Global
Dear Mr. Wasserman,
I'm in Baghdad, Iraq and I've just spent 2 days at seminars on democracy that I arranged with a couple of friends. As I'm immersed in this subject right now and as I was terribly moved watching the rapt attention my Iraqi friends gave to the democracy consultant that came here to help, I can't help responding to your article on George Bush with a resounding: Why on earth are we talking about a person like George Bush? How could anyone like Mr. Bush get elected in an intelligent so-called advanced country? Once elected by an undemocratic 20% of the population of the US, how could he stay in office after breaching international law, thumbing his and the American people's noses at the international community and UN, attacking a country that he's already carefully rendered helpless with the worst arsenal of military might known to the planet, lied to his own people repeatedly etc.? Why is this planet taking a buffoon like George Bush seriously and why hasn't he been turfed out of the White House for wrecking just about every glimmer of civilized structure the US has built up over centuries?
If you run a lootocracy, you have no conception of sufficiency. You set up
the rules to grab as much money as you can, as if you've won a supermarket
shopping spree. You also concentrate power, the better to arrange the world
for your benefit. Unchecked by modesty, satiety, or shame, you take all you
can get away with. You loot until someone stops you.
The word lootocracy was originally coined to describe the corrupt cartels that have ruled and plundered countries like Nigeria, Kenya, and some of the former Soviet Republics. But with an amazingly small amount of national debate, George Bush is installing a more global and sophisticated version-one where those on top can do whatever they choose without the slightest constraints. Bush began his presidency by giving the wealthiest five percent of all Americans massive tax breaks of $75 billion a year. He paid for them in part by cutting child abuse prevention, community policing, Americorps, low-income childcare, health care, housing, and even support for military families. This spring he passed another round of cuts, $35 billion a year targeted overwhelmingly to the same lucky lootocrats.
The word lootocracy was originally coined to describe the corrupt cartels that have ruled and plundered countries like Nigeria, Kenya, and some of the former Soviet Republics. But with an amazingly small amount of national debate, George Bush is installing a more global and sophisticated version-one where those on top can do whatever they choose without the slightest constraints. Bush began his presidency by giving the wealthiest five percent of all Americans massive tax breaks of $75 billion a year. He paid for them in part by cutting child abuse prevention, community policing, Americorps, low-income childcare, health care, housing, and even support for military families. This spring he passed another round of cuts, $35 billion a year targeted overwhelmingly to the same lucky lootocrats.
In answer to PETA’s lawsuit filed in July against KFC and its parent company, Yum! Brands, accusing the corporations of lying to the public about their animal-welfare policies, KFC and Yum! Brands have made sweeping changes to their Web sites and their customer service scripts.
Lawyers for KFC provided the text of the new customer service script to PETA to review in order to determine whether they were sufficient to stop the lawsuit. The changes amount to what PETA had asked the court to require of KFC, and as a result, PETA will now end its lawsuit.
PETA’s victory in this lawsuit—which PETA believes to be unprecedented in that it is a successful suit for false representations about the treatment of farmed animals—puts corporations on notice that they cannot abuse animals and lie about it with impunity. The false claims that have now been removed from the KFC and Yum! Brands Web sites include the following:
• that chickens raised for KFC suffer no pain
• that chickens raised for KFC suffer no injuries
• that KFC suppliers use “state-of-the-art” slaughter equipment
• that humane treatment of the birds is “ensured”
Lawyers for KFC provided the text of the new customer service script to PETA to review in order to determine whether they were sufficient to stop the lawsuit. The changes amount to what PETA had asked the court to require of KFC, and as a result, PETA will now end its lawsuit.
PETA’s victory in this lawsuit—which PETA believes to be unprecedented in that it is a successful suit for false representations about the treatment of farmed animals—puts corporations on notice that they cannot abuse animals and lie about it with impunity. The false claims that have now been removed from the KFC and Yum! Brands Web sites include the following:
• that chickens raised for KFC suffer no pain
• that chickens raised for KFC suffer no injuries
• that KFC suppliers use “state-of-the-art” slaughter equipment
• that humane treatment of the birds is “ensured”
George W. Bush has officially told the people of New York City that as far as
he's concerned, they can drop dead. And thanks to his lies, many of them
will.
With his latest attack on the Clean Air Act he's said the same to millions more.
Bush has used the 9/11 "trifecta" to build his popularity, fund the military and tear up the Bill of Rights. But the GOP's cynical uses of the tragedy have gone to a new level.
The White House directly interfered with planned Environmental Protection Agency warnings about the toxic fallout from the World Trade Center explosions. It had "competing considerations" that came before protecting the health of the people of New York. Among them were re-opening the stock exchange as quickly as possible, and limiting clean-up costs and liability claims.
Because of Bush's lies, thousands of Americans will suffer cancers, emphysema, heart attack, stroke, birth defects, stillbirths, sterility, eye/ear/nose/throat disease and much more.
With his latest attack on the Clean Air Act he's said the same to millions more.
Bush has used the 9/11 "trifecta" to build his popularity, fund the military and tear up the Bill of Rights. But the GOP's cynical uses of the tragedy have gone to a new level.
The White House directly interfered with planned Environmental Protection Agency warnings about the toxic fallout from the World Trade Center explosions. It had "competing considerations" that came before protecting the health of the people of New York. Among them were re-opening the stock exchange as quickly as possible, and limiting clean-up costs and liability claims.
Because of Bush's lies, thousands of Americans will suffer cancers, emphysema, heart attack, stroke, birth defects, stillbirths, sterility, eye/ear/nose/throat disease and much more.
It seems fitting that a president who was brought into office because of a scandalous election would enact a law to overhaul the electoral process to make it easier for people to choose their leaders the second time around.
But that's not what the Omnibus Appropriations Bill, signed into law by President Bush in October 2002, will do. Instead, the law will force most states to switch from paper balloting to a fully computerized system---one that is currently rife with programming flaws and is incapable of being audited-that could call into question the legitimacy of future local and national elections and put the wrong candidates into office.
The bill contains $1.515 billion to fund activities related to the Help America Vote Act, a federal election reform bill that provides money to states for the improvement of elections; including $15 million to the General Services Administration to reimburse states that purchased optical scan or electronic voting equipment prior to the November 2000 election.
But that's not what the Omnibus Appropriations Bill, signed into law by President Bush in October 2002, will do. Instead, the law will force most states to switch from paper balloting to a fully computerized system---one that is currently rife with programming flaws and is incapable of being audited-that could call into question the legitimacy of future local and national elections and put the wrong candidates into office.
The bill contains $1.515 billion to fund activities related to the Help America Vote Act, a federal election reform bill that provides money to states for the improvement of elections; including $15 million to the General Services Administration to reimburse states that purchased optical scan or electronic voting equipment prior to the November 2000 election.
Just saw Wasserman on Fox News. What an idiot!! To suggest that putting solar panels on every building would somehow mitigate the type of blackout caused by the upset in the ancient northeast power grid is just absurd. What a jerk!!
Crawl back under the rug Harvey. Nobody want s to hear your stupid ranting.
G.L. Gunderman
Florence, Alabama
G.L. Gunderman
Florence, Alabama
In a depressingly symbolic year for climate change, energy policy and
public health, just a week after GM recalled the last cars its entire
California fleet of 1000 Zero Emission electric vehicles to be destroyed
(citing a "lack of demand"), and during the same year by which California
air regulators had since 1990 required that 10% of all new cars be
pollution free had not Governor Davis lifted the requirement upon taking
office - state air regulators have come out with a new standard for rating
new cars that instead re-classifies gasoline-burning engines as "clean."
Say hello to the "Partial Zero Emission Vehicle," ("P-ZEV") a characteristically Moderate Democratic nomenclature to which the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Detroit automakers have agreed - a watered down version of the "Zero Emmission Vehicles" classification following Governor Davis' post-election decision to eliminate a 1990 requirement that, starting in 2003, 10% of all cars sold in California should have been Zero Emission Vehicles ("ZEV").
Say hello to the "Partial Zero Emission Vehicle," ("P-ZEV") a characteristically Moderate Democratic nomenclature to which the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Detroit automakers have agreed - a watered down version of the "Zero Emmission Vehicles" classification following Governor Davis' post-election decision to eliminate a 1990 requirement that, starting in 2003, 10% of all cars sold in California should have been Zero Emission Vehicles ("ZEV").
(COLUMBUS, OH, 8/29/2003) - The Ohio office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) today called on national Catholic authorities to intervene in the case of a Muslim student at a Catholic high school in Ohio being denied the right to wear a religiously-mandated head scarf.
CAIR-Ohio also called on Regina High School to allow the student to return to class while this issue is being resolved. "The Student has attended this school for several years, and has a great deal invested into her education at this school, it would be very devastating for her to have to change school during her senior year of high school" said Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin Vice President of CAIR-Ohio, who attended a catholic school herself.
CAIR-Ohio also called on Regina High School to allow the student to return to class while this issue is being resolved. "The Student has attended this school for several years, and has a great deal invested into her education at this school, it would be very devastating for her to have to change school during her senior year of high school" said Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin Vice President of CAIR-Ohio, who attended a catholic school herself.
A national media spotlight has focused on the battle between the
Constitution of the United States and some religious fundamentalists who
viewed themselves as angels of Montgomery. The removal of a big Ten
Commandments monument from an Alabama courthouse on Wednesday was good
news for people who prefer democracy to theocracy.
But as the holy smoke clears, news outlets might want to consider the concepts that have endured on those chiseled tablets -- in the context of the media industry itself.
Before proceeding with this column, I wish to inform any litigious corporation among ye that I will be utilizing quotations from the Ten Commandments for “fair use” purposes in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107.
Rupert Murdoch and News Corp. should note that while I do not have access to extensive financial and legal resources of the sort available to Al Franken and his publisher, I intend to defend myself fully against any claims that Fox News has a propriety interest in Exodus 20:1-17.
But as the holy smoke clears, news outlets might want to consider the concepts that have endured on those chiseled tablets -- in the context of the media industry itself.
Before proceeding with this column, I wish to inform any litigious corporation among ye that I will be utilizing quotations from the Ten Commandments for “fair use” purposes in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107.
Rupert Murdoch and News Corp. should note that while I do not have access to extensive financial and legal resources of the sort available to Al Franken and his publisher, I intend to defend myself fully against any claims that Fox News has a propriety interest in Exodus 20:1-17.
Call Senators Mike DeWine (614-469-5186) and George Voinovich
(614-469-6697) to demand that the US government:
* Bring the Troops Home Now, End the Occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, and Pay Reparations to Iraqis and Afghans
* Stop US Military and Financial Support for Israel Until Israel Dismantles All the Settlements, Ends the Occupation of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem, and Abides by All Relevant International Laws, Including United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194
* Appoint an Independent Commission, and Hold Open and Public Hearings, to Investigate the Bush Administration's Lies That Misled Americans into the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq (Support H.R. 2625 and H. Res. 307)
Mike DeWine: 614-469-5186 (Columbus); 202-224-2315 (DC)
George Voinovich: 614-469-6697 (Columbus); 202-224-3353 (DC)
[Call the Columbus phone numbers while Congress is in recess.]
* Bring the Troops Home Now, End the Occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, and Pay Reparations to Iraqis and Afghans
* Stop US Military and Financial Support for Israel Until Israel Dismantles All the Settlements, Ends the Occupation of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem, and Abides by All Relevant International Laws, Including United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194
* Appoint an Independent Commission, and Hold Open and Public Hearings, to Investigate the Bush Administration's Lies That Misled Americans into the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq (Support H.R. 2625 and H. Res. 307)
Mike DeWine: 614-469-5186 (Columbus); 202-224-2315 (DC)
George Voinovich: 614-469-6697 (Columbus); 202-224-3353 (DC)
[Call the Columbus phone numbers while Congress is in recess.]