Here they come again – the Sousa bands, the waving flags, the cheering crowds, and the fabulous fireworks. Ah, yes, it’s Yankee Doodle time again in America.  So let’s get ready to party.

It’s just that I really don’t understand what we’re celebrating.

I don’t really understand why millions of people in this country still pretend that they live in America the Beautiful. I don’t understand why they are not wailing in grief because Yankee Doodle is no longer “dandy.” I don’t understand why there is no widespread sadness about the tragic transformation of their national image.

In fact, in this eighth year of our Bush/PNAC captivity, far too few people in the United States are willing to acknowledge that Yankee Doodle Dandy has now become Yankee Doodle Deadly. The sad truth is that too few people are even remotely aware that the American flag, like Yankee Doodle, has lost every bit of its meaning.

For sure, on this Fourth of July, millions of US flags will be flown as if nothing untoward has happened to the nation they represent. So many Americans have no clue that their flag has lost its glory.  They do not realize that Yankee Doodle – along with any other symbol of the USA – now stands for immoral wars, a shattered Constitution, domestic spying, legalized torture, and corporate greed.

My full article:
http://tvnewslies.org/tvnl/index.php/editorial/reggies-commentary/20-regs-thoughts/2507-yankee-doodle-deadly-

I don’t know who is writing George Bush’s speeches nowadays, but it has to be someone with really serious mental problems. It’s embarrassing enough when this clueless president attempts to speak spontaneously. Left to his own devices, he cannot string together a handful of simple words with any coherent continuity; just as he cannot offer rational responses to questions he apparently is unable to process. But when George Bush has a prepared speech to deliver to an apprehensive audience of 1,500 global policymakers and business leaders in the Middle East, you’d think he would say something intelligent. Think again.

It’s seems almost ridiculous when you do think about it, - but today, the President of these United States sought to lecture men whose cultures he does not understand, and whose history he does not know, and whose societies he has never studied, and whose people view him with distrust and disrespect, on how they should conduct their lives.

At an international conference of Arab notables, this arrogant, unpopular, ineffective, and insensitive man – George W. Bush - dared to pass himself off as a staunch defender of peace and freedom in the world, as well as the reigning champion of political freedom and women’s rights...
It is beyond insanity. Having George Bush lecture anyone about peace and freedom is much like Charles Manson giving a talk on positive group dynamics.

My full article:
http://tvnewslies.org/tvnl/index.php/editorial/reggies-commentary/20-regs-thoughts/1783-sinking-to-new-depths-the-mad-hatter-lectures-the-arab-world

(a film I made for my digi video art class)


would you dance?

I’ll admit it, I did not remember either. Even though we reported the story last year, so much has happened in Iraq that somehow I, too, had forgotten. The story, like so many others, had been swept under the proverbial rug by the corporate media, and within a day or so the world forgot about the Filipino workers in Iraq.

But a few days ago, I received a personal email from an officer serving in Iraq and housed in the Green Zone, and the story came back to me, full blast. Just a few words in the message reminded me of the forgotten horror that must be added to the countless crimes this administration is committing in Iraq.

This time around, I don’t want the story to become lost in the endless melee of death and destruction that defines this useless war. I just want to put it out into the public consciousness once again, so we don’t simply forget what is going on. This time around, it has to get some real attention.

For the full story:
http://tvnewslies.org/tvnl/index.php/editorial/reggies-commentary/20-regs-thoughts/1099-our-forgotten-shame-in-the-green-zone

‘Unpopular’ - un'pop•u•lar - Lacking general approval or acceptance.

Aw, gee.. The American people really don’t approve of the war. They’ve totally forgotten about the death and destruction in Afghanistan, but they just can’t find it in their hearts to give the war in Iraq a thumbs up. What a shame.

It’s so comforting to know that we’re in the midst of what the pundits now call an ‘unpopular war.’ I suppose it’s something like an unpopular brand of toothpaste, - not really terrible, but somewhat unappealing and not quite what the public wants. “It’s not the war, really,” we hear. “It’s the way it was fought.” It’s not the toothpaste either, I imagine, but something about the after taste.

Is it conceivable that that this illegal, immoral war, built on a mountain of lies and deceptions is merely unpopular? Is it possible that the death, the bloodshed, and the hundreds of billions of wasted dollars simply lack the general approval of most Americans?

One has to wonder what would happen in a ‘popular war.’...


CONTINUED AT:

http://tvnewslies.org/tvnl/index.php/editorial/reggies-commentary/20-regs-thoughts/739-what-the-hell-is-an-unpopular-war

Imagine being on the brink of adolescence in the year 2000, - only minimally aware of the world around you, and really not into the foibles of politics or politicians. Life was what it was, and you took it pretty much for granted. In fact, for you and other young teens in 2000; things seemed pretty good and getting better, because you were growing up in the richest and most powerful nation in the whole damn world.

It wasn’t a perfect place, for sure, but it had potential. There were wrongs to be righted, but there was real hope that things would only get better as the years went on. All in all, in the year 2000, being a kid in America was a good thing to be.

Now imagine that it is seven years later and you have just grown into adulthood, and you gradually realize that in a frighteningly short a time your entire world has become unraveled. In just seven years, everything good that once was there is gone, and your country has come apart at the seams before your very eyes.

Really think about these last seven years and recoil at what it actually means to have come of age in Bush’s America,

To assist your reality check, here’s a short list the mind-boggling transformations that have become standard operating procedure in the good old USA.....

Full article: http://tvnewslies.org/blog/?p=651

Bush aides' use of GOP e-mail probed

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House said Wednesday it had mishandled Republican Party-sponsored e-mail accounts used by nearly two dozen presidential aides, resulting in the loss of an undetermined number of e-mails concerning official White House business.

Congressional investigators looking into the administration's firing of eight federal prosecutors already had the non-governmental e-mail accounts in their sights because some White House aides used them to help plan the U.S. attorneys' ouster. Democrats were questioning whether the use of the GOP-provided e-mail accounts was proof that the firings were political.

Pretty convenienct coincident, huh?

But come on. I'm not by any stretch an IT professional, but even I know that nearly any deleted file can be recovered unless a real effort has been made to destroy it. This is such a crock.

For gods' sake, how are these people still in office?

The article is a little long, but worth reading. Dick Cheney's connection to Haliburton is just the tip of the iceberg.

********************************
Congress Must Cut Off Bush Family War Profits
Wed, 11 Apr 2007 11:13:00
By Evelyn Pringle

( Full article under here )

There is a serial killer living in the White House. He has spent the past six years successfully plotting the deaths of thousands upon thousands of people. Like others who kill without conscience, he remains unmoved by the ongoing bloodshed and destruction he has caused. And now, he is about to do it again.

Someone has to stop George W. Bush before he kills more!

Serial killers sometimes respond to inner voices telling them what to do. George Bush gets personal messages from his God and PNAC. His wars with Afghanistan and Iraq were panned and orchestrated by the war profiteers and ideologues who placed him into office in 2000. The regional chaos they needed to justify American military action in the region is going according to plan, and now the next stage is ready for launching. Any day now, the Bush Doctrine will be used to justify a killing machine that is gearing to attack Iran.

Someone has to stop him before he triggers Armageddon.

Much more in my full blog:
http://tvnewslies.org/blog/?p=558

The UN 16, including Laurie Arbeiter and Ann Shirazi, arrested at the United Nations on September 19 for protesting war criminal Bush, will be arraigned tomorrow October 17, also at 100 Centre Street, probably in the same place. We will gather across the street in the park at 8:45

Laurie Arbeiter was arrested on September 10 at Ground Zero for holding a sign that said "Waiting for Peace". She will be arraigned on Friday, October 20 at 100 Centre Street, most likely in the first floor arraignment chamber. Please come to her arraignment at 9:30 AM

By Max Blumenthal -- The Nation

Excerpt:

Before The Path to 9/11 entered the production stage, Disney/ABC signed David Cunningham as the film's director. Cunningham is no ordinary Hollywood journeyman. He is in fact the son of Loren Cunningham, founder of the right-wing evangelical group Youth With A Mission (YWAM). According to Sara Diamond's book Spiritual Warfare, during the 1980's YWAM "sought to gain influence within the Republican party" while assisting authoritarian governments in South Africa and Central America. Cunningham, Diamond noted, was a follower of Christian Reconstructionism, an extreme current of evangelical theology that advocates using stealth political methods to put the United States under the control of Biblical law and jettison the Constitution. Cunningham instilled his radical ideology in young missionaries by sending them to "Discipleship Training School." A former student of Cunningham's school claimed "similarities between cult mind controlling techniques and the [Discipleship Training School] program instituted by YWAM."

full article at:

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060925/path_to_911

or

http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20060925path_to911

* * *

Scary.

Bush to dead soldier's mom: "How do you know his life would have been good?"

( Dolores Kesterson meets the president. )

sign petition to support net neutrality :)

http://action.freepress.net/campaign/savethenet

Please take a moment to invite at least 3 friends and colleagues to sign. You can just forward the sample letter below.

Spreading the word is critical, but please only pass this message along to those who know you, of course—spam hurts our campaign.

Thanks for all you do.

–The MoveOn.org Civic Action Team

Here's a sample message to send to your friends:

Subject: Save NPR and PBS (again)

Hi,

Everyone expected House Republicans to give up efforts to kill NPR and PBS after a massive public outcry stopped them last year. But they've just voted to eliminate funding for NPR and PBS—unbelievably, starting with programs like "Sesame Street."

Public broadcasting would lose nearly a quarter of its federal funding this year. Even worse, all funding would be eliminated in two years--threatening one of the last remaining sources of watchdog journalism.

Sign the petition telling Congress to save NPR and PBS again this year:

http://civic.moveon.org/publicbroadcasting/

Last year, millions of us took action to save NPR and PBS, and Congress listened. We can do it again if enough of us sign the petition in time.

This would be the most severe cut in the history of public broadcasting. The Boston Globe reports the cuts "could force the elimination of some popular PBS and NPR programs." NPR's president expects rural public radio stations may be forced to shut down.

The House and Senate are deciding if public broadcasting will survive, and they need to hear from viewers like you. Sign the petition at:

http://civic.moveon.org/publicbroadcasting/

Thanks!

P.S. Read the Boston Globe story on the threat to NPR and PBS at:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1864

WASHINGTON - Top U.S. law enforcement officials have told Internet companies they must retain customer records longer to help in child pornography and terrorism investigations, and they are considering asking Congress to require preservation of records.

On February 14, 2006, Congressman Charles Rangel (NY) introduced a bill (Universal National Service Act of 2006 - HR 4752 IH) aiming at drafting everyone - men and women alike - from the ages of 18 to 42 into the military for a minimum period of 2 years.

Or to quote the bill: "To provide for the common defense by requiring all persons in the United States, including women, between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes."

The House is to convene on June 6 (06/06/06) to debate and possibly adopt this bill, that is, unless a vast public outcry succeeds in derailing this insanity, which you can do by writing a letter of protest to your congress person through:

http://www.conservativeusa.org/mega-cong.htm or
http://www.webslingerz.com/jhoffman/congress-email.html

Phone calls are even better. The numbers of all US Representatives are at:

http://clerk.house.gov/members/index.html

Don't believe it? Go to http://thomas.loc.gov and under SEARCH BILL TEXT type in 'hr4752'.

SACRAMENTO - In a 4 to 3 Assembly Rules Committee vote, legislation calling for the impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney was referred to the Committee for further consideration.

My comment today as TvNewsLIES co-editor:

Cronyism At Any Cost, Once Again!

Let’s see if the mainstream media once again ignore the incompetence, the ignorance, and the unmitigated hubris of the man whom President George W. Bush has just nominated to head the CIA. Let’s see if they if they bother to go back just five months to point out the shameless liberties that General Michael Hayden recently took with the content of the US Constitution.

Let’s see if they remind the American people of the statements made by today’s nominee to succeed Porter Goss as head of the agency. Let’s see if they quote his response from a reporter last January, when asked about the NSA warrantless spying being in violation of the fourth amendment.

For the sake of accuracy, here’s the actual exchange between Jonathan Landay of Knight Ridder and General Hayden. The highlights are ours:

For the revealing exchange, and the rest of my blog:

http://tvnewslies.org/blog/?p=371

In his commencement address at Oklahoma State University, President Bush warned students not to become slaves to technology. After all, it's not like it's the future or anything.