Uh…fool me once, uh…shame…shame on, you. Fool me twice (insert idiotic fumbling noises and the image of a man so dense that he doesn’t even know to turn red with embarrassment), uh…don’t get fooled again.
This inexact Bush quote is a staple of liberal talk radio, and why not. It sums up the bad deal we have in an Executive Branch. It also sums up the rest of the nation. We can’t get fooled, or bulldozed by neocon cock-sureness, again.
This morning’s Bush interview about Iran’s “meddling” in Iraq is déjà vu for anyone who was paying attention during the last four years. In short, more bullshit designed to pull tattered, moth-eaten wool over our eyes. Fool me once…
What is so irritating is how stupid this administration must think we are. As they gin up to make war on Iran, they assume they can lead us blindly into the meat grinder. Bush as the Pied Piper, and us as the gullible rats, following the tune blindly to war. It’s bad enough that we put up with the continuation of the first time – death, debt, maimed veterans and a complete loss of credibility around the world, and the destabilization of the world’s richest oil-producing region. It’s bad enough that Congress has sat idly by, and abdicated all oversight responsibility. This next time, we could be neck deep in shit.
First, let’s state the obvious:
1. Our President and his administration have absolutely zero credibility. They simply cannot be trusted. (Insert lawyer joke here – “Q, how can you tell if a Bush Administration member is lying? A, His/her lips are moving!) They lied us into war, criminally and intentionally.
2. Their ability to effectively wage war is non-existent. Iraq is a disaster, and it is clear they have no clue what they are doing.
3. The war is a financial disaster! Sure, it is only 5 to 10 percent of our annual GDP (and yet we can’t provide health care…don’t get me started), but we are financing the war, with interest payments alone in the hundreds of billions per year.
4. This war was another neoconservative attempt to privatize the functions of government, with private contractors bleeding resources from our treasury, and our troops on the ground.
5. This was a war waged not in the national interest, but for the benefit of a few large corporations.
6. The news media, and both parties on Congress sat by and allowed this to happen to us, and to the Iraqi people. Bastards!
How could we, seriously, as a great nation, allow this to happen? Maybe we are stupid and deserve what we get. Or, maybe we are victims of crimes by people in power, crimes of at least Watergate proportions. Congress is right to challenge troop increases, even if they doing it as meekly as possible.
But what would an Iran adventure mean? Here are some very realistic scenarios:
1. Zero credibility means we assume the Prez is lying about the explosives found in Iraq being used “on orders from top Iranian leaders.” The only reasonable assumption is that the President is lying. Remember, fool me once…
2. Even if (and this is a Godzilla on steroids sized if) some bombs in Iraq came from Iran, does this really surprise anyone? They’re next door for cryin’ out loud. And, they have strategic interests in what happens next door! How many bombs do we sell a year? How many people do they kill? How many kids in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Viet Nam, etc. are killed by US made land mines each year? Ones that cost $5 to sell, and $1000 to dispose of?
3. Iran is not Iraq! Better army, more soldiers, bigger fight. Forget being shocked at 3000 dead, make it times ten!
4. Forget 5% of GDP. Iran war will be way more expensive.
5. Regional destabilization will be intense. Can you say $10 per gallon gas?
6. In international circles, we will have to sit at the table with Kim Jong Il, the table for countries run by messianic lunatics. And he will seem the more stable of the two!
7. There is absolutely no reason to go to war with Iran. None. It makes no rational sense at all in terms of the national interest.
Now, war plans told to Seymour Hersch tell how Bushco™ plans to do it on the cheap: Nuke ‘em. Make no mistake folks, the nuclear option is on the table. And this crew is crazy enough to use it. Can you imagine the consequences of dropping a nuke in the Middle East? Can you say Armageddon?
Only an absolute IDIOT would use nuclear weapons in the Middle East.
And you see the danger: “Oh, shit…we have an absolute idiot in control of our nuclear weapons!” This is why we need heroes in Congress, right now!
When Senator Obama feels he has to apologize for stating the obvious, that our troops were being “wasted” in Iraq, we are doomed to another terrible war. Popular White House hopefuls who can’t speak the obvious truth and defend it cannot protect us against the ruthless neocon oligarchs. We need the presidential contenders, not just the Dennis Ks and the Feingolds, to tell it like it is. We need Democrats to put forth binding resolutions that cut off funding for this maniacal doomsday baiting that our President is engaged in. We can’t shake our heads, even our fists, and say “here we go again.” We have to shout, “fuck no, never again!”
If the President defies the wishes of the Congress, start with the subpoenas. There should be no shortage of them, and no shortage of rats ready to jump the neocon Titanic as it steams towards the big ice. The stink of corruption is so thick around this administration that you could put slices of it on a sandwich. And, when the rest of the White House aides watch Scooter head for prison, they will be ready to cut deals quickly.
Email your reps! Tell them “no way in Hell, no, no, NO IRAN WAR! Not until they are piloting bombers across the Atlantic. Tell them to face up to the truth that this war was an attempt to steal another country’s oil, and we fucked it up. Shut down this White House! They must play nice, or be indicted. Tell them you will remember in the primary next time if they don’t grow some balls right now! (Like that’ll work!)
Tell ‘em you don’t like being fooled. Fool me once…
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Repubs show Dems how it’s done!
I feel, so often, that I slam my own party more than I criticize the opposition. And the opposition is evil! Republicans will sell their own children into slavery to stay loyal, and to make a few extra bucks for their corporate overlords. But I have to slam again.
When in the minority, Dems couldn’t stay loyal to stop evil when they could. They failed politically and morally, and we all suffer for their failure.
Case in point: filibuster.
The Republicans just successfully filibustered the completely vanilla, melba toast, ball-less resolution saying (paraphrased): “sorry, sorry…but we kind of disagree with a troop increase; but don’t think we hate the troops, or America, please! We are still imperialists, but the public hates this war, so please, please recognize that we don’t want an increase; sorry, really…sorry for having an opinion” was how the Senate’s version of the bill went.
Chuck Hagel made speeches against the increase, and co-sponsored the bill. Then he joined Republicans in filibustering his own bill! He did the dirty job in the trenches so his party’s leader, our idiot president, would not be embarrassed. He took one for the team, and did his job!
The result: The Democrats can’t even pass a non-binding resolution when they have the majority, and when 70% of Americans support their view. The Dems look pathetically weak, and like they can’t get anything done. I support ‘em, and I feel this way!
Now, liberals, think back to the judicial nominations of a little over a year ago. There were 44 Democrats in the Senate, and Bush appoints his second Supreme Court nominee, Alito. A judicial weasel who stands for everything your voting base hates! Does the Democratic Party have the discipline in the Senate to filibuster? Have they got the eggs in their collective sacks to risk ridicule on FOX News?
Hell no. And, even though our party had the numbers, they were too much the party of simpering pussies to stand up to evil. To stand up for our rights. To represent us, the poor saps who voted for them in the first place, who donated money, who stayed involved in politics, who cared. We got fucked by our own party, because they were too chickenshit to risk appearing as a clip on FOX News as an obstructionist. At a time when the Bush administration was losing the war, caught lying about it, spying on Americans, caught torturing people at Abu Graib, and the whole Republican Party caught taking bribes from the likes of Abrhamof; Senate Dems were too timid to challenge a Supreme Court nominee that none of its constituents wanted. Chickenshit scumbag pussies!
GET A CLUE! This is why Ralph Nadar was able to scuttle Gore in 2000. The base was pissed about the attacks on unions and the fallout from free trade, and the uninspired spinelessness of the Democratic Party (not to mention a completely lackluster Gore campaign). Now, with the spectre of Hillarycorp ™ looming, Nadar is again throwing his lazy, egomaniacle hat into the ring again. We should kick his ass. But, he may be the only candidate we can stomach, as liberals, by the time Hillary knocks out her primary opponents and triangulates to the right of Arlen Specter to win soccer moms, and convince Americans that she has the balls to nuke Iran.
Back to current events.
What can the Dems do? Quit being pussies! The Democrats should make it clear that the resolution on the troop escalation was not to be killed. Make it clear, if Pubs won’t let us stop the war in legislation, then it’s time to IMPEACH!
I-M-P-E-A-C-H, bitches! If Republicans want to play hardball, show ‘em what hardball is! Step up and expose the lies, the war profiteering, the illegal torture, the misrepresentation from the beginning. With what’s coming out of Scooter Libby’s trial alone we should be able to impeach Bush and Cheney.
Enough of your boasting about the people’s mandate, and your new power. You have been humiliated in the Senate, and look weak, confused and far too focused on 2008 to serve the people today. You look more worried about which one of you will be president than our citizen soldiers dying over a lie.
Grab some Republican nuts and squeeze! Begin impeachment proceedings and serve notice that you will not be their bitch any more. If you fail to do so, you fail us, and you will (as I’ve said before, but I mean it this time) relegate yourselves to uselessness and obscurity. Empeach ‘em. Now!
When in the minority, Dems couldn’t stay loyal to stop evil when they could. They failed politically and morally, and we all suffer for their failure.
Case in point: filibuster.
The Republicans just successfully filibustered the completely vanilla, melba toast, ball-less resolution saying (paraphrased): “sorry, sorry…but we kind of disagree with a troop increase; but don’t think we hate the troops, or America, please! We are still imperialists, but the public hates this war, so please, please recognize that we don’t want an increase; sorry, really…sorry for having an opinion” was how the Senate’s version of the bill went.
Chuck Hagel made speeches against the increase, and co-sponsored the bill. Then he joined Republicans in filibustering his own bill! He did the dirty job in the trenches so his party’s leader, our idiot president, would not be embarrassed. He took one for the team, and did his job!
The result: The Democrats can’t even pass a non-binding resolution when they have the majority, and when 70% of Americans support their view. The Dems look pathetically weak, and like they can’t get anything done. I support ‘em, and I feel this way!
Now, liberals, think back to the judicial nominations of a little over a year ago. There were 44 Democrats in the Senate, and Bush appoints his second Supreme Court nominee, Alito. A judicial weasel who stands for everything your voting base hates! Does the Democratic Party have the discipline in the Senate to filibuster? Have they got the eggs in their collective sacks to risk ridicule on FOX News?
Hell no. And, even though our party had the numbers, they were too much the party of simpering pussies to stand up to evil. To stand up for our rights. To represent us, the poor saps who voted for them in the first place, who donated money, who stayed involved in politics, who cared. We got fucked by our own party, because they were too chickenshit to risk appearing as a clip on FOX News as an obstructionist. At a time when the Bush administration was losing the war, caught lying about it, spying on Americans, caught torturing people at Abu Graib, and the whole Republican Party caught taking bribes from the likes of Abrhamof; Senate Dems were too timid to challenge a Supreme Court nominee that none of its constituents wanted. Chickenshit scumbag pussies!
GET A CLUE! This is why Ralph Nadar was able to scuttle Gore in 2000. The base was pissed about the attacks on unions and the fallout from free trade, and the uninspired spinelessness of the Democratic Party (not to mention a completely lackluster Gore campaign). Now, with the spectre of Hillarycorp ™ looming, Nadar is again throwing his lazy, egomaniacle hat into the ring again. We should kick his ass. But, he may be the only candidate we can stomach, as liberals, by the time Hillary knocks out her primary opponents and triangulates to the right of Arlen Specter to win soccer moms, and convince Americans that she has the balls to nuke Iran.
Back to current events.
What can the Dems do? Quit being pussies! The Democrats should make it clear that the resolution on the troop escalation was not to be killed. Make it clear, if Pubs won’t let us stop the war in legislation, then it’s time to IMPEACH!
I-M-P-E-A-C-H, bitches! If Republicans want to play hardball, show ‘em what hardball is! Step up and expose the lies, the war profiteering, the illegal torture, the misrepresentation from the beginning. With what’s coming out of Scooter Libby’s trial alone we should be able to impeach Bush and Cheney.
Enough of your boasting about the people’s mandate, and your new power. You have been humiliated in the Senate, and look weak, confused and far too focused on 2008 to serve the people today. You look more worried about which one of you will be president than our citizen soldiers dying over a lie.
Grab some Republican nuts and squeeze! Begin impeachment proceedings and serve notice that you will not be their bitch any more. If you fail to do so, you fail us, and you will (as I’ve said before, but I mean it this time) relegate yourselves to uselessness and obscurity. Empeach ‘em. Now!
Saturday, February 03, 2007
We Fucked Up
I really need to hear the words, from anyone in the corridors of national power. I do. Three single-syllable words: We fucked up.
The Iraq debacle, from beginning to quagmire, was not an “oops…who saw this coming!?!” for anyone paying attention. There were a few brave senators, like my own Patty Murray, who smelled the bullshit from the beginning and said so.
But now, as candidates for the two-year campaign to become the next idiot-in-chief posture and pose, it’s all about supporting troops, and making the Iraqis “stand up.”
Do we forget that we started it? Do we forget that this was all completely unnecessary? Do we forget that it was all predicated on lies? That “terrorists” (TM Bushco) only exist in Iraq because we are there? That oil deals are the focus of the governance and lawmaking in that sorry country?
Do we forget that we have killed over 3.000 Americans and untold hundreds of thousands of Iraqis for the profit of a very few?
And that none of this, none of this, was even slightly necessary!
Don’t we owe the world a “sorry?”
I do not want to hear another American office-holder in the federal government say another word about Iraq that is not predicated with an apology to the world, and a pledge to extract US troops as soon as possible. To fail to do so is to assert the following:
1. You think that Americans are so stupid that we don’t realize that this war was, and is, completely unnecessary for our security or our national interest.
2. You think that we don’t realize by now that the “War on Terror” is like a “War on the Color Blue”, utterly absurd and impossible to wage or win. (I forget where I first heard this analogy, from someone much smarter than me!)
3. You think that we don’t realize that private corporations are getting rich while people die in Iraq for no other purpose than to make them rich.
4. You think we forget that we have tortured people. And wiped our asses with the Geneva Convention.
5. You think we don’t realize that the justifications for this war were lies.
6. You think we don’t realize that crimes have been committed against the Iraqi people, and the American people in the prosecution of this military conquest of Iraq.
7. You just think that we are really, really stupid, and completely malleable.
God help us if you are right.
For those of us who are smug in our opposition to the war, ask what you did to stop it. Did you protest? (I didn’t) Did you write your reps? (I did) Did you shout and scream and yell “bullshit!” No Republicans did, and too few Democrats did. They should all be ashamed, and not be allowed start any public utterance on the topic of Iraq with anything but an apology. They should certainly not be able to run for president on opposition to the war, like Hillary is now, until they offer up a mea culpa.
And if we really aren’t as stupid as they think, we shouldn’t let them.
The Iraq debacle, from beginning to quagmire, was not an “oops…who saw this coming!?!” for anyone paying attention. There were a few brave senators, like my own Patty Murray, who smelled the bullshit from the beginning and said so.
But now, as candidates for the two-year campaign to become the next idiot-in-chief posture and pose, it’s all about supporting troops, and making the Iraqis “stand up.”
Do we forget that we started it? Do we forget that this was all completely unnecessary? Do we forget that it was all predicated on lies? That “terrorists” (TM Bushco) only exist in Iraq because we are there? That oil deals are the focus of the governance and lawmaking in that sorry country?
Do we forget that we have killed over 3.000 Americans and untold hundreds of thousands of Iraqis for the profit of a very few?
And that none of this, none of this, was even slightly necessary!
Don’t we owe the world a “sorry?”
I do not want to hear another American office-holder in the federal government say another word about Iraq that is not predicated with an apology to the world, and a pledge to extract US troops as soon as possible. To fail to do so is to assert the following:
1. You think that Americans are so stupid that we don’t realize that this war was, and is, completely unnecessary for our security or our national interest.
2. You think that we don’t realize by now that the “War on Terror” is like a “War on the Color Blue”, utterly absurd and impossible to wage or win. (I forget where I first heard this analogy, from someone much smarter than me!)
3. You think that we don’t realize that private corporations are getting rich while people die in Iraq for no other purpose than to make them rich.
4. You think we forget that we have tortured people. And wiped our asses with the Geneva Convention.
5. You think we don’t realize that the justifications for this war were lies.
6. You think we don’t realize that crimes have been committed against the Iraqi people, and the American people in the prosecution of this military conquest of Iraq.
7. You just think that we are really, really stupid, and completely malleable.
God help us if you are right.
For those of us who are smug in our opposition to the war, ask what you did to stop it. Did you protest? (I didn’t) Did you write your reps? (I did) Did you shout and scream and yell “bullshit!” No Republicans did, and too few Democrats did. They should all be ashamed, and not be allowed start any public utterance on the topic of Iraq with anything but an apology. They should certainly not be able to run for president on opposition to the war, like Hillary is now, until they offer up a mea culpa.
And if we really aren’t as stupid as they think, we shouldn’t let them.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)