Bush Lied?

Finally a MSM source has produced an excellent article regarding the Bush Administration's case for going to war with Iraq! The editorial in today's Chicago Tribune (28.12.05) clearly answers the questions of whether "Bush lied" or rather, his critics who performed masterful deception. In doing this, the Trib's writers began an inquest:

We set out to assess the Bush administration's arguments for war in Iraq. We have weighed each of those nine arguments against the findings of subsequent official investigations by the 9/11 Commission, the Senate Intelligence Committee and others. We predicted that this exercise would distress the smug and self-assured--those who have unquestioningly supported, or opposed, this war.

After all this, what do the editors have to conclude?

After reassessing the administration's nine arguments for war, we do not see the conspiracy to mislead that many critics allege. Example: The accusation that Bush lied about Saddam Hussein's weapons programs overlooks years of global intelligence warnings that, by February 2003, had convinced even French President Jacques Chirac of "the probable possession of weapons of mass destruction by an uncontrollable country, Iraq." We also know that, as early as 1997, U.S. intel agencies began repeatedly warning the Clinton White House that Iraq, with fissile material from a foreign source, could have a crude nuclear bomb within a year.

Furthermore, the Trib systematically lays out all 9 arguments and provides a point-counterpoint of the White House statements, what actually happened and the verdict. Here's an example:

Reform in the Middle East

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAID
Supplanting Hussein's reign with self-rule would transform governance in a region dominated by dictators, zealots and kings. The administration wanted to convert populations of subjects into citizens. Mideast democracy would channel energy away from resentments that breed terrorism.

WHAT WE KNOW TODAY
U.S. pressure has stirred reforms in Lebanon, Egypt and Saudi Arabia and imperiled Syria's regime. "I was cynical about Iraq," said Druze Muslim patriarch Walid Jumblatt. "But when I saw the Iraqi people voting . . . it was the start of a new Arab world... The Berlin Wall has fallen."

THE VERDICT
The notion that invading Iraq would provoke political tremors in a region long ruled by despots is the Bush administration's most successful prewar prediction to date. A more muscular U.S. diplomacy has advanced democracy and assisted freedom movements in the sclerotic Middle East.

It is an EXCELLENT article and worth your time reading. After all, we are better off reading this because we know there are certain anti-everything groups that refuse to believe anything that doesn't agree with their feelings and sentiments!

Read the full editorial: Judging the Case for War!

I Spy

My good friend (and former collegiate pal) over at The Armchair Potentate has another great post on the recent wire-tapping saga and the frenetic citizens who are not educated enough on the subject to know what the wire-taps involved. No, Pam, the U.S. government has not been listening in to your phone conversation with Amy about your hot co-worker Bob. Most notably Jordan points out that these "spying efforts" are not domestic communications:

"...[T]his is a very important point -- people are running around saying that the United States is somehow spying on American citizens calling their neighbors. Very, very important to understand that one party to the communication has to be outside the United States." - Alberto Gonzales, AG

The communications, however do pertain to Al-Qaeda:

"…[W]e have to have a reasonable basis to conclude that one party to the communication is…affiliated with al-Qæda…. We view these authorities as authorities to confront the enemy [with] which the United States is at war…."

Please go and read his full post here. It's alot more amusing and entertaining (as he incorporates Ann Coulter and poor Mr. Daschle in his post). Oh yea, and it also includes another one of his "famous lists"!!

You're an Odd One, Mr. Grinch!

This is just too funny not to post on! Please check out this story titled "Man Accused of Lobbing Urine Into Yards". Apparently, the man calls lobbing urine a "hobby"! Priceless.

Kofi Loses Kool About Kojo's Kar

Last week, the usually calm Secretary General had an unusual outburst of anger towards a journalist from the Times of London in which Kofi Annan called the journalist an "overgrown schoolboy". The UN SG had been facing continuing questions on the Oil-For-Food scandal and his son Kojo's purchase of a tax-free Mercedes under Kofi's name.

Well, James Bone (the journalist who was on the receiving end of Kofi's verbal slap) has written an editorial on "Why Kofi Annan said I'm not a 'serious journalist'" in the WSJ. Read his article here! Trust me, it's very entertaining! After all, the UN knows how to smother scandals:

It is a time-honored tradition at the U.N. to bury a scandal by conducting an inadequate inquiry and then declaring the matter closed. Mr. Annan did precisely that when news first broke in January 1999 of his son's involvement with a Swiss firm that won a U.N. contract in Iraq.

Thanks Duke for the post!

Google's Bias?

This is pretty interesting. If you type in the word "failure" in a search on Google and click the "I'm feeling lucky button" guess what website pops up? George W. Bush's Biography on the White House website. Are you kidding me?? If you don't believe me, please try it yourself before Google realizes (although I'm sure they know) their results.

Hollywood's Class Act

Please don't pull a "Hollywood" this year and forget about our troops across the globe and the many stationed in Iraq! These celebrities show where their care and concern is after I read this latest story from the UK's Guardian Unlimited: "Stars turn backs on America's troops in Iraq" This shameful display truly displays where these snobs hearts are...

[T]he United Services Organisation, which has been putting on shows for the troops since the second world war, is struggling to get celebrities to sign up for even a short tour of duty.

And when they do offer up their services, many of them make wisecracks about the president...I think they fail to realize that many of our military are pro-Bush believe it or not...

But the comedian (Robin Williams) said he mostly tries to keep politics out of the show after he did a few jokes about Bush's brainpower at a base in 2003 and got a chilly reception.

So please, everybody, do what you can to remember and support our troops this year!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all! Let us not forget what Christmas is truly about!

Quagmire?!

“Every purple finger is a bullet to the chest of the terrorists.” - Iraqi Expat on Fox News

Headlines: Upwards of 15 million vote in Iraq; violence minimal; polls stay open an hour late to accomodate high turnout; in several Sunni areas, ballots run out...

Killing by Color

During Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, President Bush and the federal government were heavily criticized for their "slow" response. People derailed the government's slow response as undeniable proof that George Bush was slighting the blacks in the region. Remember some of the comments?

Kanye West during the Katrina Telethon: "I hate the way they portray us in the media. You see a black family, it says, 'They're looting.' You see a white family, it says, 'They're looking for food.' And, you know, it's been five days [waiting for federal help] because most of the people are black... with the way America is set up to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off, as slow as possible...We already realize a lot of people that could help are at war right now, fighting another way -- and they've given them permission to go down and shoot us!...George Bush doesn't care about black people!"

Damu Smith, founder of the National Black Environmental Justice Network: "Whether they (the federal government) got in a room and conspired or not, what they did is they ignored us, they forgot about us ... because we look like we look." (As he was speaking, Smith held out his arm to show his skin color).

Well, new statistics show that the so-called abandonment of blacks in New Orleans just isn't so. Take a look at the latest piece from CNS News:

Statistics released by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals suggest that fewer than half of the victims of Hurricane Katrina were black, and that whites died at the highest rate of all races in New Orleans...the state's demographic information suggests that whites in New Orleans died at a higher rate than minorities.

It seems to easy nowadays to play the race card whenever a political advantage can be seen. It's a dirty shame that during a time when the U.S. could have rallied around the city of New Orleans, the media, public figures and otherwise unintelligent idiots were escalating rumors, lies and personal opinions instead. Maybe we will learn our lesson next time. I, for one, won't get my hopes up though.

A "Broken" Military? HA!

Remember when the U.S. Army was broken?? Well, the reports the MSM were giving us earlier in the year combined with statements from politicians certainly made it seem like everything was about to implode. The Army has a different story. The Washington Times published an article that reveals some truth to the nay-sayers amongst us:

The Pentagon yesterday said the Army signed up 5,856 recruits in November, 5 percent above its goal. It previously announced the Army also exceeded its target in October, the first month of the 2006 fiscal year.

The Army has that [it] hit its recruiting mark for six straight months, a promising development for the Bush administration. President Bush's critics had cited the Army's failure to achieve its recruiting goals in fiscal 2005 as proof that the war in Iraq is breaking the force.

The failure to meet recruiting goals in 2005 could be explained by the fact that "the active-duty Army is growing by 30,000, making the sign-up goal larger, and parents in some cases are counseling against joining the combat arms..." Also, the rest of the armed forces (Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force) all met their enlistment quotas for November.

Makes me think...whatever happened to the draft that was planned if Bush was elected again...?

Ah Yes, Italian Football

Well, it seems Italian football ("soccer" for you uneducated folk) is always mired in some sort of controversy. Yesterday's match between Lazio and Livorno was bound to be an interesting one from the start. These two cities are both known for their extremist political views - Livorno representing the far left views and Lazio has a group of ultras known for their far right views. The game featured "a poisonous atmosphere" where half of fans were singing anti-fascist songs and the other half were displaying swastikas.

Enter Lazio man Pablo Di Canio. Now if you remember, back in January I posted on Signore Di Canio. Never one to let down his ultra fans, Di Canio gave them another repeat of the fascist salute (although in January he claimed there was no correlation between the salute and fascism). I don't know, but it seems to me that it looks an awful lot like you're giving the sign to Il Duce...Judge for yourself! Unless this is some sort of stiff arm problem, I'm pretty sure it's a salute.

Italian football has been under plenty of scrutiny for racial problems, extreme fans, finances and of course the whole relegation fiasco from last season. The last thing the Italians need is more attention for the crazy antics of Di Canio and his ultras. Authorities must crack down on him and others who appeal to these crazies. Check out the rest of the story here. Oh, and check out Di Canio's face in the pictures...he kinda looks deranged! No, I take that back...he is deranged.

Unabashedly Nuanced (It's the UN Again...)

The UN has done it again. It shouldn't be surprising, although the MSM hasn't even covered this story - I had to find it on the blogosphere. The UN's anti-Israel views are so blatantly obvious it's amazing to see that Israel has managed to maintain membership in the UN for 56 years. The UN has established a "UN Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People". The photos taken at the event are revealing. One photo shows the Palestinian and UN flags. In between them stands a map of what should be Israel - however, the map is called a "Map of Palestine" with no mention or even partition lines showing an Israeli state. Furthermore, don't forget the tribute the UN made towards those who committed terrorist acts:

"I invite everyone present to rise and observe a minute of silence in memory of all those who have given their lives for the cause of the Palestinian people and the return of peace between Israel and Palestine."

It seems to me that if you are going to have peace between Israel and Palestine, it would help if you gave the nation of Israel at least some say within the UN. Israel is the only nation banned from being able to sit on the UN Security Council - they can't even be nominated. Kind of odd, huh? Imagine the response if this were a "Day of Solidarity with the Israeli People" that honored fallen Israeli soldiers...I can see the public outcry now. Don't fear, I'm sure there will be plenty more on the UN in future posts!!

Pajamas Interviews

My good friend Duke of DeLand has recently started up another blog that will hold interviews with some of the more familiar names around the blogosphere. I encourage you to take a look at the two interviews he's had so far. The first with Chris Muir of Day by Day Cartoon and the second with Iraqi citizen Omar from Iraq the Model. The interview with Omar provides some good insight on the situation in Iraq from an Iraqi's point of view. Here are a few excerpts from the interview:

"We [Iraq] have thousands of internet cafés and hundreds of thousands if not millions of Iraqis are using the internet and internet is available even at the most remote points in Iraq, even in the marshes area."

"People now get news from various sources rather than one source like it used to be in Saddam’s time. Now they can work their minds to verify what is true and what is wrong among what they get."

"Speaking of being ready for government, I think Iraq doesn’t lack the qualified people who can run a good government."

Please check out this new interviewing blog (Pajamas Interviews) and provide some feedback! Thanks Duke! Keep up the good work!

Striking a Chord

The UWM Times continues to create a firestorm from the far left wing. We have been generating alot of attention from all across the spectrum. However, some groups are having a coronary over our publication. We are no longer just conservatives - but we are promoting a "racist, sexist, anti-worker agenda". Somebody stop the press! Well, actually that's what the latest post on Indymedia Milwaukee is calling for in regards to our publication. In fact, the post calls for a meeting to help accomplish this goal. The call to destroy the UWM Times:

FOR NOW, WHEN YOU SEE THE PAPER'S LYING OUT, OR SITTING IN ONE OF THOSE WOOD CABINET THINGS, FEEL FREE TO PLEASE TAKE THEM OUT AND THROW THEM IN THE RECYCLING BIN. I RECYCLED ABOUT 100 OF THEM TODAY ALREADY AND IT FELT GREAT!

Well, at least he recycled! Stay tuned, there will definitely be more to come...check out the Indymedia post here.

"Fascist" Times Update

The UWM Times, which has been called a "fascist" paper, will not be held down. In fact, since we are supposedly "fascists", it comes as no surprise that I was able to quickly find out who the perpetrators are that are responsible for slipping fliers in our publications and actually increasing readership of our paper.

Anyway, my university (UWM) is pretty diverse - although some on campus complain that it still lacks "true" diversity. Within this diverse student body are communists, socialists, anarchists and every other type of -ists you can find. Apparently, we have irked some communists but mainly the anarchists have their lawless "undies in a bunch". The anarchists on campus (I have no idea how many there are, I'd like to think that it's a small number) cannot stand our conservative, or, uh, I mean..."fascist" views. They were responsible for slipping the flyers IN our papers and they make no effort to hide it. Well, if they did make the effort to hide it, they aren't very good at it.

So, let me show you what THEY have to say about politics, life and a vegan diet...Here they are in no particular order:

This post was entitled "Bash the Fash" and lists the incriminating evidence....

Read up on this guy...he's SOO angry...haha (he's in the pic to the left)

This chick is pretty "rad" too...

So, anyway, read up on their respective journals...They have some crazy stuff on there. Not to mention, they take alot of these quizzes that seem to boost their self-esteem. Although, I guess that would help the guy on the left. However, these quizzes label them to see how extreme they are I guess. For instance, they were taking this quiz to see what type of "anarchist" they are - Anarcho-Syndicalist, Anarcha-Feminist, Anarcho-Capitilist etc. I was quite amused when I saw the "What type of soldier are you?" Quiz. This guy scored as a civilian - what's entertaining about this is the actual description of being a civilian as opposed to a medic, gunner, officer or whatever else you can be. Here's the description of the noble and intelligent citizen:

You scored as Civilian. You're a civilian. Not a soldier, period. You don't enjoy fighting. And more or less think all the people who do are retrads who need to use thier brains more than thier brawn. Beware the day will come when even peace lovers and budhist monks will pick up shotguns in defence.

So, whoever came up with this description wasn't using their brain. What are "retrads"? "Thier"? "Budhist"? Come on, at least use spell check, that's not against the rules is it???

Ah well, these groups are certainly entitled to their opinion - after all we are in the United States. Another country wouldn't be so kind to these types. However, if you disagree with someone's ideology you can protest it without trying to hijack it. It backfired anyway...There are other places for your wonderful fliers than in our publication.

I have to go though, Mussolini is calling the cell...

The "Fascist" Times??

Well, once again we have ANOTHER display of the "tolerance" of the left. The UWM Times published its' second issue for distribution last night. We distributed the December edition late last night (around 9 pm) in various locations - tables, drop boxes, etc. It took less than 12 hours for the intolerance of any conservative viewpoints to be brought to light.

After class this morning, I was walking through the Union and walked past one of the drop boxes where our paper is located. When I looked, I saw the UWM Times displaying in the provided insert on the front of the box. Sticking out from behind the paper was a flyer - the top of which was only visible. It read: "14 defining characteristics common to each fascist State:". The flyer displays 14 of these characteristics that derived from an article written by Political Scientist Dr. Lawrence Britt who studied the regimes of

"Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia), and Pinochet (Chile)" [and] "Dr. Britt found they all had 14 elements in common. He calls these the identifying characteristics of fascism."

The 14 characteristics are displayed on the one page, two-sided flyer. Along with each characteristic comes a photograph that relates to the United States. An example of how quickly this is put together is characteristic #10 - which states "Labor Power is suppressed". Next to that characteristic is the title of one of the headlines from our December issue: "Unions Destroy the American Automobile" -the UWM Times, December 2005, p.5. So, apparently someone picked up a copy last night and worked to put together this flyer and have them INSIDE of some of our newspapers as well as in the insert displays around campus.

These people are obviously not very bright because they are drawing more attention to our paper because of the fascism cry. The UWM Times is currently being read all over campus and we have to bring more copies to campus for further distribution. Is it any wonder why our universities continually cry for diversity and tolerance yet conservative viewpoints are squashed?

Even more interesting, for my Contemporary Political Theory class we just finished reading a book published by University of Wisconsin Professor Donald Downs entitled Restoring Free Speech and Liberty on Campus. The book highlighted the suppression of free speech that the Free Speech Movement fought so hard for. It discussed several cases, all of which were instances where conservatives came under attack. The vast majority of universities are structured for liberal (ideology) thought and it cannot become more obvious how intolerant they are when the opposition tries to have a voice.

So, the UWM Times is merely a fascist publication that is promoting the fascist regime of George W. Bush. World domination is next on the agenda...