Plundering Iraq

The following from the aforementioned Klein article is a little-reported bit of evidence of the “free market” shock being undertaken in Iraq. There are seventeen state-owned cement factories across the country, but most are idle or working at only half capacity. According to the Ministry of Industry, not one of these factories has received a single contract to help with Continue Reading

Virtual Debunking of the Actual Debunking

Basically another spin to say that this finding (that basically blows the lid off of the administration’s “urgency” and “spin” aimed at ratcheting up fear and paranoia) is not what it is;  it’s REALLY a vindication of the administration’s approach all along.  Beautiful.  So the combination that the intelligence community says is most likely to work is pressure, plus a Continue Reading

Polls show Guliani OR Thompson beating Clinton AND Obama for President in TN; Are You %$#@ Kidding Me?

This further disturbs me about Tennesseans (I began to be disturbed when they chose Bush over Gore, then went for the downright filthy classless campaign of Corker against Ford,  and now this.  They’re voting for the Law and Order guy,  not the clueless politician that has virtually NOTHING out there about where he stands. And Guliani?  The lack of depth Continue Reading

The Idolatry of Nationalism

This blogger is talking about some words from Mike Slaughter , pastor of Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church in Ohio (near Dayton) he expressed concern for what I have often railed about myself:  the fact that churches are so subservient to the state that they fly the Christian flag below the American flag.  Or, when they are flown within the sanctuary, Continue Reading

Edwards: Let’s give up SUVs – John Edwards News – MSNBC.com

 This is why I like John Edwards.  He is risking his political life.  This hearkens back to Jimmy Carter’s warnings,  which did him in against Reagan,  who was saying “eat, drink and be merry,  don’t worry” to  Carter’s call for sacrifice and efforts to find ways to free ourselves from such a dependence on oil.  People thought that was ridiculous.  Continue Reading

Bush’s Opportunity? Or Just the Tip of the Iceberg?

 an article in Talking Points Memo questions the positive spin put on the Gonzalez resignation by various members of the press: For all its well-earned reputation for cynicism, the Washington press corps, or some elements of it, has sure taken a rosy-eyed view of the Gonzales resignation. The Los Angeles Times called it a “blessing” and an “opportunity” for President Continue Reading

What’s the Difference?

 Re; my previous post,  and the posts from yesterday on this issue: comment by Chris Roberts Aug 11th, 2007 at 1:15 pm Before invoking the Confessing Church, it might be a good idea to study the “Barmen Declaration,” which was the founding document of the Confessing Church. It was mostly written by Karl Barth. There are many (not enough, but Continue Reading

A Couple of Films To See

Good article on Salon……gotta go see where I can see these films  If everybody in this polarized country could be convinced to sit down tonight and watch the documentaries “No End in Sight” and “The Devil Came on Horseback,” (Nashville, Sept 7 Belcourt Theater) we might pull our troops out of Iraq next week and send them to Darfur the week after Continue Reading

In 1994, Cheney said Invading Iraq would have been a quagmire

It’s incredible, the contradictions in this administration, especially this guy. Like Jon Stewart once asked: “Don’t they know that we tape this stuff?” hat tip to: Joho the Blog: Cheney: Invading Iraq would have been a quagmire (1994) Apparently,  he changed his mind (about how many American lives Suddam is worth….much less all the other lives, living conditions, worldwide political Continue Reading

Hauerwas on ‘Secular Civilization’

  On the matter of “speaking in a relevant sense” where relevance involves both the communicative sense and an orthodox Christian sense: My position certainly does not entail a wholesale rejection of “secular civilization,” or even of liberalism. Indeed, I think liberalism has done much good and has results from which no one would wish to back away. In particular, liberalism Continue Reading

Joe Biden: On the Presidency

I’m the single most qualified person in either party on the problems that most urgently face America. When this president is constitutionally required to hand off power to the next president, he will leave the next president with virtually no margin for error. This is no place for on-the-job learning. Whoa!  That (the final sentence above, which I have bolded Continue Reading

U.S. Set to Offer Huge Arms Deal to Saudi Arabia – New York Times

 I continue to be utterly amazed at how many idiotic things the American public can ALLOW the Bush administration to do without raising a HUGE stink and protest.  I don’t expect this to either,  since the majority of folks,  including the media,  fail to seriously question and investigate these utter criminals,  who care nothing for what they call  “security” of the Continue Reading

Bush Spinning Deception (Again)

Despite the corrections of the people in the know,  Bush and Co. continue their FOX-y ways,  and just bang the hell out of propagandistic ideas.  This latest one ,  using “Al Qaeda in Iraq”,  continues the Bush tradition of relying on the uninformed,  who blindly accept Bush/Fox News distortions as “gospel”.  Juan Cole on this today, after Bush banged on the theme Continue Reading

Bill Moyers Journal : Executive Arrogance

 Good show (July 13) Watch From the transcript: Impeachment…the word feared and loathed by every sitting president is back. It’s in the air and on your computer screen, a growing clamor aimed at both President Bush and Vice-President Cheney. This week’s news only agitated the clamor. The president acknowledged that someone in his administration did leak the name of a Continue Reading