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Category Archives: Polities

Political stuffs

Billy and the Blogs

O'Reilly and ClarkThis is hilarious. Last night on his show, Bill O’Reilly slammed blogs, even going so far as calling them assassins. Here is the video (again thanks to C&L for hosting the bandwidth).

The reason why I find it so funny is that Bill has the worst inconsistencies of any major media personality that I watch and is constantly being called out on them by the web community.

For example, he says that Media Matters is the worst, yet they point out his inconsistencies more than anyone. Most importantly, they always show transcripts, court cases, and other documented facts. He says that the Smoking Gun is just as awful. They are the ones who would not let him sweep his sexual harassment case under the carpet. Think Progress even showed that Bill lied in this latest segment.

But let me tell you the one thing O’Reilly did that made me really feel disdain for him. A few nights ago, O’Reilly was interviewing General Clark about the Abu Ghraib pictures that were ordered to be released. First, Bill made the argument that torture has always been a condoned part of American warfare, why should now be different? I believe that Americans hold themselves to a higher standard and we cannot say we are liberating Iraq from a violent, torturing dictator if our soldiers do the same.

But then, he started listing off American torture in previous wars and said this:

General! You need to look at the Malmedy massacre in World War Two, and the 82nd Airborne who did it!

The Malmedy massacre was a slaughter of at least 72 American prisoners of war by the Nazis.

McCarthy.vg caught the horrible mistruth and is hosting the transcript, the video, and the mp3 so you can see it and hear it for yourself.

Do you want to know what’s worse?

      1) Bill has not acknowledged his error.
      2) He has not apologized to the soldiers and families of the 82nd Airborne.
      3) And, are you ready for this, Fox News edited the statement out of their transcript on the web!!!

Yet, this is why I love what the internet has done to free speech in this country. For decades, media outlets have barely been accountable for what they print and say. Now the citizens have a medium for checking the data and ideas disseminated through the airwaves and newsprint. In a government of checks and balances, I see this as liberating step towards true democracy.

So when you go to a website, ask yourself: Are they linking to source evidence? Are they looking at all the evidence or just specific pieces that support a given point? And feel free to voice your own opinion. It’s just as valid as everyone else’s.

Don’t Mess With McCain

Daily Show McCainI just got done watching yesterday’s episode of the Daily Show and it was phenomenal. Apparently, Bush and his generals really don’t talk about the war. Also, insulting General McCain is never recommended. Here is the video thanks to C&L.

Ike Was Right

Andy Rooney on IraqAndy Rooney tears into the war on Iraq and he did his research, too. Here is the video viral that is going around the internet right now (courtesy of C&L) and here is the transcript (courtesy of CBS News).

News Videos

This is for all of you who want your quick news fix. Let them be a guide for sources to look into.

Daily Show FkersFirst off, here is the Daily Show’s take on the hurricane relief. It is probably the most scathing Daily Show I have ever seen. The best part about it is the montage on the ‘Blame Game’ where right-wingers say that no one should point fingers and then they do just that. (via C&L)

Brian Williams on the Daily ShowThis is Jon Stewart’s interview of NBC reporter Brian Williams. Brian Williams was in the Superdome for the hurricane and most of the relief effort. (via One Good Move)

David GregoryFrom a White House press conference, David Gregory grills Scott McClellan on the relief leadership. (via One Good Move)

Laura BushLaura Bush cannot even get the name of the hurricane correct. She call’s it ‘Corrina.’ (via C&L)

Mark WilliamsFinally, this will make your stomach turn. Mark Williams states that it was the people’s own dumb fault for not getting out of the way of a category five hurricane. (via C&L)

Thanks to Crooks and Liars and One Good Move for hosting these videos.

Michael Brown Finally Removed

Michael BrownAfter failing horribly at his job, Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Michael Brown was relieved of his onsite command Friday. Not only did he have no training or prior experience with emergency management, not only was he fired from his last job as International Arabian Horse Association due to mounting litigation and financial disarray, Time reports that he lied on his resume.

Here is a great quote from Bill Clinton’s book, My Life, that puts Brownie’s job into perspective: (via Atrios)

“… I went to Florida a few days after President Bush did to observe the damage from Hurricane Andrew. I had dealt with a lot of natural disasters as governor, including floods, droughts, and tornadoes, but I had never seen anything like this. I was surprised to hear complaints from both local officials and residents about how the Federal Emergency Management Agency was handling the aftermath of the hurricane. Traditionally, the job of FEMA director was given to a political supporter of the President who wanted some plum position but who had no experience with emergencies. I made a mental note to avoid that mistake if I won. Voters don’t chose a President based on how he’ll handle disasters, but if they’re faced with one themselves, it quickly becomes the most important issue in their lives.”

-Bill Clinton, My Life (p. 428)

A Foreign View

As many people now know, Bush never really visited the sites affected by Katrina’s damage. Even foreign media finds it disgusting that entire legions of fire fighters, national guard, construction workers, and air force personnel were stopped from helping people in order to stand as a backdrop for Bush. Here are a few of those views.

Sky News Ireland considers Bush to be the one of the worst disasters to hit the United States. (via jaywillie)

Bush Disaster

The German media on site was also disgusted. (via Scot via Kos)

On the last state of things here’s Christine Adelhardt live from Biloxi

2 minutes ago the President drove past in his convoy. But what has happened in Biloxi all day long is truly unbelievable. Suddenly recovery units appeared, suddenly bulldozers were there, those hadn’t been seen here all the days before, and this in an area, in which it really wouldn’t be necessary to do a big clean up, because far and wide nobody lives here anymore, the people are more inland in the city. The President travels with a press baggage [big crew]. This press baggage got very beautiful pictures which are supposed to say, that the President was here and help is on the way, too. The extent of the natural disaster shocked me, but the extent of the staging is shocking me at least the same way. With that back to Hamburg.

Here is some more German footage for my German readers and the rest that can speak it.

Don’t Take My Word For It

Phew! Just got back from Disney, which was a wonderful trip minus a few hiccups. I spent the trip home reading every news source I could from Time Magazine to USA Today. It seems like a couple of things might have happened.

I thought that before I left, the failure of the administration was apparent. Now, the blatant lies are even more ridiculous and are quickly refuted by documented facts. The newest is that Bush had to plead with Louisiana governor Blanco to evacuate New Orleans. Official documents show she requested help and a state of emergency days before the hurricane reached the coast, while Bush was still on vacation.

What about Bush stating nobody could have foreseen the levees breaking? Max Mayfield, the director of the National Hurricane Center, told Bush about the extent of the damage in a video conference call the Saturday before the event. Max and his crew also had more extensive briefings for Brown and Chertoff days before the hurricane.

But don’t take my word for it. Look at the sources.

For a more detailed view of events and responses with sources included, check out this timeline which goes hour by hour. Please take a second just to browse it. It does a good job of explaining what happened when.

For those of you looking for a quick fix, however, One Good Move is hosting part of the Daily Show coverage.

Katrina's Devastation

Hurricane Katrina Leadership: Where Are They Now?

Think our administration is doing everything in their power to help the situation in New Orleans?

President Bush is touring around the country giving speeches about how everything is under control while diverting critical resources for photo-ops, like helicopters and members of the Coast Guard.

Vice President Cheney is still on vacation in Jackson, Wyoming.

Condoleezza Rice is still on vacation in New York City where we she went shoe shopping and played tennis yesterday.

Mike Brown, the man in charge of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is having trouble managing the resources. Should this be a surprise? His only experience at management was with the International Arabian Horse Association which forced him to resign in the face of mounting litigation and financial disarray.

Now for the one really trying: Mayor Ray Nagin. In an interview last night, his voice cracked with anger and anguish at his frustration with the administration dragging their feet. I recommend watching the video.

For raw stories, check out Interdictor. Please donate.

Hurricane Katrina Relief

Hurricane Katrina Damage

Tomorrow, I leave for Florida with Rachel to spend a vacation in Disney World. It feels very weird thinking that I am headed to the ‘happiest place on earth’ while knowing the devastation in New Orleans. The descriptions coming from inside the area are hellish at best. One man who is in charge of OC4 internet crisis control has become one of the most well known informants since he has been able to sustain an internet connection. Known as the Interdictor, the stories on his blog about the crime, the spread of corpses, and the rampant neglect by the National Guard are numbing, as if the articles on CNN and Reuters were not enough.

My friend, Molly, contacted me today and asked if I wanted to go help with the relief crews. I have to admit, I’ve thought about it more than once. While I continue to think about it, however, I am doing what those in the relief crews ask: donating money. If you feel so inclined, please help by making a donation to the Red Cross or other relief organization.

These donations are an incredible asset as our current administration continues to struggle with helping those in New Orleans. Normally, under these circumstances, I would leave all finger pointing behind. Bush, however, brought it upon himself in a speech that just makes my blood seethe. On ABC (via the BBC), Bush said:

I don’t think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees. They did appreciate a serious storm but these levees got breached and as a result much of New Orleans is flooded and now we’re having to deal with it and will.

It’s one thing to stay quiet and another to lie in the face of so many deaths! But, I guess Bush has a track record of it.

In 2001, the Federal Emergency Management Agency ranked the potential damage to New Orleans as among the three likeliest, most catastrophic disasters facing this country.

In 2004, National Geographic did an entire article on what would happen in a hurricane disaster in New Orleans. The detail is prophetically chilling.

Scientists around the world have been declaring New Orleans’ environmental damage a huge problem for years.

Even worse, the money set aside to prevent this problem back in 1995 was funneled out of the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project (SELA) beginning in 2003 in order to go towards the war in Iraq, the one we knowingly entered under false assumptions.

If that was not enough, Scott McClellan had the gall in a press conference today to state that those who have not received food, water, and medicine have ways to get it. Anyone watching CNN knows there are thousands of people stuck in New Orleans, told not to leave their houses so that they do not get mugged or raped, who are getting no help. He also refused to give answers to tough questions about white house budget cuts to SELA and other organizations.

Let us continue to keep those in New Orleans in our prayers and support them through our aid. When everyone has been taken care of, let us remember to return and focus on how this could have been better prevented so we do not repeat the mistakes of our predecessors.

Update (09/02/2005): Hunter wrote a moving article today called ‘Left Behind‘ about the situation in New Orleans. Apparently, the thousands told to go to the the Convention Center still have not received adequate aid with the young and elderly now dying of dehydration. Also, here is another 2004 article about why FEMA is unable to cope with this natural disaster due to cuts by the Bush administration.

The Reality of People

On March 20th, 2003, I was in El Mozote, El Salvador, when the bombing of Iraq began by the United States and the United Kingdom. That evening, my group saw the first visuals of the war on a small television in our hacienda. I believe it was Mary O’Malley who made the comment, “It’s like a video game.” As green explosions dotted the screen through infrared lenses, it did seem like many of the video games I played growing up. Followed by red and blue dots marking military progressions, it was hard to believe, much less understand, what was really happening.

I find it quite often difficult to remember the people fighting in Iraq. More often than not, I feel like the war has become a bipartisan issue for candidates to use to get themselves elected or fuel for pundits to increase their ratings.

Last week, I found this posted on dKos and it really had an impact upon me.

Mr. Northern:

I am a Veteran of the Iraq war, having served with the 4th Infantry Division on the initial invasion with Force Package One.

While I was in Iraq,a very good friend of mine, Christopher Cutchall,was killed in an unarmoredHMMWV outside of Baghdad. He was a cavalry scout serving with the 3d ID.Once he had declined the award of a medal because Soldiers assigned to him did not receive similar awards that he had recommended. He left two sons and awonderful wife. On Monday night, August 16, you ran down the memorial cross erected for him by Arlington West.

One of my Soldiers in Iraq was Roger Turner. We gave him a hard time because he always wore all of his protective equipment, including three pairs of glasses or goggles. He did this because he wanted to make sure that he returned home to his family. He rode a bicycle to work every day to make sure that he was able to save enough money on his Army salary to send his son to college. At Camp Anaconda, where the squadron briefly stayed, a rocket landed inside a tent, sending a piece of debris or fragment into him and killed him. On Monday night, August 16, you ran down the memorial cross erected for him by Arlington West.

One of my Soldiers was Henry Bacon. He was one of the finest men I ever met. He was in perfect shape for a man over forty, working hard at night. He told me that he did that because he didn’t have much money to buy nice things for his wife, who he loved so much, so he had to be in good shape for her. He was like a father to many young men in his section of maintenance mechanics. They fixed our vehicles with almost no support and fabricated parts and made repairs that kept our squadron rolling on the longest, fastest armor advance ever made under fire. He was so very proud of his son-in-law that married the beautiful daughter so well raised by Henry. His son-in-law was a helicopter pilot with the 1st Cavalry Division, who died last year. Henry stopped to rescue a vehicle belonging to another unit on what was to be his last day in Iraq. He could have kept rolling – he was headed to Kuwait after a year’s tour. But he stopped. He could have sent others to do the work, but he was on the ground, leading by example, when he was killed. On Monday night, August 16, you took it upon yourself to go out in the country, where a peaceful group was exercising their constitutional rights, and harming no one, and you ran down the memorial cross erected for Henry and for his son-in-law by Arlington West.

Mr. Northern – I know little about Cindy Sheehan except that she is a grieving mother, a gentle soul, and wants to bring harm to no one. I know little about you except that you found your way to Crawford on Monday night in August with chains and a pipe attached to your truck for the sole purpose of dishonoring a memorial erected for my friends and lost Soldiers and hundreds of others that served this nation when they were called. I find it disheartening that good men like these have died so that people like you can threaten a mother who lost a child with your actions. I hope that you are ashamed of yourself.

Perry Jefferies, First Sergeant, USA (retired)

I feel that it is incredibly important for us to continually reevaluate our reasons for entering this war, as well as our strategy for stabilizing Iraq and exiting it. During these examinations, I find it very important for myself to listen to the stories of the soldiers in Iraq. For more information on the reasons we began this conflict, CNN is airing ‘Dead Wrong: Inside an Intelligence Meltdown’ this evening (Sunday) at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET. It presents the chain of events that led to the intelligence the presidential commission described as “dead wrong.”

If you are interested in getting to know the people in Iraq, I recommend reading the military blogs, known as the milblogs. Many of the stories and pictures are incredibly moving. I would begin with this articled in Wired detailing both this new phenomenon as well as the major players. Good resources for finding milblogs include Web of Support by Christopher Missick and the Iraq Files.