political ranting |
Man was born free, and everywhere he is in chains.
Rousseau
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
T. S. Eliot, "The Hollow Men"
"I am both a liberal and a patriot. The two are not opposites!
When our aversion to the right-wing faction turns into distaste
for our own country, we have given up."
-- Laura Ford, 'Utne Reader'
These folks deserve support:
Air America radio
(especially Mike Malloy out of good ol' Atlanta G A),
moveon.org,
the ACLU,
your local democratic party,
George Lackoff, dailykos.org,
salon.org, Harper's magazine,
and alternate news sources to corporate media, among others.
For example. I support gun rights (being raised a Southerner and all), but can't work within the bounds of the NRA because it is not a single-issue PAC. Instead, it's "you're with me, or you're against me" -- on the whole neocon agenda. Embattled scumbag Tom Delay was their featured speaker! Well, I like the bill of rights, all ten ammendments, but I sure don't agree with the rest of the agenda. So I guess that makes me squarely against them. Their call, not mine. (Though I still am willing to note I am ranked by them as a marksman, first class -- little medal and all -- whether they like me or not.)
| 18 Apr 2005: International Monetary fund managing director Rodrigo Rato warned: "the global financial system was now out of kilter because of the huge US current account deficit, weak growth in Europe and Japan, the low savings rate of US consumers, and inflexible currency regimes in Asia. ... If policies do not adapt, do not change to react to these imbalances, we run the risk of an abrupt correction of the markets." |
Step one: destroy independent media.
The White House practices bizarrely un-American activities such as paying funds to commentators. (Williams, Gallagher) and producing "prepackaged" news stories. This is plainly, simply propoganda. Oh yea, and always nice that he lied about it too, natch. (Bush: "we didn't know about this in the white house." Reality: one of his 'special advisors' personally handled it.)
Step two: that which you can't destroy, ignore. Bush personally admitted he will not take the "fourth estate" even a tiny bit seriously:
| Reporter asks Bush: it really true you don't read us, don't even watch the news? Bush confirms it. Well, how do you then know, Mr. President, what the public is thinking? Bush says: You're making a powerful assumption, young man. You're assuming that you represent the public. I don't accept that. |
No wonder he doesn't bother with legitimate press conferences, and stocks those few he bothers to have -- a shockingly paucity of 4 a year -- with a fake reporter in what the UK guardian calls a "clandestine propaganda campaign."
