push to unilaterally redefine the Geneva Conventions. I've felt from the start that it was all just a bit of made-for-TV melodrama for the amusement of us voters, deemed long ago too stupid to know the

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-70043074565670547392006-09-17T15:11:00.000-04:002006-09-17T15:41:49.505-04:00

Continuing on our theme of how familiar so much of this Iran talk sounds, the McClatchy Newspapers published this on Friday (emphases and hyperlinks added): In a replay of Iraq, a battle is brewing over intelligence on IranBy Warren P. Strobel and John WalcottMcClatchy NewspapersWASHINGTON - In an echo of the intelligence wars that preceded the U.S. invasion of Iraq, a high-stakes struggle is

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-1157869744514657112006-09-10T02:12:00.000-04:002007-01-16T16:41:33.949-05:00

Did you say, "Islamo-fascism"?"Excuse me, did you say, 'Islamo-Fascism'?"As illustrated in a previous post, our top leaders in Washington have been very busy as of late invoking the "F-word" in order to cast their policies in the heroic light of the World War II era. Recently we have seen a sharp increase in this kind of rhetoric with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Vice President Dick

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-1157600567470473202006-09-06T23:42:00.000-04:002006-09-06T23:42:47.490-04:00

Homeland Discourse Security Bulletin: Attack of the Straw MenThe Fear of All Sums has raised the Fallacy Alert Level to RED in response to what is being described as “steadily intensifying chatter” emanating from extreme right-wing elements in the American government, raising fears of a premeditated plot by cells operating domestically intent on confusing and obscuring urgent life and death

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-1157113493396224242006-09-06T19:17:00.000-04:002006-09-06T19:24:21.796-04:00

Because I am not a full-time blogger, I can be a day or two slow getting some things. Here's an actual good one from the idiot box that I've been meaning to put up.Earlier this week Donald Rumsfeld, bravely facing the hostile crowd at the American Legion in Utah (snark), gave this disgraceful speech in which he more or less said that over 60% of the American public are "morally confused" fascist

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-1157398531288569532006-09-04T14:38:00.000-04:002006-09-04T15:55:47.433-04:00

Few Americans today can imagine a time in this country where the middle-class lifestyle we've all come to know as "the American Dream" was just that -- a dream. So many of the benefits most of us enjoy today -- the 5-day/40-hour work week, the 2-day weekend, child labor restrictions, 2-weeks paid vacation, time-and-a-half paid overtime, employer-paid health insurance, social security, pension/

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-1157044069641031292006-08-31T13:00:00.000-04:002006-09-14T22:56:11.983-04:00

"As anyone who studies the behavior of the U.S. empire during the last century discovers a common factor; every time the US are going to attack someone, they don’t do it right away, they start by preparing the terrain of their internal public opinion, one of the things that worries them the most....That way, when they launch the attack, they obtain the support of a big part of their internal

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-1156885934745533462006-08-30T08:20:00.000-04:002006-08-30T08:29:51.023-04:00

In the first post in this "360-Degrees" series reference was made to the interesting circle that has is being created by Bush administration policy in the middle-east whereby the US:Partners with a Shiite majority to maintain control of Iraq via the new government there.Then supports Israel in it's offensive against the Shiite organization, Hezbollah, in Lebanon.Thereby angering the Shia in Iraq

FearItselfnoreply@blogger.com1