Everyone knows that I now consider George W. Bush not only to be THE worst President our country never elected, but actually a grave threat to our constitution, our values as a free society, and what may be left of our reputation around the world. Yet, few people know that at one time I had supported him for office, thinking he would bring some values, some honesty, some integrity to the White House and our government. It took Bush five years. Five years of incompetence, cronyism, stupidity, illegal actions, illegal wars, illegal detentions, illegal spying on citizens.
While Katrina blew and New Orleans burnt, Bush and his team were busy setting the world on fire. While Bush praised his cronies, their actions led to thousands of deaths, from Iraq to New Orleans. While Bush played politics with us, Americans, serious new threats to our security emerged.
Not only were we attacked on September 11, 2001, in an attack that could have been avoided had Bush and his team actually paid attention, but we are even less safe today, under this so-called security President. It is on his watch that Bin Laden continues to taunt and threaten us. It is on his watch that global warming ensures we will have more Katrina like hurricanes that we are not prepared for. It is on his watch that Iraq turned into a safe haven, a nursery, for terrorists. Iraq became the new Afghanistan, while the new Afghanistan is becoming more and more like the old Afghanistan, with Taliban growing in power, our troops attacked even today.
During this time Iran has declared its nuclear ambitions. North Korea has played us for fools, and is on the verge of becoming a grave threat to our security, if it is not already so. It is on Bush’s watch that Communism, something American fought decades to defeat, is resurgent. Not only is COMMUNIST China the country that holds a lot of our money and debt, it is communist China that continues to be a long term threat.
While Bush has praised Putin as a friend, Russia is again showing its true colors, because our administration is distracted elsewhere. Russia has become more militant, more aggressive and more like the old Soviet Union. Cuba remains Cuba, a dictatorial Communist regime in our backyard. But, instead of containing Communism, we are seeing a resurgence, a growth of socialism and communism around the globe. From parts of Europe to our own backyard, where Venezuela and Bolivia, two countries with huge natural resources and ability to influence the region, have formed what is really just a new axis of communism, with Cuba providing the third leg. This is happening in OUR backyard.
Sadly, we now have a lame duck President, whose only excuse for the disastrous policies of the last 5 years is that he will not use cowboy lingo anymore. Unfortunately, Mr. Bush, that was hardly the root cause of why we are in this mess. Sure, your saying, “Bring It On” may have given impetus to some insurgents, but it would be foolish to believe that there would not have been an insurgency in Iraq if you had not made that statement.
In fact, the insurgency, the Iraq disaster, was assured. It was guaranteed from the moment you, your Vice President, the sitting Vice President whose former company continues to get NO-BID contracts to build whatever you and your Vice President first decide to destroy in Iraq, decided to attack Iraq. You chose to use America’s faith in its leaders, it faith in you, its need for revenge for September 11, its need to know it could once again be safe, to not solve the problem, the fanatics of AlQaeda, Bin Laden and his team – you instead gave them the best gift ever, a whole nation of oil-rich, ethnically divided, centrally located, Iraq, as a place to set the world on fire – while you poured oil on it.
We have lost almost 2500 more Americans in Iraq, hundreds more in Afghanistan, hundreds more who have committed suicide, and 25000 injured troops whose lives will never be the same.
But, sadly, on this Memorial Day, most of our nation is worried about whom to vote for in the next American Idol, and if the barbeque is at the right temperature. Others are more worried about demanding a personal monument to loved ones who died in the World Trade Center, but, what makes this Memorial Day less than memorable is that our troops, willingly dying, giving their lives for our nation, in Iraq and Afghanistan, do not even get the honor of being saluted and welcomed back when they arrive one final time, in a flag draped coffin to be laid to rest.
I dedicate this day to the memory of all those who fought for this great nation, and gave their lives, and those who are doing so to this day. I say God Bless You for serving your nation in the heat of Iraq while your country men cook burgers in their backyards, and your President and Vice President do everything they can to make Haliburton and Exxon-Mobil rich. Please take care of yourselves, because, God knows, if you die, not only will your family get less money than the Exxon CEO made in ONE DAY, we will fly your body back in cover of darkness… some day we may give you a memorial. Until then, stay safe, this Memorial Day.
Monday, May 29, 2006
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Mr. Bush, Build Up That Wall
In a previous edition you have heard me complain loud and clear about the threat we face, as a nation, as a society and as an economy, from the invasion, of illegal immigrants. Apologists for illegal behavior, bleeding heart liberals, and unethical politicians only interested in keeping some voting groups happy are more than eager to sell out our interests.
Not that George W. Bush or his administration have done anything to stop the flow of good jobs out of the country legally or the flow of illegal immigrants into the country. The loser mentality he displayed by saying 11 million is too large a number to deport was just another way of hanging Welcome signs in Spanish for the next 11 million to crawl across the border.
Much that I disagree with the right wing social conservatives on how they try to shove religion into our government, I do have to say Thank You to them for putting pressure on Bush and others to do something about big government and illegal immigration. According to a story in the New York Times, they have even threatened to withhold support from Republicans this midterm election, which may be the best thing that could happen to our country. It would force a little bit of national accountability on our elected leaders and help bring about some balance into our government.
It seems that, George Bush, is going to do the minimum he can do to make it look like he is doing something about it, and that is what he will be discussing in a speech this evening. Apparently he is going to suggest using the National Guard to try to stem the flood, the invasion, that is going on through our border with Mexico.
In my humble opinion, even that is a small, minimum step and not enough. Yet, already, people are speaking out to oppose the plan. And they are not saying that it is not enough but are finding excuses that even this little pathetic step is not taken to defend our borders or stop this INVASION of our nation. That is SHAMEFUL.
Some are making the excuse that the national guard is stretched thin. That is such a lame excuse NOT to use what we have. YES, the National Guard is stretched thin because of our STUPID decision to invade Iraq, that did NOT attack us, while we are being invaded by a silent enemy from the South. So, yes, let’s bring the national guard back from Iraq but let us not hesitate to use them to protect our borders.
Others are saying we need more border patrols. Yes. Let’s spend the money we gave away in tax cuts to the rich on hiring more border agents and at least try to look like we care about having a border that no one else gives a damn about.
Some others are making it a humanitarian issue. Oh, these poor people come across the border to work that no one else will do. What baloney. Businesses and society will pay fair wages to Americans who will do any honorable job IF they are paid fair wages. The INVASION of illegal immigrants who come in and do work below market wages not only causes the middle class American worker to find no paying jobs, but any taxes he, you and I pay, are then spent financing the social services that these illegal non-tax-paying invaders suck up. If you don’t believe me, read a little on what is happening in California and states in that area.
Then we have George Bush’s good friend, Mr. Fox, the President of Mexico. Instead of having some shame that his country is so pathetic, so screwed up, so lousy to live in that MILLIONS would rather risk dying in a desert to come to America to clean toilets, he is telling US he does not like the idea of us patrolling our border with him. Shame on you Mr. Fox. Get YOUR house in order, get a grip on crime, get a grip on lawlessness, do something about your unemployment and your economy. Stop this invasion of our nation and stop complaining when even our incompetent President SEEMS like he is going to do something before his 29% approval rating drops to ZERO.
I would much rather have our soldiers back from our illegal war in Iraq, and have more of them hunting Bin Laden and even more of them protecting our homeland from this insidious invasion that has already started taking a toll on us. I would put electric fences and armed guards on our borders. Shoot first, ask questions later. If you want to come to our great nation, get in line, follow the rules.
We have already seen gang members, drug sellers and criminals come in jumping over fences and literally driving through tunnels. What’s stopping Bin Laden from using these same gangs and routes? So, come legally or get shot trying because we do not have the patience, the time or the opportunity to let even ONE AlQaeda agent slip in through Mexico. But, our politicians would rather make speeches about protecting us but not do anything to close our borders and stop this invasion.
My solution would be a little extreme but you know, this is just In My Humble Opinion.
Not that George W. Bush or his administration have done anything to stop the flow of good jobs out of the country legally or the flow of illegal immigrants into the country. The loser mentality he displayed by saying 11 million is too large a number to deport was just another way of hanging Welcome signs in Spanish for the next 11 million to crawl across the border.
Much that I disagree with the right wing social conservatives on how they try to shove religion into our government, I do have to say Thank You to them for putting pressure on Bush and others to do something about big government and illegal immigration. According to a story in the New York Times, they have even threatened to withhold support from Republicans this midterm election, which may be the best thing that could happen to our country. It would force a little bit of national accountability on our elected leaders and help bring about some balance into our government.
It seems that, George Bush, is going to do the minimum he can do to make it look like he is doing something about it, and that is what he will be discussing in a speech this evening. Apparently he is going to suggest using the National Guard to try to stem the flood, the invasion, that is going on through our border with Mexico.
In my humble opinion, even that is a small, minimum step and not enough. Yet, already, people are speaking out to oppose the plan. And they are not saying that it is not enough but are finding excuses that even this little pathetic step is not taken to defend our borders or stop this INVASION of our nation. That is SHAMEFUL.
Some are making the excuse that the national guard is stretched thin. That is such a lame excuse NOT to use what we have. YES, the National Guard is stretched thin because of our STUPID decision to invade Iraq, that did NOT attack us, while we are being invaded by a silent enemy from the South. So, yes, let’s bring the national guard back from Iraq but let us not hesitate to use them to protect our borders.
Others are saying we need more border patrols. Yes. Let’s spend the money we gave away in tax cuts to the rich on hiring more border agents and at least try to look like we care about having a border that no one else gives a damn about.
Some others are making it a humanitarian issue. Oh, these poor people come across the border to work that no one else will do. What baloney. Businesses and society will pay fair wages to Americans who will do any honorable job IF they are paid fair wages. The INVASION of illegal immigrants who come in and do work below market wages not only causes the middle class American worker to find no paying jobs, but any taxes he, you and I pay, are then spent financing the social services that these illegal non-tax-paying invaders suck up. If you don’t believe me, read a little on what is happening in California and states in that area.
Then we have George Bush’s good friend, Mr. Fox, the President of Mexico. Instead of having some shame that his country is so pathetic, so screwed up, so lousy to live in that MILLIONS would rather risk dying in a desert to come to America to clean toilets, he is telling US he does not like the idea of us patrolling our border with him. Shame on you Mr. Fox. Get YOUR house in order, get a grip on crime, get a grip on lawlessness, do something about your unemployment and your economy. Stop this invasion of our nation and stop complaining when even our incompetent President SEEMS like he is going to do something before his 29% approval rating drops to ZERO.
I would much rather have our soldiers back from our illegal war in Iraq, and have more of them hunting Bin Laden and even more of them protecting our homeland from this insidious invasion that has already started taking a toll on us. I would put electric fences and armed guards on our borders. Shoot first, ask questions later. If you want to come to our great nation, get in line, follow the rules.
We have already seen gang members, drug sellers and criminals come in jumping over fences and literally driving through tunnels. What’s stopping Bin Laden from using these same gangs and routes? So, come legally or get shot trying because we do not have the patience, the time or the opportunity to let even ONE AlQaeda agent slip in through Mexico. But, our politicians would rather make speeches about protecting us but not do anything to close our borders and stop this invasion.
My solution would be a little extreme but you know, this is just In My Humble Opinion.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
(Making) Marriages Made In Heaven
Here's a change of subject in all these articles about war, terrorism, killing and violence, especially in the name of religion.
I was made to switch gears from two unrelated items today. One was an email exchange with a librarian friend of mine, Gail, commenting on "relationships" and marriage - and another was my visit to a business contact's blog and seeing a short note from him on "mixed marriages", actually inter-faith marriages. So, I had to sit and look back on my life and see how blessed I have been.
I have had a truly incredible life in the truly one in a billoin people I have loved and been loved by, love that impacts you the core of your being. And, I remembered that a few months ago the same lady friend Gail had actually emailed me something I wrote literally 13 YEARS ago on this topic.
So, while Muslims kill Muslims based on Shia-Sunni, Catholics and Protestants kill each other in the name of Jesus, Zionist Jews keep married Arab Palestinians from being with their spouses, crusaders attack others for oil, here's a salute to those who make inter-faith relationships and marriages work better than marriages made in heaven, while the whole world goes to hell with war, murder, tyranny, and bigotry. God Bless You all!
--
Newsgroups: soc.culture.pakistan,soc.culture.indian,soc.religion.islam
Subject: Marrying People from Other Religions: Do What is Best for You
I hate following a debate where EVERY single poster simply includes the whole of the original posting to add two lines of commentary. So excuse this start of a new thread here.
I have seen several posts in response to the original one about marrying people of different religions. Someone called the poster a net.mullah (an apt analogy in my humble opinion), and stated that he did not agree with the poster's comments. Fine.
Then someone called this second person a net.liberal wanting people to give up their "morals" or some such stuff. I would like to defend the "net.liberal" here. (Sorry I do not have names as I junked all the articles after reading them)
Th "net.liberal" simply expressed an opinion about disagreeing with a SINGLE individual's posting.
The "net.mullah" did a lot more. He issued a DECREE, telling people what is RIGHT and what is WRONG (because he thinks so), and he DECIDED what Islam SHOULD mean regardless of what the Quran says, he passed JUDGEMENT on people who decide to marry Western/Christian/Jewish girls, he ASSUMED that CHASTITY and BEING A GOOD HUMAN are based on one's actions without regard for what a person's SOCIAL surroundings (environment) are, he SELF-RIGHTEOUSLY assumed that one's own society is PERFECT (and chaste), and he HURT the feelings of those who are already married to a Western person whether they had converted or not. I do not think that the guy has anything to do with Islam and Muslims.
The funny thing is that he mentioned knowing Western girls for eight years. Perhaps the posting was either the result of "sour grapes" in that he never got what he wanted from the "unchaste" Western girls, or maybe he did get SOMETHING out of it but was "dumped".
I just know one thing, every person has to decide for himself or herself what they want in life. This includes knowing how to balance their faith in Islam (or whatever religion they profess) and how to adapt to the differences that exist. There are always differences between people, and any kind of coming together of two people means compromise, adaptation, and flexibility. It does not necessarily mean giving up on particular thing, or faith or belief.
Obviously the number of differences, potential conflict points, and issues needing decision/compromise will be much higher between two people from different countries, different religions, different races, and different cultures. The fact that some people are willing to try it, and give it their best shot, and to face all odds, is something to be respected. They have taken a leap (of faith!) in hoping that two HUMAN beings who share a goal to live happily and make the world a better place to live in for their children, themselves, and for others. I would respect them more for trying to make it work, than some self declared expert who will simply pass judgments and use religion as a tool to prevent the people of the world from leading happier and fullfiling lives.
To those of you out there, who are already married, are marrying soon, or hope to get married sometime in the future, I have this to say.
If you know what is important for you, and decided to stay with the "sure thing" of marrying someone with exactly the same background as you, I respect that, and I admire you for knowing yourself, and deciding what you think works best for you today, and ten years from now.
To those who married people from a different culture or nation, but one of you converted, I respect and admire you both, for being open to new ideas, and for making a sacrifice (probably a little bigger sacrifice for one person) and for adapting, to make it possible to have two people of different backgrounds to make things work with sharing, adapting, and compromise.
And those, who decide that they will marry someone from a totally different culture, nation, religion, and race, I have respect you, admire you, and honour you for being two great **human beings**, open to the idea of a "whole new world" and "a fantastic point of view", for having the courage and the conviction that two HUMAN beings can make this world a better place, for their children, for themselves, and for all humankind, simply by taking the alternate route, the big leap, and the giant step. I, and thousands of others, love and respect you, and wish you the best, for you are the ones who will open the frontiers of a new world based on love and understanding, peace and sharing, learning and giving, and above all, in the *faith* that that is what the Creator (by whatever name you call the Supreme Being) wanted from the human race.
Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. May Love and Happiness be yours, always,
Imran Anwar
New York City
April 13, 1993
I was made to switch gears from two unrelated items today. One was an email exchange with a librarian friend of mine, Gail, commenting on "relationships" and marriage - and another was my visit to a business contact's blog and seeing a short note from him on "mixed marriages", actually inter-faith marriages. So, I had to sit and look back on my life and see how blessed I have been.
I have had a truly incredible life in the truly one in a billoin people I have loved and been loved by, love that impacts you the core of your being. And, I remembered that a few months ago the same lady friend Gail had actually emailed me something I wrote literally 13 YEARS ago on this topic.
So, while Muslims kill Muslims based on Shia-Sunni, Catholics and Protestants kill each other in the name of Jesus, Zionist Jews keep married Arab Palestinians from being with their spouses, crusaders attack others for oil, here's a salute to those who make inter-faith relationships and marriages work better than marriages made in heaven, while the whole world goes to hell with war, murder, tyranny, and bigotry. God Bless You all!
--
Newsgroups: soc.culture.pakistan,soc.culture.indian,soc.religion.islam
Subject: Marrying People from Other Religions: Do What is Best for You
I hate following a debate where EVERY single poster simply includes the whole of the original posting to add two lines of commentary. So excuse this start of a new thread here.
I have seen several posts in response to the original one about marrying people of different religions. Someone called the poster a net.mullah (an apt analogy in my humble opinion), and stated that he did not agree with the poster's comments. Fine.
Then someone called this second person a net.liberal wanting people to give up their "morals" or some such stuff. I would like to defend the "net.liberal" here. (Sorry I do not have names as I junked all the articles after reading them)
Th "net.liberal" simply expressed an opinion about disagreeing with a SINGLE individual's posting.
The "net.mullah" did a lot more. He issued a DECREE, telling people what is RIGHT and what is WRONG (because he thinks so), and he DECIDED what Islam SHOULD mean regardless of what the Quran says, he passed JUDGEMENT on people who decide to marry Western/Christian/Jewish girls, he ASSUMED that CHASTITY and BEING A GOOD HUMAN are based on one's actions without regard for what a person's SOCIAL surroundings (environment) are, he SELF-RIGHTEOUSLY assumed that one's own society is PERFECT (and chaste), and he HURT the feelings of those who are already married to a Western person whether they had converted or not. I do not think that the guy has anything to do with Islam and Muslims.
The funny thing is that he mentioned knowing Western girls for eight years. Perhaps the posting was either the result of "sour grapes" in that he never got what he wanted from the "unchaste" Western girls, or maybe he did get SOMETHING out of it but was "dumped".
I just know one thing, every person has to decide for himself or herself what they want in life. This includes knowing how to balance their faith in Islam (or whatever religion they profess) and how to adapt to the differences that exist. There are always differences between people, and any kind of coming together of two people means compromise, adaptation, and flexibility. It does not necessarily mean giving up on particular thing, or faith or belief.
Obviously the number of differences, potential conflict points, and issues needing decision/compromise will be much higher between two people from different countries, different religions, different races, and different cultures. The fact that some people are willing to try it, and give it their best shot, and to face all odds, is something to be respected. They have taken a leap (of faith!) in hoping that two HUMAN beings who share a goal to live happily and make the world a better place to live in for their children, themselves, and for others. I would respect them more for trying to make it work, than some self declared expert who will simply pass judgments and use religion as a tool to prevent the people of the world from leading happier and fullfiling lives.
To those of you out there, who are already married, are marrying soon, or hope to get married sometime in the future, I have this to say.
If you know what is important for you, and decided to stay with the "sure thing" of marrying someone with exactly the same background as you, I respect that, and I admire you for knowing yourself, and deciding what you think works best for you today, and ten years from now.
To those who married people from a different culture or nation, but one of you converted, I respect and admire you both, for being open to new ideas, and for making a sacrifice (probably a little bigger sacrifice for one person) and for adapting, to make it possible to have two people of different backgrounds to make things work with sharing, adapting, and compromise.
And those, who decide that they will marry someone from a totally different culture, nation, religion, and race, I have respect you, admire you, and honour you for being two great **human beings**, open to the idea of a "whole new world" and "a fantastic point of view", for having the courage and the conviction that two HUMAN beings can make this world a better place, for their children, for themselves, and for all humankind, simply by taking the alternate route, the big leap, and the giant step. I, and thousands of others, love and respect you, and wish you the best, for you are the ones who will open the frontiers of a new world based on love and understanding, peace and sharing, learning and giving, and above all, in the *faith* that that is what the Creator (by whatever name you call the Supreme Being) wanted from the human race.
Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. May Love and Happiness be yours, always,
Imran Anwar
New York City
April 13, 1993
Monday, May 15, 2006
No Opportunity To Destroy USA Left Behind
It just seems impossible to believe that there is not a single opportunity to destroy American values, American justice and America’s way of life that the George Bush administration misses. Think about it. What makes the USA America, what makes us Americans? It’s more than the color of our flag or passport.
There are many answers, and the scary thing is, George W. Bush is presiding over the destruction of each and every thing that makes us and our nation AMERICA. The World Trade Center was a symbol of our economic might – and it was destroyed because Bush and his team ignored the many warning signs even our own people were waving even on September 10, 2001. Even as the towers were on fire, Bush was sitting with a deer in headlights look, reading children’s books.
Our economy’s strength is another thing that contributes to us being America, that the world looks up to. What has kept us consumer buying things was the seemingly endless rise in values of our homes and that is coming to an end. But the price of my home and your apartment is not what made us an economic powerhouse. What made us the envy of the business world was our having career opportunities for almost every one in our great nation. Blue, white, black or whatever color your collar was, America was the place to make a career in it.
Now most of the jobs that make our economy tick, from engineers to doctors, to customer service reps to manufacturing, are all exported, to Mexico, India, Philippines, and other places. All our people are left with are jobs like flipping burgers – and those are going to ILLEGAL immigrants coming in and putting even more downward pressure on wages of the middle class. During this time, oil companies have made RECORD profits, while we are paying through the nose – and wait til summer comes or if we start another war, then we’ll have a nosebleed. But, Bush seems content to watch Exxon type companies pay the CEO almost One BILLION Dollars WHILE his administration gives these companies even more tax breaks!
But more importantly, what made America THE United States of AMERICA, that the WHOLE world looked up to, and even enemies could grudgingly admire, was our Constitution, our RIGHTS as citizens of a free country, with the government kept in check.
Now another Bush lie was exposed. They were not just illegally wiretapping a few hundred or a few thousand phone calls without court orders, they have been tracking and spying on EACH and EVERY ONE of us and our phone calls. Wake up people – EACH ONE OF US is a SUSPECT as far as Bush is concerned. And EACH and EVERY phone call we make to ANYONE even within OUR nation is something the government is SPYING on. ILLEGALLY. Without a court order.
AND, the MILTARY man who was heading up this illegal wiretapping is the one Bush wants to make head of the civilian agency the CIA. My friends, I was born and came here from a country that only had military dictators almost all its history, Pakistan. And, what you are seeing is the start of a process. No, I am not crying wolf. Mark my words, Big Brother is here, not only at your door, but actually inside your house, listening to every conversation.
Lastly, what made America great was our sets of values, from human freedom, to democracy, to treatment of prisoners, to the rule of law.
In just one day's newspapers, there are stories on how EACH ONE of these TRUE values that make this country AMERICA were violated just in the last 24 hours. EACH one of us is being SPIED on, we are continuing to support dictators in power, we are allowing our American taxpayer money to be used in the Middle East for F16s to drop bombs on innocent Palestinian civilians, the Bush government has refused the Red Cross once again even to SAY where many of the people our government arrested but never charged with a crime are being kept. And, the Bush government has not stopped torture of people it secretly holds.
All this, while Iraq turned into the next Afghanistan, the Taliban are BACK in Afghanistan, Bin Laden is still out there planning attacks, North Korea is ready to explode a bomb and Iran has learnt the same way of stalling the world. We’re damned if we let the Iranians have a bomb, and we’re screwed if we attack and oil hits $6 or more per gallon.
All I can pray for is that George W. Bush’s term of office comes to an end before he literally sets my country, your country, OUR country, the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, the beacon of values and freedom to the world, to become a dictatorship that fell so low that the Soviet ex-KGB head Putin can actually lecture US on human rights, law, freedom and values as a nation.
It may come as a surprise to many people that I had actually supported George W. Bush’s in his (later proven to be stolen) election over Al Gore. I had just felt that the Bill Clinton slickness would have tainted the White House so change would be good for the country. A folksy, down to earth, George Bush seemed the perfect answer. How wrong I was.
In the last election I was no fan of John Kerry, but felt that he at least would not destroy America as I was certain Bush and his team would do. Some of my friends thought that I was being paranoid – since no one in his right mind as President would do things to undermine what we are as a nation, what we stand for, what our values are.
It appears that even I did not know how bad things could get and many of my friends who disagreed with me, are literally actively praying for a fast end to this Bush administration’s time in office, before they completely destroy us, the USA, and America's future.
There are many answers, and the scary thing is, George W. Bush is presiding over the destruction of each and every thing that makes us and our nation AMERICA. The World Trade Center was a symbol of our economic might – and it was destroyed because Bush and his team ignored the many warning signs even our own people were waving even on September 10, 2001. Even as the towers were on fire, Bush was sitting with a deer in headlights look, reading children’s books.
Our economy’s strength is another thing that contributes to us being America, that the world looks up to. What has kept us consumer buying things was the seemingly endless rise in values of our homes and that is coming to an end. But the price of my home and your apartment is not what made us an economic powerhouse. What made us the envy of the business world was our having career opportunities for almost every one in our great nation. Blue, white, black or whatever color your collar was, America was the place to make a career in it.
Now most of the jobs that make our economy tick, from engineers to doctors, to customer service reps to manufacturing, are all exported, to Mexico, India, Philippines, and other places. All our people are left with are jobs like flipping burgers – and those are going to ILLEGAL immigrants coming in and putting even more downward pressure on wages of the middle class. During this time, oil companies have made RECORD profits, while we are paying through the nose – and wait til summer comes or if we start another war, then we’ll have a nosebleed. But, Bush seems content to watch Exxon type companies pay the CEO almost One BILLION Dollars WHILE his administration gives these companies even more tax breaks!
But more importantly, what made America THE United States of AMERICA, that the WHOLE world looked up to, and even enemies could grudgingly admire, was our Constitution, our RIGHTS as citizens of a free country, with the government kept in check.
Now another Bush lie was exposed. They were not just illegally wiretapping a few hundred or a few thousand phone calls without court orders, they have been tracking and spying on EACH and EVERY ONE of us and our phone calls. Wake up people – EACH ONE OF US is a SUSPECT as far as Bush is concerned. And EACH and EVERY phone call we make to ANYONE even within OUR nation is something the government is SPYING on. ILLEGALLY. Without a court order.
AND, the MILTARY man who was heading up this illegal wiretapping is the one Bush wants to make head of the civilian agency the CIA. My friends, I was born and came here from a country that only had military dictators almost all its history, Pakistan. And, what you are seeing is the start of a process. No, I am not crying wolf. Mark my words, Big Brother is here, not only at your door, but actually inside your house, listening to every conversation.
Lastly, what made America great was our sets of values, from human freedom, to democracy, to treatment of prisoners, to the rule of law.
In just one day's newspapers, there are stories on how EACH ONE of these TRUE values that make this country AMERICA were violated just in the last 24 hours. EACH one of us is being SPIED on, we are continuing to support dictators in power, we are allowing our American taxpayer money to be used in the Middle East for F16s to drop bombs on innocent Palestinian civilians, the Bush government has refused the Red Cross once again even to SAY where many of the people our government arrested but never charged with a crime are being kept. And, the Bush government has not stopped torture of people it secretly holds.
All this, while Iraq turned into the next Afghanistan, the Taliban are BACK in Afghanistan, Bin Laden is still out there planning attacks, North Korea is ready to explode a bomb and Iran has learnt the same way of stalling the world. We’re damned if we let the Iranians have a bomb, and we’re screwed if we attack and oil hits $6 or more per gallon.
All I can pray for is that George W. Bush’s term of office comes to an end before he literally sets my country, your country, OUR country, the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, the beacon of values and freedom to the world, to become a dictatorship that fell so low that the Soviet ex-KGB head Putin can actually lecture US on human rights, law, freedom and values as a nation.
It may come as a surprise to many people that I had actually supported George W. Bush’s in his (later proven to be stolen) election over Al Gore. I had just felt that the Bill Clinton slickness would have tainted the White House so change would be good for the country. A folksy, down to earth, George Bush seemed the perfect answer. How wrong I was.
In the last election I was no fan of John Kerry, but felt that he at least would not destroy America as I was certain Bush and his team would do. Some of my friends thought that I was being paranoid – since no one in his right mind as President would do things to undermine what we are as a nation, what we stand for, what our values are.
It appears that even I did not know how bad things could get and many of my friends who disagreed with me, are literally actively praying for a fast end to this Bush administration’s time in office, before they completely destroy us, the USA, and America's future.
Friday, May 12, 2006
To Buy Or Not To Buy/Use: PLAXO Mac / PC Contacts Synch
Plaxo is a neat little web site/service/software, mostly free, which I consider something everyone should consider using so we all can have updated contact info for each other. However, it should be used with some caveats.
Here's my problem with Plaxo. It is good to see it now available on Mac as well as PC, BUT, it does NOT elegantly handle vCards where you have multiple Home, Work, email addresses for people. Most people can have an email account, a hotmail account and a gmail account and you may have them all tagged as Home in your Apple AddressBook.
When you upload your AB to Plaxo, Plaxo only takes the first one of the Home and the first one of the Work addresses. That means your data going to your OTHER machines via Plaxo is NOT accurate and incomplete. So, be aware of that.
They would like you to add additional fields to your AdressBook like Email2, Email3, Or Home Email2, Home Email3, etc. but that is also not a good solution because many cell phones/PDAs that I synch with will ignore those fields.
Additionally, I had this happen several times before I stopped updating the Mac from Plaxo... I uploaded all my data to Plaxo from AddressBook (by the way, Upload of large AddressBooks is finicky, best way is to create a new contacts folder online on Plaxo, add a dummy vCard there like DEL:ETE THIS and then SYNCH.
That works more reliably, taking your cards online and copying that one dummy card down to AdddressBook. Then delete that from the AddressBook and you are fine. Now, going to the PC and synching that folder with Plaxo gets all your people's vCards into the PC Outlook (which in this day and age is too stupid to import multiple vCards from one file, dumb Microsoft). The only caveat is that multiple email addresses will NOT show up in the PC because Plaxo will only show you the first one of each Home/Work email etc. that it took.
NOW you run into a more dangerous problem unless they have fixed it. You have some automated script on Outlook that checks/updates AOL IM addresses or something in the Contacts on Outlook... these get synched up from PC to Plaxo and when you synched from Plaxo to Mac next time the data from online (which was missing some of the Home/Work additional email addresses) would overwrite and delete what info you had on the Mac AddressBook. I learnt this the hard way.
I THINK they may have "fixed" it by enabling the new updated data to come down from Plaxo but NOT delete the extra fields you have in AddressBook but I am NOT going to test it on my data anymore. Had enough wasted hours cleaning up messes before.
A suggested workaround of having TWO separate Contacts and something like Contacts-PC folders on Plaxo can keep your Mac/PC data separate, but then what's the point of synching?
I have also seen a bug where Mac data sent to Plaxo shows up online OK but FAILS to display in PC Contacts. That same data exported from Plaxo and pulled into Outlook shows up fine. That is a bug on their PC side, not Mac side.
Another annoying thing is that sometimes people with vCards and Plaxo accounts think they are being cute by having their nickname of some dumb term in the Name field. So, "NASCARFAN" that person uses in HIS vCard will come and overwrite your entry for him as John Smith in the name fields. Then you are trying to find John Smith in AddressBook or Mail's address fielf and you will not see it unless you type or search for NASCARFAN or whatever.
So, overall, I am happy they are on Mac also, but am holding off committing it to automatic updates for fear of losing precious existing data fields from the AddressBook. However, if you have a few hundred contacts and mostly they don't have too many email addresses, etc. you will find it a huge convenience - and it is free for the basic services.
Imran
Here's my problem with Plaxo. It is good to see it now available on Mac as well as PC, BUT, it does NOT elegantly handle vCards where you have multiple Home, Work, email addresses for people. Most people can have an email account, a hotmail account and a gmail account and you may have them all tagged as Home in your Apple AddressBook.
When you upload your AB to Plaxo, Plaxo only takes the first one of the Home and the first one of the Work addresses. That means your data going to your OTHER machines via Plaxo is NOT accurate and incomplete. So, be aware of that.
They would like you to add additional fields to your AdressBook like Email2, Email3, Or Home Email2, Home Email3, etc. but that is also not a good solution because many cell phones/PDAs that I synch with will ignore those fields.
Additionally, I had this happen several times before I stopped updating the Mac from Plaxo... I uploaded all my data to Plaxo from AddressBook (by the way, Upload of large AddressBooks is finicky, best way is to create a new contacts folder online on Plaxo, add a dummy vCard there like DEL:ETE THIS and then SYNCH.
That works more reliably, taking your cards online and copying that one dummy card down to AdddressBook. Then delete that from the AddressBook and you are fine. Now, going to the PC and synching that folder with Plaxo gets all your people's vCards into the PC Outlook (which in this day and age is too stupid to import multiple vCards from one file, dumb Microsoft). The only caveat is that multiple email addresses will NOT show up in the PC because Plaxo will only show you the first one of each Home/Work email etc. that it took.
NOW you run into a more dangerous problem unless they have fixed it. You have some automated script on Outlook that checks/updates AOL IM addresses or something in the Contacts on Outlook... these get synched up from PC to Plaxo and when you synched from Plaxo to Mac next time the data from online (which was missing some of the Home/Work additional email addresses) would overwrite and delete what info you had on the Mac AddressBook. I learnt this the hard way.
I THINK they may have "fixed" it by enabling the new updated data to come down from Plaxo but NOT delete the extra fields you have in AddressBook but I am NOT going to test it on my data anymore. Had enough wasted hours cleaning up messes before.
A suggested workaround of having TWO separate Contacts and something like Contacts-PC folders on Plaxo can keep your Mac/PC data separate, but then what's the point of synching?
I have also seen a bug where Mac data sent to Plaxo shows up online OK but FAILS to display in PC Contacts. That same data exported from Plaxo and pulled into Outlook shows up fine. That is a bug on their PC side, not Mac side.
Another annoying thing is that sometimes people with vCards and Plaxo accounts think they are being cute by having their nickname of some dumb term in the Name field. So, "NASCARFAN" that person uses in HIS vCard will come and overwrite your entry for him as John Smith in the name fields. Then you are trying to find John Smith in AddressBook or Mail's address fielf and you will not see it unless you type or search for NASCARFAN or whatever.
So, overall, I am happy they are on Mac also, but am holding off committing it to automatic updates for fear of losing precious existing data fields from the AddressBook. However, if you have a few hundred contacts and mostly they don't have too many email addresses, etc. you will find it a huge convenience - and it is free for the basic services.
Imran
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Enough Of Some 9/11 Families, Let's Honor Our Fallen Soldiers
Visitors to my web site are familiar with a section titled 5 O’s.
That stands for Obviously Outspoken Occasionally Obnoxious Opinions, which is a tongue in cheek way of saying, that sometimes what may just be outspoken or bold opinions can be perceived by some people to be obnoxious or offensive.
Now, let’s be clear. Yes, there are some topics that can be obnoxious, and other topics can be offensive. Some so-called shock-jocks like Howard Stern tend to fall in that category, when they discuss ridiculously perverted or just plain dumb sexual situations or other such non-intellectual topics.
Others, like the brilliant Bill Maher, or Jon Stewart, just have such strong opinions, and the confidence to express them - because our great nation allows us that freedom. Yet, sometimes their critics will label opinions of people like Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and even humble yours truly, offensive or obnoxious, simply because they get uncomfortable discussing touchy subjects.
Some examples of such touchy subjects in our otherwise free-speech loving country tend to be discussions about Jews and American support for Israel, the Israeli lobby’s influence on US policy, the invasion of the USA by illegal immigrants, or even discussing racial background of criminals when looking at crime statistics in the city, and other such taboo topics.
There is one topic that I have been patiently observing for several years and I just cannot take it anymore. I am going to speak out on the survivors of the 9/11 victims who had died at the World Trade Center.
Some people may think it is offensive or obnoxious to criticize a particular group that suffered such a tragedy. But, this is not an attack on them or on their tragic loss. Someone has to speak out on this serious topic and I am going to do it. I am sure I will be criticized for it but I have to say this. I have to say this because they are asking for it with the way they are handling themselves on issues like the WTC memorial etc.
I completely and totally sympathize with our fellow Americans who died in the evil terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. (Do read my piece about the twin towers after you have read this article.)
These were ordinary people, from different backgrounds, all simply going to work when they were killed by a terrorist action to bring down the twin towers. Unlike the people in the Pentagon or anyplace else, the people at the World Trade Center were not soldiers, not war planners, but regular people. Their only crime was to be American and to work in a building that was a symbol of our economy. When that symbol was attacked, they were killed, not because they chose to stand up to terrorists, but because they happened to be there.
So, God Bless their souls, but they did NOT choose to go to their deaths for the country. The police teams, and even more, the firefighters who went in, while others were running out, are heroes and heroines – but we seem to have made it a national assumption of treating the VICTIMS of the World Trade Center as some sort of unsung war heroes of our great nation.
Don’t get me wrong. I have friends who lost loved ones in that building that day. But, I cannot understand how they are being treated like war heroes, or even better.
I was amazed at our government paying millions of Dollars to the survivors of the 9/11 victims – above and beyond what their own insurances must have paid them. I thought it was a well-meaning gesture, but foolish and also a bad precedent.
Would we pay tax payer money to the survivors of every American who is killed in a terror attack? Would a certain number of people have to die for them to qualify? Would the family of an American killed at a resort in Egypt by terrorists also be paid the same money? What kind of terror attack would it have to be? Would it have to be an attack personally approved by Bin Laden for the survivors to get paid at the same rate as the 9/11 families?
If a terror attack happened on the Long Island Expressway and a part of it was blown up, would we forever stop traffic on that road? Why do families of 9/11 victims have the right to decide what part of a national tragedy’s audio recordings can be heard by the world or not? When a plane crash occurs in normal times, why are the families of the dead pilots not allowed the choice to not letting the recordings of the plane’s cockpit voice recorder released to the public?
These and many other questions were raised, but ignored, because it was a national tragedy.
In the meantime, I have seen news items that show some of the 9/11 families basically dictating to the city what to do with its real estate and future development plans. I see news items where they DEMAND how THEY want the World Trade Center area to be developed. They are acting as if their accidental inclusion in a group of people we sympathize with has made them owners or shareholders in Manhattan real estate that they do not own.
In my humble opinion, these people, who were well compensated financially by our great nation for their loss, have no business telling Hollywood what movies to make about 9/11. They have no business telling the city what and how to build at the WTC site. They suffered a tragic loss, and we mourn WITH them, as Americans. But, enough is enough. They need to get on with their lives and they need to stop bullying the city and our nation into doing things to make them feel better.
In the meantime, God Bless our actual soldiers, our brave troops and their families.
God Bless the soldiers who died for US, for MY freedom even if you and I oppose the illegal war in Iraq. God Bless the families and survivors of the 2500 brave Americans who have died by serving by CHOICE, but whose families have not made any fuss, any demands, any bullying tactics for us to pamper them.
How come we seem to have paid MORE to the families of 9/11 victims than to the true heroes, our soldiers unquestioningly serving and dying for our nation in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places? How come there is no one trying to raise ONE BILLION DOLLARS for a memorial for our 2500 SOLDIERS that were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan?
That’s just not right. It is time for the 9/11 families to move on, get off the stage, and instead of making demands on what the WTC Memorial should look like, they ought to start working to collect money for the 2500 who willingly went to their deaths to protect our nation, its honor and its citizens. What do you think?
Read: MY WTC
That stands for Obviously Outspoken Occasionally Obnoxious Opinions, which is a tongue in cheek way of saying, that sometimes what may just be outspoken or bold opinions can be perceived by some people to be obnoxious or offensive.
Now, let’s be clear. Yes, there are some topics that can be obnoxious, and other topics can be offensive. Some so-called shock-jocks like Howard Stern tend to fall in that category, when they discuss ridiculously perverted or just plain dumb sexual situations or other such non-intellectual topics.
Others, like the brilliant Bill Maher, or Jon Stewart, just have such strong opinions, and the confidence to express them - because our great nation allows us that freedom. Yet, sometimes their critics will label opinions of people like Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, and even humble yours truly, offensive or obnoxious, simply because they get uncomfortable discussing touchy subjects.
Some examples of such touchy subjects in our otherwise free-speech loving country tend to be discussions about Jews and American support for Israel, the Israeli lobby’s influence on US policy, the invasion of the USA by illegal immigrants, or even discussing racial background of criminals when looking at crime statistics in the city, and other such taboo topics.
There is one topic that I have been patiently observing for several years and I just cannot take it anymore. I am going to speak out on the survivors of the 9/11 victims who had died at the World Trade Center.
Some people may think it is offensive or obnoxious to criticize a particular group that suffered such a tragedy. But, this is not an attack on them or on their tragic loss. Someone has to speak out on this serious topic and I am going to do it. I am sure I will be criticized for it but I have to say this. I have to say this because they are asking for it with the way they are handling themselves on issues like the WTC memorial etc.
I completely and totally sympathize with our fellow Americans who died in the evil terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. (Do read my piece about the twin towers after you have read this article.)
These were ordinary people, from different backgrounds, all simply going to work when they were killed by a terrorist action to bring down the twin towers. Unlike the people in the Pentagon or anyplace else, the people at the World Trade Center were not soldiers, not war planners, but regular people. Their only crime was to be American and to work in a building that was a symbol of our economy. When that symbol was attacked, they were killed, not because they chose to stand up to terrorists, but because they happened to be there.
So, God Bless their souls, but they did NOT choose to go to their deaths for the country. The police teams, and even more, the firefighters who went in, while others were running out, are heroes and heroines – but we seem to have made it a national assumption of treating the VICTIMS of the World Trade Center as some sort of unsung war heroes of our great nation.
Don’t get me wrong. I have friends who lost loved ones in that building that day. But, I cannot understand how they are being treated like war heroes, or even better.
I was amazed at our government paying millions of Dollars to the survivors of the 9/11 victims – above and beyond what their own insurances must have paid them. I thought it was a well-meaning gesture, but foolish and also a bad precedent.
Would we pay tax payer money to the survivors of every American who is killed in a terror attack? Would a certain number of people have to die for them to qualify? Would the family of an American killed at a resort in Egypt by terrorists also be paid the same money? What kind of terror attack would it have to be? Would it have to be an attack personally approved by Bin Laden for the survivors to get paid at the same rate as the 9/11 families?
If a terror attack happened on the Long Island Expressway and a part of it was blown up, would we forever stop traffic on that road? Why do families of 9/11 victims have the right to decide what part of a national tragedy’s audio recordings can be heard by the world or not? When a plane crash occurs in normal times, why are the families of the dead pilots not allowed the choice to not letting the recordings of the plane’s cockpit voice recorder released to the public?
These and many other questions were raised, but ignored, because it was a national tragedy.
In the meantime, I have seen news items that show some of the 9/11 families basically dictating to the city what to do with its real estate and future development plans. I see news items where they DEMAND how THEY want the World Trade Center area to be developed. They are acting as if their accidental inclusion in a group of people we sympathize with has made them owners or shareholders in Manhattan real estate that they do not own.
In my humble opinion, these people, who were well compensated financially by our great nation for their loss, have no business telling Hollywood what movies to make about 9/11. They have no business telling the city what and how to build at the WTC site. They suffered a tragic loss, and we mourn WITH them, as Americans. But, enough is enough. They need to get on with their lives and they need to stop bullying the city and our nation into doing things to make them feel better.
In the meantime, God Bless our actual soldiers, our brave troops and their families.
God Bless the soldiers who died for US, for MY freedom even if you and I oppose the illegal war in Iraq. God Bless the families and survivors of the 2500 brave Americans who have died by serving by CHOICE, but whose families have not made any fuss, any demands, any bullying tactics for us to pamper them.
How come we seem to have paid MORE to the families of 9/11 victims than to the true heroes, our soldiers unquestioningly serving and dying for our nation in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places? How come there is no one trying to raise ONE BILLION DOLLARS for a memorial for our 2500 SOLDIERS that were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan?
That’s just not right. It is time for the 9/11 families to move on, get off the stage, and instead of making demands on what the WTC Memorial should look like, they ought to start working to collect money for the 2500 who willingly went to their deaths to protect our nation, its honor and its citizens. What do you think?
Read: MY WTC
Friday, May 05, 2006
(How Absurd) History Repeats Itself
When I was growing up in Pakistan, even as a teenager, I would be amused and often scratch my head at the way the Soviet Union’s evil communist fascist regime would spin the news and tell outright lies with a straight face. I used to wonder how stupid they must think the rest of the world was to actually believe them, or, how stupid they must be, or deluded, that they would actually think they could get away with such white lies.
If there is one thing history, even history of 20 years, teaches us, it is that history repeats itself. Twenty years after the deluded corrupt evil dictatorial fascist human rights violating aggressive country-invading Soviet Russians showed us how they spin the news, history repeated itself. Who can forget Baghdad Bob, or whatever the name was, of Saddam Hussain’s public relations official? This time it was the deluded corrupt evil dictatorial fascist human rights violating aggressive country-invading Iraqis showing us how they could spin the facts, actually expecting us to believe them.
The one thing I have to give the Bush Administration credit for is that they have sped up history. The Soviets and Baathists were so inefficient. It took twenty years from the collapse of the Soviet Union to the collapse of Saddam’s regime, and it took 20 years to see a repeat of the Soviet style propaganda and lying through the Saddam regime’s spokesperson. But, because so many of George Bush’s cronies are from big business, they have brought incredible efficiency to the business of …. Deluding people and Lying.
Instead of 20 years, in just about two years the world is witnessing what to them must appear to be the deluded corrupt evil dictatorial fascist human rights violating aggressive country-invading lies and public relations spin, but instead of fascist Soviets, or fascist Baathists, it is the fascist dictatorial regime of… the Bush administration.
Who can forget Dick Cheney going on national television, saying that the Iraqi insurgency was in its dying throes. I guess it depends on how we describe dying throes. According to the latest news report, our government says it is hot on the heels of Abu Zarqawi, the evil, murderous, terrorist in Iraq who is literally daring us to find him. And, the closest we got to him was finding an unedited tape of the video he recently released. So, we are hot on his heels. I guess that means his heels are in their dying throes.
In the next few months we might even get his ankles. A few more months, I am sure our administration will get his knees, even if they cannot get him on his knees.
Shame on Dick Cheney for showing us that the only people likely to get killed by this vice president are hunting buddies, not insurgents in Iraq or Taliban in Afghanistan.
Who can forget Bush saying that he was going to get Bin Laden dead or alive. Then who can forget him saying that he does not much care about catching Bin Laden. So, the man who killed and boasted of killing 3000 of our people on September 11, 2001 is not even a top priority for Bush and his administration, except the extra activity I notice in that search around elections in our country.
In the meantime, Bin Laden, sitting in cave, or a middle class living room somewhere ni Pakistan or Afghanistan, watching TV, making videos, continues, not only to taunt us, but to encourage others to attack us all while he continues to plan something bigger and worse than September 11.
Shame on George Bush to be sitting not knowing what to do while we were under attack on 9/11, and then sitting on his butt for four years waiting for the next attack to happen, while starting an illegal, unneeded and corrupt war in Iraq to enrich Haliburton.
Who can forget Donald Dumsfeld ridiculing those people who said Iraq was in chaos, in 2003, and then saying the same thing in 2006! Who can forget his insulting a professional and patriotic American General who had the audacity to tell the administration and the people that we were attacking Iraq with too few troops. That man served our nation all his life, and Rumsfeld and that evil neo-con Iraq war instigator who ran away to get another job Paul Wolfowitz, added insult to injury by boycotting the General’s retirement event.
Shame on Donald Rumsfeld, and Shame on Wolfowitz.
To continue this trend today’s news also report that John Bellinger, the American who heads the American delegation to the committee against torture, said allegations of U.S. abuse had become so exaggerated as to be "absurd." Seeing that the whole world has seen pictures of prisoner abuse at our hands, the fact that we cannot actually prosecute the actual September 11 planners in a court of law, because we continue to torture them, what is absurd is each one of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice and now Bellinger each trying to outdo each other in how to make absurd claims, while keeping a straight face like Baghdad Bob.
Like a bad sequel to a bad movie, we did not have to wait 20 years, Bush & Co. are replaying that history of telling absurd stupid white lies just 3 years after we were laughing at the Iraqi propaganda minister. We know what happened to his regime and him, and we know what happened to the Soviet Union. Is that what we want to be the fate our great nation, the United States of America?
My fellow Americans, friends, readers, viewers and listeners… I know, it is funny the way I describe these incompetent people and it is amusing how I use puns and word play to make humorous comments on these issues. But here is the absurd tragedy. It is our administration, our government, our President George W. Bush, and his cronies, Dick Cheney, Condoleeza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld and neo-con enemies of the United States who are putting us at greater risk. What do you think?
If there is one thing history, even history of 20 years, teaches us, it is that history repeats itself. Twenty years after the deluded corrupt evil dictatorial fascist human rights violating aggressive country-invading Soviet Russians showed us how they spin the news, history repeated itself. Who can forget Baghdad Bob, or whatever the name was, of Saddam Hussain’s public relations official? This time it was the deluded corrupt evil dictatorial fascist human rights violating aggressive country-invading Iraqis showing us how they could spin the facts, actually expecting us to believe them.
The one thing I have to give the Bush Administration credit for is that they have sped up history. The Soviets and Baathists were so inefficient. It took twenty years from the collapse of the Soviet Union to the collapse of Saddam’s regime, and it took 20 years to see a repeat of the Soviet style propaganda and lying through the Saddam regime’s spokesperson. But, because so many of George Bush’s cronies are from big business, they have brought incredible efficiency to the business of …. Deluding people and Lying.
Instead of 20 years, in just about two years the world is witnessing what to them must appear to be the deluded corrupt evil dictatorial fascist human rights violating aggressive country-invading lies and public relations spin, but instead of fascist Soviets, or fascist Baathists, it is the fascist dictatorial regime of… the Bush administration.
Who can forget Dick Cheney going on national television, saying that the Iraqi insurgency was in its dying throes. I guess it depends on how we describe dying throes. According to the latest news report, our government says it is hot on the heels of Abu Zarqawi, the evil, murderous, terrorist in Iraq who is literally daring us to find him. And, the closest we got to him was finding an unedited tape of the video he recently released. So, we are hot on his heels. I guess that means his heels are in their dying throes.
In the next few months we might even get his ankles. A few more months, I am sure our administration will get his knees, even if they cannot get him on his knees.
Shame on Dick Cheney for showing us that the only people likely to get killed by this vice president are hunting buddies, not insurgents in Iraq or Taliban in Afghanistan.
Who can forget Bush saying that he was going to get Bin Laden dead or alive. Then who can forget him saying that he does not much care about catching Bin Laden. So, the man who killed and boasted of killing 3000 of our people on September 11, 2001 is not even a top priority for Bush and his administration, except the extra activity I notice in that search around elections in our country.
In the meantime, Bin Laden, sitting in cave, or a middle class living room somewhere ni Pakistan or Afghanistan, watching TV, making videos, continues, not only to taunt us, but to encourage others to attack us all while he continues to plan something bigger and worse than September 11.
Shame on George Bush to be sitting not knowing what to do while we were under attack on 9/11, and then sitting on his butt for four years waiting for the next attack to happen, while starting an illegal, unneeded and corrupt war in Iraq to enrich Haliburton.
Who can forget Donald Dumsfeld ridiculing those people who said Iraq was in chaos, in 2003, and then saying the same thing in 2006! Who can forget his insulting a professional and patriotic American General who had the audacity to tell the administration and the people that we were attacking Iraq with too few troops. That man served our nation all his life, and Rumsfeld and that evil neo-con Iraq war instigator who ran away to get another job Paul Wolfowitz, added insult to injury by boycotting the General’s retirement event.
Shame on Donald Rumsfeld, and Shame on Wolfowitz.
To continue this trend today’s news also report that John Bellinger, the American who heads the American delegation to the committee against torture, said allegations of U.S. abuse had become so exaggerated as to be "absurd." Seeing that the whole world has seen pictures of prisoner abuse at our hands, the fact that we cannot actually prosecute the actual September 11 planners in a court of law, because we continue to torture them, what is absurd is each one of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice and now Bellinger each trying to outdo each other in how to make absurd claims, while keeping a straight face like Baghdad Bob.
Like a bad sequel to a bad movie, we did not have to wait 20 years, Bush & Co. are replaying that history of telling absurd stupid white lies just 3 years after we were laughing at the Iraqi propaganda minister. We know what happened to his regime and him, and we know what happened to the Soviet Union. Is that what we want to be the fate our great nation, the United States of America?
My fellow Americans, friends, readers, viewers and listeners… I know, it is funny the way I describe these incompetent people and it is amusing how I use puns and word play to make humorous comments on these issues. But here is the absurd tragedy. It is our administration, our government, our President George W. Bush, and his cronies, Dick Cheney, Condoleeza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld and neo-con enemies of the United States who are putting us at greater risk. What do you think?
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Dying Throes For Zarqawi's... HEELS?
News items report that the US is hot on the heels of Zarqawi in Iraq. http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=hot+heels+zarqawi&btnG=Search+News
First the insurgency was in its dying throes according to Dick Cheney... what, like 3 years ago?
Now we are hot on the HEELS of Zarqawi -- who does not care if he is killed and is becoming obvious and more daring...
OK, but that is a major success for this administration. You got to start somewhere.
Today, if we get his HEELS, one day in the future we can hope to get his ankles...then some day his legs... and one day, his torso... Of course, by the time Bush leaves office, we'll still have a price on his missing head... I mean, Zarqawi's! (You can't put a price on Bush' missing brains....)
First the insurgency was in its dying throes according to Dick Cheney... what, like 3 years ago?
Now we are hot on the HEELS of Zarqawi -- who does not care if he is killed and is becoming obvious and more daring...
OK, but that is a major success for this administration. You got to start somewhere.
Today, if we get his HEELS, one day in the future we can hope to get his ankles...then some day his legs... and one day, his torso... Of course, by the time Bush leaves office, we'll still have a price on his missing head... I mean, Zarqawi's! (You can't put a price on Bush' missing brains....)
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
A quick review of recent headlines brings to mind a very famous old movie, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
First, The Good. You know how outspoken and blunt I am in my criticism of the Zionist Israelis occupation of Palestine and their continuing to build illegal settlements, using US-provided fighter jets to drop bombs in civilian Palestinian neighborhoods, killing people without trials, and manipulating US foreign policy through a powerful Israeli lobby, while Israel actually SPIES on our nation. Sadly, many critics of Israel and the foolish way in which American politicians sell out our interests as Americans, to keep the Israeli lobby happy, are afraid to speak up, because criticism of Israel is always a sure way to be accused of anti-Semitism. So, some of those who give the knee-jerk reaction of anti-Semitism to any criticism of Israel, this will come as a surprise.
My award of The Good goes to Adam Zuckerman, the 18 year old Jewish high school student from Portland, Maine, who was written about in The New York Times. This young man has worked to raise six thousand dollars in support of a coalition to help protect the Muslim victims in Sudan’s Darfur region who are basically facing a kind of genocide at the hands of marauding Arab tribesmen.
Not only has Adam gone above and beyond what one would expect a Jewish American to do for a Muslim cause, he has gone above and beyond what many Muslims, in America and abroad, have done for this cause. His having the support of some Jewish rabbis and adults is also something to celebrate. Good work, Adam… God Bless You.
The award for The Bad goes to George Bush for his terrible handling of the war on terrorism. According to a news item reported in the New York Times in detail, and mentioned in other places and on my blog at www dot Imran dot com for months. George Bush was so busy congratulating himself on Mission Accomplished before things had even started getting really bad in Iraq, he lost sight of Afghanistan. Afghanistan is where we were SUPPOSED to be fighting the terrorists who attacked America, and searching for Bin Laden. Things have gone from bad to worse to so bad that the Taliban are actually resurgent. They are not only NOT on the defensive, they are actually on the offensive. They are actually marching about freely, assassinating people at will, and celebrating in advance of a US withdrawal from there soon.
My award this week for The Ugly would definitely go to that guy Johan Allen who calls himself John Allen Muhammad. He is the evil piece of human filth who had gone on a shooting spree as the Washington DC area sniper, with a teenaged accomplice. Showing how unbelievably slow and pathetic our system of justice is, these guys are still selecting jurors for his trial. I cannot believe it. For FOUR YEARS, this man and his accomplice are sitting, alive, well fed and sheltered at OUR tax payer expense, despite the clear cut case of them being guilty of evil, deliberate, killings of innocent human beings just for fun. Now, just like that other moron, terrorist, Zaccaharias Moussaui, this John Allen guy wanted to represent himself in court. And, do you know what he is complaining about? He is complaining about jurors being biased against him. Wow. He is alive and was not ripped to shreds the moment he was arrested, was not fed to dogs and pigs, as I would have recommended, without another circus of a trial.. and he is complaining about bias! Unbelievable and ugly. What do you think?
First, The Good. You know how outspoken and blunt I am in my criticism of the Zionist Israelis occupation of Palestine and their continuing to build illegal settlements, using US-provided fighter jets to drop bombs in civilian Palestinian neighborhoods, killing people without trials, and manipulating US foreign policy through a powerful Israeli lobby, while Israel actually SPIES on our nation. Sadly, many critics of Israel and the foolish way in which American politicians sell out our interests as Americans, to keep the Israeli lobby happy, are afraid to speak up, because criticism of Israel is always a sure way to be accused of anti-Semitism. So, some of those who give the knee-jerk reaction of anti-Semitism to any criticism of Israel, this will come as a surprise.
My award of The Good goes to Adam Zuckerman, the 18 year old Jewish high school student from Portland, Maine, who was written about in The New York Times. This young man has worked to raise six thousand dollars in support of a coalition to help protect the Muslim victims in Sudan’s Darfur region who are basically facing a kind of genocide at the hands of marauding Arab tribesmen.
Not only has Adam gone above and beyond what one would expect a Jewish American to do for a Muslim cause, he has gone above and beyond what many Muslims, in America and abroad, have done for this cause. His having the support of some Jewish rabbis and adults is also something to celebrate. Good work, Adam… God Bless You.
The award for The Bad goes to George Bush for his terrible handling of the war on terrorism. According to a news item reported in the New York Times in detail, and mentioned in other places and on my blog at www dot Imran dot com for months. George Bush was so busy congratulating himself on Mission Accomplished before things had even started getting really bad in Iraq, he lost sight of Afghanistan. Afghanistan is where we were SUPPOSED to be fighting the terrorists who attacked America, and searching for Bin Laden. Things have gone from bad to worse to so bad that the Taliban are actually resurgent. They are not only NOT on the defensive, they are actually on the offensive. They are actually marching about freely, assassinating people at will, and celebrating in advance of a US withdrawal from there soon.
My award this week for The Ugly would definitely go to that guy Johan Allen who calls himself John Allen Muhammad. He is the evil piece of human filth who had gone on a shooting spree as the Washington DC area sniper, with a teenaged accomplice. Showing how unbelievably slow and pathetic our system of justice is, these guys are still selecting jurors for his trial. I cannot believe it. For FOUR YEARS, this man and his accomplice are sitting, alive, well fed and sheltered at OUR tax payer expense, despite the clear cut case of them being guilty of evil, deliberate, killings of innocent human beings just for fun. Now, just like that other moron, terrorist, Zaccaharias Moussaui, this John Allen guy wanted to represent himself in court. And, do you know what he is complaining about? He is complaining about jurors being biased against him. Wow. He is alive and was not ripped to shreds the moment he was arrested, was not fed to dogs and pigs, as I would have recommended, without another circus of a trial.. and he is complaining about bias! Unbelievable and ugly. What do you think?
Monday, May 01, 2006
Jesus Christ, Super(Political)Star, Illegal Immigrant?
In the previous issue we started discussing where we stand on the hot issue of Illegal Immigration.
I cannot stand the shameful way our politicians from all sides are shamelessly selling out our country, its future, its interests, and its social stability just to court the votes of certain ethnic groups, supporting their illegal immigrants. This includes Republicans and Democrats, and it includes George Bush and Hillary Clinton. The one thing they all have in common is their desire to pander to special interests, and to sell out our interests as a nation, as long as they can get some extra votes.
Our “security” driven President, George W. Bush says that because there are 11 million illegal people in this country, we cannot do anything about it. What kind of message does that send?
It says, to the NEXT 11 million illegal immigrants, come right in, because once we have 22 million illegals we can do even less to stop you. And, with the NEXT 11 million that come in after that, you can easily tell us legal immigrants and native born Americans to get out of here … and move to Canada.
Hillary Clinton, not to be outdone by George Bush’s direct satellite connection to Jesus Christ, tried to kill THREE birds with one stone. She got to bash Bush, pander to the illegals even more, and also try to appeal to religious people by saying that under the new proposed laws, even Jesus would go to jail.
You know what? Like all my fellow Muslims, I respect and revere Jesus Christ as a Holy Prophet, but, to Hillary Clinton, I say, “So what?”
Let us assume that Jesus Christ decides this May Day to leave his home in the sky and land on Earth.
Let us also assume that instead of going to Africa to cure AIDS stricken orphans, or to the Middle-East to bring a thousand year peace, he says, you know what, a lot of Jewish people and immigrants go to America. America is where the action is, that’s where the Televangelists make a lot of money, and fool a lot of people. That’s where a President claims to speak to me and starts wars… THAT is where I am going.
The irony is that if Jesus was trying to come to the USA from Occupied Jerusalem on a Palestinian passport, we would keep him waiting 10 or 20 years - while gang members, drug smugglers and uneducated, unskilled, people by the million could just hop our border with Mexico or float in from Cuba… no questions asked.
So, ironically, for Jesus to come to American immediately, he would have to break the law --- because we like to reward people who break the rules and punish or delay those who follow the rules!
That means Jesus would have to walk across the Mexican border, just like so many other illegal immigrants.
That makes me wonder. Let’s say he walks into the United States from Mexico, and someone gives him some help, some food, and also a handheld GPS to find his way around. Knowing Jesus, you’d figure he will look at the GPS map to see where the most Churches are to be found… and, the GPS would show, Las Vegas! Wouldn’t it be ironic he would march straight to Las Vegas and then see what that city was all about…. Would he stay or would he walk straight back to Mexico? I wonder.
Or, if Jesus did not want to come via Mexico because he can speak Hebrew but not Spanish, knowing Jesus’ skills with walking on water… I think the best approach for him would be walk over from Cuba; especially with the DUMB and STUPID “wet foot – dry foot” policy we have for Cubans who illegally come here. Jesus would not even have to deal with that wet foot dry foot hassle, since he would surely be dry-foot all the way.
He could just walk on over into Miami. Of course, if he hits Miami’s South Beach with all those topless women parading about, I wonder if Jesus Christ would say, “Jesus Christ!”
Anyway, I digress. Getting back to Hillary Clinton invoking Jesus Christ’s name….
I am sorry, Hillary. Just because your husband and you do not much care for the practice of law in your business practices, sworn testimonies and personal lives, despite being lawyers, and just because you would like to imagine Jesus Christ coming to America and immediately announcing “Prophets For Hillary” endorsing your campaign….
Somehow I don’t think the first thing Jesus will do is line up to break our laws.
And, it does make me wonder…. With our traditional separation of Church and State, what would we do?
If Jesus was caught speeding on his way to Church, wouldn’t our traffic cops give him a ticket?
If he did not pay taxes, wouldn’t the IRS go after him?
And, most importantly, if he had an email address like jesus@holyprophets.com, would spammers not send him emails about Nigerian fraud, fake Rolex watches, breast enlargements and Viagra? What do you think?
I cannot stand the shameful way our politicians from all sides are shamelessly selling out our country, its future, its interests, and its social stability just to court the votes of certain ethnic groups, supporting their illegal immigrants. This includes Republicans and Democrats, and it includes George Bush and Hillary Clinton. The one thing they all have in common is their desire to pander to special interests, and to sell out our interests as a nation, as long as they can get some extra votes.
Our “security” driven President, George W. Bush says that because there are 11 million illegal people in this country, we cannot do anything about it. What kind of message does that send?
It says, to the NEXT 11 million illegal immigrants, come right in, because once we have 22 million illegals we can do even less to stop you. And, with the NEXT 11 million that come in after that, you can easily tell us legal immigrants and native born Americans to get out of here … and move to Canada.
Hillary Clinton, not to be outdone by George Bush’s direct satellite connection to Jesus Christ, tried to kill THREE birds with one stone. She got to bash Bush, pander to the illegals even more, and also try to appeal to religious people by saying that under the new proposed laws, even Jesus would go to jail.
You know what? Like all my fellow Muslims, I respect and revere Jesus Christ as a Holy Prophet, but, to Hillary Clinton, I say, “So what?”
Let us assume that Jesus Christ decides this May Day to leave his home in the sky and land on Earth.
Let us also assume that instead of going to Africa to cure AIDS stricken orphans, or to the Middle-East to bring a thousand year peace, he says, you know what, a lot of Jewish people and immigrants go to America. America is where the action is, that’s where the Televangelists make a lot of money, and fool a lot of people. That’s where a President claims to speak to me and starts wars… THAT is where I am going.
The irony is that if Jesus was trying to come to the USA from Occupied Jerusalem on a Palestinian passport, we would keep him waiting 10 or 20 years - while gang members, drug smugglers and uneducated, unskilled, people by the million could just hop our border with Mexico or float in from Cuba… no questions asked.
So, ironically, for Jesus to come to American immediately, he would have to break the law --- because we like to reward people who break the rules and punish or delay those who follow the rules!
That means Jesus would have to walk across the Mexican border, just like so many other illegal immigrants.
That makes me wonder. Let’s say he walks into the United States from Mexico, and someone gives him some help, some food, and also a handheld GPS to find his way around. Knowing Jesus, you’d figure he will look at the GPS map to see where the most Churches are to be found… and, the GPS would show, Las Vegas! Wouldn’t it be ironic he would march straight to Las Vegas and then see what that city was all about…. Would he stay or would he walk straight back to Mexico? I wonder.
Or, if Jesus did not want to come via Mexico because he can speak Hebrew but not Spanish, knowing Jesus’ skills with walking on water… I think the best approach for him would be walk over from Cuba; especially with the DUMB and STUPID “wet foot – dry foot” policy we have for Cubans who illegally come here. Jesus would not even have to deal with that wet foot dry foot hassle, since he would surely be dry-foot all the way.
He could just walk on over into Miami. Of course, if he hits Miami’s South Beach with all those topless women parading about, I wonder if Jesus Christ would say, “Jesus Christ!”
Anyway, I digress. Getting back to Hillary Clinton invoking Jesus Christ’s name….
I am sorry, Hillary. Just because your husband and you do not much care for the practice of law in your business practices, sworn testimonies and personal lives, despite being lawyers, and just because you would like to imagine Jesus Christ coming to America and immediately announcing “Prophets For Hillary” endorsing your campaign….
Somehow I don’t think the first thing Jesus will do is line up to break our laws.
And, it does make me wonder…. With our traditional separation of Church and State, what would we do?
If Jesus was caught speeding on his way to Church, wouldn’t our traffic cops give him a ticket?
If he did not pay taxes, wouldn’t the IRS go after him?
And, most importantly, if he had an email address like jesus@holyprophets.com, would spammers not send him emails about Nigerian fraud, fake Rolex watches, breast enlargements and Viagra? What do you think?
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