For the naive - please read

U.S. pays Iraqi papers to run stories
Employees of firm with Pentagon contract pose as freelancers to place soldiers' articles
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/30/MNGKAG0AS21.DTL&feed=rss.news
"The arrangement with Lincoln Group is evidence of how far the Pentagon has moved to blur the traditional boundaries between military public affairs -- the dissemination of truthful information to the media -- and psychological and information operations, which use propaganda and sometimes misleading information to advance the objectives of a military campaign. "

Oh, and you should understand that these "stories" are then picked up by the US media, and reported on here at home.
As stated in the above article: ""There is no longer any way to separate foreign media from domestic media. Those neat lines don't exist anymore," said one private contractor who does information operations work for the Pentagon."

- Vox

Part of the problem with our warmongering "leaders"

This exchange between Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Gen. Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as they stood addressing the media at the Pentagon's news conference on Tuesday (11/29):

"A reporter asked Pace what U.S. commanders in Iraq are supposed to do if they find Iraqi forces abusing prisoners. Pace replied that if inhumane treatment is observed it is a service member's duty to stop it.

"I don't think you mean they have an obligation to physically stop it — it's to report it," Rumsfeld said, turning to Pace.

Replied the general: "If they are physically present when inhumane treatment is taking place, sir, they have an obligation to try to stop it.""

(link)

The Bush Victory Strategy

Well, here it is.

http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2005/images/11/30/iraq.strategy.pdf

Canadians Vote to Throw Out Government

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20051129/D8E65BJ80.html
"(Prime Minister Paul) Martin has had frosty relations with the White House, standing by the Liberal Party decision not to support the U.S. invasion of Iraq. He also declined to join in Washington's continental ballistic missile shield, infuriating the Bush administration, has been called weak on terrorism, and was vocal in his opposition of high U.S. tariffs on Canadian lumber. His push to legalize gay marriage throughout Canada also raised the hackles of Republicans south of the 49th parallel, but Martin is widely respected worldwide for Canada's neutrality and open arms toward immigrants and minorities.
Canada's Conservatives, by contrast, are seen as much more receptive to improving relations with Washington, though a majority of Canadians opposed the war in Iraq and the policies of President Bush."

Interesting to see how this plays out.

- Vox

Randy "Duke" Cunningham. May everyone know his name

Congressman resigns after bribery plea
California Republican admits selling influence for $2.4 million
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/11/28/cunningham/index.html
"Asked by U.S. District Judge Larry Burns if he had accepted cash and gifts and then tried to influence the Defense Department on behalf of the donors (those donors being defense contractors - Vox), Cunningham said, "Yes, your honor.""
"...Cunningham acknowledged a conspiracy (GASP! A conspiracy! Oh no! (emphasis by Vox)) to commit bribery, mail and wire fraud and tax evasion."

I thought this was funny:"...I misled my family, friends, staff, colleagues, the public, and even myself." Hey, he's not guilty! He was misled! - Vox

This guy, a former Navy man, is a disgrace. May his name be disgraced for generations to come. Oh, and his political party is...who cares!

- Vox

The new National Anthem

Can someone please share their thoughts on this question: WHEN DID THE SONG "GOD BLESS AMERICA" BECOME OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM?

It's not our national anthem, you say? Well, it's played at baseball games to start the 7th inning stretch (every game at Yankee Stadium since Sept. 11). And, as illustrated by the controversy surrounding Carlos Delgado's decision to not stand with his team during the playing of the song, it's pretty much a requirement that you stand for it.

WHY? Why is it somehow UN-patriotic to not stand for a song that IS NOT your national anthem? I would think that STANDING for this song, and affording it the same show of reverence as is required for the national anthem of your country would be UNPATRIOTIC, no?

Are we just mindless Lemmings simply doing as we're told without thought or question?

- Vox

An athlete with a conscience, update

Delgado to stand with Mets during 'God Bless America'
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2239461
"I gave him my views on that subject and I also said I would not put myself in front of the team," Delgado said. "The Mets have a policy that everybody should stand for 'God Bless America' and I will be there. I will not cause any distractions to the ballclub.""

I respect his decision to reverse his earlier decision. I still look forward to hearing his thoughts on different subjects.

- Vox

An athlete with a conscience

Yay! The Mets got Carlos Delgado.

In case you don't know who he is, besides being one heck of a hitter, he actually thinks, too.

Delgado has "...attracted attention for protesting the U.S.-Iraq war by refusing to stand when "God Bless America" was played at major league ballparks."

- Vox

Iraqi leaders call on U.S. to set withdrawal schedule

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/11/22/iraq.conference.ap/
"Reaching out to the Sunni Arab community, Iraqi leaders called for a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces and said Iraq's opposition had a "legitimate right" of resistance."

U.S. admits using white phosphorous as weapon

Tuesday, Nov. 8th 2005, on Democracy Now!
Lieutenant Colonel Steve Boylan (spokesperson for the U.S. military in Iraq): "I know of no cases where people were deliberately targeted by the use of white phosphorus."

One week later, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2005:
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/11/16/white.phosphorous.ap/
"Lt. Col. Barry Venable, a Pentagon spokesman, said that while white phosphorous is used most frequently to mark targets or obscure positions, it was used at times in Falluja as an incendiary weapon against enemy combatants."
Venable also said "It was not used against civilians."

Yeah, right. Stay tuned.

- Vox

The manipulation of evidence to go to war, Part II

Another very good article, please read and be informed. I would say it was well researched, but y'know, this stuff isn't hard to find. - Vox
Congress had far less information than White House had

The manipulation of evidence to go to war

This is a very good article. The author gives links to the mainstream articles supporting the evidence. Please read and balance against our presidents denials. - Vox
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2005_11/007556.php
"...the issue here is not who was right and who was wrong, or even whether the overall weight of the evidence was sufficient to justify the war. It would have been perfectly reasonable for the White House to present all the evidence pro and con and then use that evidence to make the strongest possible case for war. But that's not what they did. Instead, they suppressed any evidence that might have thrown doubt on their arguments, making it impossible for the public to evaluate what they were saying..."

And don't think I'm taking our congresspeople off the hook. For those that were involved in the deception, they should be tried for treason. For those who were duped and intimidated into not looking deeper before authorizing war, they should not be in Washington representing us, the people on whose shoulders these decisions fall.
- Vox

Halliburton and the Gulf Coast slaves

"Halliburton and its subcontractors hired hundreds of undocumented Latino workers to clean up after Katrina -- only to mistreat them and throw them out without pay."

Why Indeed Did the WTC Buildings Collapse?

"ABSTRACT
In writing this paper, I call for a serious investigation of the hypothesis that WTC 7 and the Twin Towers were brought down, not just by damage and fires, but through the use of pre-positioned explosives. I consider the official FEMA, NIST, and 9-11 Commission reports that fires plus damage alone caused complete collapses of all three buildings. And I present evidence for the explosive-demolition hypothesis, which is suggested by the available data, testable and falsifiable, and yet has not been analyzed in any of the reports funded by the US government."

Read the actual report in full

- Vox.

Army Meets a Recruitment Goal

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/10/AR2005111001954.html?nav=rss_politics
"The Defense Department opened its new recruiting year with good news: announcing yesterday that the Army met its goal for October. But officials also said that the Army lowered the October recruiting goal by about a third from last year's."

Lesson: When you can't meet your goals, lower them.

- Vox

The Rule of One Thousand...

...strikes again!

Check out this article: "Poll: Most Americans doubt President Bush's honesty"
Very first paragraph: "Most Americans say they aren't impressed by the ethics and honesty of the Bush administration,..."
Very last paragraph: "The poll of 1,000 adults was conducted Nov. 7-9 by Ipsos, an international polling firm,..."

The Rule of One Thousand:
Look for the number of people surveyed in ANY poll, it will be on or around 1,000.

These are polls that headline, are quoted and used for discussion by the mainstream media. But 1,000 people? They have absolutely no significance at all.

- Vox

New link

Check out the new link I've included under the "Links" sidebar for the Drudge Retort. That's right: The Drudge RETORT. It regularly has some good news reports.

- Vox

While you are sleeping...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9602401/site/newsweek/
"The Pentagon would be granted new powers to conduct undercover intelligence gathering inside the United States - and then withhold any information about it from the public - under a series of little noticed provisions now winding their way through Congress. "

One day, whether you want to believe it or not, you're going to wake up, and the rights that you thought were yours as an American (you know, the ones you keep mouthing off about) are going to be only a memory.

- Vox

We are sooo loved

Americas summit protest turns violent
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/11/04/bush.summit/index.html
"Earlier in the day, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez led thousands of protesters in a rally against President Bush's policies."

I thought NAFTA was supposed to make everyone prosperous and happy.

- Vox

The next target?

U.S. Wants Total Ban of Israel Arms Sales to Venezuela
http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=92337
"The United States has told Israeli officials it wants a total freeze on arms sales to Venezuela, according to Defense News."

An interesting line from this article: "The American government last month overrode an Israeli contract to upgrade Venezuelan F-16 planes." Overrode an Israeli contract? How could we do that? I guess we are partners in arms dealing.
Also interesting: "...include(ing) those which are based on Israeli technology without American parts." So that means there are weapons based on Israeli technology with American parts. Again, I guess we are partners.

- Vox

Please tell me again, why are we there?

For all of you champions of a "sovereign" and "independent" Iraq:
Talabani: Iraq cannot stop US using bases against Syria
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=14909
"Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said he opposed military action against neighbouring Syria but lacked the power to prevent US troops from using his country as a launchpad if it chose to do so." (emphasis by Vox)
"I categorically refuse the use of Iraqi soil to launch a military strike against Syria or any other Arab country,...But at the end of the day my ability to confront the US military is limited and I cannot impose on them my will."

Gee, what is this called? A MILITARY OCCUPATION! (hmm, if a country is occupied by a foreign military that it does not control, is it truly "democratic"?)

- Vox

Abercrapy & Fitch-you!

Student 'girlcott' protests Abercrombie t-shirts
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-chifitch1103,0,2875928,print.story?coll=ny-hsports-allstars-features

Listen, when will people finally decide to STOP GIVING ABERCRAPY & FITCH THEIR MONEY!!! Please. I'm tired of hearing every time A&F does something ignorant and down-right offensive. Their shit ain't that trendy.

Oh, and repercussions shouldn't come from legislation (after all, it is a free country), it should come from THE PEOPLE. Just pass this store by.

- Vox