I just found this on the web and had to pass it on.
It is amazing, considering his opinions, that Twain is as celebrated today as he is. Maybe someday America will look back at people like Chomsky in a more positive light as they do with Twain.
Twain was a genius!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Ant-War Movement R.I.P. 2004-2007
On May 28th 2007, Memorial Day in America, the anti-war movement was pronounced dead. With Congressional Democrats falling all over themselves, to provide the President with whatever he wants, in order to keep this fucking war going after a very brief moment of opposition. And now, Cindy SHeehan, one of the two people who made up the anti-war movement, has called it quits. So thats that. The war will continue on....
The Democrats in Congress deserve condemnation. So many voted initially to go to war when there was so much evidence that contradicted the Bush/Cheney line. Democrats aren't thinking about the troops in war, they don't care about those people, the only thing politicians care about is re-election. Many Democrats remember how after ending the Vietnam War, like the public demanded of Congress, they were seen as defeatists, even though they did what the public wanted. Our Democrats today are thinking back and are afraid of their job security because, again, that is all they care about. They don't care about morals, international law, human beings, or anything that doesn't involve them. Hey David Obey, remember when you told those stupid liberals that they didn't understand anything, that your bill was going to end the war and if they couldn't see that then they must be smoking something illegal, go fuck yourself.
CIndy SHeehan has not only disavowed herself from the Democratic Party but she has gone all the way and just given up on the anti-war movement. This isn't good for a movement made up of only two people. Somehow I doubt that Medea Benjamin, trust fund kid, will be getting that much air play. Don't get me wrong, Medea and her CodePink are great but they were not enough. The mother of a dead soldier(SIde note: Casey was killed during an uprising in Sadr City. The uprising was caused because then Viceroy Paul L. Bremer decided that, in his position of supporting freedom, he would shut down a newspaper from the Shia Cleric Al-Sadr.) is always a great figure to protest a war.
Well now she is gone and the war can continue without a peep from the public. If the Democrats are lucky this War will cost the Republicans the Whitehouse. One must remember that we are losing nearly four soldiers a day and Jan. '09 is quite a few days away. So, in 2009, we may be talking about our Democratic President or we may be talking about the 1500 kids who died since CIndy SHeehan gave up.
The Democrats in Congress deserve condemnation. So many voted initially to go to war when there was so much evidence that contradicted the Bush/Cheney line. Democrats aren't thinking about the troops in war, they don't care about those people, the only thing politicians care about is re-election. Many Democrats remember how after ending the Vietnam War, like the public demanded of Congress, they were seen as defeatists, even though they did what the public wanted. Our Democrats today are thinking back and are afraid of their job security because, again, that is all they care about. They don't care about morals, international law, human beings, or anything that doesn't involve them. Hey David Obey, remember when you told those stupid liberals that they didn't understand anything, that your bill was going to end the war and if they couldn't see that then they must be smoking something illegal, go fuck yourself.
CIndy SHeehan has not only disavowed herself from the Democratic Party but she has gone all the way and just given up on the anti-war movement. This isn't good for a movement made up of only two people. Somehow I doubt that Medea Benjamin, trust fund kid, will be getting that much air play. Don't get me wrong, Medea and her CodePink are great but they were not enough. The mother of a dead soldier(SIde note: Casey was killed during an uprising in Sadr City. The uprising was caused because then Viceroy Paul L. Bremer decided that, in his position of supporting freedom, he would shut down a newspaper from the Shia Cleric Al-Sadr.) is always a great figure to protest a war.
Well now she is gone and the war can continue without a peep from the public. If the Democrats are lucky this War will cost the Republicans the Whitehouse. One must remember that we are losing nearly four soldiers a day and Jan. '09 is quite a few days away. So, in 2009, we may be talking about our Democratic President or we may be talking about the 1500 kids who died since CIndy SHeehan gave up.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
What's politics?
The other day at work I ran into a former co-worker of mine, a hip vegan kid who is attending college. He was a political science major at the University of Milwaukee so of course we talked quite a bit. He was young so he didn’t know much political history but he was passionate about the issues. So when I saw him recently I had to ask how his major was going. It turned out that he was now going to get a degree in I.T.. I gave him a strange look and he told me that he couldn’t do politics anymore. “Politics is great to discuss over a beer (most people polled said they would prefer to have a beer with Bush vs. Kerry) but to participate (at this moment he gave me one of those “you wouldn’t understand” looks) is not cool at all. It totally turned me off.” This made me realize something. Politics is not what the politicians do. Politics is not about elections or even what those politicians do in Washington. Politics is injustice, politics is economic tyranny, politics is black power, politics is equality, politics is direct action, politics is ACTUP, politics is the World Social Forum it isn’t about the bills on Capitol Hill like the cartoon used to tell us. If people think that what happens in the capitol is politics it is no wonder only half of Americans vote. Maybe, just maybe, if people understand what politics really is, change could actually happen.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Two Great Quotes
I was listening to a book on tape today and heard two awesome quotes. Both are by Bertrand Russell, in my opinion, one of the greatest philosophers of the 20th Century. If you haven't read anything by him, you are doing yourself a big disservice.
The book I am listening to is "Religion and Science."
I just thought these quotes are totally relevent to today.
"The harm that theology has done, is not to create cruel impulses, but to give them the sanction of what professes to be a lofty ethic and to confer an apparently sacred character upon the practices which have come down from more ignorant and barbarous ages."
"It is difficult to resist the conclusion that to many men there is something enjoyable in the sufferings of women, and that therefore there is a propensity in men to cling to any theological or ehtical code which makes it a woman's duty to suffer."
The book I am listening to is "Religion and Science."
I just thought these quotes are totally relevent to today.
"The harm that theology has done, is not to create cruel impulses, but to give them the sanction of what professes to be a lofty ethic and to confer an apparently sacred character upon the practices which have come down from more ignorant and barbarous ages."
"It is difficult to resist the conclusion that to many men there is something enjoyable in the sufferings of women, and that therefore there is a propensity in men to cling to any theological or ehtical code which makes it a woman's duty to suffer."
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
See You In Hell
We lost another bad one today. Poor Jerry Falwell has passed on to the eternal damnation and hell-fire that he believed in. If each person had a personal hell I think Jerry's arrival might look something like this.
After his last heart beat, Jerry Falwell leaves the natural world.
He looks up and sees a bright light and a voice telling him to come into the light. "This is it," he tells himself, "This is what I have been preparing myself for all these years." 'Finally I can meet Jesus, Moses and the rest."
He walks into the light and comes out on the other side. Looking around he realizes that it isn't quite how he pictured it. "Where are the Pearly Gates" he thinks to himself. "Where is St. Peter?"
He begins to walk around to see what his environs are. He notices a lot of men, actually it is all men. "I knew it. Women are evil. They got us kicked out of Eden." The men around are all nicely dressed, many of them in suits and ties. "Not bad." He thinks to himself.
It isn't long until he decides to approach one of the men in a suit. Jerry Falwell walks up and introduces himself, "Hi, I'm Jerry Falwell." The man responds, "I know who you are. We've actually all been waiting for you. My name is Ron, I was a business man when I was alive." "Ooh, a capitalist, this place is right on." Falwell thinks to himself.
"A business man, what kind of business man?" Jerry probes. "Oh, I worked in the energy sector, you know, the extraction of resources from the ground." Ron informs him. At this point Falwell is almost beside himself.
Jerry decides to do a little more digging. "Were you into politics when you were alive?" Jerry asks. "You had to be when you were in my business." Ron answers. Falwell puts two and two together and asks the kicker, "You were a Republican weren't you?"
"Of course, we are all Republicans here." Ron tells him. "Sweet Hosannas, I knew it. Heaven is full of Republican men. All those Liberals, gays, feminists, the ACLU, pagans and abortionists are in hell just like I knew they would be."
Now Falwell is being moved to tears. He just can't believe that this place could be so perfect. All of a sudden he begins to hear the sound of rain and thunder. Next comes some sort of music, a beat and some backround music. It is getting louder. He begins to notice that all the men had stopped and have begun to look up. Just then he hears a women's voice, the voice of Martha Walsh. "This doesn't seem right." Falwell quietly and nervously thinks to himself.
Suddenly the voice becomes clear, "Hi - Hi! We're your Weather Girls, Ah-huh, And have we got news for you. You better listen! Get ready, all you lonely girls and leave those umbrellas at home." "Omigod no" Falwell says to himself in despair.
THe voice continues "Humidity is rising, Barometer's getting low." "No, no, no. This isn't happening." Falwell pleads. The voice comes back, "According to all sources, the street's the place to go." "But I prayed and followed so closely your teachings." Falwells thinks he says to Christ.
Martha's voice gets louder, "Cause tonight for the first time. Just about half-past ten"
He looks over at Ron but Ron no longer is wearing his suit. Instead he shed it for some pink hot pants, mesh shirt and a feather boa. "Ron, I thought you said you all were Republicans?" Jerry begs. "But we are Jerry, were Log Cabin Republicans." Jerry falls to the ground in tears, assumes the fetal position and begins to rock back and forth as the voice now booms, "For the first time in history It's gonna start raining men."
See you in Hell Falwell
Of course, this is Falwell's own personal hell.
After his last heart beat, Jerry Falwell leaves the natural world.
He looks up and sees a bright light and a voice telling him to come into the light. "This is it," he tells himself, "This is what I have been preparing myself for all these years." 'Finally I can meet Jesus, Moses and the rest."
He walks into the light and comes out on the other side. Looking around he realizes that it isn't quite how he pictured it. "Where are the Pearly Gates" he thinks to himself. "Where is St. Peter?"
He begins to walk around to see what his environs are. He notices a lot of men, actually it is all men. "I knew it. Women are evil. They got us kicked out of Eden." The men around are all nicely dressed, many of them in suits and ties. "Not bad." He thinks to himself.
It isn't long until he decides to approach one of the men in a suit. Jerry Falwell walks up and introduces himself, "Hi, I'm Jerry Falwell." The man responds, "I know who you are. We've actually all been waiting for you. My name is Ron, I was a business man when I was alive." "Ooh, a capitalist, this place is right on." Falwell thinks to himself.
"A business man, what kind of business man?" Jerry probes. "Oh, I worked in the energy sector, you know, the extraction of resources from the ground." Ron informs him. At this point Falwell is almost beside himself.
Jerry decides to do a little more digging. "Were you into politics when you were alive?" Jerry asks. "You had to be when you were in my business." Ron answers. Falwell puts two and two together and asks the kicker, "You were a Republican weren't you?"
"Of course, we are all Republicans here." Ron tells him. "Sweet Hosannas, I knew it. Heaven is full of Republican men. All those Liberals, gays, feminists, the ACLU, pagans and abortionists are in hell just like I knew they would be."
Now Falwell is being moved to tears. He just can't believe that this place could be so perfect. All of a sudden he begins to hear the sound of rain and thunder. Next comes some sort of music, a beat and some backround music. It is getting louder. He begins to notice that all the men had stopped and have begun to look up. Just then he hears a women's voice, the voice of Martha Walsh. "This doesn't seem right." Falwell quietly and nervously thinks to himself.
Suddenly the voice becomes clear, "Hi - Hi! We're your Weather Girls, Ah-huh, And have we got news for you. You better listen! Get ready, all you lonely girls and leave those umbrellas at home." "Omigod no" Falwell says to himself in despair.
THe voice continues "Humidity is rising, Barometer's getting low." "No, no, no. This isn't happening." Falwell pleads. The voice comes back, "According to all sources, the street's the place to go." "But I prayed and followed so closely your teachings." Falwells thinks he says to Christ.
Martha's voice gets louder, "Cause tonight for the first time. Just about half-past ten"
He looks over at Ron but Ron no longer is wearing his suit. Instead he shed it for some pink hot pants, mesh shirt and a feather boa. "Ron, I thought you said you all were Republicans?" Jerry begs. "But we are Jerry, were Log Cabin Republicans." Jerry falls to the ground in tears, assumes the fetal position and begins to rock back and forth as the voice now booms, "For the first time in history It's gonna start raining men."
See you in Hell Falwell
Of course, this is Falwell's own personal hell.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Founding of Mother's Day
Mother's Day Proclamation - 1870
by Julia Ward Howe
Arise then...women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts!
Whether your baptism be of water or of tears!
Say firmly:
"We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage,
For caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country,
Will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."
From the voice of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with
Our own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm!
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe our dishonor,
Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil
At the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home
For a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace...
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God -
In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality,
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And the earliest period consistent with its objects,
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.
by Julia Ward Howe
Arise then...women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts!
Whether your baptism be of water or of tears!
Say firmly:
"We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage,
For caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country,
Will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."
From the voice of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with
Our own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm!
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe our dishonor,
Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil
At the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home
For a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace...
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God -
In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality,
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And the earliest period consistent with its objects,
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Thursday, May 03, 2007
God damn popular artists.
Here is a song by the artist P!nk. I was never really a fan of hers but this song is probably the most biting mainstream song so far.
Here is James Blunt, who's music I can not stand. THough this song, which I bet is about his time as a PeaceKeeper, is quite timely.
SO why the hell are these some of the only mainstream music artists producing music like this? Is that the music industry is so money hungry that they don't care about humans or art for that matter. I have no forum but I try. I write to the local newspaper and get my stuff read by thousands. Pop music artists have millions that they could reach but are either to fucking scared, of some percieved Dixie Chicks treatment, or don't give a rat's ass about anyone other than themselves. My guess is that it is the latter.
Here is James Blunt, who's music I can not stand. THough this song, which I bet is about his time as a PeaceKeeper, is quite timely.
SO why the hell are these some of the only mainstream music artists producing music like this? Is that the music industry is so money hungry that they don't care about humans or art for that matter. I have no forum but I try. I write to the local newspaper and get my stuff read by thousands. Pop music artists have millions that they could reach but are either to fucking scared, of some percieved Dixie Chicks treatment, or don't give a rat's ass about anyone other than themselves. My guess is that it is the latter.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Poor Former Director of the C.I.A.
In the last few days a lot has been said about the new "tell all" book from former C.I.A. Director George Tenet. What I find the most interesting about this is the "slam dunk" comment. According to Cheney and his evil minions, Tenet told them that Saddam's possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction, was a "slam dunk."
According to Tenet his "slam dunk" comment was about how easy it would be to sell "WMD" to the US public. No shit. He is saying that he never said Saddam's holding of "WMDs" was a "slam dunk" but instead said lying to Americans is a "slam dunk."
What bullshit.
According to Tenet his "slam dunk" comment was about how easy it would be to sell "WMD" to the US public. No shit. He is saying that he never said Saddam's holding of "WMDs" was a "slam dunk" but instead said lying to Americans is a "slam dunk."
What bullshit.
I Don't Get It.
Why the hell do these shows keep bringing this Bozo on? He hasn't gotten a single thing right in years. This kind of asshole gets invited on a news show, even though he got everything wrong, but where is Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky, Amy Goodman, and on and on......
Sometimes I really wish I believed in Hell or Karma or some sort of mythical justice.
Sometimes I really wish I believed in Hell or Karma or some sort of mythical justice.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
