Discussion

• January 27, 2006

  11:41 AM

  Dale E. Smith writes:

  Sounds like Dan is a confused terrorist. When does his flight leave for Iraq.

• January 28, 2006

  6:17 AM

  dotis writes:

  Dan has the right to say what he thinks....I have the right to consider him a numnut after reading his opinion. Think outside the box Dan....this is a world wide effort against terror. Open your eyes to more than your little world.

• January 28, 2006

  11:07 AM

  dan writes:

  dale, you're right....speaking against, torture, death of innocents and trampling upon the constitution probably constitutes terrorism in our new double speak dictionary,
  war is peace.

  dotis....eyes are wide open. have travelled the world and lived many years out of the country seeing up close the effects of the policies of U.S. client states. Ironic that the number of new combatants keeps multiplying during this "war on terror" don't you think? how's that make you saver?

• January 29, 2006

  4:11 PM

  Sydney Solis writes:

  Dissent is democracy’s greatest freedom.
  I applaud Dan’s courage to speak up and exercise his First Amendment Right to speak in dissent of this administration’s policies. This right allowed even Nazis to march down Main Streets of Jewish towns in this country. I think it’s a hateful thing to do, but it was still their right to do it. It’s called freedom. We forget that the word Liberal comes from the word Libre, which means freedom.
  Unfortunately, there is a fascist movement in this country against this right. Dissenters today are made villains with a greater zeal than ever, even though our emperor stands stark naked in full view.
  How quick the post by Dale E Smith was to label Dan as a terrorist. Now that we have the Bush administration spying on U.S. citizens, how can I be assured I can exercise my First Amendment right or speaking against the Bush administration without being labeled a terrorist, and taken into custody as a suspect? Since the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment is no longer in effect, (nor the 12th for that matter) and I won’t get a speedy trial it used to guarantee, how do I know I won’t just rot for years in some jail or even “disappear” for my opinions? I must say I am more afraid of this destruction of our freedoms than any potential terrorist attack. This week one conservative suggested that the liberal Supreme Court justice should be poisoned for his views. This, my friends, is dangerous stuff. Just wait until Alito is sworn in, Bush’s power is all but complete and maybe we should buy stock in gas chamber manufacturers.
  We know about “secret” torture prisons and decisions the Bush administration is taking on to make our country “safer.” I’m more scared of him than I am of Osama quite frankly. I can’t speak freely over my own telephone or computer any more, because Big Brother is listening in. If it’s happening secretly, it’s for a reason. It’s wrong. Secret torture prisons in other countries can mean secret prisons here. Propaganda printed in Iraqi press for pro U.S. means propaganda printed in U.S. papers. Oh, that already happened. We know Bush paid for pro stuff here and how his appearances are planted with supporters and dissenters kicked out. We also know Bush squelches information vital to citizens’ well-being, such as today’s top N.A.S.A. scientist’s scolding he got for talking about global warming. And Rumsfield assures us our army is not dangerously overstressed, when we only have to look at Katrina and know for ourselves the truth. We are living in dangerous times and our rights are at stake as conservative and corporate America’s interests are put ahead of basic citizenship and its rights.
  If you don’t think fascism can happen in this country think again. In psychologist Erich Fromm’s book, “Escape From Freedom” it happened in Germany in a twinkling of an eye. Nobody believed it could happen, but it did and quickly. All it took was to convince people they were under attack and strike fear in their hearts. How easy it is for the Bush administration to stir apathetic minds toward trivial and hate-filled matters such as gay marriage, when this country’s debt threatens economic collapse here. What “powers” will the Bush administration decide to exercise if (probably when) that happens? We are only beginning to find out the truth about the corruption this president is involved in.
  The first thing that happens when we are confronted about the truth is anger. Such as why people lashed out at Ward Churchill. Through his personal choice of words many find offensive called attention to a very nasty fact. The shadow we carry on our capitalist shoulders is about to explode. And that truth is how capitalism affects the rest of the world and why they hate us for it. It’s not pretty, but it has to be seen. The truth is that capitalism pays Chinese people three cents an hour to manufacture our stuff. That’s slavery. That’s the truth. I may not agree with the way he chose to tell us about the World Trade Center, but I respect Churchill’s courage to endure the attack of corporate media and stand up for his rights. We all must stand up to it. It will take courage, but that’s what makes America great. All this serves a purpose to promote change on a system that no longer serves the people that it was intended.
  It is our duty as citizens of the United States to stand up against tyranny that is upon us as our forefather’s did.
  Let us read from the Declaration of Independence. “…and accordingly all Experience hath shewn, that Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while Evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the Forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future Security. Such as been the patient Sufferings of these Colonies; and such is now the Necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.
  We actually don’t need to change the government, we just need to force them to restore and uphold the Constitution.
  I suspect by writing and posting this people will label me a terrorist, and I’ll get on some watch list, as I am sure Big Brother is watching.
  But I am not afraid. I love this country and believe in the American system of democracy and why people have died for our Constitutional rights. Rights for all people, gay, straight, male or female, black or white, Nazi or capitalist, and most of all professors in our free-thinking universities who are all pursuing their right to life liberty and happiness. I can listen respectfully to all opinions without needing to kill them or ship them off to Iraq or some other country because I don’t agree with them.
  We have to fight peacefully even for those who have opinions different for ours in the name of freedom. We have to fight peacefully to restore our Constitutional rights before it’s too late.
  Because I choose to live free or die and I will die protecting that freedom for others.

• January 29, 2006

  8:58 PM

  Kat writes:

  Sydney,
  "I suspect by writing and posting this people will label me a terrorist, and I’ll get on some watch list, as I am sure Big Brother is watching. "
  Self important much? Nobody cares about your opinion.
  

• January 30, 2006

  8:25 AM

  jim writes:

  Sydney, if you really believed that, You would not post something like that on the net.

• January 30, 2006

  9:23 AM

  gil writes:

  For the life of me I cannot understand how some Americans hate George Bush more than they hate Osama Bin Laden. I'm not a George bush fan but for different reasons (out of control government spending, not protecting our borders, support of CAFTA)
  However I am intelligent enough to see that our President has our nations survival and security as his top priority- I guess it may take a few more 9/11's for others to see that ..

• January 31, 2006

  10:51 AM

  Jay writes:

  Gil is a voice of reason in the midst of a tempest of twisted logic.

• February 1, 2006

  7:26 AM

  Rob McCabe writes:

  I am in total agreement with Sydney Solis. I too, am a firm believer that George W. Bush's administration is a threat to human rights. I find several interesting parallels to Bush and another world leader in history and I am sure that I will be put on a watch list for my opinions as well, but here I go.

  (1) In the 1930s, which world leader's face graced Time magazine as Time's man of the Year and whose government led to the extermination of millions of people? Adolph Hitler. His Royal Highness King George (Bush) has also had his mug on Time magazine's cover as Man of the Year.

  (2) Hitler preyed on the fears of the people of German by scapegoating the Jews, homosexuals, Romani, Poles and other groups of people by spreading malicious lies about them in order to get elected (he was elected. He did not seize office).

  First election, Bush manipulated the votes to get into office and was not truly elected. The second term, Bush concentrated so much on Gay Marriage and its threat to Americans everywhere and the "Sacred Institution of Marriage" that he created fear and loating amongst the voters of this great country of ours. Sounds like scapegoating to me.

  (3) Hitler pushed his country and his Allies into a war that killed millions of people. Many people were too afraid to speak out against his War what with concentration/death camps facing them. Hitler destroyed millions of innocent lives for a vision of a New Germanic Order of the Third Reich.

  George Bush has pushed this country into a war which many do not believe in and think he is immoral for doing so. We all know Bush lied about the Weapons of Mass Destruction. We all know that he preyed on the fears of "Christian" (and I use the word sarcastically here as these people are anything BUT Christians), Americans about the dangers of "allowing" Gays and Kesbians to legally recognize their relationships. I, personally don't care for a religious marriage. I would like to someday be able to marry the man I love and be protected by the same legal laws that non-GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bi and Transgendered for those of you who don't know what GLBT means, and that's a lot of you folks out there, unfortunately), people have in marriage.

  I am an American. i was born here and until George Bush was elected President, I was proud to be an American. But until we have an America where Freedom will Ring for ALL AMERICANS, I am ashamed of my country and the person who is currently leading us into disaster. Our country is the laughing stock of the world in many parts. It would be hilarious if it weren't so serious.

  Peace to Everyone And True Justice for All!!!
  Sincerely,
  Rob McCabe
  Dearborn, Michigan

• February 1, 2006

  12:07 PM

  Pat Giuffra writes:

  Referring to "Re: From Ward Churchill's brother":
  A little sibling rivalry going on here? Dan appears to be trying to ride on Ward's notoriety.

• February 1, 2006

  6:32 PM

  Mike Woodson writes:

  Suppose a large Native American tribe that had fought and taken a territory in the early 1600s had found itself at war with another large Native American tribe, and these two battled for decades over real estate until they held a line at a range of mountains, for example.

  And suppose that a third tribe, smaller than these two, had some important resources that both of the big tribes wanted. So one day the two tribes send spies to the smaller tribe and develop insiders who jockey to usurp power there, moving the tribe to serve the interests of one of the two larger tribes. Well, one of the larger tribes wins, and their sympathizer takes the Chief's spot. (Saddam Hussein -- late 50s with a little help from the CIA).

  Later on, after one of the big tribes (USSR) crumbles and restructures its power, the other (USA) ascends to sole superpower status. Sole Superpower status, in most languages, finds its most familiar adjective in the word "Imperial." However, that does not mean that it is imperial in the sense of past empires. And, it does not mean it is utterly free of parallels to past empires, either.

  But let's take a look at this. The USA tribe, while still competing with the USSR tribe, so to speak, sits on the ugly (relatively ) secret fact for a few decades that its man leading the smaller tribe is really, really vile, and tortures people mercilessly in a sort of demonic way. The big tribe is embarrassed, and its Chiefs figure that he is better than any alternative until the other big tribe is brought to its knees, fearing that if it succeeds, it will mean immeasurable bloodshed compared to what the little tribe lunatic is doing. So the big tribe leaves the nutcase chief in power.

  Then the other big tribe falls down. Now it is safe to get rid of little bad chief in Iraq, and special treatment dissolves. This angers little psycho chief (Saddam), who attacks other little chiefs with lots of resources too (Kuwait). He then gets hammered by the big tribe, and his tribe continues to suffer, because the big tribe (USA) doesn't want it to look like it is making wholesale regime change decisions at will. However, big tribe USA is getting criticized like crazy for the status quo maniac and his marquis d'sade sons, plus the sanctions situation. So finally, a somewhat more emotional chief than his father is Chief of the USA tribe, and he decides, OK, that's enough, and besides, my elder running mate says it's our due to swoop in there and get the resources under control of a stable democratic regime, lest we lose all of that investment and profit potential to another competitor, i.e. China coming up with green transportation, or some other massive economic coup that's undercuts what Detroit can sell in the world. Plus, the baby boomers are kind of green-like and expect some change, so a huge sector of our economy, Oil and Gas, really needs to make some money for the rainy days ahead. What happens when they run out? And since they've got the patents, they can use that cash to develop technology that they've been sitting on for decades. The decision is made, the invasion is on.

  Oh yeah, and we'll get Osama bin Laden back too, for hitting the DOD in the head at Pentagon, sticking a blade into Trade Central and trying to knock off our Chief. And that process is ongoing.

  Wouldn't it have been a lot easier for the big tribe just to admit that it had felt forced to let the maniac rule Iraq for the larger purpose of preventing a confrontation between the two big tribes that would happen if the strategic loss of the oil reserves of Iraq to the USSR took place? And then, after (1991) the USSR fell into pieces and its former agents stole its wealth and moved to London, Paris, Munich, Venezuela, Cuba, Egypt and elsewhere, the Big Tribe USA could have taken the maniac out altogether and said it was its obligation to do so for the sake of its suffering majority of people. It would be a debt of honor to Iraqis for putting up with the "necessary evil" of the Cold War, Saddam Hussein.

  This is a lesson of the bad precedents we set by believing too strongly that evils are necessary for too long. We start losing an argument for our tolerance of it, and then it turns around and bites us in the keester.

  So, by this analysis, Ward Churchill et al are engaging in convenient oversimplification of the situation, and demonizing people because it is too hard to look at both the good and the bad of the situation and illustrate it more accurately without appearing to be morally distinct.

  And, those persecuting Ward Churchill et al are also oversimplifying, because in truth, there are and have been some pretty alarming abuses of power going in our country that ought not be denied or swept under the carpet, and the gas prices are one key indicator of that. However, the Churchill crowd, if we can crowd them, don't protest other evils that they have perhaps chauvanistically ignored, both historically and as we speak, done in the name of 20th century liberalism (coining Milton Friedman's distinctions between liberalisms of the 19th and 20th centuries).

  More than ever, as we saw our partisan controlling parties standing while their counterparts sat whenever their differences were accentuated by something the Chief said during the state of the Tribe speech, we are a nation that likes to be associated with a moral rightness about which we are convinced, even at the expense of solving the problems in ways outside the ideologic platforms.

• February 1, 2006

  6:38 PM

  Mike Woodson writes:

  errata:
  IN the THIRD to last paragraph in the last entry, "without appearing to be morally distinct." should have read, "while appearing to be morally distinct."

• February 6, 2006

  9:36 AM

  Tracey writes:

  In reference to the wire taps: If you get a call from your Aunt Edna and she wants to give you a new recipe for chocolate muffins you shouldn't be so paranoid that the government is listening,however if Aunt Edna has friends in any terrorist group and is giving you a recipe for exploding chocolate muffins, you have a big problem.Simple as that. People need to stop being so paranoid if you have nothing to hide nothing will be seen.