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TechnoratiWhile you're watching this fireworks this July 4th, take a moment to reflect on the words of International Atomic Energy Director Muhammad Al-Baradei, who said that a military strike on Iran would "turn the Middle East into a ball of fire." Also take a moment to reflect on just how far we have strayed from our nation's origins as a struggle for freedom and against the domination of an abusive empire.
George Washington cautioned our new nation against the "mischiefs of foreign intrigue". Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison all warned that the invasion and occupation of other lands would turn America into precisely the sort of occupying force they had rebelled against. "If there be one principle more deeply written than any other in the mind of every American," Thomas Jefferson said in 1791, "it is that we should have nothing to do with conquest."
Our founding fathers who fought against empire and foreign entanglements would be horrified that right before leaving for the July 4th break, Congress passed-and George Bush signed--the largest funding bill ever for the continued occupation of Iraq. Ignoring the will of the American people to end the war in Iraq, the Democrat-controlled Congress didn't even make any pretenses of trying to set a timetable for withdrawal or new benchmarks for evaluating progress. They passed the money with no restrictions whatsoever. Worse yet, they gave the President way more than he asked for ($108 billion) so they could avoid another war funding debate before the November election. There is now enough money in the pipeline to keep the war going until the end of June 2009, saddling a new president with an old, failed policy.
Not only has the 110th Congress failed to force any changes to Bush's open-ended war policy, it seems hell-bent on dragging us into a war with Iran. Instead of applying the lessons of the recent diplomatic success with North Korea-if we can negotiate with the super-secretive North Koreans surely we can negotiate with the far more open leadership of Iran-we are careening into another disaster. Take a moment to read the appalling language of House Resolution 362, sponsored by "liberal" New York Congressman Gary Ackerman with over 200 cosponsors . The arrogance of empire that underlies this resolution is stunning. It calls for imposing stringent inspection requirements "on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains, and cargo entering or departing Iran." Do we really want to blockade Iran's borders? Wouldn't Iran be justified to view this as an act of war? As the Seattle Post-Intelligencer asked in a June 24 editorial, "Are supporters of Res. 362 asleep at the wheel, or are they just anxious to drag us into another illegal war?"
Poll after poll shows that the American people want to bring our troops home from Iraq and do not want to get bogged down in another war. A May 19-21 Gallup Poll found that 6 in 10 Americans (59%) think it would be a good idea for the president of the United States to meet with the president of Iran. We want our leaders to use diplomacy to solve disputes, not violence. And with our nation confronting soaring gas prices, a rising jobless rate, and a shaky stock market, we can't afford to keep spending $12 billion a month on war.
So this July 4th, be a true patriot. Take some action to stop the U.S. domination of Iraq and prevent a new, even more disastrous war with Iran. Educate your friends and neighbors, write a letter to the editor, sign a petition. Call your elected officials (202-224-3121) and the offices of the presidential candidates and tell them not to support House Resolution 362 (Senate version Resolution 580), which is a prelude to war with Iran. Do something to move us towards a foreign policy our founding fathers would be proud of-a policy, as Thomas Jefferson urged, that would have "nothing to do with conquest."
Medea Benjamin (medea@globalexchange.org) is cofounder of Global Exchange (www.globalexchange.org) and CODEPINK: Women for Peace (www.codepinkalert.org).
36 Comments so far
Show AllTake a drink of water, Turce, and re-read my post.
I never said that I dislike speakers of other languages. What I said was that no other speakers of foreign languages were/are accommodated as are those that speak Spanish.
In other words, Why the favoritism? That shouldn't be read by anyone as a dislike of anyone that speaks any foreign language. How you got there I do not know.
Perhaps it was my question, Why Celtic?
It was a logical question. All I was asking is why that language family in particular was picked out. Pure query. No motive other than curiosity.
Yes, A. Scott. I have Scottish ancestry. (Celtic, by the way is not a language, but a family of languages.)
The tie one might wear, is an ascot - single 't'. (I've never worn one.)
No, I am not a member of the elite. No one who's read my posts honestly would come away with that impression.
If, on the other hand, by 'elite,' you mean educated, literate, and able to write a post without resorting to vulgarities and (undeserved) ad hominem attacks, then, to a limited extent, I am an 'elite.' (My bank account denies the more accepted definition.)
As for 'rant': well, there is nothing about my post that resembles a rant, (unlike yours).
Definitely some race of evil aliens, hellbent on destroying Planet Earth!!!
yeah...
Most definitely.
Hmmmmm...
maybe that should've been Eweassaliens...
(Definitely some alien race, hellbent on destroying Planet Earth!)
MM...
I think faux is like,... fake or artificial or covered with some kind of veneer or somethin'...
kind of like the youassholians that are voting for world domination here in amerika at this juncture...
wm,, N.Cal
PS to Ascot: about "faux-liberal" - what does "faux" mean? I can't find it in any dictionary. Is it a foreign word?
Mark Marshall
Toronto
dcbeltway July 4th, 2008 12:42 pm
Jefferson and Washington were wise thinkers. What an era that was to live in. Its too bad we don't have the same in charge now.
Thats the God's truth!
willybill July 4th, 2008 2:20 pm
You have it right. We are responsible, we are the ones allowing it.
eileenfleming July 4th, 2008 2:54 pm
Amen!
cryptopathocracy July 4th, 2008 3:09 pm
Since I and most liberals are Patriotic, I of course disagree with you.
I sincerely believe its quite possible to disagree with someone without personal insults and bad language. Its easier to make a point with clearly worded (I know, mine aren't sometimes) arguments.
Its our Independance day. Go north and say some things said here and they will haul you into court. Thats the nearest example.
Ascott - 8:09 - Thank you for the feedback to my posting. You say that my use of the term "Usanian" is puerile, linguistically naive, faux-liberal and illiterate. Why?
Mark Marshall
Toronto
Independance Day, but for whom?
"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you murder the hater; but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate....Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King
"Every gun that is made, every warship that is launched, every rocket fired signifies , in the final sense, a theft from the those who hunger and are not fed, from those who are cold and are not clothed, this world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron." Dwight D. Eisenhower
Happy July Fourth all you citizens
Oh ASCOTT, you were the fucknut, not Mike Marshall, sorry Mike Marshall, ascott, one of the elite, doesn't approve of non-English speaking people. In the land of ASCOTT, this is the only language.
ASCOTT are you the Murderer, I mean bush? Yet wearing an ascott. I know it means, I hope it means 'a Scott'.
You were screaming at both of us, how nice of you, putz. So in ASCOTT's case, please stop SHOUTING AT PEOPLE AND IF YOU DON"T LIKE WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY, what did your Mother teach you? If you do not have anything nice to say....
Mike Marshall, I apologize to you, I read this Ascottish guy's rant, when it said Mike Marshall all in CAPS I presumed it was signed BY Mike Marshall, so all of the ranting I did at you in the above posts was for ascott, he was critiqueing both of us. Take a look at what time I reposted, long, long day.
Oh, Mike fucking Marshall, ascott? Are you serious, pot calling the kettle there boy!
Hey there Mark Marshall, you are a dumbass. Suppose you'd like it all, everywhere all the time in any place in all corners of every part of the world all the time that it was in that good ol' English!
May I graciously add, never fucking ever tell me what to say ever again, scari senim, cok' deli domus!
For the language of MARK MARSHALL press 2.
They do that too, for the same simple reason they make you go through any prompt for a bank, less employees to answer phones keeps MIKE MARSHALL from acting like a droll, pompous ass by the time they have someone available, Christ. Calm down, but do not ever tell me what to say, I've taken enough of that bullshit.
Why is it naivete' and you do not like Celts either MIKE MARSHALL. faux-liberal, thats a new one. not literate, golly gee MIKE MARSHALL, thanks!~
You don't care for fakes or liberals or both, just the combination, and you don't care for Celts either? It's my lineage, so sorry to offend you fucknut.
" marxistsocialist July 4th, 2008 3:47 pm
Hello all: Here is an article about the truth about Ingrid Betancourt release (it is in spanish)"
Thanks for the article. It needs to be translated so that our more nationalistic liberals can also see what's behind this great rescue during McCain's Colombia visit. By demographics, we should all take Spanish as a second language.
Our Founding Fathers instructed future generations that, should government ever ignore the will of the people, then patriots have a right and a duty to remove those in office by whatever means necessary.
So -- how do we organize today's patriots to march to Washington and take our country back?
One of the Indian Newpapers ran a headline "Celebrations of the Independence Day of America". I thought: what? Independence day? Independence from whom? It was the Native Americans who lost their independence when the European Christians massacred about 18 million Native Americans, the owners of the land, and built an empire on their land. It was the Africans who were denied of independence (in that about 10 million Africans lost their lives), when they were treacherously and forcefully brought to this new found empire as slaves and made them to develop it for the benefit of the European Christian violent, oppressive and exploitative generation. George Washington, Jefferson and Madison were part of this generation. (Read: Howard Zinn, People's History of the United States; David E. Stannard, American Holocaust).
So what does July 4th celebrations represent? It is nothing but the public frenzy and euphoria of genocidal violence, death and destruction, occupation and plunder, and empire building. It is nothing but celebration of their bloodthirsty God in a holocaust of innocent human flesh and blood. As the Gospel of John says: "(A)n hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God" (John 16.2).
The unprecedented disregard of history by this president and his team defies logic. Instead they have based their policies on the whims of pro-war proponents with no military service or relevant understanding, religious right radicals, and directives from the energy cartels.
Blame for the disastrous consequences of these abuses lie mainly on our legislators for defaulting their sworn duties by tolerating these abuses, and our apathetic populace for standing by and doing nothing.
"As the Seattle Post-Intelligencer asked in a June 24 editorial, "Are supporters of Res. 362 asleep at the wheel, or are they just anxious to drag us into another illegal war?"
After repeatedly turning the crank, the monkey thinks it has no need of the organ grinder.
TURCE
Why Celtic?
I'll tell you two reasons that those 'Press # for English, press # for Spanish drive me nuts:
1. No speakers of any other language have been/are so accommodated.
2. It takes up so much time unnecessarily: separate telephone numbers would work better.
MARK MARSHALL
Save the "Usanians" crud. It's puerile. It's linguistically naive. It's faux-liberal hogwash - and not even a literate version.
marxistsocialist - do you have a version in Mandarin for the Spanish speakers???
willybill - I did like the flowers...
the rest of it reminds me of marxistsocialist's 2:15 post about "spacegoats".
forgot to add they deleted that one too.
speaking of comment threads en Espanol, I was finally starting to think the local rag was coming around, I hounded them unmercifully about certain things and they've finally started to referring to the "Iraqi Invasion", instead of war. Today, somm ass taht has a byline starts bemoaning the fact of, "Why should he have to listen to, If you speak Spanish choose Option 1 in Spanish!", he lives in the US, blah yadda blah..
I suppose they should say in in Celtic?
Albeit on another thread asshole WORDPRESS, deleted an html link and then I just used the site address, they were just for Dennis new site.
cryptopathocracy July 4th, 2008 3:09 pm ..Thanks. BTW..Is there any particular item on that link you would care to dispute?
C'mon, now-- where are the Progressive Patriots to point out that Amerika is the ONLY country where people have the right to spam comments threads in Spanish! ;)
Medea! You are one of my heroes!
I am encouraged and cheered every time i see the CodePINK folk...and ya'll are EVERYWHERE!
Hello all: Here is an article about the truth about Ingrid Betancourt release (it is in spanish)
Show del siglo con burundanga: la liberación se pactó hace un mes
Por: José Sant Roz
Fecha de publicación: 03/07/08
El Presidente Chávez ya tenÃa conocimiento, hace meses, de que una operación de gran envergadura, estaba siendo comandada por norteamericanos. Pero no era una operación netamente militar, sino con mucho dinero de por medio. Es decir una operación Jaque Dólar. Luego del súbito silencio que sobrevino con la muerte de Reyes, en el que no se habló de más liberaciones, que se regó por el mundo que Ingrid se estaba muriendo, que tenÃa hepatitis, que no podÃa caminar, etc., la movilización del inmenso poder de inteligencia gringo armó un plan "que las FARC no podrÃan rechazar", y que estratégicamente sirviera también como un golpe a los gobiernos de Chávez y Correa. Comenzó un juego peligroso de componendas, de infiltraciones, de emisarios, que lograron contactar comandantes guerrilleros que a la vez estaban en tratos con jefes del Ejército colombiano y con los dueños de la Casa de Nariño. El acuerdo de liberación tenÃa que incluir a los mercenarios norteamericanos retenidos y que son funcionarios de la CIA. No habrÃa un solo herido, no habrÃa un solo muerto. Con esta acción se le quitaba de un solo golpe toda posible acción futura de Chávez o de Correa en los acuerdos humanitarios, en la liberación de los retenidos, en el entendido de que las FARC tenÃan mejores relaciones con Venezuela y Ecuador que con cualquiera otro paÃs (por lo que habÃan sufrido y venÃan padeciendo por trampas del macabro Ãlvaro Uribe). En medio de constantes desplazamientos, de situaciones tan adversas para mantener coordinada una organización asediada por mil poderosos enemigos, les resultaba sencillamente imposible seguir siendo el ojo del huracán de un conflicto que iba mucho más allá del compromiso de Colombia y del propio hemisferio. Las FARC, a través de unos de sus jefes se transaron por una negociación, recibirÃan una bola de billete y se quitarÃan de encima un trauma mortal. Lamentablemente, por otro lado, las FARC son, hoy, una organización profundamente corrompida por sus ligamentos con multitud de elementos que mueven mucho dinero.
Por eso, el mundo quedó estupefacto ayer: ¡QUÉ Fácil FUE EL RESCATE! ¡UN MILAGRO! "Una operación de pelÃcula, con inteligencia y sin hacer un solo disparo, las Fuerzas Militares de Colombia rescataron a 15 rehenes de la guerrilla de las FARC: la ex candidata presidencial Ingrid Betancourt, 3 estadounidenses y 11 funcionarios del Ejército y de la PolicÃa." Algunos de ellos llevaban más de 10 años en poder de las FARC, y qué sencillo resultó que los recogieran en un helicóptero en una remota localidad entre los departamentos selváticos de Guaviare y Vaupés, sureste colombiano.
Todo precisamente en los dÃas en que Ãlvaro Uribe se jugaba su destino polÃtico, y por arte de magia, tremendo golpe en medio de una visita de McCain, la bofetada de Correa a Uribe diciéndole que no tratará más con un gobierno indecente, cuando concluye la extraordinaria cumbre de MERCOSUR con resultados preocupantes para el Norte y en momentos en que chapotea por el Atlántico la IV flota.
Ante todo esto, se nos aparece una Ingrid que parece que hubiera tomado burundanga y comienza a poner a Uribe por la nubes, a decir que en Colombia todo está de maravillas, que la operación fue digna de las mejores acciones israelitas y que Venezuela y Ecuador deben respetar a Colombia. Se acuerdan cuando Martha Colomina dijo que la señora Yolanda Pulencio estaba loca, pues bien, ahora esta señora, en un todo de acuerdo con la fulana operación para nada se ha acordado de Chávez ni de la senadora Piedad Córdoba.
El sainete sólo se lo tragan los incautos. Veamos el cuento: La liberación ocurrió después de que miembros de inteligencia del Ejército se infiltraron en una cuadrilla de las FARC que custodiaba a los detenidos y convencieron al "comandante César", encargado de la custodia de los cautivos, de reunir en un solo sitio a los secuestrados, que estaban divididos en tres grupos, para llevarlos en un helicóptero perteneciente a una organización humanitaria ficticia a un lugar donde quedarÃan a órdenes de alias Alfonso Cano, máximo jefe del grupo guerrillero desde mayo, tras la muerte del fundador de esa guerrilla, Pedro Antonio MarÃn, alias Manuel Marulanda o Tirofijo. La cosa es digna de un guión para el ChapulÃn Colorado: "TenÃamos un infiltrado que le dijo al `comandante César' que se subiera un poco al helicóptero para darle más confianza, para que sintieran que la operación era válida y genuina". El jefe guerrillero y uno de sus hombres aceptaron viajar y, una vez en el aire, la tripulación reveló que eran militares y arrestaron a los rebeldes. Todo ello ocurrió en 22 minutos. Coño, estos tipos no merecen en ninguna parte del mundo llamarse guerrilleros, entonces. Tremendo paquete chileno les metieron, en momentos en que los presos claves están en la boca de todo el mundo. A esta chapuza la llamaron operación Jaque, sin precedentes en la historia de la humanidad, "por su audacia y efectividad, que deja muy en alto la calidad y el profesionalismo de las Fuerzas Armadas colombianas", dijo el ministro Juan Manuel Santos.
No hubo combate, eso fue todo una estrategia militar impecable".
No podÃa faltar el pimentón del gran cocido universal: el Gobierno de Estados Unidos colaboró con la Operación Jaque, reconoció en Washington Gordon Johndroe, portavoz del Consejo de Seguridad Nacional. Proporcionaron, dicen ellos, apoyo especÃfico junto con William Brownfield, y el jefe del Comando Sur del Ejército, el almirante James Stavridis.
En fin, toda una historia sólo para que se la traguen imbéciles.
jsantroz@gmail.com
_________________
hendrix
http://elhendrix.blogspot.com
http://elhendrix.com.ar
Golly gee whitakers! This article sure is golly-gee inspiring!
...can't wait to demonstrate against our red, white and blue government reps inside the razor-wire topped enclosed space 'demonstrator cage' like at the 2004 GOP NYC primary. Fascism on the 4th of July, anyone?
Methinks more clever liberal analysis and talk-talk like this article ain't gonna change a goddamn thing.
You're all a bunch of armchair liberals, chatting to each other while Rome burns.
Because Iran hasn't attacked another country since before the United States became a country, the Iranian hegemony that Congress refers to must have something to do with Iran's completely unreasonable desire to defend its own borders.
willybill - congrats, you seem to have come down from the ether - good post @1:06PM.
My problem with the article is way toooo much BS about patriotism.
Patriotism is sooo much horseshit - people should be first-most concerned about being truly human to each other - F the patriotism BS.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights...to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; and whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it." July 4, 1776. The Declaration of Independence
Founding Father George Washington warned in his Farewell Address - 1796
"Observe good faith and justice towards all nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all...and passionate attachments for others, should be excluded; and that, in place of them, just and amicable feelings towards all should be cultivated. The nation which indulges towards another a habitual hatred or a habitual fondness is in some degree a slave...a passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils."
My personal favorite and most radical of the FF's, Tom Paine said:
"Soon after I had published the pamphlet "Common Sense" [on Feb. 14, 1776] in America, I saw the exceeding probability that a revolution in the system of government would be followed by a revolution in the system of religion... The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion."
On with THAT revolution!
e
http://www.wearewideawake.org/
http://www.fourwinds10.com./siterun_data/bellringers_corner/people_of_th.................
marxistsocialist July 4th, 2008 2:15 pm ...I absolutely blame the government and the elite power structure that rules it! BUT, the people who claim ignorance and "plausible deniability" must take some responsibility.
WE HAVE TO LOVE AMERICA AND AMERICANS, DON'T BLAME AMERICAN CITIZENS !! BLAME THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM AND BLAME THE US GOVERNMENT !!
What i mean is that we should stop insulting and offending other americans citizens on this 4th of july.
Americans are human beings like muslims, chinese, latinamericans, etc.
If we spacegoat US voters and american citizens for what US government does, we become nazis.
We must imitate Jesus Christ and forgive others, revenge and hate is a tool of nazis....
Let's start a revolution based on love, not on hating, insulting, and offending others. Because an insult is a consequence of hatred.
.
Happy Independence Day to all Usanians!
As we commemorate the independence of the third largest state in the world and the world's second-largest democracy, people of all nations would do well to contemplate the wisdom of their ancestors:
"So likewise a passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils. Sympathy for the favorite nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real common interest exists, and infusing into one the enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter without adequate inducement or justification."
George Washington
"Unless a nation's life faces peril, war is murder."
Ataturk
If you want a good idea of what it's like to live in one of those historical countries that quickly went from a supposed democracy into a dictatorial nation, and you wonder how it could happen, look around you.
"Are supporters of Res. 362 asleep at the wheel, or are they just anxious to drag us into another illegal war?"
Yes, the USA is leaping towards a new campaign in the war. It seems, however, that in order for the USA to take on Iran, the USA must first gain control of Venezuela and secure its oil.
So look south first.
And the piece of crap we call our president is at Monticello today. He couldn't kiss Jefferson's ass, much less have the right to visit his home. What a blasphemy!
Now the Congress cannot tolerate Iranian "hegemony" in the region because what it and our President want is American hegemony in a region that is far from being a neighbor. I know, I know . . . it's the oil and Israel that matter.
All we can do now is be very careful with our money, whether we contribute to the DNC or GOP, or go out looking around for some serious less well known candidates of I don't care what party that will just agree to uphold the Constitution, respect the Geneva Conventions,
abide by UN treaties, and stop making illegal pre-emptive wars that have no foundation!
Jefferson and Washington were wise thinkers. What an era that was to live in. Its too bad we don't have the same in charge now. Someone wake me up from this nightmare.