haiku
periwinkle floe
loose among Alaskan waters,
polar bears melt too
-ed coletti-
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Answer to Our First Political Trivia Feature: Question was: "Who said: 'I wonder if it isn't possible to get some of the people in these down-trodden countries to like us instead of hating us?' Hint: A US president during a National Security Council meeting on Iran." - Dwight
David Eisenhower- at an NSC meeting on March 4, 1953, in which Sec. of State Dulles proposed overthrowing the government of Iran in order to prevent a communist takeover ( which was not even talked about, let alone imminent) thereby potentially blocking Iranian oil supplies. As we know, Ike agreed in the end and within months the CIA engineered the overthrow of the Iranian prime minister putting the Shah in total power.I wonder if Ike's conscience and sense of having been manipulated might have led to his wonderful farewell address in which he warned the nation to beware of the military-industrial complex. I've developed quite a bit greater appreciation for Eisenhower after viewing the incredibly wonderful documentary "Why We Fight." Take a look at it, and you'll thank me.
(P2) Philosophical
A Chance Encounter With Rush Limbaugh
Last week I was driving near Live Oak, California, in the middle of nowhere, north of Yuba City and discovered my radio reception to be somewhat limited. However, Rush Limbaugh came in loud and clear on more than one station. I must explain that I seldom if ever tune in to listen to this jovial moral wretch and I'm well-aware that very few of you, my readers are likely to either. Still, when I heard the stentorian bravado-laden voice, I just decided (as I do once every year or so) to listen to what "the other side" is saying. What I heard totally shocked me.
Limbaugh announced that he was going to go "into depth" about why he "pokes fun" at the "global warming folk."
Reaction # 1 - "Folk"? In other words, the majority of the world's citizens -- those of us who recognize the real danger to our planet from climate change, are some different sort of "folks" to this demagogue. That wouldn't be so bad except that other "folk" actually listen to him. He announces that they must listen only to him because he is the repository of all "truth."
So, not quite with baited breath, I awaited the "in-depth" explanation of why he "poke(s) fun at the global warming folk." The alarmingly slim "depth" was the following: "The global warming folks are all a bunch of lefties, socialists, and communists." I kid you not, that was what he said and just about all he said.
He then went on to "discuss" what manly men do when they play manly sports like -- yes, Golf.
I finally turned to another station when he explained that, on the golf course, when a guy hits a shot "a little fat," he (Limbaugh of all people -- and I use the term loosely), refers to that as "hitting it a bit Oprah."
All this would just be exceedingly juvenile if Limbaugh and his listening zombies, in fact were below voting age. Unfortunately they are not, so I bring this to you to convey a better sense of what's actually out there.
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(P3) Political
Please Support the Dept. of Peace
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Action Alert Dear Ed, On February 5th, 2007, legislation to establish a U. S. Department of Peace was re-introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives. The new bill number is HR 808. We need your support to help make this bill law; call, fax and/or email your Representative and also spread the word to everyone you know (you can copy this alert and forward to your email address book.) Nothing you can do will have as much impact as contacting your member of Congress today. Further instructions are given below. TAKE ACTION NOW! *** CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE *** *** WRITE YOUR REPRESENTATIVE *** http://www.thepeacealliance.org/action ***CONTACT SENATORS*** Join us now. Create a Department of Peace. Together, we can do this. ABOUT THE LEGISLATION There is currently a bill before the Houses of Representatives to establish a U.S. Department of Peace. This landmark measure will augment our current problem-solving options, providing practical, nonviolent solutions to the problems of domestic and international conflict. Domestically, the Department of Peace will develop policies and allocate resources to effectively reduce the levels of domestic and gang violence, child abuse, and various other forms of societal discord. Internationally, the Department will advise the President and Congress on the most sophisticated ideas and techniques regarding peace-creation among nations. Learn more at The Peace Alliance website: http://www.ThePeaceAlliance.org HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE LEGISLATION:
-- Teach violence prevention and mediation to America's school children -- Effectively treat and dismantle gang psychology -- Rehabilitate the prison population -- Build peace-making efforts among conflicting cultures both here and abroad -- Support our military with complementary approaches to peace-building -- Create and administer a U.S. Peace Academy, acting as a sister organization to the U.S. Military Academy. -- And more… |
The Peace Alliance |
8 comments:
Regarding the Rush Limbaugh piece:
You should get an ipod for your car!
Loved your haiku. Everytime I see photos of those bears on the tiny ice floes I could cry.
Get Sirius satelite radio. There is a new all-NASCAR station now so you could start learning more about the country's second most popular sport (on TV)! (Tongue in cheek here, Eddie.) Plus, nearly unlimited music choices, of course.
Dear Ed,
I think you may be missing the bigger picture. I choose to listen to KSFO (conservative talk radio) on my morning commute and KQKE (progressive talk radio) on my evening commute. Why? Because it is important to me to hear what issues are driving both sides of politics. After all, if we refuse to listen to what the other side has to say, regardless of whether we agree or not, how will we communicate with each other? I could be wrong, but communication is the bedrock of democracy, no?
Regards,
Paul S.
On the Limbaugh blurb. I ran across an out of date copy of Outside mag which had something about each right wing media commentator. In that piece
Limbaugh was quoted as saying that future scientists will agree that George Bush was our greatest president, and that americans do not harm the earth, they help it.
Frank
Limbaugh’s a bully. We tend to forget that bullies are driven by not just insecurity, but real inferiority. I suspect his drug use has been to try and ease that pain. The worst thing to do with a bully is argue "issues." Remember back in high school? …a bully could be taken down not by listening his patter but by hitting him hard and relentlessly in his weakness -- his self-hatred and inferiority. But it’s dirty, risky work. I’m surprised no public person (journalist, politician) other than Al Franken ever tried. I suspect it’s because of Limbaugh’s clout, or more to the point, that of his backers. Anyway, we have to take solace in knowing he’ll run his course and, if not self-destruct, most probably die unhappy.
Mainstream news suffers the loss of viewers because they alienate 50% of voters when bias in the form of news masks as commentary. It may be corny to use the term fair and balanced, but that is the middle part of the American landscape. I conclude that lionizing Al Gore's documentary without balancing his theory with contrary scientific fact, or at the very least quote the Prime Minister of India (I think it was him)stating that there is no evidence of global warming and that, in his opinion, Al Gore is a nut. Let the folks decide or you run the risk of become\ing part of that flat-earth consensus that has ruled us for centuries.
Christopher Columbus
Bob,
I do read the science, and I don't know what your sources are, but well over 90 percent of earth scientists seem more than convinced about climate change or global warming. I do understand the desire to deny the horrible obvious, but as far as "flat earthers", right back atcha! Subscribing to this left wing media bias b.s. is buying into propaganda plied to the same nitwits that say the totally immoral invasion of Iraq actually had something to do with the attack on America on 9-11-01. Check out the comments of Michael Scheuer, head of the CIA's Bin Laden or Al Quaida Bureau, who says unequivocally that Iraq had nothing to do with the attack, and when the further attack on the US occurs, it will originate in Afghanistan or Pakistan (and eventually will involve a nuclear weapon). He further remarks that, if our government truly is interested in stopping further attacks (and it seems they are not), they should concentrate on those two countries, not on Iraq. As to Iraq, it feels like our powers that be believe, "It's so unlike God to plant our oil under their sand." To me, the whole mess feels like a kid who, after murdering his parents, complains about being an orphan.
My two cents.
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