Still Fighting

Activism

Remember when you were a kid, and you'd be scared by the lightning and thunder outside? You'd put the blanket over your head, close your eyes, and keep telling yourself "It's all OK?" Those were good times, weren't they? Imagine simply being able to close your eyes and just wish everything bad away! But then you grew up, and you found out that nothing is that easy. You've got to stand up and take accountability. Closing your eyes will never, ever make the problem simply "go away." Someone needs to explain to our President that he isn't a kid anymore, and he's not allowed to hide under a blanket. You can help show him this coward that he needs to grow up by buying a car magnet with a real message: the "Just Pretend It's All Okay" ribbon, brought to you by Northern Sun, who makes "Products for Progressives." Isn't time we all spoke our minds?

News

FCC Boss Prods Pay TV To Do More on Decency. Wow, let's see how many laws and amendments we can try to violate simply because a handful of parents can't control their children. It's been a while since we've talked about Senator Ted Stevens' (R-AK) attempts to regulate television even more, but he's back in the news. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin wants cable channels to not only tone down their content and match the "deceny" standards that are currently applied to network television, but he wants them to provide "family-friendly" packages of cable channels, a move that would significantly raise cable prices. Here's the thing. We agree that there need to be decency standards for network television: Any family with a TV can receive network channels, and those can't be easily "blocked" by parents. However, if a family wants to get cable, they have to pay for it. They have to make a choice to receive cable at home. With that choice comes a responsibility. And if parents don't like what their children are watching on cable, then they should either block those channels (as there are numerous devices available to do so), or simply not allow their children access into those parts of the house with cable. It's not up to the federal government to regulate choice, particularly when the choice will raise costs, and especially when there are so many more important things for the Senate to be discussing. And no, we're not talking about Terrell Owens.

U.S. Military Covertly Pays to Run Stories in Iraqi Press. And from the "are we at all surprised" category, ladies and gentlemen, the U.S. propaganda machine! While there are no outright lies in these stories, they do lie by omission, often telling only one side of the story. Where have we seen this before...? Oh yes, Armstrong Williams. And Maggie Gallagher. And the Dallas Morning News, the Sacramento Bee, the Mobile Register, the Grand Island (NE) The Independent, Al Dia, and En USA. This administration apparently has no problem throwing money around like candy to raise its image. Furthermore, when Iraqis learn of our press manipulation, is that going to increase their image of the U.S.? Probably not. Here's a hint, Mr. President: Doing the right thing will get you more good press than you can buy.

Abuse Worse Than Under Saddam, Says Iraqi Leader. What was that whole thing about making Iraq safer? Iraq's first Prime Minister, Ayad Allawi, told the Guardian that human rights violations are even more prevelent than under Hussein. Shias in the government are allegedly responsible for "death squads" and "secret torture chambers." Allawi also struck home by saying "Iraq is the centrepiece of this region. If things go wrong, neither Europe nor the US will be safe." Well, things have been going wrong for years now, and it's become increasingly clear that neither Europe nor the US is safe.

Editorials

Villains Honoring Villains. One of the biggest travesties being wrought by the Bush Administration is also one of the least reported on: Bush's overwhelming desire to privatize all land in America. Bush wants to halt funding of public parks and lands, in an effort to sell them to private citizens or companies, thus helping reduce the Department of Parks and Recreation's budget. Huh? Representative Richard Pombo (R-CA) has proposed "revisions of park management policies that would allow cell phone towers, low-flying tour flights and all-terrain vehicles in parks, expand snowmobile access and would limit park managers' authority to prevent development." According to Representative Mark Souder (R-IN), "Parks won't be sold. I can guarantee you that. . .But commercialization in the parks is a very tough challenge. How far and where are we going to go in allowing it? It's a valid question." this commentary by Bill Berkowitz may seem a little extreme at times, but his message is dead on: By the time 2008 rolls around, Bush's fondest hope is that all of America is privatized. Wouldn't you enjoy taking the family to the Subway Grand Canyon?

Hunger, Almost Eliminated In the 70’s, Is Now Widespread. Of course we know who's fault that is, but J. Larry Brown, who directs the Center on Hunger and Poverty at Brandeis University, tries to explain why it is. The poverty level is rising, and the problem is so vast and widespread that it's apparently hard to report on the entire scope. Brown also gives us some facts that'll make your head spin. For example, "The United States is the only developed country with a serious hunger problem, and more than 12 million of those affected are children" and "38 million Americans live in households that suffer from hunger or food insecurity. The number of hungry mouths has increased by 43 percent in the past five years." Yet you don't hear Bush, or Republican leadership, talk about this problem, do you? In fact, the only person that comes close to being a "leader" who is actively doing something about hunger and poverty is John Edwards and the One America Committee. And while Edwards is certainly working here at home, creating Centers on Poverty, he's also working overseas to do his part. This administration isn't going to come up with some magical solution to reduce hunger: It'll take a collective effort from the country.

Blogger Commentary

Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States... Nitpicker has linked to excerpts from an actual speech by our President, given in Arizona at a "Jon Kyl for Senate Dinner" event. Apparently, Kyl still listens to his mother and likes NASCAR, so the people in Arizona should vote for him. Bush's insight is truly something to behold, especially when he gives deep thoughts like "And the biggest problem we got is we're still at war." He goes on to say that "[t]he enemy has made Iraq a central front in this war on terror, so we must take it seriously..." Really? We didn't make Iraq a central front in this war on terror by deposing a leader under false pretenses, then occupy his country? Bush's summary, though, leaves us all with a hurting brain: "You know, I just recently came off a trip to the Far East...And it struck me that I was in a region of the world where there -- where wars had started." And to think, people voted for this guy. Twice.

Humor

Paul Rudnick offers an...interesting take on Intelligent Design. Trust us - don't read this with a mouthful of coffee. Thanks to Kelley Slagle for the link.