Some lyrics from Ani Difranco reflecting the hypocrisy of this action:
a bullet came to visit a doctor
in his one safe place
a bullet ensuring the right to life
whizzed past his kid and his wife
and knocked his glasses right off of his face
and the blood poured off the pulpit
yeah the blood poured down the picket lines
and the hatred was immediate, yeah
and the vengence was divine
so they went and stuffed god down the barrel of a gun
and after him they stuffed his only son
This editorial by Andy Rooney almost perfectly echoes my sentiments about leaving Iraq.
The people of Iraq never had what we have. They don’t understand democracy and there’s no great demand for it from the people. The history of the region is hundreds of years of tribal war.
Iraq is a disaster state. The people are largely uneducated, any government they’ve had has been corrupt and they produce almost nothing of any value but oil. The women weave some nice rugs but it’s a cottage industry. Their oil is an accident of nature. The country ended up on an ocean of it.
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It would otherwise be nothing more than politically embarrassing if Bush came out and admitted he was wrong. Most Americans, and certainly those who voted for him, would not only accept it, but they’d like him for it.
This editorial by Andrew Greeley brings up many good points about rural versus urban America. The rural won on 11/2/04, but the cities cannot be ignored. They are the center(s) of our nation.
Negotiators Add Abortion Clause to Spending Bill (no reg link)
House and Senate negotiators have tucked a potentially far-reaching anti-abortion provision into a $388 billion must-pass spending bill, complicating plans for Congress to wrap up its business and adjourn for the year.
The provision may be an early indication of the growing political muscle of social conservatives who provided crucial support for Republican candidates, including President Bush, in the election.
And your weekly creationism in schools story:
Pennsylvania School District Retreats from Evolution
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A Pennsylvania school district on Friday defended its decision to discount Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and take a lead in teaching what critics say is a version of creationism.
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Proponents of intelligent design argue that the complexity of nature is such that it could not have occurred by chance, as Darwinian theory holds, and so must have been created by some all-powerful force.
This is what I put in my AIM profile after the election.
I can’t believe how hateful and redneck our country has become. Can we please join you, Canada?
Q: What’s the difference between the Republican Party and the Taliban?
A: The Taliban wore turbans and the Republicans wear suits.
Thank you, red states, for bringing us one giant step closer to a theocracy. Next time, vote with your mind, not with your bible.
Yesterday’s slave owners are today’s Bush supporters.
