Obama!

"OBAMA!"

Well, the long-legged mack daddy Barack Hussein Obama has certainly made quite a commotion with his nomination for President.

The American media is very proud of themselves, apparently because someone is actually (!!!) running for President that is only half white! Amazing, simply AMAZING!!!

The level of excitement on TV actually surprised me. A couple friends watching it with me aren't really into politics & thought it was a great speech. It was really good, but I always look at things & think how I could do them better.

In my opinion, Obama should have hammered McCain, Bush, and the whole Neocon approach to politics much, much harder. There are so many injustices and failures in judgment that have wasted unimaginable resources and potential. Barack did give some good jabs, but the Republicans are going to go to town like blood-hungry jackals next week. The idealism is nice and all, but this is competition for the lives of millions and there are substantial risks to a McCain presidency. 'Sigh', maybe I just read Bartcop.com too much...

In any case, the cynical realist in me hopes that Americans are prepared to have their collective dreams crushed in one way or another. As long as the Sith master, Dick Cheney, roams the halls of power, no one is safe.

"We're not gone yet!"...

The Iraq Invasion: Ten Years After

by Lewis Peake

"Of course it's about oil, 

it's very much about oil, and we can't really deny that."

-Gen. John Abizaid

It's was 10 years ago when the last President, George W. Bush, and his neocon cabal launched the invasion of Iraq.

I remember the insanity of those years all too well, & this blog was a regular outlet for my disgust over the disastrous policies of that administration.

Bush, Cheney, & Rumsfeld were truly the unholy trinity...

"Unholy Terror"

There have already been countless volumes written about the Iraq invasion & occupation. As people in the future look back & research it, there will continue to be endless analysis of the conflict.

However, I want to assert the fact that I personally thought the war was immoral from the start. To be crystal clear, I have nothing against the military or soldiers. Several good friends of mine have served. The problem was simply an Executive Branch that was run by sociopaths, who were being advised by suit-&-tie warmongers- like Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, & Doug Feith.

Far from being a minority opinion, there were hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of conscientious people around the world actively protesting & marching in opposition of War. In the 'bizarro world' we were living in at the time, speaking out about the wars or The President in any way was seen as unpatriotic. Conservatives who now feel free to disparage the current President should remember that their motto during Bush's term was: "America, Love It Or Leave It!"

Unfortunately, the forces of Death & War prevailed over the voices of Reason. To keep the people in line, a climate of perpetual fear was fostered by the Bush Administration (& the HUGE 'security' bureaucracy they spawned) while fighting the conveniently abstract, never-ending "War on Terror".

seen on Bartcop

We've wasted absurd amounts of money, resources, & human life on 2 wars that may not even produce lasting progress for those countries.

Why was the war waged?...
• To make certain wealthy people & companies even more money,
• To gain control of oil resources & strategic geographic positions,
• To assert American military power, for the indulgence of sick bastards who thought they were playing with toy army men,
• To help give cover to our allies in the region,
• Mostly, it was a combination of desire for money and power- the nexus of all conflicts.

As time went on, it became clear that Dubya & Co. had no idea what they were doing. Even people who had foolishly believed we were there fighting for some noble purpose began to wake up.

The conflict went on for so long that the average person can barely comprehend the damage that was done. Luckily, there's plenty of documentation to preserve the horrors for later generations. Hopefully they can learn something from the tragedy to help prevent similar abuses of power.

There are many great photo essays revealing the many facets of the Iraq War, many of them horrifying:

Reuters:

Photographer’s Notebook: Iraq War

Denver Post: 

Photos: Tenth Anniversary of the Iraq War

Although I've seen many grotesque war images of destruction & corpses, the picture below really illustrates the worst aspects of the occupation- the senselessness, the effect on innocents like children, the utter despair of being trapped in a terrifying situation, and the complete degradation of the human being.

 (AP Photo/Jean-Marc Bouju)

An Iraqi prisoner of war comforts his 4-year-old son 

at a regroupment center for POWs of the 101st Airborne Division near An Najaf, March 31, 2003.  

Finally... we should "never forget" one of the most iconic images of the Bush Presidency, capturing the sheer lunacy & short-sightedness of the whole situation:

George W. Bush giving a thumbs up, in front of the infamous "Mission Accomplished" sign... only a couple months into a long, 8-year war.

Unfortunately, one of the lasting legacies of the war is the toxic effects of depleted uranium weapons. Like the once-dismissed "Gulf War Syndrome," our soldiers will also suffer from the consequences of using these horrible weapons.
 

Iraq War Anniversary: 

Birth Defects And Cancer Rates 

At Devastating High In Basra And Fallujah

 

Now, the Iraq War is officially over... but the Death Merchants are always looking for an opportunity to roll out new products:

Voice of America:

"Iran, Syria: Major Topics 

on Obama's First Day in Israel "

Palin Power!!!

So... I forced myself to sit through the speeches by everyone's favorite drag queen Rudy Guiliani & America's newest & feistiest VP sweetheart, Sarah Palin. (Applause)

Despite being an out-of-left-field pick, Gov.Palin doesn't seem horrible & she definitely doesn't exude soul-sucking evil & despair like our current vice-president. However, America cannot afford the destructive economic & military policies of a continued extremist Republican agenda.

It's a shame that John McCain himself ruined her special moment- by coming out and looking like he had absolutely no idea where the hell he was or how to get out.

Sitting through the entire Republican convention would be like a nightmare for me. On most issues I consider myself moderate, but the idea that people still can get excited by the Republican Party scares the living crap out of me. How can anyone think that the Neocon approach of the past 8 years has improved our economy, our military, or our overall state of affairs? By all measures & observations, it simply hasn't.

Whatever... The debates are the next spectacle to behold. Here are my predictions:

• In the heat of argument, Joe Biden pimp-slaps Sarah Palin, and then she shoots him with an assult rifle. His impenetrable teeth block the bullets & he escapes.

• John McCain's latent Manchurian mind-programming kicks in & he tries to eliminate Obama.
Barack Hussein Obama dons his 'Traditional Muslim Garb' and calls out to the jihadists who drop from the ceiling.

I can't wait!!!!!!

Iraqi Archaeological Playing Cards

The only thing as appalling as the widespread destruction of innocent life caused by our occupation of Iraq is the loss of precious art & artifacts. The looting of the Baghdad museum waaaay back in 2003 was one of the first things that convinced me that the strategy in Iraq was actually not to bring Democracy, but Destruction.

We were never there to save anyone or help the people in the Cradle of Civilization, we went in there to divide and decimate it. It was obvious to people with clear vision 4 years ago, and it should be obvious now to any idiot with a little hindsight. Our vital military and national resources have been misused in a disgraceful way that has only profited oil companies and military contractors. The Neocon ideology that has ruled the White House considers American troops to be mere political pawns in an international chess game, instead of what they are - citizens fighting for the good of their nation.

The U.S. government has recently issued our soldiers playing cards depicting Iraqi archaeological treasures and info on how to protect them. If this isn't a case of 'too little, too late', I don't know what is.

Salon.com: "The End of Civilization"

Bartolomeo Vanzetti: Quoteable Anarchist

I found this quote by Italian-American Anarchist Bartolomeo Vanzetti to be visionary & inspiring. Which is why it isn't surprising that he was executed 80 years ago. I guess in the 1920's "Anarchist" was the #1 scary term for the commies/terrorists/boogiemen of the day...

"I champion the weak, the poor, the oppressed, the simple and the persecuted. I maintain that whosoever benefits or hurts a man benefits or hurts the whole species. I sought my liberty in the liberty of all, my happiness in the happiness of all. I wanted a roof for every family, bread for every mouth, education for every heart, light for every intellect. I am convinced that human history has not yet begun, that we find ourselves in the last period of the prehistoric. I see with the eyes of my soul how the sky is diffused with the rays of the new millennium."

...It's like someone summed up the complete opposite of the Bush, Inc./neocon philosophy!

From the Democracy Now! interview:
"Sacco and Vanzetti: 80 Years After Their Execution, A Look At The Men, the Murders, and the Judgment of Mankind"

It's amazing how major events are just forgotten over time. The infinite number of human experiences lost to history is mind-numbing. Thankfully (maybe), the internet & Google are attempts to reverse the trend.

Hating on Peace

I knew when I heard that President Obama had unexpectedly won the Nobel Peace Prize that people would be very surprised. I also knew that it would absolutely infuriate the usual unreasonably cynical cretins who simply can't stand Barack & his novel ability to speak in complete, coherent sentences.

With my own ears, I heard people questioning "What has he done?!?"... so I knew the legion of short-sighted & self-centered buffoons in the media would be predictably disparaging this amazing honor for America, it's President & it's people.

TPM:
"Right Wingers Pitch Fits
Over Nobel Peace Prize"

"Waaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!! Booooo-f*cking hoooo!!!!"

The idea that Obama hasn't "done enough" to deserve this award is infantile. Barack Obama has literally reversed the entire world's perception of America & it's purpose in the world. Many feeble-minded pundits have been crying that "This is just recognition for not being George Bush!" That is a perfectly good enough reason to get the award!!! We went from having a dry-drunk, half-retarded, belligerent asshole in charge of the world's most powerful military, to someone with the intelligence & eloquence to miraculously reverse the world's seething and justified hatred for the War Monkey and his money & death-worshipping neocon cabal.

The only reason an American should be opposed this honor is if they are a war-profiteering defense contractor or a partisan Republican crybaby. This is a clear win for America.

Of course, there is the fact that this Nobel Peace Prize recipient is waging two inherited wars of extreme logistical & strategic difficulty with continuing civilian casualites. Even I had to ponder the situation deeply to reconcile this paradox. Luckily, I constantly entertain paradoxes in my mind, so it's not that difficult to accept.

The Nobel committee has obviously partially awarded this as a motivation for America to pursue as peaceful and non-destabilizing of an agenda as possible. Also, the depth of vision for a progressive world that Obama has presented on behalf of mentally stable Americans has obviously inspired enough people worldwide to warrant this honor.

Predictably, this recognition, and the adulation that comes with it, will provide fodder for those who believe that Obama is really an agent of manipulative evil- & perhaps the archetypal Anti-Christ himself.

I'll be the first to say that anything is possible- he just might one day sit on a throne in the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem as the Satanic King of the World.... but I doubt it!

For now, I think Obama is an amazing leader that America & humanity desperately needs at this critical time. I'm proud to have voted for the guy & hope that he can continue his agenda of trying to reverse the massive failings of rule by America's regressive 'right-wing' movement.

"OBAMA!"

Middle East Madness

This violence between Israel & Lebanon is such a nightmare. I simply can't imagine how the people living in both countries can cope with the destruction going on.

Even though Israel can seemingly kidnap and imprison anyone at will, the capture of 3 Israeli soliders at the Lebanon border is apparently enough justification to annhililate entire cities and suburbs of innocent people and civilian infrastructure. The outright lie that only Hezbollah positions are being bombed in Lebanon is an insult to the intelligence of anyone with eyes to see the photos and video of the ruined city. Hezbollah seems to have wanted to intitiate a prisoner swap for Palestinians in Israeli prisons, but, hey, why have tons of munitions subsidized by the American-taxpayer if you can't drop it on the heads of civilians and their homes?

If our leaders in the U.S. Gov't weren't such idiotic, malevolent bastards, they would sit down with all significant parties, including Iran & Syria, for an emergency summit and work to reign in both Israel and Hezbollah by threatening to cut off their respective funds. Of course, that would imply that the United States can control Israel, and not the other way around.

The really terrifying part, though, is the reaction of the U.S. Government and American mass-media.

• President War Monkey gets caught at the G8 Summit cursing about how this is somehow all Syria's fault with a mouthful of food, like the ignorant scumbag he is. Not to mention getting verbally slapped down by Russian President Vladimir Putin, groping the Chancellor of Germany, and caring more about a pig roast than a war that is costing significant human life. There is no way an American President can fuck up more times in the span of a few days unless he starts pissing on people's faces and eating live babies on TV.

• Our Ambassador to the U.N., the walrus-faced asshole John "Neocon" Bolton claims diplomatically that there "is no moral equivalent" between the Israelis who are being attacked and the Lebanese civilians being bombed. A dead civilian is a dead civilian, you obnoxious jackass.
(It is being claimed that Hezbollah is embedded in the Lebanese society, so civilian targets are justifed... but then, technically, the entire civilian population of Israel is a legitimate military target, since Israeli conscription is mandatory for all citizens! Anyway you slice it, though, it's all unnecessary murder.)

• The usual neo-conservative vampires are allowed on TV claiming that we must force regime change in Iran... even as Iraq and Afghanistan are still drowning in flames and blood. The question is... with what army?!? Oh, that's right, they want to use nukes and wipe out thousands more innocent lives. These lunatics should be run out of the country - they are doing everything they can to compromise our military and foreign policy.

• The Bush Administration irresponsibly gives the *wink, wink, nudge, nudge* for Israel to have free reign for a week to reduce civilian areas of Lebanon to ruins and hundreds of innocent people to corpses, while on another front, Gaza is being rolled over yet again for the crime of being the home to poor brown people on land that Israel covets. Hey, what's a little bit of war crimes and state terrorism on the way to grabbing as much useless desert sand as possible, right?

The ironic, and saddest, thing is that Israel is doing nothing but destroying it's own security and chances for peace by bombing a democratic nation and it's vibrant capital to rubble as the world watches. The more poverty-stricken Arab and Muslim people that Israel's hateful vengeance creates, the more Hezbollah, Hamas, and Al-Qaeda members will rise up to fight what they see as the injustice of a bloodthirsty apartheid state. If Israel were a true multi-cultural democracy in which the native Arab population was not a second-class race to be eradicated, there would not be so much hostility from the region and the rest of the world. It is a nation that was created on the principles of exclusion and division, and so it goes...

Rolling Stone: Worst President in History?

Yes, Rolling Stone asks the question that is so obvious to anyone who doesn't have their head either buried in a Bible, a pile of money from oil profits, or their own ass:

Is the demented, corrupt, ignorant, and deceiving
demon-spawn of Barbara Bush...

The Worst President in History?

I knew these days were coming, when the malevolence these scumbags have created is coming around full circle. The only thing that could possibly derail the karma train that's headed full-steam toward the Neocon Headquarters on Pennsylvania Ave. is some desperate act of manufactured or artificially escalated crisis.

The fact that so many people have been fooled by this jackass, his "religion," and his special brand of moron-speak is so depressing. Would you give the codes to the world's largest nuclear arsenal to the former town drunk who stopped doing cocaine and claims he found Jesus, but still mangles sentences and acts like an a-hole? That's exactly what enough of this country's brilliant citizens did in 2004 to allow another election to be stolen from under our noses though the magic of e-voting. If the Republicans don't lose control of the Senate in the fall, we are just so screwed. Oh, too late.

So, to answer the question, let me refer you to a T-shirt graphic I created in October of 2004: