KnotGeek's Xanga

Tuesday, November 02, 2004

Tue, 02 Nov 2004 03:55:47 GMT

And if you are still undecided as to whom to vote for, here is a scorecard:

American Soldiers Dead: 1122
American Total Wounded: 8039
Iraqi civilians killed in the war: 100,000+
Cost of the war to the US $130,000,000,000+
Weapons of Mass Destruction Found: 0
Iraqi ties to Al Qaeda discovered: 0
Osama Bin Laden: still at large and taunting America

Sunday, October 31, 2004

Sun, 31 Oct 2004 23:09:08 GMT

What is your home town?

How do you define that? Is it the place you live now? The place you were born? The place you spent most of your life? The place where your 'heart' is?

I've always had trouble answering the question "Where are you from" since my family moved so much when I was young... I never felt comfortable or "at home" in any place, But I usually answered that I was from Louisville KY, since that was where I was born, where much of my family lived, and where I had some of the best memories of my youth.

Louisville has come through for me again. In a state which is strongly pro-Bush, the Louisville Courier Journal has endorsed Kerry. I'm sure this stand will cost them in the largely reactionary state. In fact, they have endorsed him in one of the most cogent and damning indictments of the inept Bush adminisitration I have read.

I am, again, willing to admit to being a Kentuckian. Thank you, Courier-Journal.

Sunday, October 31, 2004

Sun, 31 Oct 2004 02:05:23 GMT

As usual, you can get more serious rants about the administration, as well as an occasional non-political post, at http://www.folsoms.net/blog/

Friday, October 29, 2004

Fri, 29 Oct 2004 20:31:07 GMT

Reuters is reporting that an independent estimate of civilian deaths in Iraq which are a direct result of the US war now exceeds 100,000.

Wonderful. We have now not only killed more civilians than were killed in the World Trade Center attack, we have killed more Iraqi's than Saddam Hussein did in his 12 years or so of power.

I am so proud to be an American these days.

What continues to floor me is that roughly 50% of the population continues to support the administration, and Bush. I would make some remark about knuckle-draggers, but that would be an insult to Gorillas and Orangutans, who somehow manage to live in peace with each other.

What cannot be disputed is that, by definition, 50% of the population is of below average intelligence.

Thursday, October 28, 2004

Thu, 28 Oct 2004 01:48:16 GMT

I fear for my country.

There is a fundamental bias, which the right has encouraged, that believes that patriotism, or christianity for that matter, are the purvue only of the conservatives.

Recently I saw a truck with 8 different "christian" logos or bumperstickers on the back. Through the rear window, I could see two large American flags on the front window.

While I have no particular objection to either sentiment in the abstract, I can't help but wonder how Jesus would have viewed the juxtaposition. He taught, as near as I can tell, the acceptance of everyone regardless of nationality, the true worth of people based on their actions, rather than their rituals or professed beliefs, and the inconsequentiality of earthly kingdoms and nations.

When did patriotism and christianity become the captives of the conservative right?

I am a Christian. Maybe not in the context that many self-professed Christians would believe, but I believe Christ taught that the primary rule was to love your neighbor as yourself, and the fundamental worth of every human being.

I am a Patriot. I love my country (as I love all people), and believe that what makes my country worth that love is the respect and support of everyone, as written into our constitution; not the unconditional acceptance of whatever foolishness our leaders take us into.

I am a Patriot. I am a Christian. I am a Liberal, and I reject the attempt to limit these terms to the self-righteous right that has highjacked those terms.

My country is poised to re-elect (assuming he was elected the first time) a president who rejects reason, rejects the ruled of law, and rejects the basic teachings of Christ. God forgive us for what we are about to do to ourselves, and to the world.

I pray (literally) that the citizens of Wisconsin, Ohio, and Florida will see this election as it is, and reject the hatred and bigotry implicit in the current republican administration.

God help us all, God Bless America, and God Bless the rest of the world.

Thursday, October 21, 2004

Thu, 21 Oct 2004 17:47:24 GMT

Thursday, October 21, 2004

Thu, 21 Oct 2004 14:43:35 GMT

Is it any wonder the republicans are for this war? They have no idea what it is about. Here are the service records for prominent repulbicans:

Spencer Abraham: Did not serve
Eliot Abrams: Did not serve
John Ashcroft: Did not serve
Roy Blunt: Did not serve
Michael Bloomberg: Did not serve
George H.W. Bush: Youngest Navy pilot in WW II; awarded DFC
George W. Bush: Texas Air Nat. Guard; didn't take physical; suspended from flying
Jeb Bush: Did not serve
Saxby Chambliss: Did not serve
Dick Cheney: Did not serve
Christopher Cox: Did not serve
Tom DeLay: Did not serve
Bob Dornan: Enlisted after fighting was over in Korea
John Engler: Did not serve
Douglas Feith: Did not serve
Gerald Ford: Lt. Commander, Navy in WWII
Bill Frist: Did not serve
Newt Gingrich: Did not serve
Rudy Giuliani: Did not serve
Lindsey Graham: National Guard lawyer
Phil Gramm: Did not serve
Dennis Hastert: Did not serve
Tim Hutchison: Did not serve
Jack Kemp: Did not serve. "Knee problem," continued in NFL for 8 years
Jon Kyl: Did not serve
Trent Lott: Did not serve
Richard Lugar: Intelligence officer in Navy 1957-1960
John McCain: POW in Vietnam, Silver star, Legion of Merit, DFC, many more
Mitch McConnell: Did not serve
John McHugh: Did not serve
George Pataki: Did not serve
Richard Perle: Did not serve
Dan Quayle: Journalism unit of the Indiana National Guard
Ronald Reagan: Served in WWII making movies
Dana Rohrabacher: Did not serve
Karl Rove: Did not serve
Don Rumsfeld: served in Navy (1954-57) as flight instructor
Rick Santorum: Did not serve
Arnold Schwarzenegger: AWOL from Austrian army base
Richard Shelby: Did not serve
JC Watts: Did not serve
Vin Weber: Did not serve
Paul Wolfowitz: Did not serve

I guess actually living up to your principles is for the little people. On another note, how can there be young activist republicans? If they truly believe Bush is right and the war in Iraq is morally justified and necessary, why haven't they enlisted? It's easy to have "principles" when you only send other people to fight, and die, for them.

Oh, and for the record, here are many prominent democrats:

David Bonior: Staff Sgt., Air Force 1968-72
Leonard Boswell: Lt. Col., Army 1956-76; Vietnam, DFCs, etc
Jimmy Carter: Seven years in the Navy
Wesley Clark: U.S. Army 1966-2000, Vietnam, silver star, purple heart
Max Cleland: Captain, Army 1965-68; Silver/bronze stars, Vietnam
Bill Clinton: Did not serve
Tom Daschle: 1st Lt., Air Force SAC 1969-72
Gray Davis: Army Captain in Vietnam, bronze star
John Edwards: Did not serve
Richard Gephardt: Air National Guard, 1965-71
John Glenn: WWII and Korea; six DFCs; Air Medal w/18 Clusters
Al Gore: enlisted Aug. 1969; sent to Vietnam as journalist
Tom Harkin: Lt., Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve, 1968-74
Howell Heflin: Silver star
Fritz Hollings: Army officer in WWII; bronze star
Daniel Inouye: Army 1943-47; Medal of Honor, WWII
Ted Kennedy: Army, 1951-53
Bob Kerrey: Lt. j.g. Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor, Vietnam
John Kerry: Lt., Navy 1966-70; silver/bronze stars, purple hearts
Tom Lantos: Served in Hungarian underground in WWII
George McGovern: Silver star & DFC during WWII
Walter Mondale: Army 1951-1953
Pete Peterson: Air Force Captain, POW. Purple Heart, Silver star, etc
Charles Rangel: Staff Sgt., Army 1948-52; bronze star, Korea
Jack Reed: Army Ranger, 1971-1979; Captain, Army Reserve 1979-91
Chuck Robb: U.S. Marine Corps, 1961-70, Vietnam
Pete Stark: Air Force 1955-57
Mike Thompson: Staff sergeant, 173rd Airborne, Purple Heart

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

Wed, 13 Oct 2004 12:08:13 GMT

As usual, any remotely serious thoughts I have (though I am obsessed with the election these days) can be found at http://www.folsoms.net/blog. I've also posted the full text of the Inquirer's endorsement of John Kerry.

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Thursday, October 07, 2004

Thu, 07 Oct 2004 12:02:23 GMT

I don't find it surprising that Bush was taken aback by the thought of a "Global Test." He's probably never passed a test in his life.

Tuesday, October 05, 2004

Tue, 05 Oct 2004 16:26:50 GMT

From CNN:

Mother of soldier killed in Iraq collapses, dies
'Her grief was so intense,' hospital worker says

Tuesday, October 5, 2004 Posted: 12:28 PM EDT (1628 GMT)

TUCSON, Arizona (AP) -- A 45-year-old woman collapsed and died days after learning her son had been killed in Iraq, and just hours after seeing his body.

Also from CNN:

Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Monday conceded that U.S. intelligence was wrong in its conclusions that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.

"Why the intelligence proved wrong [on weapons of mass destruction], I'm not in a position to say," Rumsfeld said in remarks to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. "I simply don't know."

When asked about any connection between Saddam and al Qaeda, Rumsfeld said, "To my knowledge, I have not seen any strong, hard evidence that links the two."

But a short time later, Rumsfeld released a statement: "A question I answered today at an appearance before the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) regarding ties between al Qaeda and Iraq regrettably was misunderstood.

"I have acknowledged since September 2002 that there were ties between al Qaeda and Iraq."

I hope these arrogant bastards can get their story straight enough to explain to the Unruh family why Robert Unruh, and his mother, had to die.