Friday, September 29, 2006
Onward, Christian Soldier (to the electrodes)
You'd think having their religious icon tortured would make the Christians and Catholics a bit more outspoken about that issue, but according to a poll referred to in this article by Jane Hamsher in firedoglake, it seems the secular folks are a bit more against the use of torture than Catholics, Protestants or Evangelicals surveyed:
What I always find amazing is the loud chest-beating of "family values" politicians who wail about gay marriage and the lack of god in this society, but actually believe that the tv show "24" is real, and so can't wait to tie somebody to a chair.
You'd think having their religious icon tortured would make the Christians and Catholics a bit more outspoken about that issue, but according to a poll referred to in this article by Jane Hamsher in firedoglake, it seems the secular folks are a bit more against the use of torture than Catholics, Protestants or Evangelicals surveyed:
What I always find amazing is the loud chest-beating of "family values" politicians who wail about gay marriage and the lack of god in this society, but actually believe that the tv show "24" is real, and so can't wait to tie somebody to a chair.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Who's Finger Pointing?
The folks at Fox News are totally indignant with Clinton's finger pointing during the Chris Wallace interview. Did they forget about this?
Bush is the tops when it comes to finger pointing!
The folks at Fox News are totally indignant with Clinton's finger pointing during the Chris Wallace interview. Did they forget about this?
Bush is the tops when it comes to finger pointing!
Saturday, September 16, 2006
My God is Better Than Your God!
Whenever I hear the religious faiths ranting at each other, I think of this great skit from The Daily Show from a few years ago:
Whenever I hear the religious faiths ranting at each other, I think of this great skit from The Daily Show from a few years ago:
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Dubya's "Book of the Day" Club
According to Dubya's handlers, we are supposed to believe now that George has indeed become "Curious George," inhaling vast quantities of books ("three Shakespeares" in this interview). Could this be true?? Will Dubya be soon appearing on CSPAN2 with book reviews?
In an article posted in The Smirking Chimp, Bill Gallagher dissects this claim:
"This is the man who didn't bother reading a CIA briefing paper entitled "Bin Laden Determined to Strike Inside U.S." This is the commander in chief who never bothered reading his own State Department reports warning that Iraq could erupt into sectarian violence. This is the president who prides himself on just glancing at headlines but "rarely" reading newspaper articles because "a lot of times there's opinion mixed in with news." Instead, Bush relies on his crack staff to keep him informed. In truth, Bush always chooses fawning support over challenging exchanges. Better to rely on The Daily Condi than to read yourself and, God forbid, think and reflect. But we are now told a man who disdains complexity and subtlety, the most visceral president in American history, has transformed and is reading books faster than Rush Limbaugh gets his prescriptions filled."
-snip-
"I would highly recommend my most recent reads to our newly bookish Bush: Ron Suskind's "The One Percent Doctrine: Deep Inside America's Pursuit of Its Enemies Since 9/11" and Thomas Ricks' "Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq." The volumes share a frightening assessment of Bush's policies, isolation from reality and monumental failures. But there is no way Laura, Barbara and Condi -- Bush's nanny corps -- would ever allow him to read anything that might strain his psyche."
-snip-
"Back in the days when Bush was governor of Texas and executing people at about the same rate he claims he's reading books, he said something most revealing: "I know there is no evidence that shows the death penalty has a deterrent effect -- but I feel in my gut it must be true."
Bush's gut told him Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and conducting a pre-emptive war there would make the world safer and democracy would blossom in the Middle East. If Bush had read anything about the British experience in the region following World War I, he might have thought otherwise. That would require actually reading and thinking -- not responding to his bowels, twitches or itches.
Affairs of state forced Bush to cram his reading at this summer's truncated trek to his Texas ranch -- a mere ten days. Albert Camus' "The Stranger" was one the White House touted. Camus, a Noble laureate, was born in Algeria and wrote in French. Sacre bleu! Bush, we're told, read the English translation of the story of Meursault, an alienated, unfeeling man.
"The Daily Show's" Jon Stewart grabbed the existentialist moment: "A classic novel about a westerner that kills an Arab for no good reason and dies with no remorse. Why that should strike a nerve, I don't know."
I'm not sure how Dubya's handlers are going to make this work - they assume his base didn't trust "bookworms" and so played up the difference between "everyman" Bush and Gore way back when, but Dubya's Jethro image is wearing thin, and so his credibility needs propping up. This is why the latest columns from Kathleen Parker and others extolling Bush's "curiosity and intelligence" during private meetings are appearing now. If that were true, maybe he should start showing this during press conferences and not hiding this candle under a basket.
According to Dubya's handlers, we are supposed to believe now that George has indeed become "Curious George," inhaling vast quantities of books ("three Shakespeares" in this interview). Could this be true?? Will Dubya be soon appearing on CSPAN2 with book reviews?
In an article posted in The Smirking Chimp, Bill Gallagher dissects this claim:
"This is the man who didn't bother reading a CIA briefing paper entitled "Bin Laden Determined to Strike Inside U.S." This is the commander in chief who never bothered reading his own State Department reports warning that Iraq could erupt into sectarian violence. This is the president who prides himself on just glancing at headlines but "rarely" reading newspaper articles because "a lot of times there's opinion mixed in with news." Instead, Bush relies on his crack staff to keep him informed. In truth, Bush always chooses fawning support over challenging exchanges. Better to rely on The Daily Condi than to read yourself and, God forbid, think and reflect. But we are now told a man who disdains complexity and subtlety, the most visceral president in American history, has transformed and is reading books faster than Rush Limbaugh gets his prescriptions filled."
-snip-
"I would highly recommend my most recent reads to our newly bookish Bush: Ron Suskind's "The One Percent Doctrine: Deep Inside America's Pursuit of Its Enemies Since 9/11" and Thomas Ricks' "Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq." The volumes share a frightening assessment of Bush's policies, isolation from reality and monumental failures. But there is no way Laura, Barbara and Condi -- Bush's nanny corps -- would ever allow him to read anything that might strain his psyche."
-snip-
"Back in the days when Bush was governor of Texas and executing people at about the same rate he claims he's reading books, he said something most revealing: "I know there is no evidence that shows the death penalty has a deterrent effect -- but I feel in my gut it must be true."
Bush's gut told him Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and conducting a pre-emptive war there would make the world safer and democracy would blossom in the Middle East. If Bush had read anything about the British experience in the region following World War I, he might have thought otherwise. That would require actually reading and thinking -- not responding to his bowels, twitches or itches.
Affairs of state forced Bush to cram his reading at this summer's truncated trek to his Texas ranch -- a mere ten days. Albert Camus' "The Stranger" was one the White House touted. Camus, a Noble laureate, was born in Algeria and wrote in French. Sacre bleu! Bush, we're told, read the English translation of the story of Meursault, an alienated, unfeeling man.
"The Daily Show's" Jon Stewart grabbed the existentialist moment: "A classic novel about a westerner that kills an Arab for no good reason and dies with no remorse. Why that should strike a nerve, I don't know."
I'm not sure how Dubya's handlers are going to make this work - they assume his base didn't trust "bookworms" and so played up the difference between "everyman" Bush and Gore way back when, but Dubya's Jethro image is wearing thin, and so his credibility needs propping up. This is why the latest columns from Kathleen Parker and others extolling Bush's "curiosity and intelligence" during private meetings are appearing now. If that were true, maybe he should start showing this during press conferences and not hiding this candle under a basket.
