Yeah... I Don't Think So

To look at the conflict in Iraq as anything other than a problem created by our arrogant government for their own profit is more than a little naive. President Bush and his friends created this war from a pack of lies, and and THAT is the basis for the anti-war movement, (well, that and the fact that we're stuck in an endless war that is being incredibly mismanaged) NOT that "we have brought the wrath of Islamofascism upon ourselves", though invading a sovereign nation in the middle of territory controlled by Islamofascists probably didn't help us any.

We did not have to invade a country that had NOTHING to do with us being attacked in order to protect ourselves as much as possible from Islamofascists. Screening Visa applicants a little more vigilantly, making sure our boarders are secure, slowly withdrawing our unconditional support for Israel, reducing our dependence on oil, and staying the hell out of their territory would have been a good start. And a better way to Support the Troops.

And one more reason for the Anti-War Movement:
3,607 US Soldiers have been killed in Iraq
26,588 US Soldiers have been wounded in Iraq

What is the reason we are expending the lives of those who have offered to give them so freely for their nation?

By The President's Logic

I have a neighbor who had his croonies on the township board change the zoning laws to allow his bankrupt business to operate from his home, causing a HUGE industrial eyesore on the neighborhood. It wouldn't be that bad if he ever cleaned up his yard, got the rusting metal off the ground, or, at the very least, put up a fence, but he won't do any of that. We have a lot of kids in our neighborhood, and because it's adjacent to the property, I'm constantly telling the kids to stay away from there or they'll get hurt.

Our President went to war with an entire nation because he thought they might hurt us. Why can't we sue the neighbor because we think the kids might get hurt on his property? If they do, we can sue him for it being an attractive nuisance anyway, so why do we have to wait until someone gets hurt? Shouldn't we be able to force him to clean up his property (which will severely hurt the environment) and put a fence up (so that the kids can't get over there) just like the President was able to invade Iraq so that Saddam wouldn't be able to destroy his own country with nuclear weapons and hurt his own people?

And Now For Something Incredibly Frightening

c/o The Department of Homeland Conspiracy

Contingencies for nuclear terrorist attack

Government working up plan to prevent chaos in wake of bombing of major city

As concerns grow that terrorists might attack a major American city with a nuclear bomb, (why the concerns? Is there something you're not telling us) a high-level group of government and military officials has been quietly preparing an emergency survival program that would include the building of bomb shelters, steps to prevent panicked evacuations and the possible suspension (ending) of some (all) civil liberties.

Many experts say the likelihood of al Qaeda or some other terrorist group (Bush & his Dick) producing a working nuclear weapon with illicitly obtained weapons-grade fuel is not large, but such a strike would be far more lethal, frightening and disruptive than the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. (The attack "they" didn't stop) Not only could the numbers killed and wounded be far higher, but the explosion could, experts say, ignite widespread fires, shut down most transportation, halt much economic activity and cause a possible disintegration of government order. (Oh no "we"can't have that)

The efforts to prepare a detailed blueprint for survival (who's Survival? the governments?) took a step forward last month when senior government and military officials and other experts, organized by a joint Stanford-Harvard program called the Preventive Defense Project, met behind closed doors (why the the closed doors? what do "they have to hide?) in Washington for a day-long workshop.

The session, called "The Day After," was premised on the idea that efforts focusing on preventing such a strike were no longer enough, and that the prospect of a collapse of government order ("they" seem obsessed with keeping ORDER) was so great if there were an attack that the country needed to begin preparing an emergency program.

Please read the rest of the post here.

Gr8

I'm really surprised that more people haven't been writing about this, though I guess at this point the G8 Summit is an exercise in futility, at least where the US is concerned. These world leaders get together, and President Bush, with all of the intelligence of an eight year-old says, "I don't have to do what you say. Nanny, nanny, boo-boo." And the other world leaders do... NOTHING. No one, not even Merkle will put him in his place, nor will they explain to him that the US is not the only country in the world, nor is it the one with the largest population. At some point its citizens, or more likely the citizens of the world, are going to call the government on its bullshit, and THAT will NOT be pretty.

Sicko

Michael Moore's next film, Sicko, will be premiering at the Cannes film festival on June 29th. This film is being blocked by the Bush Administration because Moore visited Cuba with 10 first responders from 9/11 for a segment for the film. They were there to receive treatment that they could not get in the US due to the Bush Administration's denial that anything was wrong with the air around ground zero in the days directly following the demolition of the Twin Towers. Whatever your personal feelings about Michael Moore, it has to be acknowledged that there are very few reporters, journalists, and documentarians asking the questions he's asking. I hate that he is my only source of information when it comes to the answers to these questions. He has his own agenda, of course, but NO ONE ELSE IS ASKING. And before you say, "Well, he went to Cuba, and that's illegal," please remember that Oliver Stone got to go, as did Stephen Spielberg.

Our media is conspicuously absent from this administration. Controlled mass media is a symptom of a fascist nation. Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common. Here is the very least you can do to get the word out to as many poeple as possible that this Administration has to go.

UPDATE: At the screening of 'Sicko' several journalists and critics admitted to crying, and even Fox News gvae the film a good review.

National IMPEACHMENT Day

Today is National Impeachment Day. For those of you who disagree with the job President Bush has done and will continue to do, please call attention to the administrations impeachable offences today on your blog. If you can't do that, put up a sign in your front yard, in your window, on your car, or write it on your forehead. Here are just some of the reasons why President Bush and Vice President Cheney should be impeached:

President Bush pressured the EPA to clear the area around Ground Zero so that construction crews and first responders would get to work earlier.

The Bush Administration has consistently denied the existence of Global Warming until recently, and has taken no steps to improve the condition of the planet.

President Bush and his Administration completely mishandled everything involved with Hurricane Katrina, including the evacuation, the housing of survivors, and the clean-up effort.

President Bush introduced and The Patriot Act, which puts no limits on what the government can do to form a case, arrest, and detain a US Citizen without telling them what they're being accused of or allowing them access to a lawyer.

President Bush ordered the illegal wire-tapping of US Citizens.
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Presdident Bush allowed the torture of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghrab.

President Bush and his Administration initially lied to the American people about why we were going to war with Iraq, and has continued to lie about the purpose of the war, the management of the war, and what is happening to our soldiers.

And let's not forget:
3,334 US Soldiers have died in Iraq
24,912 US Soldiers have been wounded in Iraq

9/11: Toxic Legacy

Though 3,000 people were killed on 9/11, many are still dying from the effects the environment in and around the area of the World Trade Center has had on their lungs. The people who are truly most important to us as a nation, the men and women who sacrifice EVERYTHING to save us, are dying because the Bush Administration and the EPA said that it was safe to go back to work. Our fighter fighters and police officers who responded first and those men and women who were active in the clean-up (about 25,000 people) have lung problems beyond belief, some of them with so much debris in their bodies that they are almost at 0% lung capacity, and their health benefits are going to run out in 2009. Please contact your local, state, and federal representatives and tell them that the REAL heroes of 9/11 need our continued help and support, and that President Bush and Vice President Cheney should be impeached for their role in the cover-up.

And the continued victims of 9/11 could use a little help as well:
3,322 US Soldiers have been killed in Iraq
24,764 US Soldiers have been wounded in Iraq

Burning Bushes in South America

For the past two weeks I have been watching the news from South America, so imagine my surprise when I read the CNN headline, "Bush trip may have started healing Latin American rift". I think they forgot to mention something, like the HUGE protests in EVERY city he visited. Mayan Priests in Guatemala felt the need to purify a sacred site he visited to rid it of bad spirits. In Uruguay there were anti-imperialist rallies. The Brazilians called our President an assassin, claiming that he was simply a representative for the multinational companies that want to control bio fuels. Mexicans protested Bush's visit, his immigration policies, and his war with Iraq. So the question becomes: what does a lame duck President do when his country doesn't need him and other countries don't want him? And why isn't he being impeached?

Let's not forget the damage he's caused in THIS country:
3,199 US soldiers killed in Iraq
24,042 US soldiers wounded in Iraq and returning to substandard housing and medical care

Way to Support Our Troops, Mr. President!
To help soldiers far away keep in touch with their families, please click on this link.

Is Bush an Idiot?

Linda Ronstadt has been quoted as saying that President Bush is, "an idiot. He's enormously incompetent on both the domestic and international scenes." The host of Scarborough Country disagrees. He contends that the President is simply inarticulate. Except when it counts. Like last night's State of the Union.

Did anyone else notice that he didn't stumble once? He seemed almost Presidential. As long as you didn't listen to the bullshit coming out of his mouth. Why is it that he can do so well with this speech when the others are such disasters? Is he playing stupid, or is he, as Ronstadt suggests, actually stupid? OR Will this inarticulate President simply come out some day (as SO MANY others have) and announce (with deep regret) that he had fallen off the wagon sometime during his Presidency and all of his blunders were due to drink? Because, of course, he can't be held accountable for his actions if his thinking was impaired. After all, alcoholism is a disease.

Either way, his public (and more likely his private) gaffes have effected diplomatic relations both here and abroad. No one wants to be seen with our dear leader. Who willingly invites a PR nightmare into their midst? Republicans are jumping ship left and right. And you have to ask yourself, why is this man still President?

3,063 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
23,114 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq

Who Won?

I originally started this blog because I was fed up with the Republican Administration and I needed an outlet for my anger and frustration. Over the past two years I have learned that the Republicans and Democrats are not all that different. This election day I was disappointed to find that I was right. The American people elected Democrats who are opposed to gay marriage, who are anti-abortion, etc... Even Tom DeLay agrees that the Democrats didn't win, the Republicans lost. Democrats are really just govern with a more sensitive imperialism, but there were some "wins" for those of us who have been begging to get out from under the thumb of Lord Bush and his Cabal. As 200 Socialist members of the European Parliament said in an unprecedented joint statement, "this is the beginning of the end of a six-year nightmare for the world." The American people seem to agree, as Democrats now control the House, the Senate, and a majority of state Governorships. Someone might even call for impeachment!

This election day was also a win for diversity. Hopefully this election day was a win for women. Nancy Pelosi will take over as Speaker of the House, a mere two seats away from the Presidency. If we're luck, this will open minds and prepare people for more women running for high-level positions in government. It's a long time coming, but it is coming. Minnesota elected the first Muslim to the US House of Representatives (Keith Ellison), and Massachusetts has elected the first African American Governor since reconstruction (Deval Patrick). Perhaps the best news was the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld, most likely for this reason:

2,843 US soldiers killed in Iraq
21,572 US soldiers wounded in Iraq

You Go, Lou Dobbs!

Recently Lou Dobbs attacked President Bush and his cabal on their immigration policy. The spark may have been the idea that placing National Guard troops at the boarders would do ANYTHING to really stem the flow of the nearly 3 million illegal immigrants that cross them each year if our policies continue to favor them. I think it's quite clear that the best way to stop them from coming is to HEAVILY fine, and possibly close down businesses that hire them. In 2004, only 3 employers who hired illegal immigrants were fined. I could find three businesses employing illegal immigrants just by walking down the street. And when the illegal immigrants are found, they MUST be deported. Being sent back to your own country makes it harder for you to get back in, especially if we ACTUALLY fund and increase the Boarder Patrol, and deters you from uprooting your family once again.

I am torn by the plight of the illegal immigrant, even though all of the immigrants I know are 100% legal. It was very difficult and very expensive for any of them to obtain Visas. In some cases, it took as long as 10 years and as much as $12,000. In many countries, the application fee alone is phenomenally high for the income of the middle class worker, and once they do get here and get jobs, the majority of their income goes towards lawyer fees, more application fees, etc., making it extremely difficult for them to rise out of poverty. The system is against them, like it is against all of them, but they should not be protesting that they should be given amnesty. If they want to be taken seriously, the need to protest against the policies and the fees that make it SO DIFFICULT for them to become legitimate, legal citizens. As illegals, they technically don't have the right to protest anyway, so if they're going to do it, they should make sure it's for something that won't alienate the very country they're trying to become citizens of.

Dazed...

When President Bush mentioned last April that a court order was required for a wiretap, he forgot to mention that a court order cannot be obtained for domestic communications. Under President Carter, the Attorney General could approve electronic surveillance to acquire foreign intelligence information without a court order as long as it did not involve "the contents of any communication to which a United States person is a party." That's important. It means that the government cannot eavesdrop on our conversations without a warrant, as long as the conversation is taking place on United States soil. Under President Clinton, the Attorney General could approve physical searches to aquire foreign intelligence information without a court order as long as they did not involve "the premises, information, material, or property of a United States person." This is also important. It means that the government cannot search our houses, cars, records, etc..., without a warrant as long as they are on United States soil. President Bush authorized searches or surveillance of American citizens on United States soil, which is against the law. Presidents Clinton and Carter did not "do it, too". The Drudge Report didn't quite get it right.

Throughout this administration I've been wondering when all this will start catching up with the President and his boy Dick, and it's beginning. It didn't look good for them when there were no weapons of mass destruction. They did a pretty good job of not playing the blame game when it came to the CIA leaks. They even managed to convince people that they did not feel they were "above the law" in the torture arena. But this wire tapping thing, this is serious. But finally, a judge is so disgusted that he has quit. The new President of Bolivia called our President a terrorist. A senator is suggesting censure. I wouldn't mind hearing calls for impeachment, but I can wait until after the holidays.

REVOLT

At this moment, 47 states are launching some kind of revolt against the No Child Left Behind Act. For those who are not familiar, the Act demands a large amount of standardized testing which takes a substantial amount of time away from instruction. Teachers have spent more time preparing their students for the testing because their salaries and evaluations are partially based on how student perform on the test. A lot of instructional time is being used for this purpose, and as a result, our students are less and less prepared for life outside of the school system. Besides all of that, though the Act is a federally mandated program, states must pay for the tests themselves, causing significant strain on already tapped-out education budgets. As a teacher, I have always been a proponent of public education. Unfortunately, teaching in public school has become a canned, scripted experience. I need more creativity and autonomy in my classroom. Homeschooling and teaching in private schools is quickly becoming a more viable option. What will happen to the children left behind by the No Child Left Behind Act?

Global Chaos

I haven't discussed Global Warming at all, but I think it's relevant given the recent surge in the intensity of violent storms. We had quite a hurricane season last year down here in Florida, and this year's season is only half over. On Bill Maher last night, a science professor from Stanford University mentioned that the intensity of hurricane Katrina was due to Global Warming as the temperature of the Gulf of Mexico was two degrees higher than it normally would be at this time of year. Though I agree that the "A Day After Tomorrow" scenario is probably impossible, there are a lot of other scenarios we're not looking at because, as the President says, "The jury's still out on Global Warming." What kinds of things do you see happening as Global Warming continues? Do you think we should have signed the Kyoto Treaty? What do you think are the economic benefits of ignoring Global Warming like we've been doing, and what will be the downfalls of such action?

Bush Is Boned!

I think I probably have a healthy distrust for my government. Part of my distrust comes from the number of members within our government, both Republican and Democrat, of the secret society known as Skull and Bones. This may be one of the strongest brotherhoods our country has ever seen. The Masons are also in question, but that's for another post. I don't want to engage in conspiracy theories concerning these organizations, but I do wonder about their success. What is it that has made them so successful, and how can we build our own organizations and mimic their success? I think this is one situation in which we need to fight fire with fire. I have linked this post with information on Skull and Bones. I think we need to discuss this organization and the motivation of its members. Are they only looking out for each other? Why was the organization formed in the first place? What do we know about its members and their philosophies? Are these the kind of people we want running our country?

And In Their Own Words

This young man should be commended for standing up for himself and his fellow students against a system he feels is unfair. He made sure he started his protest from a position of power, as he is ranked 6th in his class. All of our seniors should be as thoughtful and well-spoken as he. I couldn't have said it better.

Reader's Forum: Here are the reasons why I didn't graduate from Federal Hocking last weekend
By John Wood

Sunday was my high-school graduation. However, despite being ranked sixth in my class, I did not cross the stage or receive a diploma. I did not drop out at the last minute and I was not expelled. I didn't graduate because I refused to take the Ohio Proficiency Tests.

I did this because I believe these high-stakes tests (which are required for graduation) are biased, irrelevant and unnecessary.

The bias of these tests is demonstrated by Ohio's own statistics. They show consistently that schools with high numbers of low-income and/or minority students score lower on state tests. It is argued (in defense of testing) that this is not the test's fault, that the scores are only a reflection of the deeper social economic injustices. This is very likely true. What makes the test biased is the fact that the state does little or nothing to compensate for the differences that the students experience outside the classroom.

In fact, the state only worsens the situation with its funding system. Ohio's archaic school-funding system underfunds schools in poorer areas because it is based on property taxes. The way we fund our schools has been declared unconstitutional four times, and yet the state Legislature refuses to fix the problem.

The irrelevance of these tests is also demonstrated by state statistics -- in this case, the lack of them. In 13 years of testing, Ohio has failed to conduct any studies linking scores on the proficiency test to college acceptance rates, college grades, income levels, incarceration rates, dropout rates, scores on military recruiting tests, or any other similar statistic.

State officials have stated that it would be too difficult or costly to keep track of their students after high school but I find this hard to believe. My high school is tracking my class for five years with help from the Coalition of Essential Schools. Certainly, the state, with all its bureaucrats, could do the same.

Both of these factors, the test's biases and irrelevance, contribute to making it unnecessary. This system is so flawed it should not be used to determine whether or not students should graduate. More importantly, a system already exists for determining when students are ready to graduate.

The ongoing assessment by teachers who spend hours with the students is more than sufficient for determining when they are ready to graduate. However this assessment is being undermined by a focus on test preparation that has eliminated many advanced courses and enrichment experiences. Additionally, since the tests do not and cannot measure things such as critical thinking, the ability to work with others, public speaking, and other characteristics of democratic citizenship, these things are pushed aside while we spend more time memorizing for tests.

After almost a decade and a half of testing, many people cannot imagine what could be done in place of high-stakes testing, but here in southeast Ohio, alternative assessments are alive and kicking. At my school, Federal Hocking High School, every senior has to complete a senior project (I built a kayak), compile a graduation portfolio, and defend his or her work in front of a panel of teachers in order to graduate. These types of performance assessments are much more individualized and authentic, and are certainly difficult, something I can attest to, having completed them myself.

There may be a place for standardized testing in public education, but it should not be used to determine graduation.

Because of these reasons, I decided to take a stand against the Ohio Proficiency Tests, even though it would cost me my graduation and diploma. But why such a drastic measure? The reason is simple; someone has to say no. Education is the key to maintaining our democracy, and I have become disgusted by the indifference displayed by lawmakers who make statements about the value of public education while continuing to fail to fairly and adequately fund it or commit to performance-based assessments.

I have written a number of state senators and representatives from both parties recommending the state allow districts to set alternatives to high-stakes tests for graduation. Having done everything required for graduation but take the tests, I thought I would provide them an opportunity to rethink testing. Sadly, I have not received a response from any of them, even after personally approaching and rewriting them.

What this has taught me is that one voice is not enough, and to make a difference in our democracy, the people must speak with a unified voice. I encourage everyone concerned about the damage being done by high-stakes testing and inadequate funding of public education to speak out. Join me in just saying no to high-stakes testing.

Editor's note: John Wood is a non-graduate of Federal Hocking High School in Stewart. He will be attending Warren Wilson College in Ashville, N.C.