Osama in his own words

For those who are still kicking the dirt and believing the Gosh Darn Al-Queda just hates all of our freedom, Osama’s new tape should be an eye opener. No complete transcript is available, but here's the most complete transcript available. Sure he’s an evil shit- but that doesn’t mean he didn’t have legitimate reasons for his anger. Reasons, by the way, he has no reason to lie about. This IS NOT to say that 9-11 was justified. His anger is justified, how he acted on it, IS NOT. The sad fact of the matter is the poor deluded bastard probably thinks he’s Saudi Arabia’s George Washington. He wants the US to stop supporting Israel and to get our military out of the middle east entirely- particularly from Saudi Arabia. In other words he wants us to get the occupying military to go home- it's the same justification being used by the insurgents in Iraq.
Is that really such an insane request? Would we want someone’s military in OUR country. No, I don’t think we would. And it's an easy one to agree to. We just pack up our shit, come home, and focus our attention on eliminating our slavish need for foriegn oil.
The hawks will say that Osama wants us to go home so can he can be free to train terrorists to come over here and kill us. That’s just stupid. We have this infatuation in this country with cartoonish bad guys. The truth of the matter is, people can be sane, and still be very very evil. A crazy guy couldn’t hide out from us all this time.
Osama said the attack was carried out because "we are a free people ... and we want to regain the freedom of our nation."
Why does that have to be a lie? WE may not agree with anything the man thinks, but FROM HIS POINT OF VIEW what he's saying is true.
People do evil (ie violent) things because they are convinced of the truth of their convictions to the point they think they are justified in the violence they are perpetrating.
Nearly all violence has this same conviction- from a crime of passion to a well thought out act of terrorism, to an entire nation organized around a war. It is the root of the wheel of death the human race has been spinning around on since Cain killed his brother.
From this point of view both the US and the Al Queda are the same. It’s all senseless killing. When John Kerry pulls our people out of the Middle East (which I think most Democrats are hoping he will do if elected) I hope he doesn’t stop at just Iraq. I hope we bring everyone in the region home. And while we’re at it lets stop being the number one arms dealer in the world.

Bush Worse than Doctor Octopus and Leatherface.

Reuters-

Film Fans Make Bush 'Movie Villain of the Year'

LONDON - President George W. Bush may see himself as defender of democracy and compassionate conservatism but film fans have voted him "Movie Villain of the Year".
The American "Axis of Evil" fighter is wooing voters with security pledges ahead of the presidential election next week, but it was Bush's role in Michael Moore's anti-war film "Fahrenheit 9/11" that won him the villainous title.
In a poll for Total Film magazine, the U.S. leader fought off competition from such well-known baddies as atomic scientist Doctor Octopus from "Spider-Man 2" and fellow Texan Leatherface from "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre".
"The overwhelming response of our readers voting Bush top villain just goes to show how frightening people found him in Fahrenheit 9/11," Total Film's editor Matt Mueller told Reuters. "He was absolutely terrifying in that film. The infamous scene where he's informed about the Twin Towers attack while visiting a school, and sits there absolutely paralysed, is enough to strike fear into anyone's heart," he said.

LYRICS TO "MOSH"- THE EMINEM SONG I MENTIONED YESTERDAY

Watch the video here.
Much respect. The video was produced by GNN the Guerilla News Network. They're good folks, I've been digging them for a while. GNN Home Page Here. (You can watch the video from here as well.)

"MOSH"

kids: I pledge alegence to the flag of the united states of america

eminem: People, hahaha, this is it, it feels so good to be back!

VERSE 1:

I Scrutinize every word, memorize every line
I spit it once, refuel, reenergize and rewind
I give sight to the blind, my insight through the mind
I exercise my right to express when I feel its time.
just in your mind, what you interpret it as
I say the “fight” you take it as ima whip someone’s ass
If you don’t understand don’t even bother to ask,
a father who has grown up with a father less passed who has blown up now to rap phenomena,
that has or at least shows no difficulty multi task, in juggling both perhaps master this craft slash entrepreneur who has held launch a phew more rap bags.
Who’s had a phew obstacles thrown his way through the last half
Of his creatifical maneuver moving past that
Mister kiss his ass crack, he’s a class act,
Rubber band man, yeah, he just snaps back

CHORUS:

Come along follow me as I lead through the darkness
As I provide just enough spark that we need, to proceed
Carry on, give me hope, give me strength, come with me, and I wont steer you wrong
Get your faith and your trust, as I guide us through the fog, to the light at the end of the tunnel we gon’ fight,
we gon’ charge, we gon’ stomp, we gon’ mosh through the smog, we gon’ march through the mosh, take us right through the doors… COME ON

VERSE 2:

All the people up top, on the side and the middle, from the ghetto, lets all form and swamp just a little
Just let it gradually build, from the front to the back,
All you can see is a sea of people, some white and some black
Don’t matter what color, all that matters is we gathered together,
To celebrate for the same cause, no matter the whether
If it rains, let it rain, YEAH the wetter the better
They ain’t gon’ stop us, they cant, were stronger now more then ever
They tell us no we say yeah, they tell us stop we say go,
Rebel with a rebel, yell “rais hell”, we gon’ let em? No
STOMP, PUSH, SHOVE, MUSH… FUCK BUSH, until they bring our troops home… COME ON

CHORUS:

just,
Come along follow me as I lead through the darkness
As I provide just enough spark that we need, to proceed
Carry on, give me hope, give me strength, come with me, and I wont steer you wrong
Get your faith and your trust, as I guide us through the fog, to the light at the end of the tunnel we gon’ fight,
we gon’ charge, we gon’ stomp we gon mosh through the smog, we gon march through the mosh, take us right through the doors… COME ON

VERSE 3:

Imagine it poorin’, its rainin’ down on us, moshpits outside the oval office
Someone’s tryin to tell us something, maybe this is god, just sayin we're responsible
For this monster, this coward, that we have empowered, this is bin laden
Look at his head noddin’, how can we allow something like this without pumpin our fists
Now this is our, final hour,
Let me be the voice, in your strength and your choice, let me simplify the rhyme,
Just to implify the noise, tryin to amplify to times it, and multiply it by sixteen million people are equal at this high pitch
Maybe we can reach alqueda through my speech, let the president answer our high anarchy
Strap him with a AK-47 let HIM go fight his own war, let him impress daddy that way,
No more blood for oil, we got our own battles to fight on our own soil, no more psychological warfare to trick us to thinking that we ain’t loyal
If we don’t serve our own country, we’re patronizing our hero
Look in his eyes, its all lies, the stars and stripes, have been swiped, washed out and wiped,
And replaced with his own face, mosh now or die, if I can snipe tonight, you’ll know why, ‘cuz I told you to fight.

CHORUS:

Come along follow me as I leed through the darkness
As I provide just enough spark that we need, to proceed
Carry on, give me hope, give me strength, come with me, and I wont steer you wrong
Get your faith and your trust, as I guide us through the fog, to the light at the end of the tunnel we gon fight,
we gon charge, we gon stomp we gon mosh through the smog, we gon march through the mosh, take us right through the doors... come on

Eminem: and as we proceed to mosh through this deasert storm, and these closing statements, if they should argue, let us beg to differ, as we set aside our differences, and assemble our own army to dissarm this weapon of mass distruction that we call our president for the present and mosh for the future of our next generation, to speak and be heard, mr president, mr senitor

kids: hear us, hear us

WOW- Who knew?

I don't care what you think of Eminem or hip-hop you have to watch his latest video. I wish MTV would just start playing it and leave it on until election day. I'm not sure when Eminem got political beyond his own life- but this is a seriously brilliant song/video combination.

DICK Cheney- The MOVIE

Want to know what a lying prick Cheney is?
A career retrospective.
Watch it here. (About 40 minutes)
You'll notice Sinclair isn't trying to air it. Oh well.
For instance, Did you know that Cheney dropped out of Yale- Twice?
Oh, and he got arrested for Drunk Driving too- just like Bush.

Oh, this just keeps getting more and more ridiculous

In what HAS to be, hands down, the most completely fucking stupid thing his Shrubness has EVER said- either that or this man is WAY WAY WAY more insane than even his greatest detractors have ventured to guess.

Pat Robertson. THE Pat Robertson of the 700 Club fame- otherwise known as Fundamentalist Wacko- says that in discussions with Pres. Shrub before the gulf war that NO ONE WAS GOING TO DIE!!!! I cannot wait to see the Republicans attack Robertson as a liberal or something- this is going to be rich!


What exactly was said?
"And I warned him about this war. I had deep misgivings about this war, deep misgivings. And I was trying to say, 'Mr. President, you had better prepare the American people for casualties.' "
Robertson said the president then told him,
"Oh, no, we're not going to have any casualties."

Anyone that votes for this guy needs to have their heads examined. That millions will in a couple of weeks is a little hard to understand. How far up your ass does your head have to be before people will admit you're not worth their support?
I guess we'll find out.

Just when you thought it couldn't get any more ridiculous

THE BUSH FOLKS ARE BURYING A CIA REPORT THAT HOLDS THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR 9/11!!!!!

That's right, the CIA has reportedly had a report prepared for weeks that names high level Bush administration officials (we don't know which ones exactly- just that they are "high level") as culpable for 9-11. Since this falls under the category of things the Dubyas don't want to be true- THEY ARE SUPRESSING IT. This practice was quite common- in Soviet Russia.

Once again it makes me wonder- is there anything these people won't do?

There he goes again...

Cheney has once more unleashed what is probably the most petty, most shameful, most disgusting of all campaign arguments.
If you vote for the other guy- we're all going to die.
I mean, come the fuck on.

"It's absolutely essential that eight weeks from today, on Nov. 2, we make the right choice, because if we make the wrong choice, then the danger is that we'll get hit again, that we'll be hit in a way that will be devastating from the standpoint of the United States..." -Dick

First of all, this scares the crap out of me becuase if I'm a terrorist- this makes me want to hit America before the election- if for no other reason for saying they cannot hit at the Bush Administration- especially considering what happened in Spain last year. I fear such an attack will be the October surprise we've all been waiting for. These guys are clearly desperate. (Both the terrorists and the Bush Camp)

I think the first thing Kerry is going to do as President is to give all of Halliburton's contracts to other firms- I'm sure the thought's crossed the minds of the people at Halliburton as well. I'm sure they've made a few phone calls- I mean you would almost have to- the contracts are worth literally billions of dollars. If you're a Halliburton Exec. do you really just let this happen? And who are you going to call? Why the ex CEO of your company and the Vice President of the US- Dick Dick Cheney.
This is all speculation of course and will always remain so. Dick's not stupid- there will never be any record of his interactions with Halliburton. But with Billions of dollars in play and the media in their pocket- the chances for really scary Reichstag Fire/Wag the Dog- type stuff just gets higher and higher.

I really think it sucks that we even have to consider such things- that my biggest hope- not confidence- hope- is that the US can hold an election that comes within 10 miles of fair. Never mind the screw-ups in Afghanistan- I'm worried about our country- our people.

Tucker Carlson, "You're a dick..."

Johnathon Stewart is my hero. Watch him on Crossfire. It's totally brutal- John rips both Tucker and Bagala to shreds. And his point is a very valid one. My favorite part is when they criticize Stewart's COMEDY show against their show on CNN.

CARLSON: You had John Kerry on your show and you sniff his throne and you're accusing us of partisan hackery?
STEWART: Absolutely.
CARLSON: You've got to be kidding me. He comes on and you...
(CROSSTALK)
STEWART: You're on CNN. The show that leads into me is puppets making crank phone calls.

For all y'all with the yellow ribbons who plan to vote for the Cheatin' Dubya.

Amply supplied troops?

Go ahead. Say it's because Kerry voted against the 87 milliion- which was actually a protest vote against Halliburton's free cash giveaway.

He got his money. The troops are in a terrible place- unequipped, outnumbered, and unsafe. They should be back home here with us. If wanting people to not die is unAmerican. Then so be it.

Send Bush home to Texas and bring our troops home for Valentines Day!

Cheater Cheater Cheater!!!!!

It's a little hard to believe, but Bush wore the wire again in the 3rd debate. Salon has a great picture of it although you'll have to go through some bullshit to actually read the article that accompanies the terrific photo of Bush's bulging back.

Sorry to keep hyping on this- but if he's willing to cheat like this in a simple (albeit important for his personal political future) debate- just try to imagine the level of deceit going on about the really important issues that effect everyone in this country- indeed around the entire globe.

Yikes.

They've even got their own ketchup now!

Yup. The Republicans now have their own ketchup so they don't have to support Kerry.
Wow.
(Be sure to look at the About W ketchup section- for some reason there's a picture of Ronald Reagan. Also be sure to notice that everything is made in America- but they don't mention any states.. Hmm.)

The Final Presidential Debate

Bush got his clock cleaned.
Why?
It's not just because he was babbling like a loon half the time- it was Kerry's performance. While Bush just attacked Kerry as a Liberal, the only thing he really had was "he voted to raise taxes 96 times" Kerry read laundry lists of Bush screw-ups, and one of which could have been used in his non-answer to the last debates question of, "What mistakes have you made?" Kerry explained in remarkably coherent detail how he was going to pay for his plans. Frankly I was shocked he did it. Most politicians are terrified to stake out positions so publicly. I'm not saying his ideas will necessarily work- but at least he's actually explaining what he thinks. I think this tactic wins him swing votes. Bush had no plan at all. Kerry represents an alternative that comes across as well thought out. I mean, Bush has us back at trickle down economics for fucks sake.
The one thing the Bushy Administration doesn't want is the question to come down to stubborn resolve vs. the ability to change position in the light of new facts. People want resolve. They don't want insane ideological certainty. They don't want the pushy husband who refuses to admit he doesn't know where he is when you've been driving around in circles for 4 hours. You gotta stop for directions sometimes- the people know that.
Oh, and I'm sorry, but when the President talks about his faith I get freaked out.
Not that he has faith, that's way cool by me, it's that his kind of faith is almost desperate- He needs God to be on his side- otherwise he might have to actually face the fact he's one of the worst Presidents in the history of this country.
Clearly his handlers are well aware of how thin the reality of his poll numbers really are becuase he keeps cheating. Now they're throwing out Democratic voter registration cards. It seems to have be a concerted effort- all funded by the RNC. If this pops before the election- Bush is fucko.
And yeah, in case you've forgotten, he also likes to cheat some more. There were several times last night I would've bet money he was listening to something in his ear. He'd usually say a name or fact immediatly afterward. Of course, I was looking for it- so I might be biased.
Speaking of the "Is Bush wired" question, did anyone else notice how badly distorted his reception was for the first two or three minutes of the debate last night? It was an echoey feedback, you know, the kind you can get when you bring two microphones too close together.

Bill O Reilly- Right Wing Ideologue or Freaky Sex Pervert?

Apparantly Bill O Reilly is getting sued for sexually harrassing an ex-employee Andrea Mackris. While normally one would doubt such claims, this particular instance seems to be different becuase, as the Smoking Gun points out, there are long transcripts of Bill O Reilly's words that are quoted VERBATIM, which seems to indicate there is a tape. And if there is, O Reilly is TOAST. Bye Bye and SHUT UP!

IS BUSH WIRED?

It sounds like Herr Stupid has been caught. There are now 2 credible instances where it's clear Bush is listening to an earpiece for prompting. First, there is this audio of someone prompting Bush from June 5, 2004 with Chirac. Skip ahead to 22:40- that's where it occurs.
Then, at the debate last week Bush said to the air, "Let me finish" no one was interupting him. Listen to it here.

Here's the relevant portion of the French transcript:Q Mr. President, what role specifically would you like the French to play in Iraq going forward? Merci.PHANTOM VOICE: The French are going to provide advice...PRESIDENT BUSH: Listen, the French are going to provide great advice. President Chirac has got good judgment about the Middle East, and he understands those countries well.

A summary of the whole debate thing is here. Scroll down to the bottom for pictures of Bush's Battery pack, clearly bulging out on his back.
A whole bunch more stuff about it is here.

EEEWWWW

Well, never wanting to capitalize on an opportunity, Edwards sucked the big toe last night. He only had to say one word over and over again to win- HALLIBURTON.
"Good evening Mr. Edwards."
"Good Evening- HALLIBURTON!"
Edwards was defensive and lame. Cheney lied over and over and got away with it. ESPECIALLY that "I never said Iraq was connected to 9-11."
Yeah you did, you lying dick.
Anyway- we'll see if Kerry chokes on it on Friday- I hope he does well, but I think Bush is just going to fall back on making up crazy attacks (like the Global Test thing) and put Kerry back on defense. If he lets that happen, it's all over.

Important summaries of the War in Iraq that we're "winning"

Read this and tell me Bush isn't living in a goddamn dreamworld.


UNDERNEWS SPECIAL: COSTS OF THE IRAQ WAROCT 4, 2004FROM THE PROGRESSIVE REVIEWEDITED BY SAM SMITH REVIEW INDEX: http://www.prorev.com/ http://www.fpif.org/pdf/reports/IPStransition.pdf[Prepared by the Institute for Policy Studies and Foreign Policy In Focus]


KEY FINDINGS 1. U.S. Military Casualties Have Been Highest During the "Transition": U.S. military casualties (wounded and killed) stand at a monthly average of 747 since the so-called "transition" to Iraqi rule on June 28, 2004. This contrasts with a monthly average of 482 U.S. military casualties during the invasion (March 20-May 1, 2003) and a monthly average of 415 during the occupation (May 2, 2003- June 28, 2004).2. Non-Iraqi Contractor Deaths Have Also Been Highest During the "Transition": There has also been a huge increase in the average monthly deaths of U.S. and other non-Iraqi contractors since the "transition." On average, 17.5 contractors have died each month since the June 28 "transition," versus 7.6 contractor deaths per month during the previous 14 months of occupation.3. Estimated Strength of Iraqi Resistance Skyrockets: Because the U.S. military occupation remains in place, the "transition" has failed to win Iraqi support or diminish Iraqi resistance to the occupation. According to Pentagon estimates, the number of Iraqi resistance fighters has quadrupled between November of 2003 and early September 2004, from 5,000 to 20,000. The Deputy Commander of Coalition forces in Iraq, British Major General Andrew Graham, indicated to Time magazine in early September that he thinks the 20,000 estimate is too low; he estimates Iraqi resistance strength at 40,000-50,000. This rise is even starker when juxtaposed to Brookings Institution estimates that an additional 24,000 Iraqi resistance fighters have been detained or killed between May 2003 and August 2004.4. U.S.- led Coalition Shrinks Further After "Transition": The number of countries identified as members of the Coalition backing the U.S.-led war started with 30 on March 18, 2003, then grew in the early months of the war. Since then, eight countries have withdrawn their troops and Costa Rica has demanded to be taken off the coalition list. At the war's start, coalition countries represented 19.1 percent of the world's population; today, the remaining countries with foces in Iraq represent only 13.6 percent of the world's population.
HUMAN COSTS TO THE U.S. AND ALLIES U.S. Military Deaths: Between the start of war on March 19, 2003 and September 22, 2004, 1,175 coalition forces were killed, including 1,040 U.S. military. Of the total, 925 were killed after President Bush declared the end of combat operations on May 1, 2003. Over 7,413 U.S. troops have been wounded since the war began, 6,953 (94 percent) since May 1, 2003.Contractor Deaths: As of September 22, 2004, there has been an estimated 154 civilian contractors, missionaries, and civilian worker deaths since May 1, 2004. Of these, 52 have been identified as Americans.Journalist Deaths: Forty-four international media workers have been killed in Iraq as of September 22, 2004, including 33 since President Bush declared the end of combat operations. Eight of the dead worked for U.S. companies.
SECURITY COSTS
Terrorist Recruitment and Action: According to the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, al Qaeda's membership is now at 18,000, with 1,000 active in Iraq. The State Department's 2003 "Patterns of Global Terrorism," documented 625 deaths and 3,646 injuries due to terrorist attacks in 2003. The report acknowledged that "significant incidents," increased from 60 percent of total attacks in 2002 to 84 percent in 2003.Low U.S. Credibility: Polls reveal that the war has damaged the U.S. government's standing and credibility in the world. Surveys in eight European and Arab countries demonstrated broad public agreement that the war has hurt, rather than helped, the war on terrorism. At home, 52 percent of Americans polled by the Annenberg Election Survey disapprove of Bush's handling of Iraq.Military Mistakes: A number of former military officials have criticized the war, including retired Marine General Anthony Zinni, who has charged that by manufacturing a false rationale for war, abandoning traditional allies, propping up and trusting Iraqi exiles, and failing to plan for post-war Iraq, the Bush Administration made the United States less secure.Low Troop Morale and Lack of Equipment: A March 2004 army survey found 52 percent of soldiers reporting low morale, and three-fourths reporting they were poorly led by their officers. Lack of equipment has been an ongoing problem. The Army did not fully equip soldiers with bullet-proof vests until June 2004, forcing many families to purchase them out of their own pockets.Loss of First Responders: National Guard troops make up almost one-third of the U.S. Army troops now in Iraq. Their deployment puts a particularly heavy burden on their home communities because many are "first responders," including police, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel. For example, 44 percent of the country's police forces have lost officers to Iraq. In some states, the absence of so many Guard troops has raised concerns about the ability to handle natural disasters.Use of Private Contractors: An estimated 20,000 private contractors are carrying out work in Iraq traditionally done by the military, despite the fact that they often lack sufficient training and are not accountable to the same guidelines and reviews as military personnel.
ECONOMIC COSTS
The Bill So Far: Congress has approved of $151.1 billion for Iraq. Congressional leaders anticipate an additional supplemental appropriation of $60 billion after the election.Long-term Impact on U.S. Economy: Economist Doug Henwood has estimated that the war bill will add up to an average of at least $3,415 for every U.S. household. Oil Prices: U.S. crude oil prices spiked at $48 per barrel on August 19, 2004, the highest level since 1983, a development that most analysts attribute at least in part to the deteriorating situation in Iraq. Economic Impact on Military Families: Since the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 364,000 reserve troops and National Guard soldiers have been called for military service, serving tours of duty that often last 20 months. Studies show that between 30 and 40 percent of reservists and National Guard members earn a lower salary when they leave civilian employment for military deployment. Army Emergency Relief has reported that requests from military families for food stamps and subsidized meals increased "several hundred percent" between 2002 and 2003.
SOCIAL COSTS
U.S. Budget and Social Programs: The Bush administration's combination of massive spending on the war and tax cuts for the wealthy means less money for social spending. The $151.1 billion expenditure for the war through this year could have paid for: close to 23 million housing vouchers; health care for over 27 million uninsured Americans; salaries for nearly 3 million elementary school teachers; 678,200 new fire engines; over 20 million Head Start slots for children; or health care coverage for 82 million children. A leaked memo from the White House to domestic agencies outlines major cuts following the election, including funding for education, Head Start, home ownership, job training, medical research and homeland security.Social Costs to the Military: In order to meet troop requirements in Iraq, the Army has extended the tours of duty for soldiers. These extensions have been particularly difficult for reservists, many of whom never expected to face such long separations from their jobs and families. According to military policy, reservists are not supposed to be on assignment for more than 12 months every 5-6 years. To date, the average tour of duty for all soldiers in Iraq has been 320 days. A recent Army survey revealed that more than half of soldiers said they would not re-enlist.Costs to Veteran Health Care: About 64 percent of the more than 7,000 U.S. soldiers injured in Iraq received wounds that prevented them from returning to duty. One trend has been an increase in amputees, the result of improved body armor that protects vital organs but not extremities. As in previous wars, many soldiers are likely to have received ailments that will not be detected for years to come. The Veterans Administration healthcare system is not prepared for the swelling number of claims. In May, the House of Representatives approved funding for FY 2005 that is $2.6 billion less than needed, according to veterans' groups.Mental Health Costs: The New England Journal of Medicine reported in July 2004 that 1 in 6 soldiers returning from war in Iraq showed signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression, or severe anxiety. Only 23 to 40 percent of respondents in the study who showed signs of a mental disorder had sought mental health care.
COSTS TO IRAQ
HUMAN COSTS
Iraqi Deaths and Injuries: As of September 22, 2004, between 12,800 and 14,843 Iraqi civilians have been killed as a result of the U.S. invasion and ensuing occupation, while an estimated 40,000 Iraqis have been injured. During "major combat" operations, between 4,895 and 6,370 Iraqi soldiers and insurgents were killed.Effects of Depleted Uranium: The health impacts of the use of depleted uranium weaponry in Iraq are yet to be known. The Pentagon estimates that U.S. and British forces used 1,100 to 2,200 tons of weaponry made from the toxic and radioactive metal during the March 2003 bombing campaign. Many scientists blame the far smaller amount of DU weapons used in the Persian Gulf War for illnesses among U.S. soldiers, as well as a sevenfold increase in child birth defects in Basra in southern Iraq.Rise in Crime: Murder, rape, and kidnapping have skyrocketed since March 2003, forcing Iraqi children to stay home from school and women to stay off the streets at night. Violent deaths rose from an average of 14 per month in 2002 to 357 per month in 2003.Psychological Impact: Living under occupation without the most basic security has devastated the Iraqi population. A poll conducted by the Iraq Center for Research and Strategic Studies in June 2004 found that 80 percent of Iraqis believe that coalition forces should leave either immediately or directly after the election.
ECONOMIC COSTS
Unemployment: Iraqi joblessness doubled from 30 percent before the war to 60 percent in the summer of 2003. While the Bush administration now claims that unemployment has dropped, the U.S. is only employing 120,000 Iraqis, of a workforce of 7 million, in reconstruction projects.Corporate War Profiteering: Most of Iraq's reconstruction has been contracted out to U.S. companies, rather than experienced Iraqi firms. Top contractor Halliburton is being investigated for charging $160 million for meals that were never served to troops and $61 million in cost overruns on fuel deliveries. Halliburton employees also took $6 million in kickbacks from subcontractors, while other employees have reported extensive waste, including the abandonment of $85,000 trucks because they had flat tires.Iraq's Oil Economy: Anti-occupation violence has prevented Iraq from capitalizing on its oil assets. There have been an estimated 118 attacks on Iraq's oil infrastructure since June 2003. By September 2004, oil production still had not reached pre-war levels and major attacks caused oil exports to plummet to a ten- month low in August 2004.
SOCIAL COSTS
Health Infrastructure: After more than a decade of crippling sanctions, Iraq's health facilities were further damaged during the war and post-invasion looting. Iraq's hospitals continue to suffer from lack of supplies and an overwhelming number of patients.Education: UNICEF estimates that more than 200 schools were destroyed in the conflict and thousands more were looted in the chaos following the fall of Saddam Hussein. Environment: The U.S-led attack damaged water and sewage systems and the country's fragile desert ecosystem. It also resulted in oil well fires that spewed smoke across the country and left unexploded ordnance that continues to endanger the Iraqi people and environment. Mines and unexploded ordnance cause an estimated 20 casualties per month.
HUMAN RIGHTS COSTS
Even with Saddam Hussein overthrown, Iraqis continue to face human rights violations from occupying forces. In addition to the widely publicized humiliation and torture of prisoners, abuse has been widespread throughout the post-9-11 military operations, with over 300 allegations of abuse in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantánamo. As of mid-August 2004, only 155 investigations into the existing 300 allegations had been completed.
SOVEREIGNTY COSTS
Despite the proclaimed "transfer of sovereignty" to Iraq, the country continues to be occupied by U.S. and coalition troops and has severely limited political and economic independence. The interim government does not have the authority to reverse the nearly 100 orders by former CPA head Paul Bremer that, among other things, allow for the privatization of Iraq's state-owned enterprises and prohibit preferences for domestic firms in reconstruction.
COSTS TO THE WORLD
HUMAN COSTSWhile Americans make up the vast majority of military and contractor personnel in Iraq, other U.S.-allied "coalition" troops have suffered 135 war casualties in Iraq. In addition, the focus on Iraq has diverted international resources and attention away from humanitarian crises such as in Sudan.
DISABLING INTERNATIONAL LAW
The unilateral U.S. decision to go to war in Iraq violated the United Nations Charter, setting a dangerous precedent for other countries to seize any opportunity to respond militarily to claimed threats, whether real or contrived, that must be "pre-empted." The U.S. military has also violated the Geneva Convention, making it more likely that in the future, other nations will ignore these protections in their treatment of civilian populations and detainees.
UNDERMINING THE UNITED NATIONS
At every turn, the Bush Administration has attacked the legitimacy and credibility of the UN, undermining the institution's capacity to act in the future as the centerpiece of global disarmament and conflict resolution. The efforts of the Bush administration to gain UN acceptance of an Iraqi government that was not elected but rather installed by occupying forces undermines the entire notion of national sovereignty as the basis for the UN Charter. It was on this basis that Secretary General Annan referred specifically to the vantage point of the UN Charter in his September 2004 finding that the war was illegal.
ENFORCING COALITIONS
Faced with opposition in the UN Security Council, the U.S. government attempted to create the illusion of multilateral support for the war by pressuring other governments to join a so-called "Coalition of the Willing." This not only circumvented UN authority, but also undermined democracy in many coalition countries, where public opposition to the war was as high as 90 percent. As of the middle of September, only 29 members of the "Coalition of the Willing" had forces in Iraq, in addition to the United States. These countries, combined with United States, make up less than 14 percent of the world's population.
COSTS TO THE GLOBAL ECONOMY
The $151.1 billion spent by the U.S. government on the war could have cut world hunger in half and covered HIV/AIDS medicine, childhood immunization and clean water and sanitation needs of the developing world for more than two years. As a factor in the oil price hike, the war has created concerns of a return to the "stagflation" of the 1970s. Already, the world's major airlines are expecting an increase in costs of $1 billion or more per month.
UNDERMINING GLOBAL SECURITY AND DISARMAMENT
The U.S.-led war and occupation have galvanized international terrorist organizations, placing people not only in Iraq but around the world at greater risk of attack. The State Department's annual report on international terrorism reported that in 2003 there was the highest level of terror-related incidents deemed "significant" than at any time since the U.S. began issuing these figures.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS
U.S.-fired depleted uranium weapons have contributed to pollution of Iraq's land and water, with inevitable spillover effects in other countries. The heavily polluted Tigris River, for example, flows through Iraq, Iran and Kuwait.HUMAN RIGHTSThe Justice Department memo assuring the White House that torture was legal stands in stark violation of the International Convention Against Torture (of which the United States is a signatory). This, combined with the widely publicized mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. military and intelligence officials, gave new license for torture and mistreatment by governments around the world.

I mean, for fucks sake!

Kerry beat Bush's ass.

Well, 12 hours after the debates and the Media Powers That Be are already doing their best to obfusicate the following polls taken after the debate by people who actually watched it:

CNN
73% Kerry
21- shrub
MSNBC
64% Kerry
36
Fox
What a shock- no poll about who won?! Fair and balanced my left nut.
ABC
45% Kerry
36%
CBS
89% Kerry
9%
-yet the headlines on CBS say- "Experts rate debate a draw" Assholes.
Kerry did what he needed to do- he CLEARLY and CONCISELY explained how Bush was a stubborn moron who is unable to change his position because he's an ideological nutbar. By the end of the debate Bush was throwing a mini-temper tantrum- making faces, slouching over, pausing for a long long time, struggling even to repeat the 4 or 5 memorized phrases he had in his bag of tricks. OK we know it's hard work. The flip-flopping thing fell on it's face- Kerry answered the "multiple position" theory very well although already this morning the Bush Puppeteers are working like mad to reestablish it.
I still don't like Kerry- but at least he finaly showed he's at least competent enough to pummel the shit out of an unarmed man. That's been my biggest problem all along- I honestly believe my cat should be able to beat Bush quite handily- he's the worst President- possibly in US history. Hiring Clinton's people was the smartest thing Kerry has done- they're earning their no-doubt enormous paychecks.
The VIce-President debate should be fun too. I want to hear the word Halliburton in every sentence Edwards says.

The Cloud inside Bush's Silver Lining

Tonight in the debate our idiot president is going to say things are going well in Iraq. I even believe he believes it.
BUT.
Check this out. (its an NPR audio story)
"We take a close look at the number of soldiers injured in Iraq. More than 7,500 have been wounded in action but 20,000 have become so injured or sick from a variety of causes that they've had to be taken to hospitals in Europe and the United States."

Take off your Rose Colored Glasses President Johnson, er, Bush.

Everyone Loves Scare Tactics

In a story that's becoming all too typical it turns out FOX news is trying to scare students away from voting in the swing state of Arizona. Shocking. A reporter actually said that voting in Arizona if you aren't a permanent citizen is a felony- which is just wrong, especially since the story was being directly targeted to students. Oh, and in case you think it was a slip. There were actually 2 different broadcasts where the stupid threats were made.

First we have endless "alerts", Saddam is totally going to kill us all, Dick says voting for Kerry will cause the terrorists to strike, Soldiers are told not re-upping their service will get them sent to Iraq, and now this.

Am I the only one who wishes they'd stop trying to scare us? It's like the really crappy horror ride at the State Fair- it's not scary- It's mostly just annoying.