The Home Of The Brave

I have mentioned this over and over again on the radio show and on the blog. I am glad to see it becoming a movement. Thank you Glenn Greenwald at digby:

Without pause, the Administration has sought to make Americans as frightened as possible about terrorism and has used that fear to justify its actions with regard to almost every issue....
They are trying to take over the world and murder us all. And this is not merely a threat we face. It is much more than that. It is the predominant issue facing the United States -- more important than all others. Everything pales in comparison to fighting off this danger. We face not merely a danger, but, in Bush’s words, an "unprecedented danger" -- the worst, scariest, most threatening danger ever.And literally for four years, this is what Americans have heard over and over and over from their Government – that we face a mortal and incomparably powerful enemy on the precipice of destroying us, and only the most extreme measures taken by our Government can save us.......
The argument which needs to be made is the one that we have seen starting to arise in the blogosphere and elsewhere: that living in irrational fear of terrorists and sacrificing our liberties and all of our other national goals in their name is the approach of hysterics and cowards, not of a strong, courageous and resolute nation.......
If the blogospheric reaction of Bush supporters is any indication, this argument is as politically potent as it is self-evidently true. Kos’s post provoked shrieking seizures among the tough-guy, blindly loyal Bush followers -- the ones who revealingly give themselves play name like Rocket and Captain and who never tire of touting their own toughness. In response to Kos’s post, they squealed and they yelled and they called him all kinds of names – they did everything but refute the argument.And notably, in their anger, there was none of that smug bravado or all-too-familiar attacks on the courage of Bush opponents, because with this plainly accurate depiction, they stand revealed as being driven by nothing other than limitless, irrational fear. They are scared and they want to continue to implant their extreme fear into our national policies and onto our national character.There is no more important goal than exposing and undermining the cowardly and exaggerated fear which lies at the core of the Bush agenda. If, as has been the case, we are bullied into starting from the tacit premise that Islamic terrorism is a unique and unprecedented evil which threatens our very existence -- rather than one of many challenges which we must calmly face and overcome .....
it is past time to bolster that growing recognition by pointing out over and over that the Bush Administration’s insistence that we live in never-ending fear and panic of terrorists is the opposite of the American virtues of strength and courage in the face of threats.......
What must be emphasized is that one can protect against the threat of terrorism with courage, calm and resolve – the attributes which have always defined our nation as it has confronted other threats. Hysteria and fear-mongering are the opposite of strength. The strong remain rational and unafraid.

One point not made in this essay, People seem to have the idea that there is only one way to fight terrorism and that is the way the Bushiveks are doing it. Not true. Scroll down the page for some of my thoughts on that.
Let's put forth a full court press on these cowards and expose them for what they are.

The only thing we have to fear is fear its self.

Let's Have A Fair Up Or Down Vote

I've never seen such a bunch of power hungry hypocrites and bullshitters in my life. I'm just astounded that anyone with an intelligence level over tella tubbies would follow or believe in the sincerity of these tyrants.

Today King George announced seventeen -- count 'em seventeen -- recess appointments, many of whom would have faced serious confirmation problems. Kos tells us that the three appointments to the Federal Election Commission never even had nomination hearings. No opportunity to even face questioning. None. Zero. Zip.

Ok Bill Frist, GW et al. Tell me about how everyone deserves a hearing and a fair up or down vote again. Seems you are only principled when it is to your advantage. The fascists are lucky they have the robots to pliantly follow along.

It IS Happening Here

Welcome to the Police State.

Two weeks ago, a former NSA intelligence officer publicly announced that he wants to testify before Congress. His name is Russell Tice. For the past two decades he has worked in the intelligence field both inside and outside government, most recently with the National Security Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency. He was fired in May 2005 after he spoke out as a whistleblower.
In his letter, Tice wrote, "It is with my oath as a US intelligence officer weighing heavy on my mind that I wish to report to Congress acts that I believe are unlawful and unconstitutional. The freedom of the American people cannot be protected when our constitutional liberties are ignored and our nation has decayed into a police state."
Russell Tice, former intelligence agent at the National Security Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency. He worked at the NSA up until May 2005.

But they have to "protect" us!!! Sorry, I don't trust them to "protect" us in the least. Quite the opposite with actions like this.
The evidence of a police state, straight from the horses mouth, is becoming overwhelming.

Coffee Table

Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom. – George S. Patton

Sunday Editorial

Protecting Us



Keeping America Free For Democracy


The pResident has once again spoken out on the NSA controversy. He says that it was only used on Americans who have recieved phone calls from" suspected terrorist numbers." However the hell that works.? ...This revelation has harmed national security and hurt our fight on the war on terror. ...They will be searching for the "leaker". ....Well, gee he was just trying to do his job, no problem with that.
Actually plenty wrong with that. Why do people assume GWB has the ONLY plan for fighting terror. What if...just by chance.....he turns out to have a HORRIBLE one? Anybody up for at least being open to debating alternatives?
First let's look at why what the pResident said is debatable at the least. Apparently there were thousands of these, unauthorized. We have that many "terrorists" in America? Geez man, start "protecting us". I would assume that if these were legit you would be able to go to the secret court and do it in the way we have set up for you to protect us. You didn't, even though you could have gone up to 72 hours later for the authority. Are you guys to lazy to do the paper work to "protect us"? Figure it's just a bunch of stupid pieces of paper anyway? ...Maybe like the Constitution?
The story as I piece it together so far is that begining in 2003 the court DID start rejecting many of the warrants, or asked for more conditions to be met. They didn't like it so they just struck out on their own. After all who needs the stupid court anyway. Here is my question to the Bush supporters....Where is the line? Can he do anything in the name of "protecting us"? What are his limits..Some of this would like to have this debate ahead of time.
Harmed National Security? Only the dumbest of terrorists would think the most technologically advanced nation...or at least advanced military...would not know that being monitored was of very high probability. As a matter of fact I have read that they went to couriers a long time ago..person to person. I don't know if it is true but it makes sense. I figure time and money could be better spent, in any case, doing it differently.
Catch the leaker? What leaker? This is another good example of the right wing nature of the media. If the president violated the law this person would be a whistle blower. Valerie Plame was doing nothing illegal..as a matter of fact she was working on hunting down weapons of mass destruction. Reaveling her identity was a leak. At least.
Knowing and reporting the president is violating the balance of powers in the Constitution is whistle blowing. Whoever did it is a patriot.

Let's actually have a real HOMELAND security effort.
1. ALTERNATIVE ENERGY- This would solve so many of our problems yet there is a lazzie- faire attitude to it.
2.Round up the lose nukes. We may not get them all but the fewer out there the better.
3.Secure our toxic chemical facilities and transportation of those chemicals. What a disaster waiting to happen! Of course we won't do this because that would cost big business money. Eventually they will decide that we the tax payers ought to pay for it. Why? Aren't these companies interested in securing America too? Where's their patriotism?
4. Fully fund and equip first responders.
5. Provide incentive and organization to develop new technology for detection of wmd in ports, on trucks etc.
6. BE BRAVE! Show the terrorists they have no chance of victory by maintaining or freedoms and liberties .

Certainly this is a far from inclusive list. These are just a few things that we might spend our money and time on that could benifit us more than our kill'em all direction. At times military action is unavoidable. The high road calls us to set the bar very high.

Oh yes, and if you are talking to Al Queda we'd like to know about it...please check in with the White House immediately.