I am very glad "Mr. Bigshot" is ok!!

I am listening to Air America. Any plans for Randi Rhodes?

"Mr. Bigshot" is smart because he knows the more media interviews the better the chance of stirring the pot!

Please introduce "mr. Bigshot" to those of us who haven't a clue as to what Brad is talking about.
So --somebody had to ask!!
Peter

It's Brad - Soylent Bigshot is Brad!!!

Go get 'em, Brad, and do post a PO Box to which we can post money, OK?

Hurray for Bigshot Troublemakers who are on the right side!

I have heard many of his interviews. They rock!
Thanks so much Brad for all you do. The public is finally getting some valuable news regarding many of which are gaining traction. The truth is on our side.

Thanks again for ALL the great work you do.

Brad-Have you had any contact with Ed Schultz
-Big Eddie??
Peter

Brad-Have you had any contact with Ed Schultz
-Big Eddie??
Peter

Hey Brad,
You are fighting the good fight. I miss you but know you are doing what needs to be done.

Blog when you can we understand.

Hi, Mr. Big Shot - May your shooting keep right on hitting the "big" targets for America, like the achievement of fair elections, true liberty for all citizens, and honest and uncorrupt leadership in government. Keep on following the high road and shining light on the shadows. Thank you.

"Soylent Bigshot is Brad!!!"

Well done, a nice new BRAD BLOG T-Shirt for Casolaro for that one. (Should there ever be any BRAD BLOG T-Shirts, that is).

Thanks for the PO BOX reminder, Caso. Gotta get to that too.

Anyhoo...replying to PeterPont (who would have to give us his BRAD BLOG T-Shirt, if he had one, due to his initial question!) trying to recall the sitch, but yes, I had contact with Ed Schulz in December as I recall. I believe I hooked him up with Curtis for an interview.

Please feel free to write Ed (or anyone else!) and suggest they have me on to discuss this stuff! I'm happy to do so! Even at 6am in the morning apparently!

Oh...and thanks all for your understanding. Frankly, I'd rather be reporting and writing, but the word needs to get out. So hopefully we're gettin' it out!

Thanks again to all of you guys for both your patience and support.

(More fun news on both Curtis and Mr. Big Shot this coming Monday, btw...perhaps even late Sunday night.)

Well, well, well, Mr. BIG SHOT. Just remember, we built you up and we can also tear you down.

*Just kidding of course*

Fuck off, Horkus. One more comment like that and you're banned for life!

(Just trying out some Mr. Big Shot lingo!)

;-)

Yeah, he's going big-shot - Washington, make room.

Another one becomes a demopublican (or republocrat), shit it must be contagious.

So Mr. Big Shot, when are you going to start supporting George's Social Security plan - or are you just waiting for the publicity cheque to clear...

Want BradBlog.com shirts?

CAFEPRESS.com

No money needed upfront and Brad can finally makes some easy dough!

I want one!

Good morning all.

It is 6:30 am here, my favorite time of the day,when my wife and children are still asleep, and the house is quiet, except for the sound of coffee brewing. It's snowing outside, which has a way of making everything quiet and muffled, and clean. Btw Peg C, I understand you are getting a lot of snow today in Maine. I hope you are safe and warm in your home )

It's at these times when I'm able to think clearly about everything, the day ahead, the tasks before me, and the general state of things in the world. Sometimes my wife doesn't understand my need to feed my craving for information, especially since lately, there hasn't been much at all to be happy about, mostly bad news day after day. She thinks the only thing I gain is more stress to an already stressful life, and to a degree, she is right, but I could never trade that for ignorant, insulated comfort. I *need* to know.

The one thing that occupies my thoughts the most, at least for the last year or so, is the reality that in April, my first child, my tall, strong, beautiful, and supremely talented son Justin, will turn 18. Apart from the normal (I guess) creeping feeling that eventually my son will go out on his own, a sad enough thought to be sure, is the stark and frightening reality that he will be hunted, yes, hunted, by the military of this country, to try to recruit him for **sh's wars. While I have made plans, with him, to register him with Selective Service as a consientious objector, and to do all I can to work within the *system* to keep him safe from this, still I have this nagging sense that it won't be enough. I mean afterall, the evil that we are all fighting against has proven to be almost unstoppable in it's attacks on our country and it's citizens. The bottom line is that they will have to kill me before I surrender my child to them, something I'm certain all of you would do to protect your own children, yet somehow, I feel completely alone in this struggle.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, that at my favorite part of the day, when I feel renewed and ready to start fresh at the beginning of a new day..........I'm feeling small and frightened, and inadequate on this day.............

Supersoling #19 I understand about your son. When my son was going thru that the recruiters used to come to the house and want to talk to him.

I did not run them off, but told them it was up to him, not me. Each to his own. I had informed him of my thoughts against war and my CO status, but also told him he must make up his own mind and would be my son no matter what.

He chose not to go with them. They left us alone after that.

You are right, the CO status is not totally problem free. After all I was imprisoned even tho I was CO ... its just that those on the SSS board did not accept my religious views and reasoning.

The Draft Boards were populated by doctrinaire main stream christians who were closed minded to my reasoning. I proved I was a CO by going to prison for my beliefs ... they proved theirs only by mouthing doctrine.

I would watch the construction of the draft boards carefully. It is possible they could be worse than the Viet Nam era boards ... or better.

My gut feel is that they will be worse unless we intervene in some way. Network with people and put some pressure on and add some guidance.

I think these boards should have muslim, christian, agnostic, athiests, and other CO mentalities on them. In other words one religion's reasoning for CO status is not enough in a pluralistic society.

You are not alone in this struggle ...

I've been lurking here a long time, so I take all the Big Shot talk and the overwhelming amount of advertising in the last few days with a grain of salt, but I don't think it's such a smart move to pummel new visitors with Brad adoration no-matter how tongue in cheek. If it was my first time here, I wouldn't come back after seeing all the self-advertisement.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for selling the messenger as a way to sell the message. Just saying that once you get new people here, you've already done the selling. Then is the time to get their attention with all the great work right off the bat.
Just a thought. It's Brad's world, were just escaping to it.

BRAD

The thread about the Lemme 'suicide' has broken a record for number of posts.

Should we pass a milestone and have a SECTION 2 on that thread?

It is getting bulky and may be slowing down the site as a huge thing. Sectioning it may be helpful.

I have a feeling it is only half done ...

Super #19

Your not alone. I am awake many nites worring about my 17 y/o grandson. They got my brother in Vietnam, broke my son in Desert Storm , but I'll die or go to jail befor they touch my grandson. I also will have to fight his mother, as she thinks he looks so cute in his JROTC uniform. No, never, this family has had enough from these warmongers

Also go to http://www.gsfp.org ,click on Essays and scroll down to "Cindy Sheehan, after appearance on Larry King show was preempted by Michael Jackson trial" if you want to see the truth. America doesn't give a shit about these kids dying, or the pain the families go through.

I think the collective mind and soul of this country has just about reached its limit with these sleazy, useless wars. No heroes are emerging, and I don't think people will support wars without them. There are also no REAL demons to fight out there, and I do believe that deep down people are feeling the hoax. They are totally confused at this point. Is it Saddam Hussein, the Moslems, the terrorists, the Russians, the Koreans, the Chinese, the Iranians, the Syrians, the Laplanders, the Devil.....?

I don't know exactly how much longer it will take, but if a draft comes, I think the people of this country will snap. I think there will be a shocking backlash.

We've got to get out of the Middle East, and attend to our own problems.

And I think the curtain is about to be drawn on the neoconmen's show. The empire building looks like its over.

Here's a wonderful piece by, of all people, Pat Buchanan:

The Stillborn Empire

I want to read Teresa's enticing link, but first say something to Supersoling, who is feeling alone and afraid on a snowy winter day.

Supersoling #19 - Yes we're getting buried up here; it may be a month before we can dig out, but we're warm and fed at the moment.

You are not alone. Your son belongs to all of us too, and Nana's grandson, and Dredd's son, and ALL those sons threatened by an inhuman war machine that fails to (cannot) see their individuality and infinite value as feeling, thinking, aspiring miracles. We will ALL fight for their right to live by their own beliefs and values. That is what freedom and liberty mean, and THAT is what our incipient revolution is about: to save America.

Have a warm and peaceful day.

Wow! Pat Buchanan nailed it! And I've always loved that Kipling line at the end...

Rumsfield cleared in prison abuse scandal. I'm so surprised!!

Peg C, That beautiful, heartfelt piece of writing(Stillborn) really got to me. So genuine coming from such a conservative man.
And can you believe it? It was published in the American Conservative.
It speaks of an underlying soul togetherness in this society, and it gives me hope.

Rumsfield again. This time threatening the world!

Dear Nana,

Thanks so much for joining us! Bradsville, much like Red Sox nation, exists all around the world, and it's certainly my, nay, our pleasure, nay, joy, that you have decided to speak up! I currently have two little grandsons growing up in Florida. I fear for them, and for all of us, in fact. Let's all get on the stick now! Now or never???

Nana #24

I went to the link you posted.

I like the poem by Carly Sheehan ...

Here's something interesting. Absentee ballot fraud? In Florida? And Jebbie Baby is suspending penalties? I refuse to believe it!

Here is a letter on this subject written to George Bush before the election...very, very good:

A soldier's last request

The subject of the war...last post

Here's another interesting tidbit. The good folks of Memphis are being called by "federal agents" and told not to display any anti-Bush material.

Teresa #25

Awesome article. I emailed it to my list ...

Cheryl #30 when will they ever learn ...

Excellent, Dredd. (#37) Thanks. I mailed it, too.

Boycott the MSM and urge the FCC to curb deregulation of corporate media consolidation.

Cheryl will like this: a Torontonian says "Boycott America"

Hey Peg,
Interesting. But it will hurt many people just like the Bradvillians. I'm not sure that's the way to go.

Dredd -

Hopefully before the weekend is out, I will have created another thread with a "Follow-up" attempting to speak to many of the great questions in the Lemme thread.

Weekends are usually a bit slower, so hopefully the old thread can hold itself up until I can begin the new one with a *few* answers to some of the questions that have been posted on the original one.

If you don't think that will suffice, let me know.

Hey guys!
Here's a little Saturday afternoon chuckle for ya.

Well you know what they always say. When there's an assassination, look and see who benefits from it the most.

The March of the Bloggers.

Or alternatively, CNN/USA Today/Gallup say this about bloggers.

From AmericaBlog:

Bush appoints Karen Hughes as head of public diplomacy at State Dept
by John in DC - 3/12/2005 12:44:00 PM

So I read the first paragraph and go "that's interesting":
President Bush will nominate one of his closest longtime advisers to a key State Department post in an effort to help repair the United States' image abroad, especially in the Arab world, a senior administration official said Saturday.

Then I read the last line of the story:
The post has been vacant since last summer.

Last summer? They left this job open for 9 months? A job that is key to rebuilding our image around the world and especially in the Arab world? And they leave it open for almost a year? And does the MSMreporter ask the administration the obvious question : WHY this doesn't show a lack of interest in public diplomacy by this administration?

Hello all,
I was reading some of the comments, and I too, am worried about my 16-yr old grandson. And I'm worried about all our sons and grandsons. To be sure, if our country keeps going like it is, there's sure to be a draft, I don't care what they say...
And it makes me angry when Bushco is spouting about Soc.Sec. and all those over a certain age don't have to worry cause it's not going to affect them. Well, I for one, do worry. I worry about those who come after me, not just my immediate family, but for all of us. I believe most people on this blog are worried about others besides themselves. Right on, right on, right on....!!!

Cheryl #41 -

A couple of months ago, I was ruminating about possible international sanctions on the US as a way to end this nightmare. I'm still in favor of them, no matter whether we suffer a bit in the process. We'll all suffer A LOT if SOMETHING doesn't happen to stop this fascist coup.

Hey all.. Not sure if this is the right thread (seeing as how it's loaded with "war" undertones)..

But, given that we are all taxpayers (and if you do the research, you'll find we aren't supposed to be paying those taxes..), I figured I'd post this article (link, actually).. The general idea is, our tax dollars are going to -help- the worlds -biggest- software company -test- it's products (security patches). Microsoft (Bill Gates has a net worth of 180 MILLION Americans.. as reported by Michael Moore.. some 9 billion dollars) has a deal with "several" entities to have them get security patches "early" and to test them before they are made available to the public.. One of those "entities" is the United States Airforce. Yeah, our tax dollars are being used to help the world's largest software company do what it should be paying workers to do.. instead, WE are (in effect) paying Microsoft so they can maintain their monopoly.. fun..

Here's the link

Cheryl #41 -

More thoughts on the international boycott strategy on Cannonfire today. Americans want HELP!

Peg C #51

I was thinking just the other day that perhaps the only way Americans can take back our country is to have other countries step in.. I mean, look at Lybia and Syria.. Syria came in in the 70s (iirc) to help the "people" in their civil war. The problem became that the government became "thankful" to Syria and aforded them too much freedom in their own borders.. Hopefully, America won't do that with whom ever 'occupies' us while our government is being rebuilt from the ground up (with, hopefully, Constitutional Amendments that prohibit -all- funding of campaigns by -any- corperation).

I suppose my position becomes.. how do we (enough Americans, that is) convince -other- governments (Britain, Canada, France, Germany, etc etc) to help us get rid of our currupt leaders? And how do we encourage the dismantling of an illegally placed and rogue government without engaging in Treason? Not that members of our government haven't engaged in Treason, but if they turn that hose on us, they'll drown us with it.

Hey Savanster: Around here, any thread with "open thread" in the title is fair game for posts on any topic. So feel free to change the subject anytime.

Hurray! Some MSM bigshots are getting mad and speaking out.

At the Radio-Television News Directors Foundation awards dinner in D.C. Thursday night, Sam Donaldson of ABC news, the MC:

"ABC's Sam Donaldson, master of ceremonies, said he had never seen such "vitriolic animus" toward journalists, save for the waning days of the Nixon administration. Donaldson said he hears commentators from the right and left trying to convince the public that the mainstream press cannot be trusted. It's time to "fire back," he said.
Donaldson said he wasn't advocating suppressing commentary, punctuating the point with: "Let every flower bloom." But he suggested that if some flowers were blooming thanks to a load of manure, that should be pointed out, too. "They should have to answer to those who think they got it wrong." "

Ed Bradley of CBS, upon receiving his award:

"Veteran CBS newsman Ed Bradley took up the charge in his acceptance speech for the Leonard Zeidenberg First Amendment Award (named after the late B&C correspondent).
Bradley talked of the pressure by government and corporations to "control the message," saying journalists must fight those efforts. "There is a price to pay," he said, for representing the people."

The link is here.

Savantster #52 -

I don't believe I have advocated foreign occupation, just international economic sanctions, the big squeeze of the corporate purse. That part of Bushco's anatomy is particularly sensitive and vulnerable.

Another good one by a favorite of mine, Naomi Klein:

Can Democracy Survive Bush's Embrace?

Peg C #55

Well, I wasn't "advocating" occupation either, really.. just noting that it could come to that if other options don't resolve the matter. Economic sanctions against the US isn't going to do much to the "very rich" in this country, nor will it do to much to BushCo. They already have tons of money and investments in foriegn markets/land/etc.

Another problem with 'economic sanctions' as I see it would be that we are already at a very dangerous level of Trade Deficit. By causing us to have an even -bigger- deficit because no one wants to buy US made products would cause further destabilization of US currency (which, again, would minimally impact the very rich as they already dump their US currency to more stable goods.. like gold and land and foriegn currency). We are already importing FOOD for cryin out loud. Why? most of our corn crops in this country are put into making fuel additives and sugar substitutes and the like. (here's a good read.. The oil we eat )

With over 30% of American's falling below the poverty line and the dollar falling fast on the global markets, we need to put an immidiate stop to how we let corperations run this country. Their path is one that nets them lots and lots of resources (that board members and even the companies themselves shift to foriegn protections) and takes more and more from the masses. The US is dangerously close to becomming a 3rd world nation, and that isn't gonna bother the ultra-rich when they just move to Eruope and live in their mansions there leaving us to try and rebuild this country. The only (reasonable) way I see being able to out the currupt leaders (they won't change the way they do business.. hell, they are getting more and more brazen in their curruption practices) is to have them all "removed" and new and fair voting to take place amungst candidates that are NOT payed off by corperations, and are NOT rich folks who have no 'reasonable' clue what life is like for the masses.

There's a new article by Manuel Valenzuela at Information Clearinghouse.

The Rude Pundit (very rude) muses wistfully about what we would do if Tom DeLay were our old dog. Also, some background on John Bolton.

I love the Rude Pundit (he is rude). McDonald's pushing the envelope again...can you believe this?

I love the Rude Pundit (he is rude). McDonald's pushing the envelope again...can you believe this?

Brad #42 way cool ...

G'nite all I just ran outa brewski

so I am running to the store in my jammies

to get some more ... (Coors & Guiness)

love ya'll
peace

First of all, Brad... I believe you are doing the right thng right now. Times are dangerous. and you are becoming a HUGE pain in th ass to the Bushites. You must stay visible.

Second: PLEASE teel those of us who WANT to donate, but don't have a credit card (or don't want to use PayPal for whatever reason), HOW we can get you the money. Please set up a PO box we can mail to, or a bank account we can do bank transfers or direct debits to. (DON'T use your private address/Bank accounts)!

Third: America is in trouble. Japan ownes the biggest share of the National debt, and is flexing it's economic 'muscle'. China is trading with Russia and Putin is supplying *NEW* weapons systems to countries including Cuba, Syria and others (including brand new Mig29's!) JFK must be howling in his grave! China is building up it's Military rapidlt, and actively helping Korea and others.

The USA is getting weaker by the day. Even our staunchest Allies, UK, Italy and Germany are not at all happy, Italy may well pull out of the coilition soon, and the UK is in negotiations with Iran, along with China and Germany. And now, we are pissing off Canada too! What next?

Sometimes, lately, I feel it's too bad it's only the Republicans (OK, the extremists) that don't mind using a bullet to get rid of politicans (or Presidents) they don't like.

Yeah, I know, I know... but still!

Anyway Brad, for what it's worth, Thank You!

Cheryl #60 -

"If you hear someone with a North Dakota accent..." Sure the writer didn't mean Mumbai?

Kryten42 #64 -

THAT would be lovely - their God-sent messenger a Christly martyr! We'd sure never escape a century of feudal rapine then...

Hahahaha...

Don't worry Peg C... I doubt it would happen... The only people who would do it all think Bush is wonderful! But, sometimes the thought is a pleasing one... In any case, I seroiusly doubt ANYONE would think of Bush (or the other Neocons) as "Christly martyr's"! I suspect most would breath a sigh of relief! Even (or especially) his "friends"!

I came across these BTW... Sad, but interesting!

http://www.rense.com/gen...shfamilyfundedhitler.htm

http://www.falloutshelte...com/BushHitlerLinks.html

Yeah...
bye for now.

Brad deserves every bit of laud he gets. He's a true Patriot. Thanks, Brad.

Hey Brad amazing work! Keep fighting the fraud Brad, we can all use someone to stand up for democracy.

I also was especially interested in your latest story about Tom Feeney. How does it go with him?

Oh, and I thought I would share with you something that I got by email recently. Too much to put here so I'll just post the address.

http://rigged-aggregators.blogspot.com

Very interesting! I wonder if all our election databases have been run by a single company.

nathan

Nathan #69 -

That is POWERFUL expression! Get the word out.

Good morning, everyone!

How about this for a state-controlled media? College courses in Communications might as well begin with the introductory "Propaganda 101."

From yesterday morning, thank you Peg C, Dredd, Teresa, Nana, Peggy, and everyone else for supporting a dad who was feeling a little shaky on a bad morning. I too fear for all the young and not so young men AND women who are being called now, and those who would be called upon in a future draft. I would like to believe that the American people would snap if the draft was re-instated but much has happened in the last 4 1/2 years that you would think had sufficient snapping power, yet THE FREAK continues his assault on our country.

It is indeed my son's *choice* to go with CO status, but I won't say I haven't tried hard to influence him in that direction, and I have made it as clear as I can that there is no gaurantee that it will keep him from being drafted, and that, at that point, he would face jail for refusal to go.

I have mentioned a couple of times in past threads that I have thought of leaving the country before. Well, saving my son from these criminals would definetily be the tipping point for me, no matter how much I would want to stay and fight.

Supersoling -

The Maritimes are lovely, and you could continue decorating boats. You might also drop by here, although I hope for your sake it doesn't come to that.

Supersoling

I really feel your fear, pain, anger, all that with respect to your son. I think if I were in your shoes I'd opt for B.C., the Maritimes notwithstanding (and Peg C, my heart's in Brooksville and I still feel that way). Parts of Europe are interesting, too. If you can carve out a way to make a living from home over the Internet, the coast of Croatia looks like a natch. It's warm, beautiful, and there are lots of boats there in case you can't just make the graphics and have someone else program the robot painters. Having up and moved to the CheeZee Republic 14 years ago, all I can say is, in the immportal words of John Winston Lennon, "It's easy... All ya need is love..."

of course his words are immortal, but maybe with a tweak importal might work...

Yep, BC it is Super! I believe that we're the most *liberal* province in the country.

Cheryl, even if you were from the "most conservative" part of your country we'd love you a ton... Love and Peace and Sox and Roll - Boston Bob - keep those links coming, PLEASE!!!

Even if there is a draft, it is probably unlikely that the kids will be called to action in foreign wars soon.
Most countries need a military force for defense. The problem we are facing now is the disintegration of our military through abuse and misuse, so we might be forced into a draft, since volunteerism is declining.

I'm not so sure about Bush and the draft, though, because of the political damamge to the Republican Party. Some surmise that the draft is being reinstated come April. but no one really knows.

What I think is fact, is that the empire building is over.
The power in the world is shifting, we are no longer the dominant force, so the future of warfare is undetermined.

Hey all you bright lights ... shine on!

"If we all shine on ..."

We is shinin', Dredd. For all we's worth!

Anybody heard anythign about this?

Photographer for White House child sex ring arrested after Thompson suicide

This also mentions the Johnny Gosch/James Guckert theory.

Supersoling - You are not alone. My own son is about to turn 13, and though we still have a few years before the serious worrying start, I have spent many restless nights dealing with the same fears many on this board have expressed for their own children and grandchildren.

Hang in there hon, we're doing everything we can to get these wars stopped and bring our troops home, and to unseat those in power who would use our children as bloody pawns.

I'll say it again - if you hope for your child to have a chance at c.o. status later on, document everything you can. I'm even writing down such tiny acts of kindness as the fact that after the creeks flood, my son rides down the road with ziplock bags to capture fish that have washed into puddles and return them to the creeks and ponds.

There are peace rallies all over the country this coming weekend, and I intend to document his participation, both in preparation for the rally and in attendence there. Artwork, poetry, even discussions about war and peace should be documented and dated. It may not work, but at least you'll increase the odds of proving that the child was raised to be a peacemaker, not a killer.

Every little bit helps.

If anyone needs advice on attaining c.o. status, the following link may help.

http://www.objector.org/

Morning Kes,
Isn't that funny? I just posted the same link on the weekend heroes and zeroes thread. Do you know anything about this guy? Is he a loony tune? It'd be awfully scary if he's not. What a sick world!

Kes and Cheryl -

I've seen essentially the same material in too many different places for it all to be "loony." Yup, it sure is sick; the most lurid novel in the world wouldn't be able to compete with the real-life madness of these stories.

Cheryl, Peg C - I have never heard of the guy before. Stuff like this just makes me sick to my stomach.

Heard a rumor that Guckert has a book deal with a Russian publisher - bet there are some folks in DC that don't want that one to come out! I'm curious to see how those who defended him will respond (if at all) after he starts naming names.

Of course he's such a freakin liar, who knows what to believe?

Still, I have to wonder how long it'll be before he's found in a Georgia hotel room?

Kes -

G/G is too publicly visible to be "suicided" without a REAL investigation. Besides, his every utterance, if true, will be sneered off; and his every falsehood will be jumped on to show what a compulsive liar he is. No threat to all those golden images there!

This business about theocracy is off-base. The people in charge of our country are not religious leaders, but businessmen, who cynically use religion to manipulate the naive. The word for this kind of government is fascism. As Mussolini put it, "Fascism is the merger of corporate and government power." What greater embodiment of this merger could there be than the oily men (and woman) and war profiteers in the White House, with their practice of filling government posts meant to regulate industry with lobbyists for those industries, and in general allowing business to do whatever it likes? Take a look at Lawrence Britt's 14 common points of fascism. It sounds as if he's writing specifically about the Bush administration.

And on the subject of foreign countries helping us out - they're already starting to do it! - by divesting in the dollar. Enough of that should be able to seriously damage our economy. And what if Japan and China decide they want us to pay back some of the money we borrowed? (We'll attack, I'm sure) Rising oil prices will take a toll as well. The world knows Bush is bad news, even if millions of idiot Americans don't.

And hooray for Hugo Chavez who stands up to Bush, something American politicians and MSM are too cowardly to do.

A good one on controlled media are the recent NY Times article and the Monday DemocracyNow! piece on VNRs, "Video News Releases", fake news clips shown by local TV news stations as if they're real news. Turns out those whacky Bushbabies have spent some $250 million of our tax dollars in the last 4 years to feed us Bush propaganda. (By the way, controlled media is one of the 14 common points of fascism.)

Hi all,

And today Italy announced it's withdrawing their troops from Iraq. (Who is surprised, really?)

But, I have become somewhat cynical of late... I wonder if the intention of BushCo was to kill 2 birds with one bullet (pardon the mixed metaphor)... To get rid of a pain-in-the-ass journalist, and force Italy (the 3rd largest contingent of the coalition) to withdraw so that Bush could say "See! It's not our fault everything went wrong in Iraq! All the cowards ran and left us in the lurch!" (or sentiments to that effect).

Or perhaps, somebody senior in the Bush Admin simply decided to do GW a favor and screwed up (they are not very bright as we have seen)...

Wonder if we will ever know?

Supersoling, I truly wish you and you family all the best! Hope it all works out well, and you find peace.

Thanks to everyone else for the interesting discussions here also.

And many thanks to Brad.

Bye for now.