War Cost Update - $720 Million Each Day

See this article for a more realistic, long-term cost analysis of the Bush war.

He Ought To Know

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”
- Joseph Goebbels

Does this sound familiar?
You can take your pick from the pack of lies (e.g., 9/11 was connected to Iraq, is good for starters).
And then, the vitally important part, use all of its [executive] powers to repress dissent....
NSA spying program
The Patriot Act
The Military Commissions Act effectively revoking the writ of Habeas Corpus

Remember the past (thank God) Attorney General Alberto Gonzales who, at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Jan. 18, 2007 argued that the Constitution doesn’t explicitly bestow habeas corpus rights? Gonzo said, “The Constitution doesn’t say every individual in the United States or citizen is hereby granted or assured the right of habeas corpus. It doesn’t say that. It simply says the right shall not be suspended except in cases of rebellion or invasion.”

MoveOn.org

Angered over the fake "disgusted" comment of the Shrub regarding the MoveOn.org's Gen. Petraeus or Betray Us? ad, so I felt compelled to support them in their efforts to speak out against a president without a plan to succeed (and as Edwards would say, congress without the courage to bring our troops home). Someone has to do it. I guess MoveOn.org is the organization to do it. I used to think MoveOn was a radical far-left group, but they're not looking so far left to me now. So I made my first contribution to them today. I feel better already.

No Timeline, No Funding, No Excuses

They call him the imposer of democracy

Listening to Call It Democracy by Bruce Cockburn got me to thinking about how Bush is a megalomaniac disguised as a champion of freedom.
Moreover, democracy cannot be forced or imposed upon a people or country...it has to come from within. Sure, sometimes a little help from other countries might be needed (e.g., France in our own revolution) but I'd say what we're doing, or rather trying to do, in Iraq goes far, far beyond a little help. So, this is at least one of the fatal flaws of Bush's Iraq war.

Not A Penny More - LOGO

The war makes no sense.
We need to de-fund the war.
It's our only choice.
Please distribute liberally.

General Petraeus Betrayed Us

“I believe that we will be able to reduce our forces to the pre-surge level ... by next summer without jeopardizing the security gains we have fought so hard to achieve.”

Wait, did I catch that right? Pre-surge level by next summer...as in 2008!? So, we'll have just as many troops in Summer of 2008 as we had in Winter 2006-2007? Is this for real? WTF!

Not A Penny More

This is the simple message I'm sending to congress. Apparently the Democrats we elected last November haven't gotten the more subtle or complicated ones, so maybe this will work. It's my new mantra.

With anything more complex, or finessed, the message gets lost...and as we've seen time and time again, the moving target that is the goal, or lack of goal, in Iraq gets pushed further and further down its tragic course. Unfortunately, continuing to fund the war continues the war, and the best intentions and plans such as those of Joe Biden will only serve to lengthen this war and give a green light to the next potential war. Keith Olbermann gets this. Does anyone else?

Another Reason She's My Pick

Clinton rejects raising age for Social Security benefits.
On a related note, just imagine how many baby-boomer Social Security checks that could be written with $450 billion! That's the current estimate, to date, of what we've spent in Iraq.

Back with a Vengeance

Figured I'd take the summer off...like the Iraqi parliament! But I'm back with a vengeance to speak the truth of the ordinary netizen and beat back the Bush lunacy that has once again out done itself in terms of misleading the American people.

Here are the major points:

• There is no end in sight to the Bush war in Iraq, because they offer no definition of victory.
• We are playing right into Al Qaeda's hands--they love to have that terrorist playground that we created for them in Iraq.
• Unless we, not Al Qaeda, set a specific goal or set of goals, achieve them and leave on our terms, it will be a victory of Al Qaeda.
• The way things stand now, we are letting them keep us there. When Bush says that we must defeat terrorism in Iraq, it's like trying to soak up the ocean with a roll of Bounty.
• Idiot with no plan? Actually, it's been fairly clear for some time that to not have a plan is the plan...it is intentional. Because if you have a plan with clear objectives, you might just achieve it and then have to bring the troops home. Bush's moving target is intentional--it might not have been his aim from the start--that would give him too much credit--but it sure is clear that he has no intention of a substantial withdrawal not only during his term, but he's betting on a Republican presidential victory to keep it going another four years beyond his reign. Why? Because this is his imaginary legacy, to be sure, but let's not forget who is benefiting from this war. (Hint: it ain't the average American, but your red hot if you guessed KBR)
  
• I also believe that bin Laden knows exactly what he's doing by almost aligning himself with the Democrats--he's helping sway the American people toward the Republican point of view, or at least away from the Democrats. He is absolutely loving the way Bush gives him a holy war. It's no coincidence that binny laden pops up at the critical times when the repugnacans need a boost.