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Thursday, October 14, 2004
Pay up, bitch.

To begin with, I did not see the debate last night, so I won't comment on it. Unfortunately, I had to work.

And as I drove in, I noticed that gas has gone up about twenty-five cents in the past month. I regretted that I'd be missing the final debate of the 2004 presidential race, as I was hoping to hear what Uncle George was going to do about this problem. But I knew that he'd be too busy spouting off about how Kerry was going to tax and spend us back to the Stone Age to say anything substantive.

Remember back in early 2001 when Dick Cheney had his private meetings with Ken Lay of Enron and a dozen other corporate criminals, as they set the energy policy for the US? Well, even though no one will discuss what went on at the meetings, the Bush administration's energy policy has become readily apparent:

Two dollar a gallon gasoline.
Fifty-plus dollar a barrel oil.
Begging the Saudi royal family to pump more oil.

And you staunch Republicans out there might pacify yourself with the notion that if that's what the market will bear, then that's just how it is. So you are willing to pay 100 bucks a week to keep your Hummer rolling, and maybe that's patriotic in it's own warped way. And yet, you are so opposed to taxes.

Why is that? Do you really believe that your personal comfort, which would only be minimally impacted by driving a reasonable vehicle, is more important than the fiscal condition of your country? Life is better with a poorly educated citizenry? You are comfortable with cutbacks in police and fire protection? You're ok with porous borders, and next to no regulation of shipping containers coming in to the country? Are you honestly so selfish?

And how do you jibe that with your so-called Christianity? Aren't you somehow compelled/obligated to do right by those less fortunate? I know that in reality your view is "I got mine, fuck you," but if that's the case, why do you put any real stake in a candidate's "values?" In your view, Bush is a better Christian than Kerry. Why? Because he says so? Is it Christian to make things harder for the sick and poor? Is it Christian to have 45 million people without health insurance, so many of then kids? Is it Christian to waste precious resources like oil? Is it Christian to let your government send poorer Christians to go fight Muslims, so you have the freedom to waste even more oil? How do you reconcile that?

And after all, the government's lax policies in the area of fuel conservation, in conjunction with our failed foreign policy, have basically resulted in a tax on fuel. Compared to four years ago, you now pay a seventy-five cent per gallon tax every time you fill your vehicle. You pay it when you get your electric bill. You pay it at the grocery store, and everyplace else, because it costs them more to get their products to the shelf. Virtually all plastics, which includes clothing fibers, are derived from petroleum, so they cost more, too. Everything costs more, and the only way to avoid this de facto tax is to not spend, and that would make you a bad American.

Your government is taxing you, and it never shows up on your check stub. It's showing up on your receipts. It's showing up in your dwindling checking account. And it shows up in the lint at the bottom of your pockets. This administration wants to be your friend so much that it lies to you. And you enable it by going along with half-truths and outright lies, because you have been told it is unpatriotic to do otherwise. With George Bush, you don't have to wait until April to pay taxes. You get to pay every day of the year. And not just in money. You pay in credibility, of which America is nearly bereft. You pay in increased terrorist activity. And if we continue down this blindly reactionary path, you will pay for it with the blood of your sons and daughters. The future of America is happening in Fallujah. The reports will eventually come from Amman, or Pyongyang, or Tehran, but they will come.

There are truly dangerous people in the world, who honestly don't care whether you live or die. And some of them live and work on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.

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posted at 7:42 PM

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Friday, October 08, 2004
Debate 10/8

Well, we finished up the second of three presidential debates earlier tonight. I initially thought that the town hall format would favor George Bush, but really, I didn't notice anything that gave him or Kerry a clear advantage. Senator Kerry did a lot of things that indicated his past debate experience; Addressing the questioner by name, linking one answer to a previous question, etc. And the president was typically on message, although less so than the first debate.

I never watch these things expecting anything too shocking, but I have to admit there was something that surprised the hell out of me. I'm going to have to review the program to see what the topic was, but President Bush was asked a question, then Kerry responded. Something he said infuriated Bush, and Charles Gibson, the moderator, was about to give George some time to respond to Kerry. All of a sudden, Bush is out of his chair, waving his arms around, yelling, "I'd like to respond!"

And Gibson is trying to give Bush the floor, and the President keeps getting louder, and louder, as he advanced in Gibson's direction. It was creepy, and completely outside of any behavior I had expected to see. George was livid, and obviously so. So much for all of that good breeding and charm school.

I don't watch the post-debate spin shows, so I don't know if the talking heads focused on that, but I'm sure it'll be obvious tomorrow in the paper. The man was clearly knocked off stride, and his reaction gave you a real idea of the way he truly is.

George W. Bush is a son of privilege. He has had every advantage. He has been coddled his entire life. No one ever bothered to say "no" to him. And it's all because of who he is, not what he's done. He is the finest example why we formed a democracy, to stop kings passing rule to their idiot, inbred offspring. The idea that each citizen of this amazing place can grow up to be president is debunked. It probably has been for a long time, really.

So, maybe I'm the one in denial. I don't want to be president, but it'd be sort of cool to think that I could be.

Well, why can't you be, blog-boy?

1) I am not, and have never been a millionaire.

Another telling sign that we don't really prefer democracy over plutocracy is evidenced by who we elect, and even who runs for high office.

George W. Bush - millionaire
John Kerry - millionaire
Al Gore - millionaire
Bill Clinton - Well, the next thing you know, old Jed's a, yeah, you see a trend here.

We want to be ruled by our betters. And we judge human worth in America the same way we measure net worth. If you're rich, you must be smart. Also, charming, beautiful and worth following.

2) I am not an attorney.

Every single one of these bastards is a lawyer. I'm not fundamentally opposed to lawyers, although I am properly cynical about them. And I suppose if you are going to make laws, you should have an advanced understanding of them. Still, I believe that the study of the law is more than anything, likely to make you distrustful of the meaning of words. You understand their power, and ability to obfuscate and deceive.

3) I am not a Christian.

I don't really know if I even believe in a god or not. I suppose that makes me agnostic, and that's ok. There are lots of things I don't know about, and the meaning of life and the nature of the universe are right at the top of the list. The bible doesn't answer my questions. It's not the word of god. It's the word of men who had a vested interest in keeping other men in line.

And I won't pretend to love Jesus just to pander to people who do. It's the most disgusting thing imaginable, to try and sneak into people's confidence by professing belief. I'll allow that maybe these dicks who make it to the top of the political pile may believe in god, but that just makes them hypocrites. Bush spent his life between the ages of 15 and 45 being drunk, high, irresponsible, and living in a way completely devoid of value. But like criminals who find Allah in prison, George found Jesus under a Pabst keg outside of Midland, Texas. And now, he's president of the United States.

Why can't the small business owner who pays his employees decently and provides health coverage ever be president? What about the factory worker who gets his college degree at night school? Why not a nurse? How did we get stuck in this awful cycle of righteous, two-faced weasels? What did we do to deserve this?

Answer if you want. Otherwise, I'll just add another entry.

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posted at 9:18 PM

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Friday, October 01, 2004
Debate, 9/30

I watched the first presidential debate last night. I definitely believe that it's the responsible thing to do as a citizen, even if the format lends itself better at times to a scripted play. Still, it's too important not to take a look at the men who want to be president, especially in rare circumstances when they are not being directed by handlers.

My impression, particularly during the first two-thirds of the debate, was that both men gave good account of themselves. At times, Kerry seemed to be trying to restrain himself from really diving in deeper in his emotional response, which was something of a surprise, given his rep as a very calm, cerebral type. It seemed like he saw openings that he just wanted to really kick a hole in, but wanted to remain civil. All told, he seemed fully prepped and informed.

President Bush, to his credit, remained on message, as always. He hammered away at the same points that he always does. "I'm resolute, you know where I stand," etc. Interestingly, he seemed to get a little worn out past the halfway point of the debate. His pauses got longer, his blinking became more pronounced. I think he sensed that Kerry was making some excellent points, especially in areas where the president has been for months painting his challenger as confused.

I'll give a slight edge to Kerry on this one. Probably not enough to really change anyone's mind, but probably very important in helping Kerry close the current gap in the polls. Still not sure how anyone can still be undecided, but then, we have our share of nitwits.

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posted at 9:53 AM

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Friday, August 27, 2004
Lying Sack Of Crap

The envious jackass who wrote "Unfit For Command," John O'Neill, who used so many different ways to call John Kerry's record in Vietnam a lie, now turns out to be utterly full of shit.

John Kerry has claimed to have been in Cambodia on Christmas in 1968, and everyone is jumping up and down screaming "No he wasn't! No he wasn't!" Especially "Jowls" O'Neill. All I can say for sure is that Kerry was definitely not on a coke binge with James R. Bath in Texas on Christmas of 1968. But O'Neill calls Kerry's story "complete lies."

However if you take a listen to those funny little tapes that President Nixon made in the Oval Office on June 16, 1971, you can hear someone named, ah, John O'Neill claiming that, yes, "I was in Cambodia, sir. I worked along the border."

In "Unfit For Command", O'Neill said that no one, including Kerry, "was ordered into Cambodia by anyone, and would have been court-martialed if he had gone there."

So, Tubby, what were you doing in Cambodia?

O'Neill, not two days ago, responded this way: "I think I made it very clear that I was on the border, which is exactly where I was for three months. I was about 100 yards from Cambodia."

I just don't know what to say anymore. I mean, maybe Kerry was in Cambodia around Xmas 1968, and maybe it was Valentine's Day, or Tippi Hedren's birthday. I just don't see what difference it makes. He was probably there at some point, just like this asshat, O'Neill. Why should O'Neill bother saying he was on the border, but never IN Cambodia? Of course operating in Cambodia was illegal, but if he spent three months on the border, I'm sure he probably went in at least once or twice to take a dump. The timing is not important. The actual location down to the nearest square foot is not important.

Mister O'Neill, I'm sorry that you are too fat to run for president. I'm sorry you went back to Texas and ate a porterhouse every day for 35 years after leaving the Navy. And I'm sorry that you can't do anything more constructive with your time than smear a fellow veteran who has done something with his life. You will sell a lot of books to Bush supporters, most of whom cannot read, but that is no accomplishment. I hope that someone writes a fascinating book about your life some day, and I hope they take the time to write the truth, so readers may see how small you truly are. Of course, no one bothers to write books about NOBODIES.

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posted at 9:31 AM

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Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Nothing is ever easy

I still think that that George Bush is a douchebag for winking and nodding at the attacks on John Kerry, even if he's finally denouncing them, now that the damage is done. But, I'm starting to get a little tired of John Kerry, too.

I did not like AT ALL his answer when asked if, knowing what he knows now, he'd still have voted to give the president the authority to go to war. I mean, if you, agreed with Bush then, and you agree with him now, why are you criticizing him about Iraq? There are fifty other horribly fucked up things you can attack this hypocrite on, but it seems to me that as a result of that lame-ass answer, Iraq is off the table.

It's too early, but expect more.

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posted at 6:55 AM

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Friday, August 20, 2004
Swiftboat Veterans For Revisionist History

So, all anyone wants to talk about on cable TV these days is this Republican fronted group of veterans who want to tell you "the truth" about the Democratic candidate. Such honor among these men, it's truly moving.

I can only assume that many of these men are truly political neophytes, or just very naive, and figured no one would bother to check on the things they have been saying about John Kerry. Well, I guess the Bush bagman who handed them their wads of non-sequential bills didn't mention the downside of this type of activity.

One of the most vocal critics, a man named Larry Thurlow, also commanded a swift boat in the same area as Kerry. He was even involved in the same action in which John Kerry won his Silver Star. This guy was there, and certainly would appear to be a credible witness whether corroborating or contradicting the events that day in Vietnam. It's all in Thurlow's military records, which have been obtained through the Freedom Of Information Act.

God damn, I love the Freedom Of Information Act...

Meanwhile, just last month, Thurlow swore in an affidavit that Kerry was "not under fire" when he fished Lt. James Rassmann out of the water. He goes on to say that Kerry's Bronze Star citation, which says that all units involved came under "small arms and automatic weapons fire," as "totally fabricated."

"I never heard a shot," Thurlow said in his affidavit.

No?

Thurlow has a very good military record, served honorably, and even won himself a Bronze Star. Interestingly, he won it during the same engagement in which Kerry won his Silver Star. You know, the one where nothing happened and is totally fabricated? According to Thurlow's own testimony straight out of his military file, there are several references to "enemy small arms and automatic weapons fire" directed at "all units" of the five-boat flotilla. The citation praises him for providing assistance to a damaged Swift boat "despite enemy bullets flying about him."

And Thurlow is not the only person whose file and past statements contradict their recent epiphanies. Several other of these Swiftboat Veterans For Truth have, as recently as 1996, campaigned for John Kerry as he ran for re-election to the Senate. So, why are they doing this? Why now?

The President is clearly desperate. There just isn't anything very positive that he can say about his own record. The economy? Worse. Wages and benefits? Worse. Inflation? Worse. Homeland Security? Worse. Nothing is better than it was in 2000, and it's not as if America was some sort of Utopia then. I suppose if you are an upper 2% income person, maybe things are a little better. But with all of your money and free time, do you feel safer travelling to Europe for vacation? Asia? Anywhere? What will you do with your money? It sure as hell isn't revitalizing the economy. I guess you can leave it to your kids, like the Bush family has done for so long. And maybe some day, your child will grow up to be the next fundamentalist leader of whatever is left of the United States.

Some of these veterans are now backpedaling a bit, and saying that they are speaking out mainly because the feel betrayed by Kerry's anti-war activities after he left Vietnam. And you know what? They are completely entitled to feel that way. Coming back from Vietnam with the stigma attached to it could not have been easy, and Kerry wasn't helping in that regard. Of course, Kerry was hardly the first Vietnam vet to speak out against the war, nor was he the last. If these and other vets were hurt by that, no one can blame them. And if the focus of their first ad had focused on that aspect, certainly no one could fault these brave men for lashing out at Kerry.

But once again, the Karl Rove slime machine sprung into action, and goaded, or more likely paid these men to call John Kerry a liar, a coward, a fraud, etc. And to hammer the point home one more time, not one of these men served on the same boat as John Kerry. I feel bad for them, as they are caught in the middle of something much larger than they are, and the ones like Larry Thurlow who are so obviously lying deserve to have their names ruined.

There are still about 70 days left until the election, and it's clear that this campaign hasn't gotten nearly as nasty as it will eventually become. As Bush's poll numbers continue to stagnate and fall, there's little doubt that this administration will commit any act necessary to retain power. A cabal is a terrible thing to waste.

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posted at 7:21 PM

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Thursday, August 12, 2004
Apples and No Apples

This week, a group calling itself Swiftboat Veterans For Truth has been broadcasting ads about how John Kerry didn't do jack in Vietnam. I'm sure anyone with an IQ over 75 can figure out who is actually paying for these ads, but that's not the point. A number of guys who were in country on swift boats say John Kerry is lying about his service, deeds, injuries, you name it. Interestingly, none of these men were actually on the same boat as Kerry, but apparently being on a swift boat in the Mekong Delta between 1967 and 1971 qualifies you to comment. That's fine.

Why is it that none of the men who were on Kerry's boat have anything bad to say about him? Many of them seem to see his actions as exemplary, even heroic on occasion. And if official reports are a little shinier than the truth, well, that's not exactly a new phenomenon in a war zone. War stories are like fish stories with bullets, and most people can live with that. It's a small bonus for putting your life in harm's way. Kerry volunteered for the Navy, volunteered to go to 'Nam, volunteered for swift boat duty. He showed up.

All of this would be a nice story if not for the fact that the man he is running against has an utterly shameful military record, albeit fitting in the way he has lived his entire life. George W. Bush volunteered for Texas Air National Guard, was placed in the training program for obsolete planes not being used for combat, in the Champagne Division, and knew he had zero chance of seeing war. He made his choice to duck the buzz saw, and did it. Lots of rich kids did it. Hell, Cheney got himself five college deferments, and when those ran out, he knocked up his wife to get off the list. Hard to imagine Dick Cheney saying "Make love, not war," but maybe he's a hippie after all.

So George, safely free of live ammo being shot at him, was in the clear. Do the time in Texas, and sit out the war. Simple and easy, just like getting into Yale.

And even this was too much for him. He ducked out, transferred to Alabama to work on a congressional campaign, and never returned to duty as far as anyone can tell. He was very busy doing coke with James R. Bath, the future US business representative for the Bin Laden family. But that's another rant.

The point is, he now has the temerity to let loose the attack dogs on a veteran who served honorably in combat, and Americans are buying it. This man and his administration have no honor whatsoever. It's utterly sickening that these cowards, who are now so brave as to send other people's children to war, have the gall to impugn ANYONE who actually served in combat, voluntarily, or otherwise.

The thing I can't understand is why Americans, most of whom work too hard just to stay even, let this dilettante stay in office. This guy is the old boy network personified, the kid who cut to the front of the line, the drunken teen whose daddy always bails him out. People like this aren't role models. People like George W. Bush are the reason governments and monarchies get overthrown. And even though we have a potential built-in revolution in our elections, I have little doubt that the gullible and overwhelmingly stupid American public will see fit to give this asshat another term as Absentee-In-Chief. And if you do, it will be the blood, sweat and tears of you and your children that will pay the cost.

For fuck's sake, prove me wrong.

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posted at 7:44 PM

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Friday, August 06, 2004
Timeliness is so overrated

Well, due to problems at the old site, I was unable to provide any lush commentary during the Democratic National Convention last week. The world managed to keep spinning somehow, but I wanted to note a few things.

It looks like John Edwards is truly going to be an asset to Kerry. I suspected he would be, as I have followed his political career since he ran for Senate in 1998. The incumbent he ran against was a fat old cracka-ass-cracka named Lauch Faircloth, whose entire campaign was to soak up as much oil and tobacco money as possible, and use it to buy TV ads that showed Edwards with Bill Clinton at a campaign event, with the voice over essentially saying nothing more than, "See? He likes Clinton!" It was just miserable, and happily, not even North Carolinians were dumb enough to re-elect that worthless twat.

Edwards gives a good speech, and he's certainly fast on his feet. He is relatively inexperienced politically, but I truly doubt that there is much he can't learn in a short time. I still can't get over how a man whose father was president, vice-president, CIA director etc could run for the presidency in 2000 and call himself a Washington outsider, but GWB did it. Now he's still an outsider somehow, and bashes Edwards for not knowing enough about how the game is played. Well, I'll bet Edwards wouldn't have sat in a classroom, glassy-eyed and paralyzed for seven minutes after learning the country was under attack. But then, George has had very few shining moments inside of a classroom.

As for Kerry's speech, he said some things that needed to be said. Things that I was afraid no Democrat would have the balls to say. Things like "we need a President who believes in science." I mean, that was mainly in regard to stem cells, but it also covers Evolution, the morning-after birth control pill, and a score of other issues. The government has to lead the way on these things, because the private sector won't unless there's money in it. And some diseases are too rare to have a profit margin.

He also spoke of how the American flag did not belong to one party, and that was good to hear. I don't consider myself a patriotic person even though I love my country. It's not perfect, but it's mine. And it's easy to talk about how much you love America while you dodge combat, and get deferments, like certain people. I suspect the reason so many of these self-righteous jerks want a flag-burning amendment is because they are afraid someone might set the flag ablaze while they are wrapped in it, shitting on my civil rights.

Another key section was when he talked about his choices for the people with whom he would surround himself:

"I will have a Vice President who will not conduct secret meetings with polluters to rewrite our environmental laws. I will have a Secretary of Defense who will listen to the best advice of our military leaders. And I will appoint an Attorney General who actually upholds the Constitution of the United States."

Ashcroft still scares the hell out of me. A man with his hangups about women has no business holding any political office, let alone being the top law official in the United States. You put a turban on this man, and his views are indistinguishable from a Taliban cleric. Ashcroft did one six-year term in the Senate and proposed SEVEN amendments to the Constitution of the United States. The founding fathers? Hacks! Idiots! Ben Franklin? John Adams? Pinheads! Alexander Hamilton? Thomas Jefferson? Didn't know shit! John Ashcroft knows more than these lightweights, and did everything he could to scar up this beautiful guarantee. I will likely vote for Kerry for as much as anything, to be rid of this delusional Attorney General.

There were several other good moments, despite Kerry's general lack of chops at fiery speech making. He seemed to bring the heat pretty well when the chips were down, so I'd give his speech an overall B+.

Lots to do around here before the GOP convention starts, but I will try to be a bit more prompt with the updates. I think I have a handle on it for the moment.

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posted at 2:29 AM

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