jon-david schlough

Assylum Street Spankers "Stick Magnetic Ribbons On Your SUV"

In the interest of full disclosure, and before friends berate me for hypocrisy - I do drive an SUV. I would like to point out, though, that it's only a 6-cylinder engine and I get pretty decent mileage.

Peace Takes Courage

Peace Takes Courage, What would Jesus do? Powerful stuff.

I'm driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, "George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan." And I dad, and then God would tell me, "George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq..." and I did.

                                      -George W. Bush, June 2003

Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth.

Help.

President Bush at Johns Hopkins Intl. Studies:

In response to a question about what laws govern US Military subcontractors in Iraq:

On Rumsfeld - "I was gonna ask him.....go ahead. Help."

"I wadn't kidding.....I don't mean to be dodging the question, although it's pretty convienient in this case."

"That's how I work...I'm a....thanks."

CBS News | Report: 108 Died In U.S. Custody | March 16, 2005�11:30:03

While 99% of our men and women in uniform serve our country with honor, it seems that abuse is more prevalent then previously thought. The article notes that the Pentagon has never released any stats on POWs and enemy combatants. Congress and the people have a right to know the facts about the war, and this is another situation in which the Bush administration lacks transparency and, more importantly, accountability..

Link: CBS News | Report: 108 Died In U.S. Custody | March 16, 2005 11:30:03.

Some 65,000 prisoners have been taken during the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

(AP) At least 108 people have died in American custody in Iraq and Afghanistan, most of them violently, according to government data provided to The Associated Press.

UPDATE1 - Keep An Eye on the Fear Metrics, and Cheney's War Drums

And it begins - didn't take as long as I expected. Yesterday, I said::

"Bush's propoganda machine will be out beating the fear drums harder and harder as the Fear Metrics decline"
                                                                                                                                    -me, yesterday

Today's HOMEPAGE HEADLINE on CNN.com, complete with scary gas mask image::

Survey: 'High Risk' of WMD attack within decade

The chance of an attack with a weapon of mass destruction somewhere in the world in the next 10 years runs as high as 70 percent, arms experts have predicted in a U.S. survey. The most likely scenario is a nuclear attack by terrorists with a weapon made of black-market materials. Most of the more than 80 experts surveyed also believed that as many as five countries could join the nuclear club during the next decade.

Keep An Eye on the Fear Metrics, and Cheney's War Drums

My bet is that we're going to have a terrorist scare soon, or Bush's propoganda machine will be out beating the fear drums harder and harder as the Fear Metrics decline, or both. Complacency with war and the current administration's policies depend on Americans being afraid. You can bet the neocon war-mongers are watching this polling data, thinking about racheting up the fear rhetoric.

Link: CNN.com - Poll shows Americans Less Afraid

June::
31 percent : attack somewhat likely
63 percent : not likely

December::
38 percent : attack somewhat likely
51 percent : not likely

"The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."
                            -Nazi leader Herman Goering, Nuremburg Trials

How Far Bush's Propoganda has come - CBS News | Text Of Bush News Conference | March 7, 2003 09:31:20

Some cherries, all from President Bush 3.6.2003 ::

"I pray for peace, April. I pray for peace. "

"The life of the Iraqi citizen's going to dramatically improve. "

"...the American people know that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction.

"Saddam Hussein and his weapons are a direct threat to this country, to our people and to all free people. "

"And I've got good evidence to believe that. He has weapons of mass destruction, and he has used weapons of mass destruction in his neighborhood and on his own people. He's invaded countries in his neighborhood. He tortures his own people. He's a murderer. He has trained and financed al Qaeda-type organizations before — al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. "

"The attacks of September the 11th, 2001, show what the enemies of America did with four airplanes. We will not wait to see what terrorists or terrorist states could do with weapons of mass destruction. "

"I recognize there are people who don't like war. I don't like war. "

"There is a poison plant in northeast Iraq."

"It's in our national interest as well that we deal with Saddam Hussein. "

"September the 11th should say to the American people that we are now a battlefield, that weapons of mass destruction in the hands of a terrorist organization could be deployed here at home. "

"Saddam Hussein is a threat to our nation. September the 11th changed the strategic thinking, at least as far as I was concerned, for how to protect our country. My job is to protect the American people. "

"Iraq is a part of the war on terror. Iraq is a country that has got terrorist ties, it's a country with wealth, it's a country that trains terrorists, a country that could arm terrorists. And our fellow Americans must understand, in this new war against terror, that we not only must chase down al Qaeda terrorists, we must deal with weapons of mass destruction as well. "

"I believe Saddam Hussein is a threat to the American people. I believe he's a threat to the neighborhood in which he lives. "

Link: CBS News | Text Of Bush News Conference | March 7, 2003 09:31:20.

Stratribune.com - Partisan Opinion Columns Presented as News

The StarTribune, eveidently, thinks opinion columns should be presented as news with no indication whatsoever of the nature of the article. What journalistic integrity! What objectivity!

More and more, the Strib is showing its true colors as journalistic lapdogs of Minnesota Neo-Conservatives and a willing participant in the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Wolfowitz MSM propoganda machine - pounding the drums for war and trying desperatly to convince Minnesotans that the Downing Street Memo means nothing...and we should not be concerned that 'the facts were being fixed around the policy.'

Today they are running the following article from the Washington Post - which is NOWHERE to be found in the news->politics section of the Washington Post - not even under 'TOday's Op-Eds' - it's an OPINION COLUMN by Dana WIlbanks. IF you actually look at the WPost online, they have an entire section devoted to the DSM and held a Q/A yesterday with its original reporter, Michael Smith. And, despite WIlbanks' claim that Senate Democrats are not paying any attention, it was mentioned in the Bolton confirmation hearings by Democrats in the Senate. Nice facts Wilbanks, way to reprint lies Star Tribune!

Check the FRONTPAGE of the Pioneer Press.

I wrote an email yesterday to the Strib challenging them to really cover DSM and do some actual journalism instead of printing neo-conservative opinions as news. I have not heard back.

War Profiteers

Ever wonder who makes all the money from Government contracts around WAR?

Brought to you by Ruckus.org, the War Profiteer Deck of Cards. Really interesting, frightening, and true.

Canuks Callout CondI

From BoingBoing::::

Canadian politico tears Condi Rice a new one
Dave sez, "Former Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs and UN bigshot Lloyd Axeworthy published this scathing open letter to Condi Rice."

I know it seems improbable to your divinely guided master in the White House that mere mortals might disagree with participating in a missile-defence system that has failed in its last three tests, even though the tests themselves were carefully rigged to show results.

But, gosh, we folks above the 49th parallel are somewhat cautious types who can't quite see laying down billions of dollars in a three-dud poker game.

As our erstwhile Prairie-born and bred (and therefore prudent) finance minister pointed out in presenting his recent budget, we've had eight years of balanced or surplus financial accounts. If we're going to spend money, Mr. Goodale added, it will be on day-care and health programs, and even on more foreign aid and improved defence.

Sure, that doesn't match the gargantuan, multi-billion-dollar deficits that your government blithely runs up fighting a "liberation war" in Iraq, laying out more than half of all weapons expenditures in the world, and giving massive tax breaks to the top one per cent of your population while cutting food programs for poor children.