Amazing paper on Sunday:
First off the paper led with the first, best comprehensive survey (at least performed by American media) of civilian deaths in Iraq since the war began. The paper's total, which was was based on statistics provided by morgues and the Health Ministry, was more than 50,000. And all sources said that figure was likely a significant (my word) underestimation. Sadly (once again showing how the U.S. government has few ideals) the Bush administration repeated its pat dodge saying it doesn't care to track civilian deaths. And I refuse to use the word "casualty," because there's no way I am allowing fucking military jargon to impersonate a human who was killed in an unlawful war. (Not that there's a lawful war, per se, but I was OK with invading Afghanistan post 9/11.) Btw, it's no surprise that the U.S. government doesn't give much of a shit about the death toll of Iraqis—federal officials refused to acknowledge any significance when the death toll reached 2,00o U.S. troops. Ostensibly that was because they didn't want to make any one solider's death more significant than any others, which is a laudable goal. But the lack of attention paid to every soldier's death--media shut out from the services, even when family wouldn't be OK with a reporter's presence; coverups as to causes (Pat Tillman)--makes their argument ring hollower than the space between Bush's ears.
Secondly, Times Staff Writer Robert Lee Hotz, published an amazing piece showing how global warming is melting the glaciers on the ironically named Greenland. Here's the link ... If you don't believe in global warming at this point, please read this and also wake up. It's happening. It's going to affect you in your lifetime and in no way is it good.
The newspaper also reported a story that scared me. According to a story inside the paper, the Senate is teetering on passing an amendment that would outlaw flag burning. And once again, Sen. Hillary Clinton is NOT helping the liberal cause. Clinton, who has gone on record opposing such an amendment, has meanwhile co-sponsored a bill that would make flag burning or other flag desecration illegal using legislative means.
I just don't understand how 7 red stripes and 6 white stripes, 50 white stars and a blue rectangle can be more important than freedom of thought. SOMEONE PLEASE FUCKING EXPLAIN THAT TO ME, FOR FUCK'S SAKE!!!!!! Why is it that an object is allowed to become a more important than the ideal which the object symbolizes. I honestly feel like getting a tattoo of a burning American flag. It's not that I don't love my country, in fact it's that I feel like I love the United States more so than most flag-protectors. I love being able to criticize that which I don't agree with, to blog about the fact we have the worst President ever, to have access to the Internet to make people aware that our Government is keeping track of whether you read the e-mails I send you warning that the Government is keeping track of your life through phone records, financial transactions, library records, travel records all in the name of making you feel safer.
After all, who better to trust with all the secrets you didn't even know you had than the guys who went to war over weapons they most likely knew didn't exist, who outed a covert operative out of revenge, kept reading a children's book while the World Trade Centers were burning, can't speak a coherent thought, thinks a Top Gun photo Op after a couple weeks of fighting means a victory in war, and appearing with no tie under Kleig lights after a hurricane is better leadership than evacuating, and who is so smart that he complimented the most inept and unqualified federal bureaucrat in the history of history with doing a heckuva job while people were dying of dehydration. ...
... Sorry to rant, but it's been a while since the blog has been political and my blood has been boiling this time, in spite of the blogsilence about domestic and foreign affairs.
Happy Monday
Mike
http://www.myspace.com/thepipettes
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