Torture is Un-American

Torture is cruel and unusual punishment, and thus unconstitutional. It is also against the laws of war taught U.S. soldiers since we punished the Nazis for using it. Alberto Gonzalez supports torture and he is about to become our attorney general, in the face of it.

Oppose the Gonzales Nomination:
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/ccr/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=296

Demand Full Disclosure and Investigation of Bush Administration Torture Policies:
http://www.aclu.org/NationalSecurity/NationalSecurity.cfm?orgid=n&ID=17357&c=24&MX=1875&H=1

Privatization = selling off OUR government

Here's a copy of a letter I recently sent to my republican congressman:

"
Dear Sir,

Regarding the privatization of Social Security:

By selling off the government of the people of the United States to corporate interests, you are doing us all a grave disservice. I urge you to consider the immorality of giving away the people's sovereign national government to a "den of vipers and thieves", and change your ways. We are watching.
"
Have you written your congressman lately?
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Dean should be next DNC chair

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2005/01/24/dean/
"
Dean, after all, is a populist. And his populism is not the brand espoused by President Bush -- a millionaire who shills for billionaires while talking like the common man. Dean's is the real thing. Which is why Republicans privately fear him.
"
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2005/01/24/dean/

On Class:

"Men who look upon themselves born to reign, and others to obey, soon grow insolent; selected from the rest of mankind their minds are early poisoned by importance; and the world they act in differs so materially from the world at large, that they have but little opportunity of knowing its true interests, and when they succeed to the government are frequently the most ignorant and unfit of any throughout the dominions." [Ibid]

On Legacy

"Most wise men, in their private sentiments, have ever treated hereditary right with contempt; yet it is one of those evils, which when once established is not easily removed; many submit from fear, others from superstition, and the more powerful part shares with the king the plunder of the rest." -- Thomas Paine, Common Sense

Without real elections, the rest is just a lie.

http://actforvictory.org/

"It's the Media, Stupid!"

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2005/010505.html

"...even when the Democrats can roughly match the Republicans in election fundraising – as occurred in 2004 with each side spending about $1 billion – the Republicans have a huge, built-in advantage because the conservative media reinforces their messages..."

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2005/010505.html

http://www.opednews.com/

Spiritual Protests:

Here's proof that there ARE some out there who understood what the Son of Man was talking about:
http://www.unobserver.com/layout5.php?id=2061&blz=1

It was an old idea:

"It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything". ---- Joseph Stalin

The CBS firings

The information in the memos was factually correct. They documented Bush's disgusting National Guard record. The reports came out at a time when Bush was supporting a group of liars called the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth, headed by an axe-man previously enlisted by Richard Nixon to smear John Kerry's anti-war effort. In a fashion typical of the neocon radical right corporatist fascist false-revolutionary strategy, all focus was directed on the mechanics of the production of the documents cited by CBS, and all efforts were made to distract the public from the fact that WHAT THE DOCUMENTS SAID WAS TRUE.

What is disturbing about all this is that so many people are willing to ignore the truths alleged in the reports, so that they can keep believing in their "divinely-appointed" fuehrer.

Stupidity kills. It will kill this country if we let it.

More about the CBS firings:
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/01/11/1446231

We expect our elected officials to honor their vows to uphold the Constitution. Let them Know.

Take the "Refuse to Surrender" pledge to help the ACLU press the President to uphold his oath of office.
https://www.aclu.org/team/tell.cfm?orgid=EA011005A&action=108&MX=1839&H=1

If you haven't joined the ACLU yet, please do.
http://www.aclu.org/contribute/contribute.cfm

Bill Moyers: "Our Democracy is in Danger of Being Paralyzed"

Hear on Democracy Now:
http://play.rbn.com/?url=demnow/demnow/demand/2004/dec/audio/dn20041224.ra&proto=rtsp&start=01:14.00

Read:
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/12/24/1731220&mode=thread&tid=25

How this all looks from Vancouver

In the 1960's, many found the state of affairs in the U.S. unacceptable and found their way north. Thomas McCay hails from Vancouver now: http://www.thomasmccay.blogspot.com/

Coup number Two

Now you know what it feels like to be a nation that is in total denial: A nation that has fallen victim to the doctrine of the BIG LIE. Now you know what it's like to be a victim of a monopolized mass media that undermines discourse on the issues of the day, and has destroyed the informed citizenry necessary for the survival of true democracy.

Did YOU drink the Kool-aid too?

It's very simple. This election was stolen through the lack of a ballot paper trail. It was stolen through the partisan control of a virtual state mass media. The 2000 election was stolen. Partisan Secretaries of State abetted both fraudulent elections. Wake up and smell the fascism.

It is heartbreaking to see my country devolve into totalitarianism, devoid of crucial checks and balances, right before my eyes. God, Help us. God, help the people of the United States of America come to their senses and hold their leadership accountable, for the sake of humanity.

Enter the era of lemmings.

"Not One Damn Dime Day" on Jan. 20

http://blog.democrats.com/node/2289

"
IT'S TIME FOR SOME POLITICAL ACTION IN THE NEW YEAR Not One Damn Dime Day - Jan 20, 2005 Since our religious leaders will not speak out against the war in Iraq, since our political leaders don't have the moral courage to oppose it, Inauguration Day, Thursday, January 20th, 2005 is "Not One Damn Dime Day" in America. On "Not One Damn Dime Day" those who oppose what is happening in our name in Iraq can speak up with a 24-hour national boycott of all forms of consumer spending. During "Not One Damn Dime Day" please don't spend money. Not one damn dime for gasoline. Not one damn dime for necessities or for impulse purchases. Not one damn dime for nothing for 24 hours. On "Not One Damn Dime Day," please boycott Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target... Please don't go to the mall or the local convenience store. Please don't buy any fast food (or any groceries at all for that matter). For 24 hours, please do what you can to shut the retail economy down. The object is simple. Remind the people in power that the war in Iraq is immoral and illegal; that they are responsible for starting it and that it is their responsibility to stop it. "Not One Damn Dime Day" is to remind them, too, that they work for the people of the United States of America, not for the international corporations and K Street lobbyists who represent the corporations and funnel cash into American politics. "Not One Damn Dime Day" is about supporting the troops. Now 1,200 brave young Americans and (some estimate) 100,000 Iraqis have died. The politicians owe our troops a plan - a way to come home. There's no rally to attend. No marching to do. No left or right wing agenda to rant about. On "Not One Damn Dime Day" you take action by doing nothing. You open your mouth by keeping your wallet closed. For 24 hours, nothing gets spent, not one damn dime, to remind our religious leaders and our politicians of their moral responsibility to end the war in Iraq and give America back to the people.
"

http://blog.democrats.com/node/2289

What needed to be said

I hope I'm not the only one who saw what I saw here. Thank you Jon. BTW, this is probably the most I've ever seen of Crossfire, having heard that Carlson was on it. I saw Carlson once in a debate where he sat beside Ann Coulter, debating two harried anti-fascists. If you know about Coulter you'll know what I mean. Hold your nose if you're curious. This exchange earns Jon Stewart a place on our Honor Roll

view the video:
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/october2004/291004hurtingamerica.htm

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2004/10/15/crossfire/
"
Jon Stewart: Crossfire "hurting America"

"I think you're a lot more fun on your show," said Tucker Carlson to "Crossfire" guest Jon Stewart this afternoon. "And I think you're as much of a dick on your show as on any other," Stewart shot back. It wasn't the faux avuncularity we've come to expect from Stewart on "The Daily Show" but there, of course, he's playing a role. Here he was himself -- and he wasn't buying any of it.

From the moment Stewart sat down he made no secret of how repugnant he found the show. In fact, he said to Carlson and co-host Paul Begala that he had been so hard on the show he felt it was his duty to come on and say to their faces what he has said to friends and in interviews. What he said was that their show was "hurting America," and he was being only slightly hyperbolic. Stewart told them that when America needed journalists to be journalists they had instead chosen to present theater.

Carlson, trying to affect an air of dry amusement that a comedian would presume to lecture him, important pundit that he is, but looking as if his bow-tie were about to start spinning, could barely contain his outrage. In an absolutely mind-boggling moment, Carlson tried to counter Stewart's criticism by pointing out that during John Kerry's recent appearance on "The Daily Show," Stewart asked the candidate softball questions. "If you want to measure yourself against a comedy show," Stewart said, "be my guest."

Paul Begala tried to put a more conciliatory face on things by pointing out that theirs was a "debate" show. Stewart was having none of it. "I would love to see a real debate show," he said. And went on to tell them that instead of holding politicians' feet to the fire by asking tough question, "you're part of their strategy. You're partisan -- what's the word? -- uh, hacks."

It's almost a cliche by now to talk about "The Daily Show" being more trusted than real newscasts, but Stewart showed why. He pointed out to Carlson that he had asked Kerry if he really were in Cambodia but "I don't care," and when Carlson asked him what he thought about the "Bill O'Reilly vibrator flap," Stewart said, "I don't." It was as concise a demonstration of the triviality of the media as you could hope for.

"I thought you were going to be funny," Carlson said toward the end of the interview. Stewart responded, "No, I'm not going to be your monkey." And that was what was so bracing.

Stewart's "Crossfire" appearance is going to generate talk about how prickly he was, how he wasn't "nice" like he is on "The Daily Show." But prickliness is just what was needed. If you've built your reputation as a satirist pointing out how the media falls down on the job, you're not going to make yourself a part of their charade.

I've heard people talk about "The Daily Show" as an oasis of sanity, a public service. I couldn't agree more. Stewart's appearance on "Crossfire" was another public service. He went on and acted as if the show's purpose really was to confront tough issues, instead of being the political equivalent of pro wrestling. Given a chance to say absolutely what he thought, Stewart took it. He accomplished what almost never happens on television anymore: He made the dots come alive.
"

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2004/10/15/crossfire/