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21 de Septiembre, 2007
Stand and be Counted. Or Cower and be Condemned.
Categorized under Corazón , Guerra , Iraq the Casbah , Medios , Política Estados Unidos | Tags: blogs, bush, Democrats, Hope, Iraq, Olbermann, Petraeus, Power to the People, pundits
I KNOW I DIDN'T GO INTO IT, but I don't go into many things that a well-informed and reasonably sane person staying current on the News would understand all by themselves. I don't like to bog down my blog (Blog-bog, must add this word) with unwieldy explanations that insult the intelligence. However, I'm actually reading reaction from "progressives" on the Moveon.org ad, as if we should not "insult" the military. As if they are cowed by Bush's planted question and staged response in his presser the other day, as if they take it to heart when the Decider is disgusted. I'm seeing Democrats vote to condemn moveon.org???? You pathetic creatures can't even vote to censure a pretender-to-the-throne when he launches an obviously lied-up war (please tell me you were never fooled by Bush's transparent rush to bomb and recycled Daisy lingo) and instigates the death of a million human beings, and you are getting all passionate about an ad?
How telling. How sad. This limp-noodle-spine logic is exactly what makes these wars, these crimes against humanity possible in the first place. You want to show some cojones? Then stand up against this war, O "representatives" of ours. And ye Progressives? Save your anger for the makers and facilitators of this war. And if you are one, then what the hell does Progressive mean in your world, anyway? I'm scared to find out.
As if anyone is still on the fence, as if looking "juvenile" or any other criticism leveled at Democrats/Progressives by the rightwing noise machine is going to suddenly make some part of the 74%ish of US citizens who are against Bush and his war swing around and be for it?
Personal sidenote, because I know the entire Democratic party is reading along: I actually had hope for the Democrats when they took back the house and senate. Yes I did. I was even projecting they would take the Senate when everyone was saying it wasn't realistic. (Lost all comments to old entries as that was in the Haloscan days). I was ready to buy into the whole thing again. Give me a glimmer of hope and I'm ready to go, you know?
But where is Conyers now with all his tuff talk? I unsubscribed to his damn newsletter since. He's gone as quiet as a graveyard stuffed full with US veterans. And what are the Dems doing voting on this nonsense? On this insultingly obvious act of theater? Where are the People's representatives? The collapse of the circus tent was all too predictable. And it is all too symbolic that these puffed-up politicians want to vote on a nothing resolution that does nothing but look strong in the face of an ad. Democrats claim they "don't have the votes" to end the war. Bullshit, I say. If that were the reason you are doing nothing to stop it, then we would at least see symbolic stands made...and not against Moveon.org. Propz to Hillary and Obama for not going along with this joke of a vote, at least. [UPDATE: So much for Hillary the Calculating. And I was wrong about Obama. I thought he wasn't suckered, but it seems he was. Once again, it's Feingold who stands tall, voting no on both the Cornyn and Boxer amendments!]
And meanwhile, the blood runs deep in the Baghdad street. And you—so-called Progressive—want to talk, still, about framing. About being civil in our outrage. How many IEDs in your day? How many of YOUR family members have been Shocked and Awed into an early grave? How many drill-holes in your husband's head? How many directions has your neighborhood broken up into? How many concrete barriers around your town? How many armed troops gunning your grandfather down?
Feelin' civil? Then you are (at least emotionally) too far away from the blood-tinged dust. The time for civility is long gone. That mask is a clownsuit I won't put on. And neither ought Moveon.org or any other body of so-called Progressives.
Make no mistake: Petraeus will be judged harshly, as will Colin Powell, as will any person, pundit, or coalition who could have spoke truth that would have helped the world and instead chose some other self-serving option. Oh yes, it will. Petraeus' military superior, Admiral William Fallon, CENTCOM Commander, called Petraeus an "ass-kissing little chickenshit." Now I don't know the man well enough to say that much, but clearly Petraeus is acting as a tool of Bush. He is a Bush-Proxy. He is Bush-NotBush. He is Bush's dream. After all, (and I hope it is not so long in the past that we cannot remember) Bush fired every honest general and finally found his puppet and now acts as if this man is independent, and you want us to go along with this? Get real.
If what Petraeus is doing cannot be called betrayal to his honor and to all of us who need an honest assessment of the disaster we have spurred in Iraq, who desperately need someone in power to say ENOUGH ALREADY, then what can?
Complicity in the charade by those who should know better, that's what. Now get it together before you help the Bush administration take us right into Iran using the same bullying, bullshitty tactics that got us here in the first place. Let's move on from this distraction and put our focus back on the real crime, the real outrage. The war that CheneyBush launched on false pretenses and the violence and harm to the world that is still unfolding.
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Comentarios (14)
Nightprowlkitty dijo:
Well said, Nezua.
When form becomes all important and when substance disappears, as in this latest mad and meaningless vote against MoveOn, it starkly shows the root of the trouble in our land. When what we feel towards those who volunteer to serve in the military is not acknowledgement of their humanity but instead fantasies of heroism as though to put on a uniform magically changes a person into someone other than human, someone who must not be judged as we judge each other, we are making a fatal error.
I have been a staunch Democrat all my life. I don't feel that way any more. I don't see a Democratic party in what is going on now in Washington, D.C.
Over a million dead in Iraq. Over a million refugees in Iraq. Thousands of displaced folks in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Migrant families being treated as murderous criminals, parents separated from children, put into detention camps out of some Orwellian nightmare. Presidential candidates who seem unaware that this is not the usual season of political campaigns, who sicken me with their actions even if they say the "right thing." They should all be working right now to depose the criminal Bush administration.
So I guess it's up to us now. I never thought I would see the day that I would come to that conclusion.
Palabras por Nightprowlkitty spat forth on el 21 de Septiembre, 2007 at 09:34 AM
nezua limón xolagrafik-jonez
dijo:
hallelujah, Nightprowlkitty. i feel just as you do, and you too, said it very well. thank you for saying it here.
Palabras por nezua limón xolagrafik-jonez
spat forth on el 21 de Septiembre, 2007 at 09:37 AM
Tomas el Yanqui dijo:
Y'know, when I was in the Army (insert joke about age here), colonels and generals were, on the whole, pretty tough old farts. If someone -- especially a civilian -- made a snarky comment about someone wearing heavy brass, the comment generally bounced right off, so far as I could tell. So I have to wonder what sort of snark General Wes Clark endured when he was commanding his peacekeepers, and if our more conservative countrymen kept their comments to themselves as they appear to wish the majority would do for GEN Petraeus now.
I don't really give a rat's ass if the President is disgusted or dyspeptic over MoveOn's ad; it's an expression of free speech, and decidedly more accurate and certainly less slanderous than the spew that the 'Smear Boat Vets for Bush' put out back in 2004. If the President is disgusted, that's too damn bad for him. Personally, I find 3,000 dead troops, 25,000 wounded ones and 3+ billion dollars wasted to be pretty disgusting, but hey, that's just me. Apparently, the President has found a way to not be disgusted over things like that so he can get all pissy about commercials instead.
One thing I do know about our servicemen and servicewomen is that sooner or later, the troops always figure out if they're being screwed and who the screwer is. And if they came up with the name "General Betrayus," I think they've already figured it out. As far as I'm concerned, GEN Petraeus and LTG Lute aren't fit to shine Ric Shinseki's boots.
Palabras por Tomas el Yanqui spat forth on el 21 de Septiembre, 2007 at 09:48 AM
nezua limón xolagrafik-jonez
dijo:
i really appreciate your view, given your life experience. gracias, Tomas el Yanqui.
Palabras por nezua limón xolagrafik-jonez
spat forth on el 21 de Septiembre, 2007 at 10:29 AM
Glen dijo:
However much I agree and I do, the big problem I see is that MoveOn, the "BetrayUs" ad, what the president thinks about it, bla, bla, bla is all bullshit. None of it matters. We still have a war; we have a convoluted immigration system that is making rich people richer whilst screw the poor; racism runs rampant and I aint talking about using the "n" word or anything else, it has to do with power and who wields it.
Popular news and the microphone in the Senate and the House are talking about a silly newspaper advertisement. Honestly that matters as much as whatever Britney Spears did today or if OJ Simpson is in jail or sleeping with his white girlfriend in Florida. Have you seen the news on TV? I am the only one who is crazy?
I've got to work today, so no more blog-bog. See you next week. Peace
Palabras por Glen spat forth on el 21 de Septiembre, 2007 at 10:40 AM
nezua limón xolagrafik-jonez
dijo:
i hear you, my friend. so true.
it only matters because Petraeus could have been a voice for truth. and he opted otherwise.
Palabras por nezua limón xolagrafik-jonez
spat forth on el 21 de Septiembre, 2007 at 10:42 AM
donna darko dijo:
Yes, thank you. WTF is wrong with the Democratic Party. They can never get it together. Half are progressive, half are conservative. All they need is 40 votes to block this war and war funding. A Senate censure of Moveon is the new McCarthyism.
Palabras por donna darko spat forth on el 21 de Septiembre, 2007 at 10:42 AM
Rafael dijo:
The Dems, they can't end this insanity, but they listen to Hannity!
Palabras por Rafael spat forth on el 21 de Septiembre, 2007 at 11:26 AM
nezua limón xolagrafik-jonez
dijo:
i expect to hear this soundbite on your podcast, vato! jeje
Palabras por nezua limón xolagrafik-jonez
spat forth on el 21 de Septiembre, 2007 at 11:58 AM
djack dijo:
I'm right on with the ad move on ran. the truth is typically an important place to operate from. you wouldn't know it from how a lot of people live though.
did anyone catch eli pariser's interview on hardball about the ad. uhm, he used the phrase "call a spade a spade" twice. once after he had just talked about colin powell. i've been trying to find some kind of response online. like he should at least be saying "sorry for my ignorance in using that term". i'm assuming it's ignorance that you would get up on national tv and say that.
the first time he said it - after having just mentioned colin powell - i was like "no he didn't". but then he said it again... i wouldn't say i was surprised, after all he is a white guy and my expectations for them only go so high.
oh, did i say that... how inappropriate, but so lovingly honest.
Palabras por djack spat forth on el 21 de Septiembre, 2007 at 12:10 PM
nezua limón xolagrafik-jonez
dijo:
djack, as far as i am concerned, this is the place for Inappropriate and Lovingly Honest, friend. keep kicking it here. graz.
and...i tend to think those "slips" are not so accidental after a while, you know?
Palabras por nezua limón xolagrafik-jonez
spat forth on el 21 de Septiembre, 2007 at 12:12 PM
RickB dijo:
Move-on (and the Dems) have not done their utmost to end the war, the support for them over this ad should not let them off the hook or the Dems. I think to some extent that is why this has such coverage as ultimately it is not about ending the war so again the real issue is not addressed. A lot of sound and fury signifying.. well not nothing, but not the true elephant in the room. [Plus Petraeus has Presidential ambitions, defending him is promoting the GOP so this fight suits the conservative punditocracy]
Meanwhile a UK General-
---His comments about the Iraqi resistance are not well-reported online, but he was shown on Channel Four news describing them as "Iraqi nationalists", concerned about the well-being of the country and therefore "not bad people".---
http://leninology.blogspot.com/2007/09/official-iraqi-resistance-is-decent.html
And things like Conyers going quiet, I would say the warrantless spying is probably helping find useful leverage against the Bush regime's opponents. As well as the usual political class selling out the people thing.
Palabras por RickB spat forth on el 21 de Septiembre, 2007 at 12:46 PM
Rafael dijo:
It will be there, it has to be....
Palabras por Rafael spat forth on el 21 de Septiembre, 2007 at 02:59 PM
RC dijo:
http://www.worldwidewords.org/topicalwords/tw-spa1.htm
I cultivate phrases in English and Spanish and I like to know what they are really about and where they came from. So let's call a trough a trough already and be done with it.
Palabras por RC spat forth on el 22 de Septiembre, 2007 at 04:40 PM