The defining moment of George Bush’s life was after we were attacked on September 11, 2001. This was the glory of Bush. He has cited these attacks as a reason for everything he has wanted to do.
He has used it as the reason for creating Homeland Security and the Patriot Act and the taking of many of our freedoms. In all of his speeches, the theme is the same: the terrorists are out there and the terrorists are going to get us -- unless we get them first. In his last two speeches, he cited these attacks 5 times in his VFW speech and 4 times in the Idaho speech. His speeches always tell of overwhelming threats. We are a world embroiled in the first war of the 21st century – war, a word that peppers every statement he makes.
In the vision of Bush, we are fighting a war between two clear-cut sides – one good and one evil. This is a war where there are only two choices – you are either for Good or you are for Evil -- there is no middle ground.
In the President's world, there is just them, the enemy, aka the terrorists, and us, the people who spread freedom to the rest of the world. While the terrorists skulk in the shadows, we spread freedom and freedom is no passive thing. It confronts, defeats, prevails, and conquers.
This has worked for him (ever since he finally got out of his chair at that school after hearing of the 9/11 tragedy and then quit flitting around the country in Air Force One) and he is not about to drop it.
But it seems that many Americans are no longer seeing the world as Bush is seeing it. They are beginning to ask questions. But this doesn’t affect Bush’s vision.
He doesn’t see the problems in Iraq. He doesn’t see that the country is lacking electricity, oil, jobs, a constitution and now has an Islamic government that is more allied to Iran than to America. These details don’t matter to our president and his one-track mind.
He will stay the course no matter where it takes us.
The California Curmudgeon
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
PAT ROBERTSON AND RAMBO
Stealing a phrase from bill Maher ...
NEW RULES
Pat Robertson can never again appear on TV without his keeper.
The California Curmudgeon
HILLARY FOR PRESIDENT
I would have no problem voting for a female Democrat for president. I think a woman in the Oval Office might possibly bring us from the brink of tirany back to a kinder and more gentle America. I believe that it is time for us to stop testing our testosterone and get back to the America I grew up in -- the Norman Rockwell America.
Now here comes the "but" (there always has to be a "but") -- I don't think 2008 is the right time for a woman to run for president. With our disorganized Democratic party, it will be hard enough to take back the presidency without the added burden of trying to get the first woman elected president.
I know that this might be Hillary's only chance, but I think it is more important for the Democrats to regain the presidency than it is to try and elect the first woman to the highest office.
Unless something drastic happens (like average citizens regaining their senses), the fight for the Office of the President will be a nasty, hard-fought battle in 2008.
If she runs, I will vote for her, but I hope she doesn't.
The California Curmudgeon
Now here comes the "but" (there always has to be a "but") -- I don't think 2008 is the right time for a woman to run for president. With our disorganized Democratic party, it will be hard enough to take back the presidency without the added burden of trying to get the first woman elected president.
I know that this might be Hillary's only chance, but I think it is more important for the Democrats to regain the presidency than it is to try and elect the first woman to the highest office.
Unless something drastic happens (like average citizens regaining their senses), the fight for the Office of the President will be a nasty, hard-fought battle in 2008.
If she runs, I will vote for her, but I hope she doesn't.
The California Curmudgeon
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
I don't understand all the debate about illegal immigrants getting driver's licenses, going on welfare, enrolling in schools or doing any of the other things we seem to have granted them.
I don't understand this mainly because I can't get past the "Illegal" part. If they are in this country illegally, they are criminals. And as such, should not be allowed any of the rights Americans or legal immigrants enjoy.
On May 12th, Senators Edward Kennedy and John McCain Teamed up to introduce a bipartisan immigration reform bill that would allow some of the estimated 10-12 million illegal immigrants in the United States to get legal jobs and eventual citizenship. The legislation is nothing more than amnesty for those who have disregarded our laws.
Here's a novel thought -- why doesn't the Mexican government work to increase the living conditions in Mexico? They have everything we have -- they have ground where they can grow vegetables to eat. they have ranches where cattle are grown and they have factories that could be turning out stuff people wanted instead of the junk that is now made.
If this were to happen there would be no worry about protecting our borders, just like we have no worry about the Canadians invading the United States.
The California Curmudgeon
I don't understand this mainly because I can't get past the "Illegal" part. If they are in this country illegally, they are criminals. And as such, should not be allowed any of the rights Americans or legal immigrants enjoy.
On May 12th, Senators Edward Kennedy and John McCain Teamed up to introduce a bipartisan immigration reform bill that would allow some of the estimated 10-12 million illegal immigrants in the United States to get legal jobs and eventual citizenship. The legislation is nothing more than amnesty for those who have disregarded our laws.
Here's a novel thought -- why doesn't the Mexican government work to increase the living conditions in Mexico? They have everything we have -- they have ground where they can grow vegetables to eat. they have ranches where cattle are grown and they have factories that could be turning out stuff people wanted instead of the junk that is now made.
If this were to happen there would be no worry about protecting our borders, just like we have no worry about the Canadians invading the United States.
The California Curmudgeon
Saturday, August 20, 2005
THE NON-PATRIOT ACT
The Patriot Act was rushed through Congress 45 days after the 9/11 attacks. It is 342 pages long and more confusing than a Chinese crossword puzzle.
Somehow I can't believe that this written act was put together in only 45 days. This had to have been prepared in advance and waiting for the right opportunity to put it into play.
Bush and his bunch scoffed at concerns that these laws could be used to go after their political enemies, but some of this administration's biggest enemies seem to be us. So instead of putting all their energies toward rooting out al Qaeda cells in the U.S., the government's hitmen have been going after "enemies" such as GreenPeace, the ACLU, anti-war protestors and those Americans whose only crime is speaking out against Bushes' policies. These groups are engaged in peaceful and totally lawful and totally American First Amendment activities.
The administration says that they are not trying to stifle any free-speech rights, but are merely trying to prevent any disruptive demonstrations. This country was built on disruptive demonstrations. Disruptive demonstrations are at the core of our democracy. They are what made us what we are today -- a free country.
With little baby steps, the Bush administration is taking away our right to demonstrate. No longer can demonstrators get close to any event where Bush is to be present. They are shuffled off to some remote location out of sight and earshot of the great president Bush.
"In a democracy, dissent is an act of faith. Like medicine, the test of its value is not in its taste, but its effects" -- Senator J. William Fulbright -
Our selected president is kept in an information-free bubble so that no one can see that the emperor has no clothes.
The California Curmudgeon
Somehow I can't believe that this written act was put together in only 45 days. This had to have been prepared in advance and waiting for the right opportunity to put it into play.
Bush and his bunch scoffed at concerns that these laws could be used to go after their political enemies, but some of this administration's biggest enemies seem to be us. So instead of putting all their energies toward rooting out al Qaeda cells in the U.S., the government's hitmen have been going after "enemies" such as GreenPeace, the ACLU, anti-war protestors and those Americans whose only crime is speaking out against Bushes' policies. These groups are engaged in peaceful and totally lawful and totally American First Amendment activities.
The administration says that they are not trying to stifle any free-speech rights, but are merely trying to prevent any disruptive demonstrations. This country was built on disruptive demonstrations. Disruptive demonstrations are at the core of our democracy. They are what made us what we are today -- a free country.
With little baby steps, the Bush administration is taking away our right to demonstrate. No longer can demonstrators get close to any event where Bush is to be present. They are shuffled off to some remote location out of sight and earshot of the great president Bush.
"In a democracy, dissent is an act of faith. Like medicine, the test of its value is not in its taste, but its effects" -- Senator J. William Fulbright -
Our selected president is kept in an information-free bubble so that no one can see that the emperor has no clothes.
The California Curmudgeon
UNINTELLIGENT DESIGN
Every nationality seems to have their own true God. No matter what their religion, all religious people believe that their God is the only God. Only the name has changed to protect the religious. Some call their Supreme Being God while others call theirs Allah or Buddha or Pele or some other name. The ancient Greeks had many Gods (no one size fits all there).
Now first off, I believe that man created God in his own image, not the other way around. Even though I was baptized a Catholic, I have been God's little acher for many years and I can't believe all the supposedly intelligent and successful people who seem to check all their intelligence at the church door and accept all that is told to them without any thought or reason except faith.
Not only is the Religious Right taking over the country, we now have our selected president saying that Intelligent Design is a view of creation that challenges established scientific thinking and promotes the idea that an unseen force is behind the development of humanity.
How in the world is faith-based Intelligent Design challenging scientific theory, facts that are as provable as the theory of gravity?
Intelligent Design is not science, it is not even a field of study. It's a belief system. Science has been wrong at times, but when they are, they reevaluate the new data and accommodate this new set of facts which is tested and retested many times before they call it a theory (the scientific definition of a theory is not the same as that of a layman. A theory to a scientist is a set of provable facts that have been tested against all other data and still holds true). The believers in Intelligent Design have never been troubled by any additional facts. They never change their minds based on new evidence. They base all their beliefs on faith.
How can anyone believe there is a Supreme Being who watches over each and everyone of the six and a half billion people in the world; listens to every prayer and really cares who wins a football game?
Not me, but then I am --
The California Curmudgeon
Now first off, I believe that man created God in his own image, not the other way around. Even though I was baptized a Catholic, I have been God's little acher for many years and I can't believe all the supposedly intelligent and successful people who seem to check all their intelligence at the church door and accept all that is told to them without any thought or reason except faith.
Not only is the Religious Right taking over the country, we now have our selected president saying that Intelligent Design is a view of creation that challenges established scientific thinking and promotes the idea that an unseen force is behind the development of humanity.
How in the world is faith-based Intelligent Design challenging scientific theory, facts that are as provable as the theory of gravity?
Intelligent Design is not science, it is not even a field of study. It's a belief system. Science has been wrong at times, but when they are, they reevaluate the new data and accommodate this new set of facts which is tested and retested many times before they call it a theory (the scientific definition of a theory is not the same as that of a layman. A theory to a scientist is a set of provable facts that have been tested against all other data and still holds true). The believers in Intelligent Design have never been troubled by any additional facts. They never change their minds based on new evidence. They base all their beliefs on faith.
How can anyone believe there is a Supreme Being who watches over each and everyone of the six and a half billion people in the world; listens to every prayer and really cares who wins a football game?
Not me, but then I am --
The California Curmudgeon
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
A BUSH IN THE HAND IS BETTER THAN A BUSH AS PRESIDENT.
When in the hell are we going to impeach George W. Bush?
Clinton was impeached for screwing around with a girl. Bush has been screwing the country ever since he got in office.
He lied that Iraq was to blame for the 9/11 attacks.
He lied about Iraq having WMD.
He lied when he said he knew exactly where they were.
He lied when he said Iraq was trying to buy yellow cake uranium.
He lied when he changed the reasons for our invading Iraq 3 or 4 times.
He made energy policy by using energy company advisors.
He made oil policy by using oil company advisors.
He gave big tax cuts to the very, very wealthy and piled up a huge national debt.
He apparently has no respect for the fighting men as he:
has not given them the proper equipment to do their job.
makes them stay long past their allotted time.
cuts their veteran benefits once they get back home.
never attends any of their funerals.
He issued a blackout on the photographing of coffins coming back home because war has a dark side that he didn't want the public to see.
He keeps banker's hours at the White House. Nine to Five with time out for a nap.
The world is in deep doo-doo and Bush goes on a five week vacation to fix fences and clear brush.
He has spent 27% of his presidency on vacation.
He hasn't signed the Non-Proliferatian Treaty.
He condones torture by allowing our agents to send prisoners to other countries that really know how to put someone on the rack.
He used the "emergency" vacation appointment to appoint Bolton as UN Ambassador.
He is running the most secretive government in the history of the United States.
He is more loyal to his cronies than he is to his country.
Even though Karl Rove outed a CIA agent (a felony bordering on treason), Bush will never fire him (that would be like Charlie McCarthy firing Edgar Bergen).
In almost all cases, Bush refuses to release public documents to the public.
He will not meet with Cindy Sheehan, a grieving mother, to answer the question of why her son had to die and for what nobel cause.
He is trying to turn this country into religious country not unlike Iraq, Iran or Afganisthan.
And anyone who disagrees with any of his decisions is unpatriotic.
I guess that would include me. I am -
The California Curmudgeon
Clinton was impeached for screwing around with a girl. Bush has been screwing the country ever since he got in office.
He lied that Iraq was to blame for the 9/11 attacks.
He lied about Iraq having WMD.
He lied when he said he knew exactly where they were.
He lied when he said Iraq was trying to buy yellow cake uranium.
He lied when he changed the reasons for our invading Iraq 3 or 4 times.
He made energy policy by using energy company advisors.
He made oil policy by using oil company advisors.
He gave big tax cuts to the very, very wealthy and piled up a huge national debt.
He apparently has no respect for the fighting men as he:
has not given them the proper equipment to do their job.
makes them stay long past their allotted time.
cuts their veteran benefits once they get back home.
never attends any of their funerals.
He issued a blackout on the photographing of coffins coming back home because war has a dark side that he didn't want the public to see.
He keeps banker's hours at the White House. Nine to Five with time out for a nap.
The world is in deep doo-doo and Bush goes on a five week vacation to fix fences and clear brush.
He has spent 27% of his presidency on vacation.
He hasn't signed the Non-Proliferatian Treaty.
He condones torture by allowing our agents to send prisoners to other countries that really know how to put someone on the rack.
He used the "emergency" vacation appointment to appoint Bolton as UN Ambassador.
He is running the most secretive government in the history of the United States.
He is more loyal to his cronies than he is to his country.
Even though Karl Rove outed a CIA agent (a felony bordering on treason), Bush will never fire him (that would be like Charlie McCarthy firing Edgar Bergen).
In almost all cases, Bush refuses to release public documents to the public.
He will not meet with Cindy Sheehan, a grieving mother, to answer the question of why her son had to die and for what nobel cause.
He is trying to turn this country into religious country not unlike Iraq, Iran or Afganisthan.
And anyone who disagrees with any of his decisions is unpatriotic.
I guess that would include me. I am -
The California Curmudgeon
Saturday, August 13, 2005
TO MEET OR NOT TO MEET ...
I hope that Mike Thompson doesn't mind my using his cartoon.It would seem that Cindy Sheehan has Bush between Iraq and a hard place. If he meets with her, she will ask him some very hard questions and if he doesn't meet with her he will lose all credibility.
That is what would happen in the real world, but we are in Bush's World of "no resposibility". And in this world, he will not face her and attempt to answer her questions, but will instead ignore her completely on his way back to Washington D.C. and the media will make no comment about it. The press will follow Bush and Cindy will be as forgotten as the original reason for attacking Iraq.
The California Curmudgeon
A BELLY FULL OF PORK
Even though in 2002 Bush came out with a war against congressional pork, he just signed into law a $286 billion transportation measure that contains a record 6,371 pet projects inserted by members of Congress from both parties.
Hundreds of million of our tax dollars will be channeled to programs that have nothing to do with alleviating congestion or helping the efficiency of transportation.
Instead, it is putting $24 billion into all of these pet projects (that is nearly nine percent of the total spending) that congressmen can take back to their people and get reelected because they did truely "bring home the bacon".
These pet projects supports such things as $2.3 million for the beautification of the Ronald Reagan Freeway in California -- $6 million for graffiti elimination in New York -- $4 million on the National Packard Museum in Warren, Ohio and the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan -- $2.4 million for a Red River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Louisiana and $1.2 million to install lighting and steps and to equip an interpretative facility at the Blue Ridge Music Center and many, many more that have nothing to do with transportation.
Your transportation dollars at work.
The California Curmudgeon
Hundreds of million of our tax dollars will be channeled to programs that have nothing to do with alleviating congestion or helping the efficiency of transportation.
Instead, it is putting $24 billion into all of these pet projects (that is nearly nine percent of the total spending) that congressmen can take back to their people and get reelected because they did truely "bring home the bacon".
These pet projects supports such things as $2.3 million for the beautification of the Ronald Reagan Freeway in California -- $6 million for graffiti elimination in New York -- $4 million on the National Packard Museum in Warren, Ohio and the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan -- $2.4 million for a Red River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Louisiana and $1.2 million to install lighting and steps and to equip an interpretative facility at the Blue Ridge Music Center and many, many more that have nothing to do with transportation.
Your transportation dollars at work.
The California Curmudgeon
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
THE WAR HAS BEEN WON
It seems that the "war on terror" has been won. At least, the Bush Bunch has decided that it is no longer a "war". It has been down-graded to a "struggle".
This "struggle" that has taken well over 1,800 of our young boys' lives is now called "The Global Struggle Against Violent Extremism". Isn't that precious?
Our boys face devastating attacks and bombings every day. They are coming home in boxes and on crutches and all that Bush choses to do is redo the slogan.
The California Curmudgeon
This "struggle" that has taken well over 1,800 of our young boys' lives is now called "The Global Struggle Against Violent Extremism". Isn't that precious?
Our boys face devastating attacks and bombings every day. They are coming home in boxes and on crutches and all that Bush choses to do is redo the slogan.
The California Curmudgeon
OUR HOLY NATION
If the Religious-Right takes over our nation and declares that the Bible is the only truth, will we really be so different from the Muslim nations with their Holy Quaran?
The California Curmudgeon
The California Curmudgeon
THE FAITH-BASED SUPREME COURT
Some Democrats have implied the John Roberts' personal faith could somehow interfere with his judicial responsibilities and they would like to question him about it.
But the Republicans say that religion should not enter into the questioning. They feel that they shouldn't have to explain their religious convictions to anyone.
If religion is as unimportant to the Rebublicans as they say, how would they vote if Bush had nominated an atheist to the Supreme Court?
The California Curmudgeon
But the Republicans say that religion should not enter into the questioning. They feel that they shouldn't have to explain their religious convictions to anyone.
If religion is as unimportant to the Rebublicans as they say, how would they vote if Bush had nominated an atheist to the Supreme Court?
The California Curmudgeon
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
OUR EMPLOYEES, THE POLITICIANS
Am I the only one who is tired of hearing that the politicians works for us?
Where else would you see the politicians riding around in limos while the "boss" has to take public transit?
Where else would you see the politicians setting their own hours while the "boss" has to work 8 hours a day to pay these employees?
And vacation time, that's another thing. The politicians take a week off for every holiday and several months off during the rest of the year. And how many days does the "boss" get to take in a year? Five weeks, tops.
And when the politicians go on vacation, they don't even have to pay for the trip. There is always someone who is willing to pick up the tab for a favor or two. The "bosses" get to take their vacation at some cheap place because they have to pay for it themselves.
And no matter what their job, the "bosses" are pretty much restricted from taking kickbacks. If they did, you know they would be fired, but the politicians never get fired.
Now don't you think that if we really were the bosses over the politicians that we would be the ones riding in the limos and smoking those five dollar cigars?
The California Curmudgeon
Where else would you see the politicians riding around in limos while the "boss" has to take public transit?
Where else would you see the politicians setting their own hours while the "boss" has to work 8 hours a day to pay these employees?
And vacation time, that's another thing. The politicians take a week off for every holiday and several months off during the rest of the year. And how many days does the "boss" get to take in a year? Five weeks, tops.
And when the politicians go on vacation, they don't even have to pay for the trip. There is always someone who is willing to pick up the tab for a favor or two. The "bosses" get to take their vacation at some cheap place because they have to pay for it themselves.
And no matter what their job, the "bosses" are pretty much restricted from taking kickbacks. If they did, you know they would be fired, but the politicians never get fired.
Now don't you think that if we really were the bosses over the politicians that we would be the ones riding in the limos and smoking those five dollar cigars?
The California Curmudgeon
BUSH AND THE ENERGY BILL
Well, it seems that Bush has done it to us again. He just signed the new Energy Bill that gives billions in tax breaks to the big oil companies and does nothing to reduce the nation's dependency on foreign oil.
The bill's price tag - $12.3 billion over 10 years - is twice what the White House had first proposed. The bill is basically a gift to energy companies and does nothing to promote remewable energy.
Whether in the Oval Office or on vacation at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, Bush will never miss a chance to stick it to the average citizen.
The way things are going, Bush will not be happy until the wealthy have all the money and the rest of us have nothing.
But I wonder if they have ever thought that after this happens, there will be no one to buy their products. No one to buy their cars, oil, computers, houses, stocks, electricty, gasoline, etc. And plants will close.
The people will no longer live, they will exist.
The California Curmudgeon
The bill's price tag - $12.3 billion over 10 years - is twice what the White House had first proposed. The bill is basically a gift to energy companies and does nothing to promote remewable energy.
Whether in the Oval Office or on vacation at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, Bush will never miss a chance to stick it to the average citizen.
The way things are going, Bush will not be happy until the wealthy have all the money and the rest of us have nothing.
But I wonder if they have ever thought that after this happens, there will be no one to buy their products. No one to buy their cars, oil, computers, houses, stocks, electricty, gasoline, etc. And plants will close.
The people will no longer live, they will exist.
The California Curmudgeon
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