Larisa feeds my soul. She paints the page with my remorse, grief and anger and I love her without reservation. America must stop the madness this administration has created.

We must chase these creatures out of office and out of our lives.

Say the word. Revolution.

I am speechless. That summed up in incredible words all that I feel. Thank you Larissa for that fine, fine blogging masterpeace.

Excellent post Larissa.

You're one of the few true voices of freedom. Often it seems that a few others would like to share your message and vocalize the sentiment but unfortunately they aren't quite as prolific or eloquent to get their message past the "filter".

Thank you for lending your voices to carry the message.

Bravo! Thanks for the link. I was tired and ready to sleep but clicked on your link anyway. Well worth the read!

Beautifully written, if what reaks of horror can be beautiful.

Boy, it took you guys less time to politicize this horrible disaster and blame it on our President, than it took Teddy Kennedy to notify the police after his car flooded that time. Way to go losers.

sorry, no losers here except for a few trolls ... but we mostly ignore them anyway!

Ah MEP if it were only thus: but stupidity is painful ... unfortunately it's painful in the same way as dentistry ... in other words it's always others who feel the pain ;-(

Didn't know you were an old Texas Reformed Redneck but that's great and it's good to have you around ... maybe you can make more of an impact on the Unreformed Rednecks of the world than I can!!

No promises but I'll always give it a try. Plenty of us from the Lone Star State have never had warm feelings for the Bush family. Molly Ivins, Jim Hightower, Ann Richards to name some of the more notable. I've lived in Pa for the last 12yrs and it sickens me to see what has happened to my home state in the last 10 or so years. I must say that stone age mentality is not exclusive to Red states. As James Carvell said of Pa, "You have Pittsburg in the west, Philadelphia in the east with Alabama in the middle."

Well, its simple. Its...

Larisa, an American speaking in honorable duty to her country. Your heart houses the truth dear sister.

Lets make damn sure they don't get away as they plan!

Thanks for the link, Torqued! Although that article might just make sleeping a little hard. Huh! Who am I to be complaining? Those monsters are gonna have lots of bad nights in the joint...

You wanna see politicizing? Check out this highly journalistic (read sarcastically) first line from the Chicago tribune, cited by Buzzflash:

"Taking swift and personal responsibility for federal relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, ..."

Thats our media... Shameless aren't they?

Hey Torqued!
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2005/083105.html
A follow-up on your #12 link. Enjoy - I'm beginning to dream the impossible dream )

Torqued: makes one think about Paul Wellstone, doesn't it?

Larisa Alexandrovna, Future Pulitzer prize winner, famous author, and just general ass kicker!

Larisa - a masterpiece! thanks!

Bravo Larissa!

Latest evidence of inept leadership is the run we're seeing this morning on the gas pumps. Last time I can remember anything like it was during the Arab Oil Embargo in the early 70s. Nixon promptly imposed price controls and rationing of gasoline as a response to the situation. Nixon may have been bad, but this situation reinforces the truth of the slogan "worst president ever."

The legendary passion of Russians LIVES!
Larisa, you are a beautiful, passionate and clear-eyed teller of truths. While it's a shame our own media continues to fail America, we are blessed to have writers like you finding and creating new ways to be heard above the mindless bombast of Right-wing jingoism and cheerleading.

How about the "Poor Riled Left Behind" award ?

May I offer a somewhat opposing viewpoint?

While I personally agree 100% with what Ms. Alexandrovna is saying, I must note here that, from a purely diplomatic perspective, Ms. Alexandrovna's post will likely only cause the fence sitting Moderate Republicans (whom we need to retake the government) to side with the evil ones (i.e. neocons).

Our efforts would be better spent isolating the neo cons in both parties, in both Houses of Congress and in the White House.

Divide and conquer the neo cons. Reward the good Republicans (check out the speeches Sen. Hagel is making in opposition to war in Iraq.) This is the only way to get our voice back in government.

I do understand Ms. Alexandrovna's frustration. Indeed, I share in it too! Completely.

But we should focus our anger (which was exemplified very well in her post) into wooing the good moderate Republicans into our camp (with a big tent).

I think that Ms. Alexandrovna would not be saying such things if the neocons hadn't pushed all other perspectives to the margin ("conspiracy theorists.")

Let's all take a lesson from this, people. When the pendulum swings back in our direction, as it inevitably will in time, let's be sure to at least listen to the neocons perspective. That way, we will not risk becoming that which we struggle against and loathe.

WOW! Incredible words from Larisa and I agree with them all.

I think the award should be called the "FUCK SHRUB" award. LOL

This place rocks but I feel like we're fighting a losing battle. D.C. is the most corrupt it has ever been and I fear it might be too late for even the democrats that are there to be salvaged.

I say do away with them all and start over. Term limits, no, just when someone messes up, vote them out right then and replace them. It would make them work a bit harder any way.

Oh, and put them on government assistance, no more hummers, limos, or 1000 dollar a dish dinners.

I think they are all corrupt.

Well done, Larisa! Thank you , your honesty and compassion gives me hope, inspires me.

GIVE THAT WOMAN LARISA A MEDAL FROM THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Now how do we get every American to read/HEAR this MESSAGE of DEFENSE OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!!!

Do you think she would ever go out with a bear?

Mr. Blue Sky #23 - Mostly I agree with your posts --- but I absolutely, totally disagree with your suggested approach of molli-coddling those Republicans whose silence has been bought by the neo-cons while ten of thousands of innocents die. These silent cowards who are benefitting financially for their silence are every bit as evil as those neo-cons actively at work destroying everything they touch. They must not be supported in any way. They must all be purged and punished. None of them are above the law. There must NOT be one set of rules for the wealthy and another for the rest of humanity. Evil generally cannot be PERSUADED. It must be squashed and eradicated from all governments. ALL those complicit should be punished.

Hi, Grizzly Bear Dancer #27 - I think Larisa must be a "she-bear" and lives in your/our world

I am truly in awe over this well written piece today. Thank you so much for saying exactly the things we all need to hear. God Bless You Larisa.

Thx for the link CZ!

And yeah, Wellstoned... Seems to be a favorite for the NWO.

Hugs Larisa, I printed your piece for Samizdat drop.

Here are my two cents on MrBlueSky's statement in comment #23 about building a big tent:

If the tent is really big then there will be room for people to rant about high crimes and low injustices, and there will also be room for people to talk about peace love and understanding ... and in my view there should be lots of room for both of these activities, and lots of room for other things too ... including a place where people can be comfortable saying things like:

"There is no such thing as a 'moderate' Republican. There is no such thing as a 'centrist' Democrat either. They are all rampaging elephants in various forms of disguise and the time for wooing them is long past --- if it existed at all --- because these people are the enemy!"

I think there also has to be room for people who see

When the pendulum swings back in our direction, as it inevitably will in time, let's be sure to at least listen to the neocons perspective. That way, we will not risk becoming that which we struggle against and loathe.

and whose response is

"Listen to the neocons? No, sorry! Hang 'em from the highest tree! We have the death penalty for treason and murder and if there was ever a time to use it this is it!"

I am not saying I support these positions [not saying I don't] but I am saying that these positions are widely held and that if we try to exclude those who think or say things like this, our tent will never be big enough to do anything useful. Just my opinion as always but of course you are welcome to share it.

I understand not everyone can agree with my desire to be a TRUE "Uniter, not a Divider."

I agree that the moderates of both parties have been bought off for their compliance, threatened, or possibly both.

But I try to ensure that this truly is the "UNITED States of America" and to head off any effort that will ultimately cause Civil War II (the Red vs. the Blue).

A Democracy requires all points of view to be shared, listened to and considered carefully. (Note that I do not advocate that we actually do anything with the neocons' suggestions. Only to listen to them carefully.)

This lesson appears to be lost on the neocon cabal. At first, they said that all points of view other than their own are unpatriotic and asked, "Why do they hate America so?" Today, they allow the discussion but virtually ignore anyone who disagrees.

I had a feeling that, eventually, my Peace and Reconciliation views might ultimately anger the BB'ers and eventually, maybe even relegate me to "troll" status. You will notice, if you check the archives, this attitude of reconciliation of mine pervades a majority of my posts.

Peggy, your anger is not lost on me. I am equally p----d off at the antics of the evildoers (and the moderates who never had the guts to stand up to them.)

But, ever since the January disputes of the Ohio electors, the neocons' power is dropping from God-like status to grasping to regain control.

You can see that it actually was the neocons that VP Cheney referred to when he said that they are in their "last throes."

Expect the measures of desperation to worsen as their power continues to slide. I can imagine that the price of gas will decline once they are out of power altogether. [I heard a report on the news last night saying that the oil price is not that bad from the supply end, it was primarily the refineries in the USA "going offline" that caused the $3 per gallon price. This is the part that is controlled by the neocons.]

I am thinking that they are trying to get a grasp of all the money they can now before their power ends.

Which I believe will be soon.

The reason for need for the big tent, Peggy, is because Karl "Turdblossom" Rove cannot rig an election unless it is close. So, if we band with the bought-off moderates, then it will begin nailing the final nails in the coffin of this 5-year nightmare.

I know it is not the ideal situation, Peggy. But we gotta do this in order to regain power in a Democracy.

Then we can hang em all from the highest tree, as you recommended.

#33........MrBlueShy

I will not attempt to match you with reasonable rebuttal. I will not suggest any reading list. However, I will make the following observations. First I admit that your post reminds me of where I was a year ago. I have since become somewhat radicalized. Your approach depends on fair elections and a thinking, reasonable voting public. Your assumption that the Neocons can only fix a close election I fear is naive. All that is needed is a situation that causes the most Draconian aspects of Patriot Act II to be activated. I will not bore you with a detailed explaination of where I could go with this concept. The fact that reasonable people feel compelled to discuss these possibilities is, in it self, evidence that the boundries of possibility have changed. Think back 5 or 10 years, did you ever imagine being compelled to post your feelings and beliefs on these and other related topics? I pray that you are allowed to pitch your big tent in the future, make sure you apply for all applicable permits.

Thanks Winter and all the pals here. I am thinking that John should have some t-shirts made that say some of the few things from that piece:

T-shirt 1: is obvious
Mr. Bush, Go Cheney Yourself! (front)
Mr. Cheney, you can stick Halliburton up your Ashcroft! (back)

T-Shirt 2:
And this sencetence is the best few words I have ever written in my entire career and on any topic. For some reason, this sentence just does it for me:

"We have no leadership, no captain at the helm as it were. We are, in effect, being led from disaster to disaster by a headless horseman run amok with stuffed pockets and an empty conscience."

Good idea for slogan and t-shirt type stuff or no?

Anyway, thanks kids, as always the place to be when not at Raw (wink).

Good idea,I'll take several when ready, XXL.

Oh, Larisa, you have spoken so well for us all. Thank you ever so much! I'm finally ready to line up behind the Ahnold amendment. You'd make one fine president! WP - as for the name of the award, I suggest the Tvoyu Mat', POTUS prize. Of course I defer to Larisa's judgment.

Thank you again and regards, Bob in Prague

I'm not capable of doing this one justice with words of praise and affirmation. But let me send a message to all the Bushies from an old Texas Reformed Redneck......And the horse you road in on!.......... I close with this thought "Is it not a pity that stupidity is not painful"

Just got thru watching CNN/Jack Cafferty. The dogs are loose. Thought Wolf was going to shit his pants with Caffertys passion. You may have to come up with a Cafferty Tshirt since he to my knowledge is the first in the MSM to take off the gloves. There may yet be hope. It is sad and disgusting that a tragedy of this magnitude was necessary to awaken the good people of this nation. You can bet your ass that W,Karl and the rest have uttered a collect "OH SHIT" Cafferty may well go down as this days Cronkite.

BradBlog rules! Where else can one find such discourse???

I read the article in its entirety. But, ONE sentence sums up an entire encyclopedia on this administration. ' One example is all that is needed for a full pardon from us, the small 'we the people' who can die for this country, bleed for this country, starve in this country, and work to death in this country so that "you, the employees" can have cocktail parties and take the twins to NYC for fashion week. VERY WELL SAID!!

#35 - Great sentence, Larisa, but there are a bunch of them!

It's a wonderful piece that will stand out now and will stand out when the historians compare our time and writings with other developing revolutionary times and tracts. Thanks.

To somewhat address the discussion here --- We always have to weigh the necessity of anger with the possibility of conciliation. IMO, Larisa's article is very encouraging because it is identifying the real roots of the problem through eloquent anger. We so need this right now. Anger is not only a mover - as we were discussing on another thread - but it is a way to cut through accumulated inconsistencies and habitual dishonesty we all carry to some extent as part of living in a society reeking with hypocrisy, fear, and wishful thinking.

Righteous anger can be a path toward clarity. And it can expose as nothing else can, in its fire and in a scintillating, memorable way, that which must be exposed.

Go Larisa.

Larisa ,people need your Raw passion and Raw truth in order to get the Raw story behind this corrupt adminstration.
What a woman.

Torqued #12 ...sheet I hope this all see's the light of day.

Not sure if this article has made the rounds yet, but everyone should see the following article:

http://www.sciam.com/art...pageNumber=1&catID=2

before we hear anymore of this "no one could have foreseen the levees breaking" nonsense.

As editorials show, not many are happy with the President's performance in this disaster so far.

Perhaps it's because he can't harness the fear caused by the disaster as easy as he did during 9/11.

Maybe leadership is more than shootin your mouth off at some made up threat. You can't fight hurricanes over there so we don't have to fight them here.

But wait, theres more MMIIXX!

Check out my comment in the previous thread, in particular this PDF document entitled:
ENDGAME: Office of Detention and Removal Strategic Plan, 2003 - 2012

Detention and Removal Strategy
for a Secure Homeland

Here it is again:
ENDGAME: Office of Detention and Removal Strategic Plan, 2003 - 2012

The previous Joe Cannon thread has exploded in trolldom so I'm crossposting here.

READ THIS DOCUMENT PLEASE!

Oh too funny! I tried to hunker down and keep on keeping on on the Cannon blog.... It was like the trolls smelled blood and just went for it..., like a pack of alligators loose on the streets of New Orleans.

Didn't even occur to me that the other 6 or 7 just bolted and crossed over to visit with Larisa. Wow...., such a more congenial atmosphere here. You know the BushCo trolls have been sent by the Rovian god to throw every one off the track. So, Larisa, by all means, jump into the fray, connect the dots on this "disaster in New Orleans". You know they're there.
Onward!
Gh

DEAR LIBERAL MORONS,

BUSH DOESNT CONTROL THE WEATHER.

SINCERLY,

REALITY

New State Department Ministry Slams Alternative News

U.S. State Department's "Identifying Misinformation" site

HI Peggy #29. Thanks for the good word. To #35 - would love to have a photograph of you in tee-shirt #1 or #2. R n'R! Keep up the good work.

All is not "natural" in the aftermath of the Katrina disaster folks. The area is under a military action, Martial Law. No Constitution. No Law. No Food. No Water. Only military action. Get it?

The city of New Orleans military action is being played out per script on CNN, replete with dramatic commentary. This is an armed U.S. military conflict disquised as an emergency aid operation. Shots are being exchanged in the rooftop and streetside gun battles, round the clock in the city of New Orleans.

Think I'm wrong? Go see for yourself. Read, watch, listen.

It seems the National Guard should be NO helping. I wonder where they are????? I am no authority on oil, but I read that the nation get 13 or 18% of the oil from the gulf, so what is the deal with shortages and over $5/gallon?? Could it be a ploy to push up prices for the oil barons?? For years they wanted to get oil as high as our Europeans friends were paying, guess what??? w needs to be impeached for all his imcompetence and lies!!!!

A HUGE thank you for posting this link! This is one of the most moving pieces I have read regarding the state of the government. Keep up the great work both of you!!

Oh my God!!!
Brad, where's my blog????
We have been invested by an awful troll virus!
Might as well close the cannon blog!!

Larisa is our Tom Paine. I apologize if I didn't spell his name correctly. Her piece is brilliant. Thanks for the point to huffpost. I am so angry and hurt for these people in NO and the gulf coast. It's really getting to me. There are many countries that want to help,bush refusing. FEMA trucks outside the city not allowed in. Decisions made that made the situation worse with the excuse,"too many chiefs." 9/11 all over again. Time for a revolution, while there is something left to save.

Would the task be too big to say "ignore the trolls?"
Because that does work.
Then we can go back to our enlightening, sincere discussions again.
Please.

RICKY earns another $5 for his post ,now he calls Rove and claims his $5 payment only to to be told bush used it to snort a line of coke so he could do the interviews on tv and not laugh at the camera's and to help him "get back to his life".

Someone must have had a really bad day!!! Being a hurricane survivor, it is very difficult. For the most part, you're stuck. It's very hot, stress to the nth degree, lack of food, water and then it rains. It was days before we had ice. For all the cute names of hurricanes, they are not cute! The National Guard should be there to help citizens and order. w is guilty on so many levels. I know all of you are true patriots, but if you haven't thought of it, please go on the different sites on impeachment and bang them out. Our voices count and it will show loud and clear!

Hurricane Lee is building off Florida NOW.
Pray ,if thats your way ,hope ,(if your like me) that this doesn't develope any further.Water temperature in the Gulf is now 30C ,a record high.

Mugzi in comment #56 wrote "Someone must have had a really bad day!!"

More like a really bad week!! In addition to watching Katrina destroy New Orleans this week, Larisa has been reporting on this.

Beyond the bracing and well-deserved criticism of our political "leadership" (sic), the importance of Larisa's piece is that she turns a light of anger and truth on a *class*. It is very important to do and hers is one of the best I've seen and very encouraging to me.

She askes a good question. Why (for example) doesn't the very wealthy Pat Robertson do the Christian thing and write out a check to help alleviate the tragedy in New Orleans? Why doesn't Bill Gates? Why don't the upper-echelon of retired CEO's get together and put in a few billion and their private resources? (Spread out among them to relieve acute "shortage"?)

I mean, they have done all they could to transfer wealth and political power to themselves at the expense of popular government. Doesn't that come with some strings? Some civic responsibility? No, I guess not.

We're in a hell of a mess, and the first step out is to understand that we are up against.

Arry I've found myself agreeing with you a lot lately but especially here in #59

I have a great Idea. Let's not vote for George Bush the next time he runs for office, ok now get on with your lives and help these people out.

I have a better idea, let's see Bush and Cheney run out of Washington on a rail and straight to a federal prison.

Let's squelch the miserable ditto-heads when they try to blame the Mayor of New Orleans and compare him with Guilliani (sic, really). Ray Norgin is doing the best he can. NYC was still able to function after 9/11, NO has become a like a city in Iraq. Those people are devastated, distraught and slowly dying.

Meanwhile, the Louisiana National Guard is in the wrong city.

From the article: "Are we really this stupid?"

A lot of discussions here in Europe about America always come to this question. Are Americans really that stupid? - They must be, they've elected Bush twice.

Not only that, but also their partisanship. They seem to believe that their "perfect" democracy is the example the world should follow. Each four years, two parties holding a popularity contest: claiming if you don't vote for them, you belong in the other camp and are wrong. How can you call this a democracy when there are only two parties: a right party and a wrong party (no pun intended)?

And this "You're either with us or against us" - mentality seems so insane, so stupid.

But when I read articles like these, I can't say but: Maybe the US as a country is corrupt, stupid and insane, but there's a good number of American people that convinces me that there's still hope for the USA and consequently, for the world.

Good article Larisa.