Name:Daniel Country:United States State:Ohio Metro:Newark Birthday:4/15/1985 Gender:Male
Interests:My interests are God and everything about him, history (because you can't improve the future without knowing/[learning from] the mistakes of the past), music, current events (especially politics) and South Park (I love that show...LOL) Expertise:I read the Bible everyday, and do a lot of research on it. I am a "student of history" (as a College Professor told me recently). I'm good with poetry and some song writing (both Negative and Positive). I'm also good with keeping up to date on current events, can't go without knowing what's going on in the world. Most people say that I'm funny, all I can say is that I try...lol. Occupation:Janitor/Custodian Industry:Service
Why blind loyalty to a political party is detrimental to democracy, liberty and peace
(From an email I recently sent out)
"THE reason I advocated, FERVENTLY, the impeachment of the Bush Regime...
...was the prevention of a dangerous precedent becoming forever engrained within the fabric of this great nation and how it's government conducts itself. Well, as of (Thursday), President Obama has just confirmed the worst of my fears.
By not acting on, or merely addressing adequately, Bush's egregious violations of the rule of law and overreaching usurpation of non-executive powers; Congress, the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, the Supreme Court, the media, lawyers, and everyone else who either chose not to act, or didn't know they should've (due to a lack of information) have paved the way for an era in America that sees post-Bush dictatorial rule.
Right-wing talk radio has been claiming that President Obama is a dictator ever since he was inaugurated, but Obama's new proposal to go beyond what Bush ever achieved or even attempted in asserting a power to detain people ("terrorists") for preventative measures actually confirms their claims. The right-wing may support the president in this move as being "tough" on terror, or oppose it just because he's a Democrat (or claims to be one).
Obama's comments in 2007 in opposition to the effort to impeach Bush now makes more sense...or it should to all of you reading this. I predicted that Obama would be a danger to our constitution, and am afraid that his actions here, in addition to his support - both in the Senate and now in the White House - for warrantless wiretaps on Americans, military commissions, as well as his concealing - in defiance of a judicial order - photos that depict heinous acts perpetrated at the behest of a twisted regime, his refusal to acknowledge, investigate, and prosecute same said regime's crimes, and his pussyfooting on Iraq (with a not-so-secret plan that circumvents the will of Iraqis and embeds our forces permanently in their midst, thusly giving rise to concerns about whether the occupation is really coming to an end) may very well affirm that prediction.
He is actually a greater danger to our constitution, than was Bush, because he - unlike Bush - is outrightly proclaiming his right to carry out these illegal acts. He enjoys public support well in the 60s, and is therefore undetered. How can he be? How can Congress or even the media hold him accountable for continuing the practices of the previous regime, who they let get off scot-free?
Look, I voted to give Obama and Biden their sound victory over McCain and Palin. This was reluctant and due to my fears of what the prospect of a McCain or even a Palin administration held for us, but now those fears mean nothing. I distrusted Obama's willful ignorance to the rule of law and how Bush's actions violated such, but no one listened to me. This certainly would not have been an issue with a President Kucinich, but I digress.
I don't fear Obama's economic policies, nor do I fear his environmental policies. He's alright on those fronts thus far (though, I don't feel as if he went far enough with the stimulus). On healthcare, I've seen all that I expected to see (in that, the option of single-payer is off the table, and the corporate interest win out as a result) from him. His foreign policies are about half and half. I'm supportive of the diplomatic approach to our rivals and enemies, rather than the jump to hostility, but his policies on Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan concern me gravely.
Should Obama carry out his plans for this new and controversial proposal, fail to reverse the numerous Bush policies that he has adopted, and refuse to direct the Justice Department to investigate everyone involved in the war crimes of the previous regime; I'll be forced to respond by drafting and circulating a petition that would demand the impeachment of our President. Doing so may well be required to protect our liberties and founding principles from further erosion.
Tyranny should never be tolerated, whether hosted by a Democrat or a Republican, and it is OUR responsibility to demand strict adherence to the Constitution and thusly the rule of law.
I leave you now with a series of quotes, by our founding fathers:
"Single acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of a day; but a series of oppressions, begun at a distinguished period and pursued unalterably through every change of ministers, too plainly prove a deliberate, systematic plan of reducing [a people] to slavery."
"Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day."
"Force is the vital principle and immediate parent of despotism."
Thomas Jefferson
"Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations; but, on a candid examination of history, we shall find that turbulence, violence, and abuse of power, by the majority trampling on the rights of the minority, have produced factions and commotions, which, in republics, have, more frequently than any other cause, produced despotism. If we go over the whole history of ancient and modern republics, we shall find their destruction to have generally resulted from those causes."
"Perhaps it is a universal truth that the loss of liberty at home is to be charged against provisions against danger, real or pretended from abroad"
James Madison
"There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty."
"A Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever"
John Adams
"The origin of all civil government, justly established, must be a voluntary compact, between the rulers and the ruled; and must be liable to such limitations, as are necessary for the security of the absolute rights of the latter; for what original title can any man or set of men have, to govern others, except their own consent? To usurp dominion over a people, in their own despite, or to grasp at a more extensive power than they are willing to entrust, is to violate that law of nature, which gives every man a right to his personal liberty; and can, therefore, confer no obligation to obedience."
Alexander Hamilton
"Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness"
"If men are to be precluded from offering their sentiments on a matter which may involve the most serious and alarming consequences that can invite the consideration of mankind, reason is of no use to us; the freedom of speech may be taken away, and dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter"
George Washington
"Sell not virtue to purchase wealth, nor Liberty to purchase power."
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety"
In the waning days of his dictatorship, BOOsh purged a list of disloyal federal employees, including whistleblowers. What’s disturbing about this is that one of those whistleblowers from the EPA, who became a hero to all who serve their country by exposing the crimes of the agencies within which they serve, was terminated, only to find out that the administrator she blew the proverbial whistle about was poised to become Obama’s Environmental Czar! We...must…stop…this!
Repug solution to poverty? Sterilize the poor and encourage the wealthy to procreate!!
Why continue the present framework of our healthcare system? Why not truly reform it in a manner that would provide a genuine solution to this grand crisis? Over 63% of Americans polled support a Canadian-style Universal Healthcare System, even if it means RAISING TAXES!! Obama, heed our word!!
If you are approaching retirement and depend on a pension to pave your way to a successful “golden age”; there is no doubt in my mind that you must be rather concerned with the alarming prospects of a severe budget shortfall with respect to the organizations that are charged with handling said pensions. *Sigh*, just think about what I’m thinking while reading this; you at least can HOPE that your pension will STILL exist, I’m not sure I’ll even have that when I’m your age.
To act or not to act on the Employee Free Choice Act, that is the question (for President Obama). Let it be known, Mr. President, shirk your commitment to ensure the passage of this bill into law by acquiescing to the demands of the financial institutions who are using the bailout tax dollars to sponsor the opposition thereto and the Repugs will be the least of your concerns in 2012!
On January 20th, 2009, BOOsh’s invasive surveillance program became President Obama’s. In October, it was unveiled by two former intercept operators of the NSA that BOOsh’s explanation and justification was – for the most part – grounded in falsehood., as it became increasingly obvious to these operators that the program’s “net” was far too broad to just spy on suspected terrorists. Reportedly, their former colleagues even made a habit of circulating intercepted private conversations that often times involved intimate discussion. Disgusting, and deplorable!
As a devout Christian who was once persecuted in an Apostolic Church for my very public stance as a liberal who supported Kerry in 2004, stories about church-goers who are singled-out for political reasons hits home for me. It is a despicable act, and an immoral one. Christ would NOT approve!
Just how badly will the Middle Class suffer from Obama’s proposed pathetic tax increase on all those who make 250,000 or more? Not at all. Small Businesses? Well, those of whom make a private profit from said business that amounts to 250k won’t be getting a tax increase that’ll force them into paying out more, but rather one that’ll result in a reduced deduction. Awww, how terrible.
The Following is a video of a programmer describing how he helped steal a Senatorial Election:
How’s this for BOOsh’s legacy? Roberts’ Supreme Court issued a controversial ruling on a case that will permit the police to search your house on an expired search warrant. Next step, abandoning search warrants and thusly the Fourth Amendment altogether, unless – of course – it benefits Repugs to preserve such. Then again, maybe we should all follow BOOsh’s lead and ignore this ruling, because – in all probability – that’s precisely what that son of a bitch did when he was instructed to preserve and/or recover millions of his regime’s e-mails.
If you see Repugs pitching a fit over “waste” in the Stimulus that was signed into law by the President in the coming months, disregard it as simple political drivel. Reason being, Sen. Susan Collins used her clout as the deal maker to influence the elimination of a provision that was designed to provide better protection for whistleblowers who would be relied upon to ensure that the kind of waste these nimrods will bitch about doesn’t occur. So, before you jump on the bandwagon to complain about waste – in the event it occurs – make sure to flog the horses pulling the wagon for their having no sense of direction beyond obstructionism.
This past fall, PNAC’s ambitions of spreading its imperial war to Iran hit a snag, with an in-depth IAEA report that shone some light upon Iran’s purported intentions of developing a nuke in two years. In said report, the IAEA admitted that Iran hadn’t been as forthcoming as they would’ve liked, but that they hadn’t made any significant progress towards said weapon development. The Iranians have apparently been targeted for pursuing the enrichment of uranium; whether it is for weapons or energy is irrelevant in the eyes of the hawks who want to deal with them. Quite honestly, as a nation that utilizes nuclear energy, possesses and plans on modernizing our nuclear weapons stockpile, in what position are we to legitimately tell another nation not to emulate us? Then again, when our government takes an unnecessary action that empowers the “rogue” nation at issue; part of the motive begins to surface, and it is EXACTLY what we in the liberal left suggested it was, covering up the quagmire in Iraq with an expansion of the empire. Diplomacy is the ONLY solution to this crisis, and an attack by Israel against Iran shouldn’t be encouraged either, even if it is by the likes of the hawkish Secretary Hillary Clinton.
During the tumultuous tenure of the BOOsh Regime, powers were expanded, most especially in the surveillance department. It turns out that the investigative arms of our federal government now no longer need just cause beyond political activity, religion and race to initiate an intrusive investigation!
Memo to President Obama: BOOsh authorized the use of torture in the CIA’s interrogations, Cheney and Rumsfeld pushed for and authorized it otherwise, investigate and prosecute the bastards NOW!! Leon Panetta is dead wrong, if he – as the Director of the CIA – believes what he said in regards to your lack of intentions to pursue said investigations. In the event that he is correct, you will be in violation of the law yourself! Complicity and Perpetration are synonymous in the eyes of the law.
Can you believe that the BOOsh puppet-president of Afghanistan is now asking the international community to establish an official timeline for the conclusion of our military campaign there? Well, when you consider the full weight of his nation’s suffering; can you blame him?
Obama has fulfilled a number of campaign promises, including the order to shut down Guantanamo, but what now? Some say that he may devise an alternative court system to try the detainees who aren’t released or tried in criminal courts, but is this really what we want? Hell, there were even reports that his inner circle discussed the possibility of permitting torture through loopholes in the CIA’s guidelines (an idea probably suggested by our new Director of National Intelligence, Dennis Blair)! Do we want a standard set, for future cases involving international criminals or even Americans suspected of conspiring against other countries, in defiance of Habeas Corpus or our other founding principles? Think about it.
Speaking of defying our basic principles, have you heard about a BOOsh parting-scheme wherein the military’s role has been expanded to include the mobilization and deployment of federal troops on our soil, for what purpose? In the name of “protecting” the homeland. The truth is that it was apart of the broader effort by the BOOsh Regime to further expand the power of the executive branch! Long live the American Dictatorship!!
To all of you out there who served in and have since suffered from your participation in the Persian Gulf; your suffering has been recognized and your voice has been heard. The government that for so long ignored your strife, has finally acknowledged it; let’s hope that said acknowledgement comes with the appropriate action.
When pressed in an out-going interview about the fact that Al-Qaeda wasn’t in Iraq until after the invasion, BOOsh simply said “So what?” Really? Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the true W. Reckless and Inconsiderate, the Decider made abundantly clear his contempt for the truth and those who preach it.
Prior to handing the reigns of the most powerful and secretive Vice Presidency in the history of the office to Joseph R. Biden, Cheney inadvertently dug his hole deeper by confessing to the FBI that he altered talking points in a manner that was intent on exposing a covert agent for political gain!
Can the Pentagon really be poised to disobey its Commander-in-Chief?
A stark reminder of where we stand as the world’s “wealthiest” nation; bear in mind what China could do to supposed “wealth” at the drop of a dime…literally. Don’t forget how the 110th Congress and BOOsh destroyed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty by passing a deal with India, that allows them to circumvent any moral or political obligation to join said treaty as well as providing them access to our nation’s nuclear secrets, for profit. As expected, the move only led Pakistan to react – in defense – by announcing plans to secure a similar agreement with China. Pakistan – like India – is a Nuclear power that has not signed the NPT, and it is a likely candidate for any rebel or extremist group to visit for the potential acquisition of information pertaining to the developments of a nuke. Thank you!!
Some of the numerous decisions made during the BOOsh years that will forever be engraved in his legacy was every diplomatic effort he shirked, including an accord in Oslo, Norway that sought a phased-in prohibition on the use of cluster munitions. Thanks to BOOsh, we joined the likes of Russia and China in snubbing this international effort; thusly our image was further scarred.
The tyranny of Israel over the people of Palestine must end, NOW!! I’m a staunch supporter of the Israeli people, but as it pertains to their authoritarian government; I say that the time to unclench the fist has come.
I dare to wonder how we – as a capitalist society – can denounce communism or deny the significance of Karl Marx’s foresight when reviewing a quasi-prediction of the crisis we now find ourselves in. As executed, communism was an epic fail, but had it been administered correctly – in strict accordance with Marx’s theory – the Soviet Union may very well have thrived and be laughing at us today. We must fix litany of loopholes in our society before we share the Soviet’s fate.
This winter, at least in Ohio, has been a mild one, with spikes of wintry weather amidst all of the unseasonable weather. However, the one semi-major ice-storm we endured earlier this year created such a difficult task for Newark’s snow and ice removal effort that reports about “experimentation” with toxic ash produced from coal-fired power plants to fill-in for the lack of the costly de-icing salt peaks my interest. Which brings me to ask President Obama: what the F**k is “clean coal”, and why are you following BOOsh’s lead in pressing for it?
We Christians have a bit of a dilemma. Not only is it that most of us have been raised to observe Pagan festivities and rituals, but somewhere along the line, someone put in our ancestors’ heads that eating filthy animals was somehow permitted in the New Testament. Well, just like with the abomination of observing holidays we stole from the “unholy”, having permission to consume what those of Jewish and Muslim faith are forbidden to is based on a LIE. Plain and simple, it is time to wake up.
Tonight's Conclusion
Let it be known, that should President Obama fail to direct Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the egregious crimes of the BOOsh Regime by the end of his first 100 days on April 30th, I will initiate an effort to demand the impeachment of our new President for his failure to uphold the oath of office he took at the outset of said 100 Days. That effort will then proceed relentlessly until such an investigation, inevitable prosecution and subsequent conviction transpire.
By the end of (February...edited 1/29/09, due to unforeseen circumstances), I will be posting an ordinary entry full of summarized analyses that will consist of news articles that have been set aside by yours truly since prior to the election. In the "Conclusion" section, I'll be reviewing 2008, discussing Christmas and Ham, as well as expectations for the looming Obama Years.
Sgt. Major J.D. Pendry (USMC - Retired) = Ill-informed
(The Original Chain-letter prompted by Mr. Pendry)
'The Axis of Idiots' Jimmy Carter, you are the father of the Islamic Nazi movement. You threw the Shah under the bus, welcomed the Ayatollah home, and then lacked the spine to confront the terrorists when they took our embassy and our people hostage. You're the runner-in-chief.
Bill Clinton, you played ring around the Lewinsky while the terrorists were at war with us. You got us into a fight with them in Somalia and then you ran from it. Your weak-willed responses to the U.S.S. Cole and the First Trade Center Bombing and Our Embassy Bombings emboldened the killers.
Each time you failed to respond adequately, they grew bolder, until 9/11/2001.
John Kerry, dishonesty is your most prominent attribute. You lied about American Soldiers in Vietnam . Your military service, like your life, is more fiction than fact.. You've accused our military of terrorizing women and children in Iraq . You called Iraq the wrong war, wrong place, wrong time, the same words you used to describe Vietnam . You're a fake. You want to run from Iraq and abandon the Iraqis to murderers just as you did the Vietnamese. Iraq , like Vietnam , is another war that you were for, before you were against it.
John Murtha, you said our military was broken. You said we can't win militarily in Iraq . You accused United States Marines of cold-blooded murder without proof and said we should redeploy to Okinawa . Okinawa, John? And the Democrats call you their military expert! Are you sure you didn't suffer a traumatic brain injury while you were off building your war hero resume? You're a sad, pitiable, corrupt and washed up politician. You're not a Marine, sir. You wouldn't amount to a good pimple on a real Marine's ass. You're a phony and a disgrace. Run away, John.
Dick Durbin, you accused our Soldiers at Guantanamo of being Nazis, tenders of Soviet style gulags and as bad as the regime of Pol Pot, who murdered two million of his own people after your party abandoned Southeast Asia to the Communists. Now you want to abandon the Iraqis to the same fate. History was not a good teacher for you, was it? Lord help us! See Dick run.
Ted Kennedy, for days on end you held poster-sized pictures from Abu Ghraib in front of any available television camera. Al Jazeera quoted you saying that Iraqi's torture chambers were open under new management. Did you see the news, Teddy? The Islamic Nazis demonstrated another beheading for you. If you truly supported our troops, you'd show the world poster-sized pictures of that atrocity and demand the annihilation of it. Your legislation stripping support from the South Vietnamese led to a communist victory there. You're a bloated, drunken fool bent on repeating the same historical blunder that turned freedom-seeking people over to homicidal, genocidal maniacs. To paraphrase John Murtha, all the while sitting on your wide, gin-soaked rear-end in Washington .
Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Carl Levine, Barbara Boxer, Diane Feinstein, Russ Feingold, Hillary Clinton, Pat Leahy, Barack Obama, Chuck Schumer, the Hollywood Leftist morons, et al, ad nauseam: Every time you stand in front of television cameras and broadcast to the Islamic Nazis that we went to war because our President lied, that the war is wrong and our Soldiers are torturers, that we should leave Iraq, you give the Islamic butchers - the same ones that tortured and mutilated American Soldiers - cause to think that we'll run away again, and all they have to do is hang on a little longer. It is inevitable that we, the infidels, will have to defeat the Islamic jihadists. Better to do it now on their turf, than later on ours after they have gained both strength and momentum.
American news media, the New York Times particularly: Each time you publish stories about national defense secrets and our intelligence gathering methods, you become one united with the sub-human pieces of camel dung that torture and mutilate the bodies of American Soldiers. You can't strike up the courage to publish cartoons, but you can help Al Qaeda destroy my country. Actually, you are more dangerous to us than Al Qaeda is. Think about that each time you face Mecca to admire your Pulitzer...
You are America 's 'AXIS OF IDIOTS.' Your Collective Stupidity will destroy us. Self-serving politics and terrorist-abetting news scoops are more important to you than our national security or the lives of innocent civilians and Soldiers. It bothers you that defending ourselves gets in the way of your elitist sport of politics and your ignorant editorializing.
There is as much blood on your hands as is on the hands of murdering terrorists. Don't ever doubt that. Your frolics will only serve to extend this war as they extended Vietnam . If you want our Soldiers home as you claim, knock off the crap and try supporting your country ahead of supporting your silly political aims and aiding our enemies.
Yes, I'm questioning your patriotism. Your loyalty ends with self. I'm also questioning why you're stealing air that decent Americans could be breathing. You don't deserve the protection of our men and women in uniform. You need to run away from this war, this country. Leave the war to the people who have the will to see it through and the country to people who are willing to defend it.
No, Mr. President, you don't get off the hook, either. Our country has two enemies: Those who want to destroy us from the outside and those who attempt it from within. Your Soldiers are dealing with the outside force. It's your obligation to support them by confronting the AXIS OF IDIOTS.
America must hear it from you that these self-centered people are harming our country, abetting the enemy and endangering our safety. Well up a little anger, please, and channel it toward the appropriate target. You must prosecute those who leak national security secrets to the media. You must prosecute those in the media who knowingly publish those secrets.
Our Soldiers need you to confront the enemy that they cannot. They need you to do it now.
Semper Fi,
J. D. Pendry - Sergeant Major, USMC, Retired
(My Response)
J. D. Pendry, you sir, are an imbecile. Allow me to dissect you nonsensical rant piece by piece:
"Jimmy Carter, you are the father of the Islamic Nazi movement. You threw the Shah under the bus, welcomed the Ayatollah home, and then lacked the spine to confront the terrorists when they took our embassy and our people hostage. You're the runner-in-chief."
The Shah you speak of was an undemocratically appointed dictator like Pinochet. The Iranians had every right to rise up against him and Western Imperial influence. Carter did what he could in handling the crisis and even fought for the release of the hostages after his electoral loss in 1980. In fact, his efforts led to the aforementioned sought after release. The Sunni Fundamentalists of Al Qaeda have nothing to do with the Shiite-ran government of Iran, so your charge that Carter's handling of the hostage crisis birthed the fundamentalist movement we find ourselves faced with today is laughable.
"Bill Clinton, you played ring around the Lewinsky while the terrorists were at war with us. You got us into a fight with them in Somalia and then you ran from it. Your weak-willed responses to the U.S.S. Cole and the First Trade Center Bombing and Our Embassy Bombings emboldened the killers."
Um, Bush 41 was responsible for the deployment of our troops to Somalia as part of a UN Mandated peacekeeping mission in the midst of the country's Civil War. The UN and the US withdrew from Somalia when it became clear that foreign presence was no longer welcome. Weak-willed responses to the U.S.S. Cole attack and the Bombing of our Embassies in Africa?
The embassy bombings were responded by airstrikes in Afghanistan that were meant to target Bin-Laden and Al-Qaeda. Not to mention the stern warning from Clinton to the Taliban that any further acts of terrorism perpetrated by AQ would rupture relations between Afghanistan and America, even leading to a military incursion.
The results of an investigation conducted by our intelligence agencies didn't attribute blame to Al-Qaeda for the attacks on the Cole until late December of 2000. Since the country was in the midst of a transition of power from one president to a successor; Clinton didn't want to boggle Bush down in a military conflict before taking the reigns of power. So, Clinton's team communicated this intelligence to Bush's team, and the rest is history.
"Each time you failed to respond adequately, they grew bolder, until 9/11/2001."
Hmm, so, Clinton sends his counterterrorism chief to Bush and Bush demotes said official. He ignored Clinton's warnings and advice regarding the high priority counterterrorism efforts were. Sub-Cabinet level meetings were held on counterterrorism for much of the year prior to 9/11, then on 9/10/2001, the Bush Regime cut funding to those efforts all the while receiving briefs on Al-Qaeda's movements, intentions and recruiting, and you blame Clinton?! Wake the fuck up!
"John Kerry, dishonesty is your most prominent attribute. You lied about American Soldiers in Vietnam . Your military service, like your life, is more fiction than fact.. You've accused our military of terrorizing women and children in Iraq . You called Iraq the wrong war, wrong place, wrong time, the same words you used to describe Vietnam . You're a fake. You want to run from Iraq and abandon the Iraqis to murderers just as you did the Vietnamese. Iraq , like Vietnam , is another war that you were for, before you were against it."
For the sake of not repeating myself, I'll postpone responses to your ignorance on Iraq until later. Kerry has not lied about anything regarding his service. The Swift Boat attacks on him were thoroughly debunked years ago, and the charge that he was for the Iraq war before he was against it (whilst claiming he felt the same about Vietnam) is misleading.
Kerry, like many Democrats facing reelection in 2002, chose to sell out the constitution to grant Bush the unconstitutional authority to initiate military action at will largely due to the politically inconvenient timing of said vote. They were all led to believe that Hussein posed an imminent threat to the country and voted to grant Bush his overreaching powers of war on the precondition that he sought out a diplomatic solution to the purported "crisis".
Furthermore, your sentiments reference to comments made by Kerry at a rally that were taken out of context that referenced to his vote for a difference version of an appropriations bill than the one in question that had passed without his vote. Kerry, did say, on the campaign trail in 2004, that he would've still supported going into Iraq with all we knew at that point. Then again, this was all half a year prior to the conclusion drawn by our own weapons inspectors that there were no WMDs in Iraq.
"John Murtha, you said our military was broken. You said we can't win militarily in Iraq . You accused United States Marines of cold-blooded murder without proof and said we should redeploy to Okinawa . Okinawa, John? And the Democrats call you their military expert! Are you sure you didn't suffer a traumatic brain injury while you were off building your war hero resume? You're a sad, pitiable, corrupt and washed up politician. You're not a Marine, sir. You wouldn't amount to a good pimple on a real Marine's ass. You're a phony and a disgrace. Run away, John."
In your assault on the incredible character of this American hero, you left out the recognition of his more than 30 years of service in the Marine Corps as well as having partaken in no less than two theaters of war during that time period.
Now, the man's status as a corrupt and washed up politician is debateable, his sentiments regarding a redeployment to Okinawa were not sincere but hypothetical. He was merely remarking on the amazing capabilities in troop and armament deployment our military now enjoys. Again, remarks on Vietnam and Iraq will be delayed until later...
"Dick Durbin, you accused our Soldiers at Guantanamo of being Nazis, tenders of Soviet style gulags and as bad as the regime of Pol Pot, who murdered two million of his own people after your party abandoned Southeast Asia to the Communists. Now you want to abandon the Iraqis to the same fate. History was not a good teacher for you, was it? Lord help us! See Dick run."
Argh, this delay in response is killing me...
"Ted Kennedy, for days on end you held poster-sized pictures from Abu Ghraib in front of any available television camera. Al Jazeera quoted you saying that Iraqi's torture chambers were open under new management. Did you see the news, Teddy? The Islamic Nazis demonstrated another beheading for you. If you truly supported our troops, you'd show the world poster-sized pictures of that atrocity and demand the annihilation of it. Your legislation stripping support from the South Vietnamese led to a communist victory there. You're a bloated, drunken fool bent on repeating the same historical blunder that turned freedom-seeking people over to homicidal, genocidal maniacs. To paraphrase John Murtha, all the while sitting on your wide, gin-soaked rear-end in Washington ."
Gee, I can't wait to speak in defense of one of the greatest servants the people of this nation has ever had. God be with him in these waning days of his life.
"Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Carl Levine, Barbara Boxer, Diane Feinstein, Russ Feingold, Hillary Clinton, Pat Leahy, Barack Obama, Chuck Schumer, the Hollywood Leftist morons, et al, ad nauseam: Every time you stand in front of television cameras and broadcast to the Islamic Nazis that we went to war because our President lied, that the war is wrong and our Soldiers are torturers, that we should leave Iraq, you give the Islamic butchers - the same ones that tortured and mutilated American Soldiers - cause to think that we'll run away again, and all they have to do is hang on a little longer. It is inevitable that we, the infidels, will have to defeat the Islamic jihadists. Better to do it now on their turf, than later on ours after they have gained both strength and momentum."
...and...
"American news media, the New York Times particularly: Each time you publish stories about national defense secrets and our intelligence gathering methods, you become one united with the sub-human pieces of camel dung that torture and mutilate the bodies of American Soldiers. You can't strike up the courage to publish cartoons, but you can help Al Qaeda destroy my country. Actually, you are more dangerous to us than Al Qaeda is. Think about that each time you face Mecca to admire your Pulitzer..."
Wait a second...are kidding me? Publishing religiously offensive cartoons is far less important than covering an unconscionable story about how our country is transforming into a police state not unlike those that we once referred to as our ENEMIES. I believe in confidentiality, but not when that secrecy endangers the constitution and the individual liberties of every American. I'm going to steal a line from you ignorant neocons and suggest that if you don't appreciate these liberties or our constitution, then you should consider moving to China or Russia!
"You are America 's 'AXIS OF IDIOTS.' Your Collective Stupidity will destroy us. Self-serving politics and terrorist-abetting news scoops are more important to you than our national security or the lives of innocent civilians and Soldiers. It bothers you that defending ourselves gets in the way of your elitist sport of politics and your ignorant editorializing."
At first, the first three sentences of this section appear to be an address to morons of your ilk or even the complicit media that helped bring this country into an unnecessary war, but it is obvious that you are beyond help. What, may I ask you, were we defending ourselves against in Iraq? IN what way did Saddam pose a viable threat to our land, freedom, families? Please avoid using Bush's lies to respond.
"There is as much blood on your hands as is on the hands of murdering terrorists. Don't ever doubt that. Your frolics will only serve to extend this war as they extended Vietnam . If you want our Soldiers home as you claim, knock off the crap and try supporting your country ahead of supporting your silly political aims and aiding our enemies."
Not one member of the media, government or peace movement supports or wishes to aid our enemies. Your equation of dissent with treason is as old as Nationalism itself. In seeking out the truth and demanding an end to this God-forsaken occupation, we ARE supporting our country, and furthermore by doing all of that in addition to fighting for the return home of our soldiers, we are supporting THEM.
"Yes, I'm questioning your patriotism. Your loyalty ends with self. I'm also questioning why you're stealing air that decent Americans could be breathing. You don't deserve the protection of our men and women in uniform. You need to run away from this war, this country. Leave the war to the people who have the will to see it through and the country to people who are willing to defend it." Yes, I'm questioning your sanity and intelligence. Your grasp on reality ended the moment you started listening to those who so willingly spew bullshit at the rate villains like Karl Rove, Condi Rice and George W. Bush have. You seem to suggest that anyone who dares to disagree with you or the man you call "president" not only deserves to be deported, but to die as well. You claim that we who seek the truth and an end to pointless wars are aiding those who oppose our freedoms whilst you go out of your way to assist those actively eroding them. Whose the traitorous one now?
"No, Mr. President, you don't get off the hook, either. Our country has two enemies: Those who want to destroy us from the outside and those who attempt it from within. Your Soldiers are dealing with the outside force. It's your obligation to support them by confronting the AXIS OF IDIOTS."
I must confess, when I initially read this part of your rant, I honestly believed you were going to at least ridicule Bush for his mishandling of the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, but, I sit here a disappointed American. For the most part, your calls for Bush to "deal" with us dissenters echoes the same calls by Hitler's supporters to deal those who dared to question his intentions. Tread carefully dear soldier.
"America must hear it from you that these self-centered people are harming our country, abetting the enemy and endangering our safety."
Images of Hitler's rousing speeches to adoring crowds come to mind...
"Well up a little anger, please, and channel it toward the appropriate target."
Are you a Hitler-loyalist reincarnate?
"You must prosecute those who leak national security secrets to the media."
Not only do you speak like a true brownshirt, but now you openly advocate the suppression of the First Amendment?
"You must prosecute those in the media who knowingly publish those secrets."
Being redundant now...
"Our Soldiers need you to confront the enemy that they cannot. They need you to do it now."
If Bush or Obama approaches your doorstep, you have yourself to blame.
---
In response to your lack of knowledge as to what is transpiring in Iraq and what occured in Vietnam:
John Kerry's testimony regarding proceeds in Vietnam were both heartfelt and spoken on behalf of fellow veterans who witnessed, or even partook in those atrocities. There is now documented evidence that would be fairly easy to find with a simple google search of the numerous allegations of Vietnam Vets, Vietnamese citizens and even the press, among many others. You live in a fantasy world where this country is a God-send for the oppressed around the world, wake the f*ck up already.
As mentioned before, Kerry was never fully supportive of war in Iraq, but that is where his unconstitutional vote took us. Iraq was exactly what Kerry described it to be: wrong war, wrong place, wrong time. Given the FACT that 15 of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 were Saudi, maybe Saudi Arabia should've assumed a more central standing in our focus in response to those horrible attacks, but NOT ONE hijacker had any connection to Iraq.
Saddam was an ENEMY of Al-Qaeda, he feared their intentions as per his government and they detested his secular rule. Remember that one of the many reasons he was so admonished was that he was a monster of the CIA's creation. WE launched two coups that installed Hussein at the helm of power in the former colony of England. The first failed as that goverment collapsed shortly after he was placed in control, and the second was successful only after our government took a more active role in sustaining his power.
We supplied him with the weapons he used on his enemies both domestic and foreign, but we didn't complain about his crimes until it became politically expedient to shift sides.
Our military is broken. Your denial of such is evidence of your stupidity. We don't have a grand military like we did during World War Two, so it is incredibly strenuous for our military personnel to contend with two occupations as well as the litany of our obligations throughout the globe. That's why a draft reinstitution is not far from a reality if the present course is kept.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan ARE OVER!! The former in May 2003 and the latter in December 2001. We are presently dealing with an insurgency against our occupations of those countries. We diverted our focus from the real problem in Afghanistan - to our detriment considering the resurgent movement there - to an unrelated "enemy" where we bear over 90% of the burden on every front. The peace CAN'T be won militarily, because it is counterproductive to wage war to win peace.
Peace is won diplomatically with economic aid. We know full well that schools must be built, good jobs created, services restored, people fed and housed, and finally the power and oil returned to the rightful owners: the Iraqis.
There is ample proof of war crimes being commited on a large scale in Iraq, Afghanistan and in Guantanamo Bay. Just research it, because the preponderance of said crimes are too great to enumerate here.
You forget that the people demanded an end to the Vietnam War, which was another illegal and unnecessary war born out of the political ambitions of a desperate President amidst a myriad of lies. Congress cut off funding for the Vietnam War because that was their responsibility for having given Johnson the unconstitutional power to invade in the first place, just as that is the responsibility of Congress now.
It is obvious that your history lessons were either lax, or ignored by you.
Informing the world of the atrocious crimes commited at Abu Ghraib was vital to maintain our credibility as an opponent of war crimes and other acts of an inhumane nature. Your misguided comparison of the Islamic fundamentalists with the tyrannical Nazis is further proof of your detached view of the world. Nazis were created by a political party, hell bent on control, whereas the members Al-Qaeda are rejecting policies of the western world, its meddling with Arab affairs and defiling of Muslim holy ground. Nazis wanted to rule the world, Al-Qaeda's members merely want to "save" theirs.
You advocate the "annihilation" of those who oppose our society, but - once again - that is reminiscent of Nazi sentiments towards the "enemies" of Germany, especially those as perceived from within.
Our departure from Iraq and even Afghanistan would be an inspiration to the people of those countries, and would be a deadly blow dealt to Al-Qaeda because their biggest recruiting tool will have disintegrated. Members who've joined since the war in Iraq began would lose their incentive to remain, unless conditions continue to crumble with poor/no jobs, education, services, etc.
We are all well aware by now that Bush lied us into this quagmire, so your refusal to even accept that baffles me. Your parroting of the tired repug mantra "fighting them there so we won't have to here" sickens me. WE created the battlefield in Iraq and have only galvanized anti-American sentiment in the region by doing so. The irony is that we are now more likely to be attacked due to Iraq than we were after 9/11.
I'm puzzled by this notion that those who seek peace, justice and truth are responsible for acts of terrorism, when it is the government you have so supported that put our soldiers in the wrong place to begin with. If anything, it is YOU and YOUR F**KING PRESIDENT who has the blood on YOUR filthy hands. You helped get us in this mess, and therefore bear your share of the blame.
Semper Fi...or Semper Fidelis: translated to "forever faithful". Must that eternal faith and devotion be to a band of criminals or to the best interest of this country? I prefer the latter as you appear to blindly hold to the former belief.
In closing, J.D., I want to wish you a pleasant roasting, because that's all you are going to remember once the depths of hell swallows you whole.
Go F**k yourself Sergeant.,
Daniel H. Crawford III
Tonight's Conclusion
How troubling it is to witness this level of ignorance put on display and circulated through the internet. My next regular update will be by year's end. I need to get some things in order in my life before I get back in the groove of posting regular updates. Let's not assume that our 44th President's election marks the end of our struggle. Now, we must strive to prevent him from failing to deliver on his promises. It is up to us to amp up the pressure and maintain it until we get the reform we deserve. There is no such thing as a time out for politicians, they run for office to serve us; let's remind them of such.
Election Day Coverage (well...from my perspective)
5:49pm EST: Here I am, with my wife, son and daughter, preparing to witness history unfolding before our very eyes. I'm holding Madison while Pam cooks a delicious meal for dinner and Austin sits - restrained (lol) - in his high chair in anticipation. Watching an election-themed episode of Simpsons, we anxiously await the first poll closings. I've already started documenting (by video camera) the events of the day in my house and will do so throughout the night, as I record my thoughts every once and a while throughout the course of the night. I'll be right back, I need to change my daughter :).
6:17pm: Steven the Gopher called a moment ago, wanting input on the latest exit polls...err..I've been watching Simpsons...LOL. So, after we hung up, I humored him by flipping over to MSNBC to get the aforementioned info and alas, Obama's chances appear good so far. Olbermann and Matthews discuss the significance of this election and how people voting for the first time could potentially reflect on it in the 22nd Century. They scoff at the idea of someone not voting in this important election (Steven and Melissa, that means you, although Steven negated to do his civic duties for political reasons). I'm eating at the moment (corn, shells and cheese and pork chops...mmmm). I'll be back.
6:50pm: Exit polls still appear to favor Obama. Indiana shows promise as Obama has maintained a steady lead over McCain since the numbers therefrom started pouring almost half an hour ago. I'm calling Kentucky for McCain (then again, McCain's lead there has narrowed incredibly).
7:24pm: Indiana is too close to call (Mitch the Bitch wins re-election, if only you people in the "Boyhood Home of Lincoln" knew that Mitch - as Budget and Office Management Secretary - cut anti-terror funds from the FBI's budget the day before the attacks). A number of other important and traditionally Repug states are either Too Early or Too Close to call...this is remarkable!! Ohio's numbers are coming up!
7:47pm: It doesn't surprise me that the first state to secede from the Union and the last to join (SC) has gone to McCain, and it looks as if Georgia will as well.
8pm: PENNSYLVANIA GOES FOR OBAMA!! McCain's path to victory has been demolished!!
8:24pm: Florida may very well f**k it up again. The vote in West Palm Beach is so unnecessarily confusing.
8:39pm: Bye bye Senator Dole!! I had already called Georgia for McCain (for shame), and McCain has picked up some more of the former confederacy...whoop-ti-doo!
8:53pm: The MSNBC pundits are already attempting to downplay the significance of Obama's amazing grassroots campaign all the while same said campaign has turned formerly faithful "red states" like Indiana into battleground states. More to come soon...
9:27pm: OHIO GOES FOR OBAMA!!! No Repug has EVER won the presidency without my state!! Come on Indiana, North Carolina, Florida, Colorado, New Mexico (@ 9:31, this state has joined Obama's column), Arizona, California and others...lets give our 44th President a LANDSLIDE!!
10pm: Texas has been called for McCain, just adding to the list of confederate states to his column. Iowa goes to Obama!! Montana and Nevada (Repug held states last time around) are too early/close to call!
10:11pm: Mississippi has gone to McCain, the confederate coalition grows. Lets hope North Carolina and Virginia break the cycle.
10:45pm: I'm going to gamble a bit and project McCain the winner of his own state (AZ) after a bit of a scare for that campaign and Obama the winner of this election. In 15 minutes, the deal will be sealed!
11:03pm: Thank you America, you've just made history and taken the first step in the right direction! I'll be back upon learning the results of Indiana, North Carolina and Virginia (add this state to the list!!!), let's hope for a grand landslide!!
11:15pm: Our 44th President has just added Colorado and Florida to the coalition for progress!!
11:18pm: At this moment as McCain delivers his concession speech, I feel a new sense of love for my country. We've matured, and have completed a journey in transcending issues of bigotry. I watch Jesse Jackson, presidential candidate of 1984 and 1988, watch in tearful glee as he witnesses the realization of a dream In many ways, the election of Obama is a giant leap towards the fulfillment of that famed dream spoken by one of God's greatest servants; Rev. Martin Luther King J.R.!!
11:28pm: John McCain shows what an honorable and graceful concession should look like (video below).
11:38pm: Thank God Almighty, Nevada joins the coalition!!!
12:16am: If words can seduce the soul, I've just been subjected to such a seduction and have succumbed. Tonight, the United States of America reclaimed the dream that drove our founding fathers and the Continental Army to victory. Tonight, the 44th President of these UNITED States of America delivered a magnificent speech (video below), captivating a nation on its way out of a long political darkness with the promise that brighter days are just around the corner. Barack Hussein Obama J.R. is our President-elect, he is MY president and I couldn't feel more relieved to say that. May we never doubt the bonds created by our affection or common interests, and may the long awaited healing begin...now. May God Bless the United States and everyone else!!
1:56am: Approximately half an hour ago, Alaska was called for McCain (unofficially entering Palin in the 2012 Repug Primaries). Montana, North Carolina, Missouri and Indiana - all usually reliable Repug territory - remain "too close to call". This is astonishing, to say the least. What a message it will send if all four go to Obama. Obama presently has 5 million more popular votes than McCain, officially making this victory a MANDATE! I will remain awake until every state has been decided...
2:44am: Shortly after the previous update, Indiana made history by joining this broad coalition...thank you HOOSIERS!!
3:02am: Montana goes to McCain, as expected. Obama's popular vote lead is unwavering @ 5 million-plus. Obama leads by 12,000 votes in NC and McCain by roughly 2-3,000 in Missouri.
3:51am: Fatigue sets in. It is unconscionable for the AP to not call Missouri for McCain and NC for Obama by this point. What haven't they counted? Both are reporting 100% of their precincts, but there hasn't been any final decision as to who'll win those states. Here's hoping a victor is declared soon in both. I'm just pulling for Obama to gain 15 more EVs to expand his majority and so I can get some much needed rest.
Thursday (11/6/08) 6:24pm: On Tuesday, I had vowed to remain awake and liveblog the election until all 50 states were reported. Unfortunately, I became so fatigued by this daunting task that I gave up about two hours after the last update. Besides, Missouri and North Carolina had yet to be announced. Missouri wouldn't be called until near noon yesterday, and NC was just called for Obama today. Just like that, Obama has defied the odds of a black man, let alone a Democrat, winning two states of the former confederacy.
He made history on numerous fronts, becoming the first African-American president, the first Democrat to win 11 of the 13 colonies since Johnson in 1964, the first Democrat to win the presidency without a Southerner on the ticket since Roosevelt/Wallace in 1940, the first Democrat to win Indiana since Johnson in 1964, and the first President to have had a foreign parent since Woodrow Wilson in 1912-1919! Now that the Election is over, Mandate is huge, and the countdown to inauguration commenced, the hardest part of our job has passed. Now, it is up to us to keep the pressure on Obama and the Democratic Congress to deliver on the change we were promised!! More on this in another post.
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