Letters to the Editor
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The loss is yours
I haven't lost a damn thing Capertree. America lost when Bush cheated his way into the White House and it's been losing ever since.It's all of a piece. The Bush administration's corrupt and dishonest behaviour is not an aberration, that was my point. This is how they think, how they fight elections and how they govern. That's why Bush gave 'clemency' to Scooter Libby for lying(committing perjury) for the team and protecting Cheney. The concept of right and wrong is just not there and you can fiddle while Rome burns all you like. If you don't want to face the truth no one can force you, but trying to fight each fact to a standstill doesn't change what those facts mean. American democracy is in real trouble and getting rid of Bush won't fix it. It's goes much deeper than that. Why fight corruption? Well, if you don't, it destroys your political, financial and legal system. If you think that's not a problem, don't lose any sleep over it. Fortunately there are people in politics and the law who know what's going on and they will face it and try to resist it even if people like you go on making excuses for inexcusable behaviour. Just remember that Nixon was prepared to dismantle any institution and fire any person who resisted him towards the end. One man refused to yield and that's what brought him down. If that one person does yield then you have a dictatorship. Bush and Cheney are moving in that direction right now but I'm sure you have an explanation for that. They're just protecting western civilization, aren't they?
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Oh Capertree, don't go!
I must admit that I am somewhat like a kitten with a lizard. I can't just let you run away -- there is so much life left in you!
I'm sorry you had such a terrible time with the google. Perhaps another search engine would be easier for you -- may I suggest dogpile.com? Or maybe the trouble is the search terms you used. At any rate, I do understand your selectivity, but with those blinders on, you will miss quite a bit, like caging.
(Also, perhaps you could learn how to use bold tags, so it doesn't look like you are SHOUTING.)
There are still unanswered questions about the 2000 election. You and C.P. can ignore them, but others, like bloomsbury, find what happen in the fall of 2000 an (historic) indicator for all that has happened since. As an admitted libertarian, you seem to have invested quite a bit in Pres. Bush. Why is that?
While you continue to list the things you dislike about the concept of community, I'd like to ask you about come other points that you fail to address.
Do you have a police force or a fire department where you live? Is there a court system, or perhaps a military base nearby? Do you use water or drive on roads? Are there lights on your street? Garbage collection? A school district? A state university? A community college? A weather service with a warning system?
Since you brought up Katrina, did you only experience that via your teevee? I live in Houston and can assure you that many, many of the people affected by both Katrina and Rita were not in your characterization "infantilized." That is the over-simplified view held by people tuck safely in their armchairs in front of the teevee -- alone.
Absolutes are also tricky. All of the wealth is not created by capitalism. Can you imagine working just for the satisfaction that it gives you? Do you think that everyone simply works to make a profit? Perhaps all of the people in your circle are motivated by money, by seriously, not everyone is that way. Think for a minute. Do you truly think that everyone in the medical industry is motivated by profit? I think you are projecting a bit.
As I said before, libertarianism will never catch on in a big way in this or any other country. It is inefficient and selfish.
And stop slamming Africa, k?
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Michilines, I am going, but ...
Lizard? I think not, but I am not going to become Catherine. If you, or anyone else (except Bloomsbury, his dedication to truthiness bores me) want to continue this debate, my signature is now a link, I hope.
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It's the wrong question...
Don't ask "If we leave Iraq, do we lose for good?", ask "If we stay, how do we win?" If there's no answer to that question, then you have to leave. If you're going to lose, you're better off losing sooner than later.
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Remember the "cakewalk"?
The same neocons who are "warning" us that getting us out of Iraq will lead to Civil War are the same ones who said the "liberation" of Iraq would be a cakewalk.
The Administration doesn't know what would happen if we left, just like it was unable to predict what happened after we went in. We are supposed to believe an administration whose modus operandi is hubris has all the right answers and all of a sudden is making the right decisions? The Administration is as clueless as everyone else regarding what would happen if we left the region, so it scares us with propoganda, and lies.
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Another reason to respond my typical refrain...
Perpetual peace for perpetual war and profit. It's a strategy that American and Israel embraces, always has.
Alors, you can't censor this woman, she has a right, as much as anyone, to express a perception.
I'm a fan of Klimt, Schiele, enjoy them much while in Vienna, Miles too, sure, but this is where we differ.
Such an angry provocateur, so reactionary, so pious and righteous this woman. It's called conviction style politics/punditry.
One does shudder.
Bay/Paris
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Bowie
Camille, I think you misunderstood the reader's comment about Bowie influencing Madonna. He wasn't referring to the genre or performance style of either artist, but the way that Madonna learned to change and create new personas from Bowie. That, as you've said, is what has continually kept Madonna in the public eye.
Aaron Frey
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The article for Hillary
Can you write about why Hillary stands by her man when he got off going to court about attacking and raping that woman because of executive privilage, Also do you think that since he has so much sex with women and hookers that she makes him take an AIDs test or does she just not have sex. And I am so dissapointed that they take money from Murdoch. No one says any of this in the media. Or that the impeachment was done to stop Bill from trying to make money of a war in Iraq and he went to Bosnia instead as a result but that backfired for him. I just don't get why the Clintons get to control and ruin the Democrat party. He hangs out with the Bush family and they get hookers together while trying to show they are so family values. Great what hypocrisy. BUT ALSO WHY DON'T YOU HAVE THE GUTS TO EXPOSE THAT THE TRUMAN ADMINISTRATION DETERMINED THAT PRESCOTT AND GEORGE BACKED THE HOLOCAST AND HITLER. Also how they have backed a number of terrorists and let Bin Ladden go free. He only didn't gas the subway in New York because his people told him he had to give warning first so there was a chance for conversion. And Ladden is trying to regain his support. C'mon while we are makng terrorism worse around the world we can't find Ladden. He has been interviewed multiple times. And then Hillary is such a fake Feminist who just wants as much power and money as possible and is so smug about it. How can you support her. I am very let down by you. Can't you see through it all and that they are manipulating the Democrat party and killing it. Anyway I understand that
Edwards leads in the primary and doesn't care about the national polls at this point so it might be Mitt and John for the race and not Hillary. Unfortunately Obama so far come off like too much of a Black nerd and I don't know if it is the kind of move he can change enough to save him. Bill was trying to fight in Iraq before 9/11 to make money so I can't support him- no way, no how. Good luck to you fight the good fight. And while you should acknowledge that while it's hard to find the good indie films/shorts that they at best act in a real way that is different and deserves special consideration. But you are right we don't have the Gregory Pecks and Marlon Brandos anymore- albeit I am a big director man myself. But must have been great in the 40s in a 5000 seater with a great film and door prizes and Sinatra Live and real showmanship. Or rather a Route 66 spirit where people gave more bang for the buck and much more cool things for universal and not nostalgic reasons. Check out the history of the Ballaniese Club that was shut down by a sherrif for gambling in Galveston Tx. Tommy Dorsey played 5-8 hours there with cheap 5 course meals and a packed dance floor and no greatest hits- new but good songs and the musicians playing well with 3 singers alternating close up. Not the style of music but the fact it's cheap and close-up and not a greatest hits show- often bad- in a stadium for $2000 at the ticket agency with tickets given to them before they go on sale to the public.