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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpKoN40K7mA]
“Just apologize to the American people and to the families of the troops for not doing your job four years ago. We wouldn’t be in this war if you had done your job. Come on. Just admit it. Just apologize to the American people.”
The corrupting effects of corporations on the American political system, the media, and society is becoming more and more evident.
Demand an apology from CNN for Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s biased report on ‘SiCKO’ and for helping the Bush administration lie us into a pointless war.
Feel free to use this letter by copy/pasting it:
I demand an apology and a correction of the record for the biased and ridiculous report provided by Dr. Sanjay Gupta regarding Moore’s movie “Sicko”. Moreover, I demand an apology for the concerted effort to marginalize people like Moore for professing the truth; specifically as Blitzer did regarding 9/11 and the war in Iraq. If CNN refuses this and continues to intentionally and willfully mislead the American people I will boycott CNN and its sponsors.
United States Comptroller General David Walker was on 60 Minutes tonight. He has some health care fun facts:
Who is this guy? Surely not someone we should listen to, surely everyone thinks he’s crazy? No, not exactly. The Heritage Foundation, the Brookings Institute, and the Concord Coalition, among others, all agree with David Walker’s figures and projections.
I have been insisting for some time now that the social security is a lesser issue to health care. More importantly, gays, immigrants, and flag burning are non-issues. And yet I’m often asked my opinion on these topics. Moreover, shockingly the latter three are more often discussed “issues”. Anyone who insists these are issues are either a). complete idiots b). attempting to employ a modern day version of race-baiting.
Some snippets from a recent Wired article.
Two federal agencies are investigating whether the Bush administration tried to block government scientists from speaking freely about global warming and censor their research, a senator said Wednesday.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-New Jersey) said he was informed that the inspectors general for the Commerce Department and NASA had begun “coordinated, sweeping investigations of the Bush administration’s censorship and suppression” of federal research into global warming.
He said the investigations “will uncover internal documents and agency correspondence that may expose widespread misconduct.” He added, “Taxpayers do not fund scientific research so the Bush White House can alter it.”
In February, House Science Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.) and other congressional leaders asked NASA to guarantee scientific openness. They complained that a public affairs officer changed or filtered information on global warming and the Big Bang.
The officer, George Deutsch, a political appointee, had resigned after being accused of trying to limit reporters’ access to James Hansen, a prominent NASA climate scientist, and insisting that a web designer insert the word “theory” with any mention of the Big Bang.
I’m confused as to why it has taken so long for someone to take action on this. I’ve been stunned that there hasn’t been outrage over this sooner. Forget global warning! Does anyone remember when Bush dissolved a CDC committee on the effects of lead on children after receiving the shocking conclusion that lead is bad for children. He then replaced the committee with lobbyists for Lead producing manufacturers!
I often hear people throwing around the word: “Fascism.” The Bush administration has been calling ‘terrorists’ Islamo-Fascisist. Some Liberals claim the Bush Administration is a Fascist government. This got me to thinking: What is Fascism? Fascism is a social and political ideology with the primary guiding principle that the state or nation is the highest priority, rather than personal or individual freedoms. Historically this has taken the form of extreme anti-communistic and anti-liberal. I found the following definition, which I like because it also provides the etymology of the word:
Fascism
The name comes from the Latin fasces – a bundle of rods with a projecting axe, which was the symbol of authority in ancient Rome. The term was applied by Mussolini to his movement after his rise to power in 1922. The Fascists were viciously anti-Communist and anti-liberal and, once in power, relied on an authoritarian state apparatus. They also used emotive slogans and old prejudices (for example, against the Jews) to bolster the leader’s strongman appeal. Fascism had a direct influence on Hitler’s Nazism.
Provided the term liberal, above, I’m forced to ask: In this context what is meant by liberal? The same site provides this definition:
Liberalism
A term that gained significance in the 19th century, when it meant the limiting of government power and the increase of social reform. In the 20th century, capitalist democracies occasionally described themselves as ‘liberal’ to indicate that they didn’t attempt to control thought and action to the same extent as Communist regimes.
Historically Liberal means a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties. Almost every definition defines a Liberal as someone who is concerned with the protection of civil liberties. I think this is important to point out. By this definition I consider myself Liberal. I believe government should, mostly, stay out of business and let the markets manage themseleves (within common sense) and, by God, businesses should stay the hell out government. Also, religion and government do not mix. In general, I’m fiscally conservative and consider myself to be Libertarian and very big on education. I bring this up because as a Libertarian I find Fascism terribly frightening.
Dr. Lawrence Britt, a political scientist, published an article on fascism (“Fascism Anyone?,” Free Inquiry, Spring 2003, page 20) This was the summary of a study he conducted on the fascist regimes of Franco, Mussolini, Hitler, Suharto, and Pinochet. Dr. Britt posits each of these regimes all shared 14 charateristics, which he defines as the “identifying characteristics of fascism.” The following is an except taken from Free Inquiry in accordance with the magazine’s policy.
Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of “need.” The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.
Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies or actions.
The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed .
Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.
Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.
Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
Is it possible to read this without concluding that we, in the United States, are living in a regime that has been for the last six years sliding toward fascism?
Pre-War information was clearly distorted, hyped and fabricated. Here are just a few points that plainly illustrate this:
Point: 10 days after 9/11 the President’s Daily Security Briefing stated there was: “few credible links between Iraq and Al Qaeda. Later CIA reports said the same thing. Yet, for three years after receiving the initial President’s Daily Security Briefing the administration officials continued to say that there were important connections between Iraq and Al Qaeda to the point where nearly half the country believed it.
Point: Mohammed Atta never met in Prague with Iraq officials — he was in fact in Virginia Beach at the time. In fact, the CIA and FBI told the Bush administration most certainly did not take place. Yet, Dick Cheney frequently claimed this as a connection between Iraq and Al Qaeda for years after being debriefed to the contrary.
Point: Iraq never sought fissile material in Africa, or as far as we know anywhere else during the Bush Administration. Yet, Dick Cheney and other members of the Bush administration, including G.W., continued to proclaim the truth of this for more than a year after Ambassador Joseph Wilson proved this to be untrue. Oddly enough, it was the Vice-President’s office who asked this to be validated and had sent Ambassador Wilson to Africa and received for validation: “absolutely untrue, provably so.” However, in speeches throughout the country the administration continued to claim it to be true. They even included this outright lie in the State of the Union Address.
Point: The administration continued to assert the Iraqis had mobile factories that could make biological weapons long after they knew this not to be the case. The Iraqi defector codenamed: ‘Curveball’ was discredited and this was known by the Whitehouse, as is corroborated in writing.
Point: The Whitehouse continued to claim Iraq had provided Al Qaeda with chemical and biological weapons training even after they knew this to be untrue. The Defense Intillegence Agency informed the Whitehouse that the source of that information was almost certainly lying.
Need I go on? Dishonest and reprehensible indeed Dick.
The voice of science is being stifled in the Bush administration, with fewer scientists heard in policy discussions and money for research and advanced training being cut, according to panelists at a national science meeting.
Speakers at the national meeting of the American Association for Advancement of Science expressed concern Sunday that some scientists in key federal agencies are being ignored or even pressured to change study conclusions that don’t support policy positions.
…
“In previous administrations, scientists were always at the table when regulations were being developed,” she said. “Science never had the last voice, but it had a voice.”
Issues on global warming, for instance, that achieved a firm scientific consensus in earlier years are now being questioned by Bush policymakers. Proven, widely accepted research is being ignored or disputed, she said.
It’s hard to listen to common sense when you are beholden to industries and corporations.
