--those who enable power. I remember an interview with one of the makers of "Heathers" the '89 black comedy that pulled no punches re: the potential cruelty of high school life. It was either writer Daniel Waters or director Michael Lehmann who said his main muse was to counter John Hughes so often implied it was the clueless parents that were responsible for any of the bullshit an alienated teen might be subjected to. "It's the kids!" he protested...and made a film portraying that discomforting truth.

You've focused on how its the flock of wannabe demagogues that drive the latters' cynical whininess. It's the hordes of Christians only in name who vote en masse for the candidiate who's most shrill in their fear, and need to hurt, "the other."

Having achieved the conflagaration in Israel they arbitrarily tout as necessary to bring the Messiah earthbound again, I wonder how they'd explain to Him, a teacher of unbound compassion, how their mouths watered at the death of millions, and the casting into Hell of any Israeli who fails to convert, so the second coming would be brought on.

I'm quite certain 3/4 of the world shares this sentiment. If we want to be adventurists abroad we can't couple it with a deadly insularity from how're we're perceived. Never mind the fact Wainright is delivering it from a character's pov that, given the scale of the production, is but one of a multitude of voices.

I guest this stands as a death knell for the tradition of protest music that has serenaded power from some very uncomfortable trenches for the past half century. And perhaps at time we've needed it most.

a) Thou must not speak out against a standing president as an ex pres. Might Rome be a tad less scorched had a predecesor said "dude your fiddling sucks, and we need you right now?"

Of course, said Nero predecessor was already probably already dead so history-literate flamers, as well as those more versed in the leadership decorum of that wonderful empire, start your engines.

b) Progressives must wait and see how shite like this plays out.

If there's a wiff of blowback from someone in prominency speaking truth to undeserved power, we have to mobilize en masse and support them with feedback to slanted media outlets, and promise boycotts of there oh-so coveted sponsoring dollars. The nutty right learned long ago that shrill pre-emption will give you the podium. Until we do, we're just screaming in the echo chamber, just like me, right now.

The militia gathered to take down Butch and Sundance (mind you responders--I am writing in an analogical way and not equating either side as having the moral upper hand), gathering money from the townsfolk (i.e.--us, the taxpayers) to ensure that we can shoot down any of those wayward yankees mis-shot bullets before it takes out a sargeant versus a grunt. Please explain to me how this analogy is off-base, Pentagon spokesman. Thank you.

...is what I wish I had the insight to express. I had the same thoughts, but w'out the versedness to express them so eloquently.

The fact that Israel is the cause to champion for so many evangelicals, those that have our appointed "president"'s ear, scares me.

That which said evangelicals are less proud to announce, is that that they embrace the notion that those Israelis who don't embrace Christ, at the hour of their supposedly Revelations-foretold Biblical demise, will be cast into Hell. As a true Christian, that scares the f@*k outta me. I would hope it would, too, their Israeli "beneficiaries."

Thank you, Slackie.

Erik

Mack may never be made a man out of.

...for the wonderful column.

BTW... I have to claim ignorance as to who the the-spritzer sipping, Santa-capped asshole is. I only deem him as being an "asshole" because, I as someone of true masculinity--hell *humainity*, have to think of those at the very moment that shot was taken who were witnessing the last sight of their lives, the maw of a rifle.

God have mercy on us all...or at least on that dipshit.

Who was he again?

...so many salient points being made. Sy's article is above reproach. How much longer can we expect the rest of the world to suffer us gladly?

...you heradling the piece of shite has finally been subpoenaed?!? Get to friggin' work!!!

However, just as it should have been trumpeted from the highest mountaintop the financial windfall the oilpeople of this administration have reaped by throwing our GIs and Iraqi civilians under the deathbus, it should at least be speculated upon how much the Bush family, Cheney, Rice, etc. stand to have their net worths chopped away should we withdraw, thus letting Iraqi oil be justly wrenched away from them as the said reserves pass back into to Iraqi hands.

I personally think the "Iraq-as-conquered-western-outpost-to-keep-a-check-on-Syria-and-Iran" was a second (or umpteenth[?]) tier rationale that they would have been rolled out had the mainstream media grew a pair in scrutinizing the "pre-emption" rationale. I think it now just fades into the background as an un-utilzed red herring to draw eyes from their mega-scale, profiteering scheme for their incestuously networked caste. They breathe a sigh of relief they didn't have to come up with yet another parroting point (say, "Iraq is now a broken link in the 'terror chain' the straddles the Mid-East") they'd have to get the press corp to memorize to draw attention from the windfall for the military-petrol bullshitocracy.

as in friggin "...Fries." And now I'm too voracious to say anything else, except "'Hell, *triple* Git-Mo if some of the folks I give coin to everyday can find some shelter there,' you vapid slut."