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Dear Freepress,
I want to let Fitrakis and Wasserman know that I applaud their
intelligently written article and many useful references.
I have been dismayed by the reception of this film by moderate and even
liberal critics.
During these perilous times, I have become something of a news junkie out
of self defense. I had the same response when I read their disclaimers;
don't these people read?
The body of evidence supporting the oil pipeline "connections" and the
Bush/Saudi allegations is substantial as they have written. Where's the
outrage? What are these people being threatened with that they aim their
guns at their own?
The audience are expressing themselves with their wallets and obviously
disagree with the pundits. Hopefully some of them will Google these issues
and some will be journalists who will dig even deeper.
I was also struck by journalists who criticized the film for being
entertaining and followed with a list of mind numbing statistics and
boring information, inadvertently revealing their complete lack of
understanding of the film media and perhaps a bit of envy.
The communities of east central Indiana are isolated from the
realities of life in the middle east. We are rarely touched by the deaths
of American soldiers--at least personally.
We read about Iraq, Israel, and Gaza on page 8A of our USA Today run-financed newspapers. The increasing terror of the middle east is mostly abstract to Indiana citizens.
Midwesterners are touched by the terror of higher gasoline prices. They know very well that Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and other middle east hot spots are sources of reasonably priced oil. American capitalism runs on low energy prices. Who had rather walk than ride?
As partisan politics goes, Midwest America voters are pragmatic in their solutions to most any problem--domestic and/or foreign.
Honesty and competence are values that Americans care about. The phrase, "an honest day's work," certainly works well in the heartland. All of life is an effort "to chase truths." Time never stays still.
We read about Iraq, Israel, and Gaza on page 8A of our USA Today run-financed newspapers. The increasing terror of the middle east is mostly abstract to Indiana citizens.
Midwesterners are touched by the terror of higher gasoline prices. They know very well that Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and other middle east hot spots are sources of reasonably priced oil. American capitalism runs on low energy prices. Who had rather walk than ride?
As partisan politics goes, Midwest America voters are pragmatic in their solutions to most any problem--domestic and/or foreign.
Honesty and competence are values that Americans care about. The phrase, "an honest day's work," certainly works well in the heartland. All of life is an effort "to chase truths." Time never stays still.
We've come to expect poisonous and unbalanced attacks from the paid far right
propagandists denouncing Michael Moore's documentary "Fahrenheit 911." But
more disturbing are the scolds from tepid moderate mainstream journalists who
often fail to read their own newspapers.
New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof attacks the film because "Moore hints that the real reason Bush invaded Afghanistan was to give his cronies a chance to profit by building an oil pipeline there." Kristof attacks Moore for even raising this issue,. But he conveniently ignores volumes of information readily available to back up Moore's claim.
Perhaps Kristof, like President Bush, refuses to read. At least that would explain why he missed the raging international debate surrounding the Bush administration's well-documented, then-secret oil negotiations with the Taliban in the summer of 2001.
New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof attacks the film because "Moore hints that the real reason Bush invaded Afghanistan was to give his cronies a chance to profit by building an oil pipeline there." Kristof attacks Moore for even raising this issue,. But he conveniently ignores volumes of information readily available to back up Moore's claim.
Perhaps Kristof, like President Bush, refuses to read. At least that would explain why he missed the raging international debate surrounding the Bush administration's well-documented, then-secret oil negotiations with the Taliban in the summer of 2001.
If we, the citizens of this nation, prevent the Bush Administration and
its apologists from placing their blood-stained hands upon our ears, turn
away from the voices of caution rising in chorus from the Establishment
and simply listen to the sounds of chaos emanating from Iraq, we will hear
the infamous, unmistakable echo of Vietnam attempting to tell us the
terrible truth: this war, too, is sound and fury signifying nothing.
Nothing but pointless and tragic death and destruction. Nothing but the systematic dehumanization of our soldiers and of the people of Iraq. Nothing but the absolute futility of a nation attempting to impose its imperial power upon a people who refuse to accept it.
Nothing but pointless and tragic death and destruction. Nothing but the systematic dehumanization of our soldiers and of the people of Iraq. Nothing but the absolute futility of a nation attempting to impose its imperial power upon a people who refuse to accept it.
"On this night I would like to depart from the usual speech demanded on
such occasions when, every four years, we celebrate the process of
democracy. On this night, ladies and gentlemen, I would instead like to
speak about America's children.
While our nation has dutifully kept its gaze fixed on approaching catastrophes, we have become blind to the catastrophes already upon us. In this the most economically developed nation in the world, at least nine million children are uninsured and receive little or no preventive medical or dental care. This is to say nothing of the millions more undocumented children in our midst.
Millions of our children live in substandard housing. Millions are suffering mental and physical malnutrition from chronic hunger and chronic neglect and abuse. Our infant mortality rate ranks an abysmal 28th internationally. An astounding one-third of American three year-olds have not received their complete immunizations. Over the past few years of difficult economic times, all of these numbers have been growing.
While our nation has dutifully kept its gaze fixed on approaching catastrophes, we have become blind to the catastrophes already upon us. In this the most economically developed nation in the world, at least nine million children are uninsured and receive little or no preventive medical or dental care. This is to say nothing of the millions more undocumented children in our midst.
Millions of our children live in substandard housing. Millions are suffering mental and physical malnutrition from chronic hunger and chronic neglect and abuse. Our infant mortality rate ranks an abysmal 28th internationally. An astounding one-third of American three year-olds have not received their complete immunizations. Over the past few years of difficult economic times, all of these numbers have been growing.
Bob Fitrakis is at his best when he writes about George Voinovich at his
worst. Catching Voinovich at his worst was not that hard when the former
"frugal" Cleveland mayor and future "moderate" U.S. senator held
statehouse ethics hostage as Ohio's governor in the 1990s. So it's not
surprising that The Fitrakis Files: The Brothers Voinovich and the
Ohiogate Scandal -- the fourth compilation of the Columbus State Community
College professor, lawyer, activist, and talk-radio firebrand's writings
-- is probably his best.
That's not to say the first three Fitrakis Files -- Spooks, Nukes & Nazis, The Schoolhouse Divided and Free Byrd & Other Cries of Justice are not exemplary. How could I say otherwise when I co-wrote some of the entries in the Byrd book? But The Brothers Voinovich and the Ohiogate Scandal rises above the others because the Voinovich clan and the brownshirts who did their bidding made such easy targets as they turned statehouse sleaze into an art form.
That's not to say the first three Fitrakis Files -- Spooks, Nukes & Nazis, The Schoolhouse Divided and Free Byrd & Other Cries of Justice are not exemplary. How could I say otherwise when I co-wrote some of the entries in the Byrd book? But The Brothers Voinovich and the Ohiogate Scandal rises above the others because the Voinovich clan and the brownshirts who did their bidding made such easy targets as they turned statehouse sleaze into an art form.
At convention time, in years gone by, pundits would decry with patronizing chuckles the supposed proclivity of the Democratic Party to "tear itself apart." Auto-rupture is actually a good thing. As Hegel once said, "a political party only truly exists when it is divided against itself." In Hegel's sense, the Democratic Party has ceased to exist. The pundits have had their wish. The party is united, in the peace of death.
Let's start with the obvious. The central political issue in this first decade of the 21st century is the decay of the American political system and of the two prime parties that share the spoils. Wherever one looks, at the gerrymandered districts, the balloting methods, the fundraising, corruption fumes like vapors from a vast swamp. In the House of Representatives today, only some 35 seats are in serious contention. The rest have been gerrymandered into permanent incumbencies.
Let's start with the obvious. The central political issue in this first decade of the 21st century is the decay of the American political system and of the two prime parties that share the spoils. Wherever one looks, at the gerrymandered districts, the balloting methods, the fundraising, corruption fumes like vapors from a vast swamp. In the House of Representatives today, only some 35 seats are in serious contention. The rest have been gerrymandered into permanent incumbencies.
AUSTIN, Texas -- I like Bill Clinton's book. I feel as though I should immediately apologize for saying that. I mean, it's gotten a bunch of bad reviews -- all sorts of superior people have peed all over it and pointed out he shouldn't have said this, or he should have said that.
Let me get my claim to intellectual superiority in here right away: I was prepared to dislike the book. I was prepared to find it self-serving, inadequate, insufficiently groveling and all that other good doo. Actually, I think it's well written, interesting and informative. I'd recommend it to almost anyone who's interested in politics, including young people with any inclination toward public service.
I started reading it just to make sure Bill Clinton is who I always thought he was. Yep, same guy. Superb politician with a zipper problem. Interesting case. But even I learned quite a bit along the way.
Let me get my claim to intellectual superiority in here right away: I was prepared to dislike the book. I was prepared to find it self-serving, inadequate, insufficiently groveling and all that other good doo. Actually, I think it's well written, interesting and informative. I'd recommend it to almost anyone who's interested in politics, including young people with any inclination toward public service.
I started reading it just to make sure Bill Clinton is who I always thought he was. Yep, same guy. Superb politician with a zipper problem. Interesting case. But even I learned quite a bit along the way.
They've finally done it. For the past three and a half years, I've been writing to you about the Bush administration's efforts to undermine the Roadless Area Conservation Rule that protects 58.5 million acres of America's wild forests. But yesterday, the Bush administration proposed to repeal the roadless rule in its entirety - and allow timber, oil, and mining interests to tear a spider web of roads through America's last wild forests.
Please take a moment right now to submit an official comment to Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth and let the Bush administration know that you oppose the wholesale destruction of America's last wild forests. Then - even if you've never done so before - ask your family and friends to help by forwarding this along; there is no more important time to act.
Take action now: wildforests.com/wildforests.asp?id=11&id4=OHFreep
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Please take a moment right now to submit an official comment to Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth and let the Bush administration know that you oppose the wholesale destruction of America's last wild forests. Then - even if you've never done so before - ask your family and friends to help by forwarding this along; there is no more important time to act.
Take action now: wildforests.com/wildforests.asp?id=11&id4=OHFreep
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