Still Fighting has moved! Check us out at
www.stillfighting.com!
December 29, 2005
Friday, June 03, 2005
Friday's Links
Activism
After Downing Street is a coalition of veterans' groups, peace groups, and political activist groups, which launched on May 26, 2005, a campaign to urge the U.S. Congress to begin a formal investigation into whether President Bush has committed impeachable offenses in connection with the Iraq war. ADS is more than just a good-sounding name, though. ADS not only links to the most important information surrounding Bush's lies, but also tells you what you can do to help. Check it out today!
News
Pulling Financial Aid for 9/11. We're getting tired of constantly pointing out stupid things that Bush has done. It would be entertaining if it weren't so damning. For example, Bush's 2006 budget would rescind $125 million dollars that has been earmarked for the rescue workers that were injured in World Trade Center wreckage. Doctors are still finding respiratory problems and psychological issues that are just coming to light and are still being looked at. This money needs to be there for those Americans who worked tirelessly at the WTC site. But does Bush care? It all comes back to removing the social safety net, and we all know how Bush feels about that. If you're not in the top 1%, he just doesn't care. If helping you would require him asking for some sort of sacrifice from Americans (say, raising taxes), he's certainly not going to put his neck on the line.
Darfur. However, if you want Bush to SOUND like he's going to help you, then you're in luck, as long as it doesn't require a sacrifice on his part. In a surprising turn of events, we came across an article yesterday that is about Bush and, for the first time, doesn't make us cringe. For months we've been calling for the U.S. to take action in Darfur, where the genocide has been relentless. Well, we call it genocide. The U.N. and the Bush administration call it "violence." Well, Bush spoke with South African President Thabo Mbeki on Wednesday, and finally said, publicly, that the "violence" in Darfur is actually...genocide! Why is this important? Well, under the 1948 U.N. convention on genocide, the U.S. is "committed to preventing such killings and punishing the killers if it deems a genocide is taking place." Bush has now openly admitted that the senseless slaughter of tens of thousands of Africans in Darfur is genocide. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that we should now be committed. Call us pessimists, but we're not holding our breath. Calling it "genocide" is a good first step, but talk is cheap.
The Life Republican With Andy Warren. Just who is Andy Warren? Well, up until last weekend, Warren was the Republican Bucks County (PA) commissioner. Now, however, he's the Democratic Bucks County (PA) commissioner. Yes, he switched parties. He blames his Congressman, Mike Fitzpatrick (A "DeLay Disciple"), and the shift of the Republican party to the extreme right. Although Warren is no Zell Miller (the crazy former Georgia Senator who switched allegiances to the right last summer, and challenged Chris Matthews to a duel on national television), he has seen the problems evident in the party, and this isn't a move he has made lightly. We hope this might be a symptom of further moves away from the right. After all, all one needs to do is open his/her eyes to see how out of touch the Republican party is.
North Korea Learns What Americans Know. No, it's not "human life is precious," or "cars are better than bicycles." In an interview with CNN on Monday, Dick Cheney called Kim Jong Il "one of the world's most irresponsible leaders." As a result, North Korea has stepped away from the nuclear bargaining table, and has officially said of Cheney, he "is hated as the most cruel monster and blood-thirsty beast." Well, what did Cheney expect? It's like trying to date a woman for six months, and then turning around and calling her mother a whore (because, you know, even if she is a whore, you don't want to draw attention to it). North Korea has demanded a retraction and an apology. Oh, we'd love to see that. Can you imagine Cheney apologizing for anything? At best, we're likely to see Scott McClellan show up in the White House Press Room, say that the comments were taken out of context, and offer an apology for the misconception. And although that shouldn't be enough, it probably will have to be. Ain't diplomacy great?
Editorials
Denounce Torture. Two months ago, Representative John Conyers spoke at Yale University. He spoke of the widespread civil liberties issues being threatened in this country. He spoke of the Patriot Act. He cited the Geneva Convention. Amnesty International has republished the speech on their website, in the wake of Amnesty's assertions that Guantanamo Bay is this generation's gulag. We've said it before, and we'll say it again: We cannot sacrifice our ideals and principles in our pursuit of justice. As Conyers said, "We all want to fight terrorism, but we want to fight it the right way, consistent with our Constitution, and in a manner that serves as a model for the rest of the world. Torture does not make us safer, it only makes the world more dangerous and degrades our commitment to freedom and liberty."
Social Security Surplus. A little quickie here from the Ward Report makes a good point about Social Security. And, while this topic has virtually been beaten to death (blame Bush for refusing to admit defeat on this matter, despite almost universal opposition), this editorial makes a good point. Basically, some of the "compromises" that have been floated around bring up the idea of raising the cap on taxable wages. Well, that's great, in theory, and would solve the problem, except for one thing. Bush has essentially stated that the existing surplus is nothing more than a bunch of "worthless IOUs". So why should we support a plan that would increase the size of the surplus, if our crooked Administration is just going to take that money and spend it on more tax cuts, or another war, or some such nonsense? Don Ward is right - this is essentially outright theft. And it's YOUR money that's being stolen.
|
December 29, 2005
Friday, June 03, 2005
Friday's Links
Activism
After Downing Street is a coalition of veterans' groups, peace groups, and political activist groups, which launched on May 26, 2005, a campaign to urge the U.S. Congress to begin a formal investigation into whether President Bush has committed impeachable offenses in connection with the Iraq war. ADS is more than just a good-sounding name, though. ADS not only links to the most important information surrounding Bush's lies, but also tells you what you can do to help. Check it out today!
News
Pulling Financial Aid for 9/11. We're getting tired of constantly pointing out stupid things that Bush has done. It would be entertaining if it weren't so damning. For example, Bush's 2006 budget would rescind $125 million dollars that has been earmarked for the rescue workers that were injured in World Trade Center wreckage. Doctors are still finding respiratory problems and psychological issues that are just coming to light and are still being looked at. This money needs to be there for those Americans who worked tirelessly at the WTC site. But does Bush care? It all comes back to removing the social safety net, and we all know how Bush feels about that. If you're not in the top 1%, he just doesn't care. If helping you would require him asking for some sort of sacrifice from Americans (say, raising taxes), he's certainly not going to put his neck on the line.
Darfur. However, if you want Bush to SOUND like he's going to help you, then you're in luck, as long as it doesn't require a sacrifice on his part. In a surprising turn of events, we came across an article yesterday that is about Bush and, for the first time, doesn't make us cringe. For months we've been calling for the U.S. to take action in Darfur, where the genocide has been relentless. Well, we call it genocide. The U.N. and the Bush administration call it "violence." Well, Bush spoke with South African President Thabo Mbeki on Wednesday, and finally said, publicly, that the "violence" in Darfur is actually...genocide! Why is this important? Well, under the 1948 U.N. convention on genocide, the U.S. is "committed to preventing such killings and punishing the killers if it deems a genocide is taking place." Bush has now openly admitted that the senseless slaughter of tens of thousands of Africans in Darfur is genocide. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that we should now be committed. Call us pessimists, but we're not holding our breath. Calling it "genocide" is a good first step, but talk is cheap.
The Life Republican With Andy Warren. Just who is Andy Warren? Well, up until last weekend, Warren was the Republican Bucks County (PA) commissioner. Now, however, he's the Democratic Bucks County (PA) commissioner. Yes, he switched parties. He blames his Congressman, Mike Fitzpatrick (A "DeLay Disciple"), and the shift of the Republican party to the extreme right. Although Warren is no Zell Miller (the crazy former Georgia Senator who switched allegiances to the right last summer, and challenged Chris Matthews to a duel on national television), he has seen the problems evident in the party, and this isn't a move he has made lightly. We hope this might be a symptom of further moves away from the right. After all, all one needs to do is open his/her eyes to see how out of touch the Republican party is.
North Korea Learns What Americans Know. No, it's not "human life is precious," or "cars are better than bicycles." In an interview with CNN on Monday, Dick Cheney called Kim Jong Il "one of the world's most irresponsible leaders." As a result, North Korea has stepped away from the nuclear bargaining table, and has officially said of Cheney, he "is hated as the most cruel monster and blood-thirsty beast." Well, what did Cheney expect? It's like trying to date a woman for six months, and then turning around and calling her mother a whore (because, you know, even if she is a whore, you don't want to draw attention to it). North Korea has demanded a retraction and an apology. Oh, we'd love to see that. Can you imagine Cheney apologizing for anything? At best, we're likely to see Scott McClellan show up in the White House Press Room, say that the comments were taken out of context, and offer an apology for the misconception. And although that shouldn't be enough, it probably will have to be. Ain't diplomacy great?
Editorials
Denounce Torture. Two months ago, Representative John Conyers spoke at Yale University. He spoke of the widespread civil liberties issues being threatened in this country. He spoke of the Patriot Act. He cited the Geneva Convention. Amnesty International has republished the speech on their website, in the wake of Amnesty's assertions that Guantanamo Bay is this generation's gulag. We've said it before, and we'll say it again: We cannot sacrifice our ideals and principles in our pursuit of justice. As Conyers said, "We all want to fight terrorism, but we want to fight it the right way, consistent with our Constitution, and in a manner that serves as a model for the rest of the world. Torture does not make us safer, it only makes the world more dangerous and degrades our commitment to freedom and liberty."
Social Security Surplus. A little quickie here from the Ward Report makes a good point about Social Security. And, while this topic has virtually been beaten to death (blame Bush for refusing to admit defeat on this matter, despite almost universal opposition), this editorial makes a good point. Basically, some of the "compromises" that have been floated around bring up the idea of raising the cap on taxable wages. Well, that's great, in theory, and would solve the problem, except for one thing. Bush has essentially stated that the existing surplus is nothing more than a bunch of "worthless IOUs". So why should we support a plan that would increase the size of the surplus, if our crooked Administration is just going to take that money and spend it on more tax cuts, or another war, or some such nonsense? Don Ward is right - this is essentially outright theft. And it's YOUR money that's being stolen.
|
December 29, 2005
After Downing Street is a coalition of veterans' groups, peace groups, and political activist groups, which launched on May 26, 2005, a campaign to urge the U.S. Congress to begin a formal investigation into whether President Bush has committed impeachable offenses in connection with the Iraq war. ADS is more than just a good-sounding name, though. ADS not only links to the most important information surrounding Bush's lies, but also tells you what you can do to help. Check it out today!
News
Pulling Financial Aid for 9/11. We're getting tired of constantly pointing out stupid things that Bush has done. It would be entertaining if it weren't so damning. For example, Bush's 2006 budget would rescind $125 million dollars that has been earmarked for the rescue workers that were injured in World Trade Center wreckage. Doctors are still finding respiratory problems and psychological issues that are just coming to light and are still being looked at. This money needs to be there for those Americans who worked tirelessly at the WTC site. But does Bush care? It all comes back to removing the social safety net, and we all know how Bush feels about that. If you're not in the top 1%, he just doesn't care. If helping you would require him asking for some sort of sacrifice from Americans (say, raising taxes), he's certainly not going to put his neck on the line.
Darfur. However, if you want Bush to SOUND like he's going to help you, then you're in luck, as long as it doesn't require a sacrifice on his part. In a surprising turn of events, we came across an article yesterday that is about Bush and, for the first time, doesn't make us cringe. For months we've been calling for the U.S. to take action in Darfur, where the genocide has been relentless. Well, we call it genocide. The U.N. and the Bush administration call it "violence." Well, Bush spoke with South African President Thabo Mbeki on Wednesday, and finally said, publicly, that the "violence" in Darfur is actually...genocide! Why is this important? Well, under the 1948 U.N. convention on genocide, the U.S. is "committed to preventing such killings and punishing the killers if it deems a genocide is taking place." Bush has now openly admitted that the senseless slaughter of tens of thousands of Africans in Darfur is genocide. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that we should now be committed. Call us pessimists, but we're not holding our breath. Calling it "genocide" is a good first step, but talk is cheap.
The Life Republican With Andy Warren. Just who is Andy Warren? Well, up until last weekend, Warren was the Republican Bucks County (PA) commissioner. Now, however, he's the Democratic Bucks County (PA) commissioner. Yes, he switched parties. He blames his Congressman, Mike Fitzpatrick (A "DeLay Disciple"), and the shift of the Republican party to the extreme right. Although Warren is no Zell Miller (the crazy former Georgia Senator who switched allegiances to the right last summer, and challenged Chris Matthews to a duel on national television), he has seen the problems evident in the party, and this isn't a move he has made lightly. We hope this might be a symptom of further moves away from the right. After all, all one needs to do is open his/her eyes to see how out of touch the Republican party is.
North Korea Learns What Americans Know. No, it's not "human life is precious," or "cars are better than bicycles." In an interview with CNN on Monday, Dick Cheney called Kim Jong Il "one of the world's most irresponsible leaders." As a result, North Korea has stepped away from the nuclear bargaining table, and has officially said of Cheney, he "is hated as the most cruel monster and blood-thirsty beast." Well, what did Cheney expect? It's like trying to date a woman for six months, and then turning around and calling her mother a whore (because, you know, even if she is a whore, you don't want to draw attention to it). North Korea has demanded a retraction and an apology. Oh, we'd love to see that. Can you imagine Cheney apologizing for anything? At best, we're likely to see Scott McClellan show up in the White House Press Room, say that the comments were taken out of context, and offer an apology for the misconception. And although that shouldn't be enough, it probably will have to be. Ain't diplomacy great?
Editorials
Denounce Torture. Two months ago, Representative John Conyers spoke at Yale University. He spoke of the widespread civil liberties issues being threatened in this country. He spoke of the Patriot Act. He cited the Geneva Convention. Amnesty International has republished the speech on their website, in the wake of Amnesty's assertions that Guantanamo Bay is this generation's gulag. We've said it before, and we'll say it again: We cannot sacrifice our ideals and principles in our pursuit of justice. As Conyers said, "We all want to fight terrorism, but we want to fight it the right way, consistent with our Constitution, and in a manner that serves as a model for the rest of the world. Torture does not make us safer, it only makes the world more dangerous and degrades our commitment to freedom and liberty."
Social Security Surplus. A little quickie here from the Ward Report makes a good point about Social Security. And, while this topic has virtually been beaten to death (blame Bush for refusing to admit defeat on this matter, despite almost universal opposition), this editorial makes a good point. Basically, some of the "compromises" that have been floated around bring up the idea of raising the cap on taxable wages. Well, that's great, in theory, and would solve the problem, except for one thing. Bush has essentially stated that the existing surplus is nothing more than a bunch of "worthless IOUs". So why should we support a plan that would increase the size of the surplus, if our crooked Administration is just going to take that money and spend it on more tax cuts, or another war, or some such nonsense? Don Ward is right - this is essentially outright theft. And it's YOUR money that's being stolen.
