Driving Ms. Lazy To Walter Reed

Ah, the president took a break from the White House rose gardens and decided to stroll through the Walter Reed Army Medical Center today. Although he bypassed areas where there was mold in the walls, rat infestations and the scene of long lines of soldiers waiting to be processed (sounds like the DMV), the president still had a heart-warming visit to those soldiers he sent to be injured in Iraq. Although, not everyone felt that he was as sincere as he was hoping to come off.
Retired Major General Paul Eaton said of the president, "I'm convinced he would honor them more if he would refrain from using soldiers as props in political theater." Ooh, that was the taste of words thrown right back at the president after he accused democrats of political theater when they made up a bill to bring our troops home.
Despite the president's visit being cut an hour shorter than scheduled, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino had some noble things to say about the president in an article by the associated press. "She said it took some time to clear enough room on the president's schedule to spend an afternoon with patients and staff at Walter Reed." Gosh, I can imagine it would be tough penciling that in seeing as they're only our brave troops he so often publicly "supports". It's a real shame that after giving all they had to the president's war, it is still difficult for him to bear the grim realities his administration is responsible for.
But for all those democrats out there claiming that Bush doesn't support our troops in Iraq, don't sell yourself short...he doesn't care about them here too.

Problem...What Problem?

Yesterday at least 125 people were killed in Baghdad by suicide bombers and about 181 people were killed throughout Iraq by similar suicide bombers. An Iraqi man named Salam Hussein was nearby when two of the suicide bombers detonated themselves in a crowded marketplace killing two of his relatives and injuring others.

“I saw headless children and body parts everywhere. I brought four wounded to the hospital. But resources there are very limited. The refrigerators at the morgue are full. It’s a disaster,” he said.

Meanwhile, on his first day on the job, new ambassador Ryan Crocker said that "President Bush's policy is the right one." Great...another loyal minion of Bush in Iraq. In addition, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told his citizens that he was determined to bring the bombers to justice. Hello! They're suicide bombers! They're already dead! And according to their faith, they are already having intimate relations with seventy-something virgins.

I am sick to death of high officials in this government and Iraq's being incredibly stupid. This is a serious problem and these people keep on thinking that the path they're taking is the right one. Iraq has plunged into a bottomless pit and while it falls, republicans and other morons continue to say, "Hey, support the troops...stay the course...security forces are succeeding." Wake the hell up and pull us out of this mess. That's you're job isn't it? Nearly 200 people were killed yesterday and it seems like no one in this administration or the one it forged in Iraq thinks that we need to make any changes other than add more wood to the fire...I mean more troops to Iraq.

When are things going to improve in Iraq? My best guess is when politicians start addressing the real problem with real solutions. But what the hell do I know? I voted democrat and all I got was this stinking war.

When Asses Grow Lips And Use Them...

I am all for allowing freedom of speech. Hell, if it wasn't for my freedom of speech I probably would be in the Bastille by now. But I do have a problem with people talking out of their asses. After all, that is what mouths are for. I prefer people educate themselves on what they are talking about before they spew their infectious stupidity to the rest of us. In a recent editorial in my local paper a person whom shall remain nameless published his views for the world to see and the introduction was as follows: "The recent FLORIDA TODAY editorial headlined 'Abuses of power,' which advocates the removal of Attorney General Roberto Gonzales, is ridiculous and would only help the terrorists."
First of all, his name is Alberto Gonzales not Roberto. I find it ridiculous that this person can't even get the name right. Second of all, how do you connect the resignation of a party loyal attorney general to the helping the terrorists? One has absolutely nothing to do with the other and the idea that this person believes that the terrorists even know who ALBERTO Gonzales is is astounding. This person has to work for the Bush Administration to come up with that kind of crap.
Our concerned and equally opinionated citizen here probably doesn't even know the difference between potassium and uranium let alone anything about politics and terrorism. But I'll give our budding writer some advice: that's not a turban on Lady Chiquita's head.

Houston...Come In...This Is Baghdad

By now with all of the killings and explosions in Baghdad, the Iraqi capitol must look like the dark side of the moon. After the damage was assessed more accurately, authorities have determined that the death toll from last night's revenge killings led by off-duty Shiite police officers left 70 people executed in the streets and 40 kidnapped. All the meanwhile, the president has been praising the success in Iraq's lull in violence and the police's ability to stem the bloodshed. We are talking about the same country aren't we?

Also, the president has continued to vow that if a bill comes to his desk with a timetable for removing U.S. troops in Iraq he will not sign it into law. He told reporters, "If Congress fails to pass a bill to fund our troops on the front lines, the American people will know who to hold responsible."

Congress has already approved of a bill to fund about $90 billion to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is the president who is now refusing to send that money to our troops because he doesn't like that Congress isn't simply giving away billions of dollars to fund his unpopular war. God forbid the American people want our troops home and Congress actually listen to us. There is a reason why the president's approval ratings are as low as his IQ: he doesn't give a crap about the American people. It is a shame that he cannot put aside his pride and acknowledge that despite being the most powerful man in the world he is still a servant of the American people.

And while the president tries to salvage his legacy, all the American people can think about is salvaging what is left of Iraq after a bitter and violent conflict that has turned into a civil war. I will admit that Iraq is all the American people can think about after Brittany Spears' breakdown, the latest cell phone and the weather...but it is on our mind (right?). Either way, whether Baghdad really looks like the dark side of the moon or not it seems like the bureaucratic pigs in the White House have seen as much of Baghdad as they have seen of the dark side of the moon.

I Want You To Vote!

So we're fighting for democracy in Iraq are we? We have sacrificed over 3,200 of our brave soldiers' lives so that Iraqis can finally have the chance to vote for their political future and have an actual stake in how their country is run. It sounds like a great idea. Why don't we use it here?
In the presidential election years between 1960 to 2004, the average voter turnout in the U.S. for those eligible to vote was about 55.1%. That may seem like an optimistic figure being a slight majority but consider the fact that we are the founders of democracy and its most vocal advocate. And in the non-presidential election years in between when Americans are voting for their representatives and senators, the average voter turnout for those eligible to vote between the years 1962 to 2002 was about 40.2%. Now, I understand that we're not voting for that good looking, sharp talking maverick who will become the leader of the free world but these elections are just as important if not more than the presidential one. And this couldn't be emphasized more than the examples we're facing right now in Congress.
With the president facing increasing opposition by the American people as well as Congress in terms of the Iraq war, we are now witnessing the power Congress has on government policy. Part of Congress's powers are to confirm presidential nominations, ratify treaties, make up bills for government funding and budgets as well as oversee impeachment proceedings (hmm...I'd like to see that one play out). Congress is vital in its role within the checks and balance system that keeps this government democratic and not authoritarian. So the point here is that Americans should take more notice to every election and not just the popular ones with the multi-million dollar campaigns. Because when backed by the voters who empower them, our politicians can become more powerful than the president. And isn't that the way it should be; a government where representatives of the people are more powerful than any one elected official?
If we are really fighting for democracy in Iraq (and not oil) then shouldn't we lead by example? Voting is the most basic and fundamental part of a democracy and without it the people have no power. If our politicians saw that their actions were truly being judged by the American people and their jobs heavily depended on their representation of us then they would certainly pay more attention to us. In a democracy the people have the power but only if we use it. And if you don't use it, you'll lose it. And then who cares what you have to say because the Constitution that backed you up before will have been "amended" by the very people you didn't vote for to protect your rights. So vote; if not for yourself, do it for those who gave their lives for you to have that right if you so choose to use it. Any time soon would be nice.
P.R.

The Dice Have Landed: No Winners...Leave The Table

Never before has the situation in Iraq become so in need of real help. I'm not talking about more troops. I'm talking about more "help". The Marine Corps is asking the government for emergency funding to supply them with new armored military vehicles that General James Conway says "can reduce casualties by 80 percent." I am not going to even ask why they didn't have this armor already because throughout this entire war the military has been undermined by the government with appropriate supplies. In addition, while the military fights diplomacy is ignored. Those soldiers will be on the ground until Judgement Day unless diplomacy is given an honest try.
On Tuesday, two truck bombs killed at least 63 people and this morning revenge killings led by off-duty Shiite police officers killed nearly 50 people; some as young as 15. And this administration wants to convince me that we are having military success? I don't think so. Only when the issues behind the triggers are addressed and solved will the bloodshed cease. We need to focus less on military strength and more on solving these political and religious differences and if even that fails, perhaps it will be time to leave Iraq to its own devices. Some may see it as cutting and running but let's be real about this: this administration has dragged us into a situation WE cannot solve. Unfortunately, only the hands of Iraqis hold the fate of their country. I wish we never invaded in the first place so that profiteers in the White House could get even more wealthy but here we are. For better or worse, natural selection is the only course that can resolve Iraq's power struggle.
This is not a matter of winning or losing, staying the course or cutting and running; everyone has already lost. This is a matter of salvaging what is left of a country plagued by sectarian violence and supporting them diplomatically in their time of need. They have enough guns over there as it is, they don't need ours to solve their problems.

America: Those The No Child Left Behind Act Left Behind

In the global conflict sparked by the war on terror and continued through what is now the civil war in Iraq, some victims may become lost amidst the death toll: us. And by "us" I refer to all of those who lead normal innocent lives yet forced to live with the consequences we allow to pass before our very eyes. While America and Iran flex their muscles at each other in a show of a complete lack of diplomacy and international relations, the youth of today continue to be mentally victimized by the authoritarian propaganda and fear of this administration as well as physically victimized by the wars it has created. After all, it is the young who go off to fight wars, isn't it?

And also, this generation is being led down the toilet by Bush and his loyal legions through his No Child Left Behind Act. I am not sure if it was purposely designed to fail the American populace in dumbing us down to the IQ of some of its leaders but it is quickly on its way to doing just that.(The reason I'm not worried about offending anyone with these puns is because the people they're directed toward wouldn't get them anyway.)

In the NCLB funds have not been accumulated to the amount required and its budget seems to be another sparkling promise made by the Bush Administration that they aren't planning on keeping. I suppose the issue of directing government funds came down to either education or the war in Iraq and Bush figured he got to be president so what's wrong with the education system? Not to mention all of the corruption taking places in schools across the country where test results and the number of minority students are manipulated so that by the legislation of the NCLB those schools get more $.

And a neat piece of trivia that not many people know about is Section 9528 in the NCLB which states basically that public secondary schools are required to provide military recruiters access to students. In addition, if the recruiters want any contact information on students the school is required to give it to them. And if that wasn't shady enough, the schools are not required to tell the students or their parents that this information was given to the U.S. military.

So give the government your tired, your poor, your huddled masses of children so that they can be taught the mere necessities a good soldier should know and then shipped off to the wars that profit the government. This cycle of producing a complacent, docile and obedient America is what is crippling us. While the rest of the world passes us by in education, we have become dependent--yes, dependent--on foreign imports and technical as well as medical advancements. And unless we break this cycle we or even our children will be the ones not smart enough to make it in this competitive world but just smart enough to fire a gun. Because you know we can't all afford the same education.

So protests the No Child Left Behind Act and force our legislators whom we elected to either abolish it or make radical changes to it. This document after all can be torn apart--only if they'd take a break from tearing up the Constitution. Bam! And that's how I see it.

--P.R.