An Inconvenient Truth

Caught Al Gore's brilliant and passionate film about the thin ice upon which are we skating in regard to the future of our children and grandchildren. It was supremely difficult to resist pondering what America's recent history might have been if the winner of the popular vote (and with little doubt the electoral college) in 2000 was currently nearing the middle of his second term.

The reality of global warming is set forth in such a sublimely visual way that the dumbest cluck on the planet would get the message by optic osmosis. Gore also deftly punctures the smug sanctimony of nay-sayers who call nearly a thousand peer-reviewed scientific journal articles "pseudoscience" while citing supercilious pap promulgated by deceptively named organizations that are really fronts for the corporate interests with the most to lose by taking the steps necessary to scale back our carbon-loading of the atmosphere.

Which got me nostalgic for my brief interaction with a right-wing blogger by the name of Jason Coleman. Jason is a personable guy, clearly bright, somewhere in his mid-thirties or so I would hazard to guess. For a while we went at it regarding the subject of climate change (among other things), both on my blog and his, but I soon realized that the debate was pointless.

Mr. Coleman has continued to rail against what he calls the "junk science" of global change, citing dubious sources such as the industry affiliated think tank the Hoover Institution. Mr. Coleman purports to be a scientist, but as far as I can see his brand of "science" appears to be writing code for computer games, not exactly what I would call science scholarship. You can go the top of his blog and search "global warming" to see more of his perspective.

The reason I bring this up is not to single out Mr. Coleman, with whom I would probably be able to to sling back a few cold ones without us shooting each other. It's to show you just what we are up against.

Thank you, Lt. Watada

Let us honor this singular young man for his courage.

Fort Lewis, Washington (June 22, 2006) - U.S. Army First Lieutenant Ehren K. Watada reported to duty at 2:00 a.m. early this morning, Thursday, June 22nd and refused orders to move to the adjacent McChord Air Force Base to prepare to fly to Iraq. Lt. Watada believes that the war and occupation in Iraq are illegal, and thus participation in the war is also illegal. At this time he has been restricted to base and has been ordered to have no communication with non-military personnel.

“I refuse to be silent any longer. I refuse to be party to an illegal and immoral war against people who did nothing to deserve our aggression. My oath of office is to protect and defend America’s laws and its people. By refusing unlawful orders for an illegal war, I fulfill that oath today.”
- U.S. Army First Lt. Ehren Watada

Thank him yourself.

Gone fishin'

Still alive, just on vacation. No TV, no newspapers, and a respite from righteous indignation. We all need it once and a while to stay sane.



(That's me right at snow line).

America: Freedom to Facism

Producer Aaron Russo's arresting new documentary opens on July 28. The film explores the subversion of American democracy by an international corporate/financial cabal that seems bent on insuring that we become comfortable slaves. From the movie's web site:

"Determined to find the law that requires American citizens to pay income tax, producer Aaron Russo ("The Rose," "Trading Places") set out on a journey to find the evidence. This film which is neither left, nor right-wing is a startling examination of government. It exposes the systematic erosion of civil liberties in America since 1913 when the Federal Reserve system was fraudulently created. Through interviews with U.S. Congressmen, a former IRS Commissioner, former IRS and FBI agents and tax attorneys and authors, Russo connects the dots between money creation, federal income tax, and the national identity card which becomes law in May 2008. This ID card will use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips which are essentially homing devices used to track people. This film shows in great detail and undeniable facts that America is moving headlong into a fascist police state. Wake up!"

Now, Russo is a libertarian, and the film pretty much marches to the libertarian line I am sure (with which I have some significant issues), but as with Paul Craig Roberts and Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX), some of these libertarians have been providing the clarion wake-up calls about the Bush/Neocon junta in progress. What I don't understand is why they always align themselves with the Republican party?

Anyway, I plan to see the flick and I think you should, too. Here's one early review:

"FOUR STARS (Highest Rating). The scariest goddamn film you'll see this year. It will leave you staggering out of the theatre, slack-jawed and trembling. Makes 'Fahrenheit 9/11' look like 'Bambi.' After watching this movie, your comfy, secure notions about America -- and about what it means to be an American -- will be forever shattered. Producer/director Aaron Russo and the folks at Cinema Libre Studio deserve to be heralded as heroes of a post-modern New American Revolution. This is shocking stuff. You'll be angry, you'll be disgusted, but you may actually break out in a cold sweat and feel a sickness deep in your gut; I would advise movie theatre managers to hand out vomit bags. You may end up needing one." --- Todd David Schwartz, CBS

The Theft of the Century (Again)

Maybe now that Bobby Kennedy, Jr. has written about the chicanery that cost Kerry Ohio in 2004 and the nation dearly ever since, the American people will start to wipe the fairy dust from their eyes. I was convinced even before Mark Crispin Miller's book came out, but, well, that's me.

If you haven't read Kennedy's article, go here.

More on George W. Bush's "Sanctity of Marriage" gay marriage constitutional ban

More good stuff from Wayne Madsen:

George W. Bush's marital problems have just taken another turn for the worse. Apparently, Mr. Bush has not only engaged in an extra-marital affair with a member of the opposite sex who is also a senior member of his Cabinet, but also a member of the same sex. WMR received the following release this morning from Leola McConnell, Democratic candidate for Governor of Nevada (who has been endorsed by WMR). McConnell is a one-time professional dominatrix.

"President Bush's speech to the nation Monday. If he doesn't say he's a gay American or at the least a bisexual one then he shouldn't be making one at all. And the notion that it would be in regards to writing bigotry into our nation's Constitution is reprehensible. Too bad it isn't me doing the rebuttal because in 1984, I watched him perform (with the enthusiasm of homosexual male who had done this many times before) a homosexual act on another man, namely Victor Ashe. Victor Ashe is the current Ambassador to the nation of Poland who should also come out like former Governor McGreevey of New Jersey and admit to being a gay American. Other homo-erotic acts were also performed by then private citizen George Bush because I performed one of them on him personally. I am the woman this website (bushssecretlifein84.tripod.com) speaks of that has been posted on the net nearly two years now. None of this would be the business of anyone but President Bush's little ruse to save his failed presidency by using DOMA [Defense of Marriage Act] to divide Americans one from the other has to be exposed as the act of a desperate closeted homosexual man. The only crime in being GLBT is in the hiding. The President needs to come clean with the American people about his own past sexual behavior before he tries to besmirch the humanity of people in search of sincerely committing to the same bonds of matrimony he's afforded. He violated his own vows of monogamy having a homosexual affair with a long time family friend of whom his wife had no knowledge. His hypocrisy seems to know no bounds. I had planned to run for governor of Nevada without going into any of this but his planned nationally televised address to the nation makes it necessary for me to address his attempt at division in as public a way as he picked to try this Bushification of reality regarding same sex marriages.

"Sincerely,
Leola McConnell
Liberal Democratic candidate for Governor of Nevada"

Here's a great compendium of the numerous skeletons in Bush's closet.

Deliciousness

http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/

June 2, 2006 -- A White House source, speaking on background, vehemently denied to WMR that there are marital problems between President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush over a reported extramarital affair between Mr. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. However, two mainstream media sources have confirmed that their sources also have reported an ongoing affair between Mr. Bush and Rice.

The mainstream media is hamstrung in reporting stories about Bush's personal life. For example, in 2001, the media highlighted Bush's comments about his passing out from choking on a pretzel while watching a football game in the White House. In reality, Bush, who claims he gave up drinking years ago, passed out from being inebriated. Washington's movers and shakers knew the story about Bush's drinking but the media studiously avoided it.

June 1, 2006 -- Rocky shoals for Bush marriage? Informed sources Inside the Beltway report that First Lady Laura Bush has established temporary residence in the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC as a result of a tiff with President Bush over an extramarital relationship involving her husband. Mr. Bush's tryst is said to involve Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. It is not known how long Mrs. Bush plans to remain at the Mayflower, however, her security detail has been present at the hotel during hours when the First Lady would normally be residing in the White House. While she was National Security Adviser, Rice, who has never been married, referred to George W. Bush as "my husband" before she corrected herself and said, "the president." Rice was speaking at a dinner when she made her "husband" remarks.

Affirmative Action, Republican style

A 26-year-old college dropout who carries President Bush’s breath mints and makes him peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches will follow in his boss’s footsteps this fall when he enrolls at Harvard Business School (HBS).

Though it is rare for HBS—or any other professional or graduate school—to admit a student who does not have an undergraduate degree, admissions officers made an exception for Blake Gottesman, who for four years has served as special assistant and personal aide to Bush.

Gottesman, a Texas native who attended Claremont-McKenna College in California for one year, has long had ties to the Bush family. He dated the president’s daughter, Jenna Bush, nearly ten years ago when he attended St. Andrew’s Episcopal School of Austin.

-- PARAS D. BHAYANI, Harvard Crimson. Read the rest here.

Coming soon to a bookstore near you