As has been documented by several JoeUsers, it appears that nearly four hundred tons of explosively mysteriously disappeared from a site in Iraq, apparently after the US took over the country. To many of us, this seems like somewhat of a mistake on Bush's part, and naturally enough, Kerry has pointed out that Bush handled this poorly. After all, Bush was warned by the International Atomic Energy Agency, before the invasion, that this site was very important. After days of silence, Bush...
As I think most readers know, Kerry is way ahead on both his number of major newspaper endorsements and total circulation of those papers. Bush supporters may not take this seriously, arguing that of course the "liberal press" is supporting the Democrats. Well, it turns out in the great majority of presidential elections, newspapers have supported the Republican candidate . In fact, only in 1996 and 1992 did the Democrat receive more endorsements from newspapers. The fact that the ...
I've been suprised at how little concern there's been about Abu Ghraib -- and I think liberals are as guilty as conservatives when it comes to downplaying the significance that America is torturing people. That's a big deal, (1) because it's immoral and (2) because it's a huge fscking recruitment poster for al-Qaeda. I see people justifying the torture by arguing that anything we do that's not as bad as beheading people is morally justified, but I don't buy it. I hate to think what that ...
Sorry, I don't have any brilliant commentary on this. It was in the liberal New York Observer , and made me laugh. A lot. We’re all God’s children. And I think if you were to talk to Dick Cheney’s daughter, who is a lesbian, she would tell you that she’s being who she was. She’s being who she was born as. Which is a lesbian. All of us need to feel comfortable being who we are, even if someone happens to be a lesbian, which is what Dick Cheney’s daughter is. Even if a young woman prefers t...
I saw this a couple of days ago, and thought it was hilarious . Honestly, if you're stupid enough not to read what you put your name to, you deserve what you get. Students, who last month signed a petition that was being circulated on the Blue Bell campus to legalize marijuana for primarily medicinal purposes, now are finding out that they are registered Republicans. "This is just very disheartening," said Plymouth resident Jennifer Fugo. Yes, Jennifer, it's a real buzz kill.
There's been lot's of JoeUser buzz about dirty tricks, as we near the election. Tempers are high, and I think we'll all be relieved when the election has passed. And I guess any following fights between the parties regarding recounts, hanging chads, voter intimidation, and voting of the dead. Mrs. blogic's parents live in Pennsylvania, and have had their Kerry signs stolen several times. We've traveled to PA several times, mainly to register voters, and the excitement there is palpable....
The title is from an really interesting article the Guardian is running, on the role of faith in the Bush campaign. Not so much faith in God, as faith in George Bush. I strongly recommend taking a look at it. To me, it sometimes seems that some Bush supporters have an absolute confidence in their rightness that I can't even imagine feeling about my own opinions. Anyway, check it out : First among these taboos is the military. No politician can utter a word that seems to question th...
The following was written by Glen Stassen, a professor of Christian Ethics: I am a Christian ethicist, and trained in statistical analysis. I am consistently pro-life. My son David is one witness. For my family, "pro-life" is personal. My wife caught rubella in the eighth week of her pregnancy. We decided not to terminate, to love and raise our baby. David is legally blind and severely handicapped; he also is a blessing to us and to the world. [snip] Abortion was decreasing. When Pres...
This piece is by Scott McConnell, one of the founders of The American Conservative : To the surprise of virtually everyone, Bush has turned into an important president, and in many ways the most radical America has had since the 19th century. Because he is the leader of America’s conservative party, he has become the Left’s perfect foil—its dream candidate. The libertarian writer Lew Rockwell has mischievously noted parallels between Bush and Russia’s last tsar, Nicholas II: both gained of...
I'm always surprised at how many people use free market theory to argue against taxing the rich more than the poor. These taxation haters scoff at economists who argue that since the wealthy benefit most from civil society, the wealthy should contribute the most to the body that maintains the infrastructure of civil society: the government. The idea that the wealthy don't owe a debt to the government, and the poor, for their wealth is a modern one. I find the modern conservati...
With only two weeks left before the election, both campaigns seem to be drifting. Bush is slightly up in national polls, but Kerry appears to be slighly ahead in the swing states, and hence the electoral vote count. The last two days haven't been dominated by any single issue, and the first candidate to craft an attack with teeth will be in a stronger position next week. The Bush campaign has been hammering on the Mary Cheney story, but I think that's probably a mistake on their pa...
From the Associated Press : BAGHDAD, Iraq - The U.S. Army Reserve soldiers who refused orders to drive a dangerous route were members of one of a few supply units whose trucks are still unarmored, their commanding general said Sunday. The soldiers, now under investigation, had previously focused on local missions in safer parts of southern Iraq and had never driven a convoy north along the attack-prone roads passing through Baghdad. "Not all of their trucks are completely armored. In ...
I'm sympathetic to the neo-conservative vision. It's a liberal idea -- something that could have been suggested by the Left of the pre-Vietnam War era. The neo conservative vision is sweeping: Democracy spread around the globe, civil liberties established in every nation, decisions made by presidents and parliaments. There would be no more pariah states, embargoes would end, and trade ships would connect the cities of the world. I'm attracted to that vision -- even if I'm not s...
From the LA Times : BAGHDAD — Two suicide bombers detonated explosives-laden backpacks Thursday inside the heavily barricaded Green Zone, killing at least six civilians — including four Americans — in the first suicide attacks within the area that houses the offices of the interim Iraqi government and the U.S. and British embassies. [snip] The suicide bombings were the most deadly attacks inside the U.S.-controlled Green Zone, a 4-square-mile compound surrounded by blast walls, concert...
I do a lot of my thinking while jogging in the morning -- up 1st Ave to East 59th St, west to Columbus Circle, and down Broadway to Union Square -- which has the strange result that a lot of my thinking is linked to the music to which I'm listening. Part of my current rotation is Rocky's "Going the Distance", which plays during the climatic fight seat at the end of the movie. As any fan of the movie knows, Rocky isn't focused on actually winning the fight -- his self doubt keeps him fro...