If Bush is an idiot and Obama is smart, then I wonder what difference does it make if the outcome is the same? (And just to correct our smart President Obama, not only was Iraq a sovereign country before we invaded Iraq, but Iraq also had nothing to do with 9/11).
And what difference does it make to an Afghan civilian when his family is killed by (idiot) Bush's policy or (smart, and a Nobel peace prize winner to boot) Obama's drones?
I see a lot of disappointment about Obama. But it is beyond me how can anyone be disappointed. I am not because I was never convinced in the first place that he was a progressive. His words and actions, prior to the election as well as after, have never supported the claim. (continued war, FISA bill, escalation of war in Afghanistan, not closing Gitmo, continued spying on Americans, not prosecuting telecoms fro illegal spying on Americans, not prosecuting war crimes during BUsh/Cheney regime......)
It also beyond me how gullible AMericans are. Are they completely blind or are they lobotomized? We keep on demonizing Iran.... this "we" includes Israel. WHY IS IT OK FOR ISRAEL TO HAVE 200+ nuclear warheads. ANY ISRAEL IS CRITICIZING IRAN????????
Good point. We do not censor opinion with crude laws. No, we censor by controlling access. Case in point is Chomsky. Our MSM have made him invisible and silent to the public. Well done in deed.
Good for Elvis Costello, Santana, Sting, Gil Scott Heron, and Bono!
I too would like to boycott Israeli products on a personal basis. I am not sure there are a lot of consumer products being sold in this country that are from Israel. I assume most are industrial products and services sold to industries rather than to consumers. Does anyone know about organization or websites that inform consumers on this issue? Thanks.
Sorry to say this, but it appears that the American public is the most manipulated people in the free world. Actually it is worst than how it was in the USSR. In the USSR most people knew that what they saw and heard was part of government propaganda. As such they could filter out at least some of the propaganda. Here, in this country however, the manipulation and propaganda is pervasive and sophisticated that most people even do not realize who their opinion is being manipulated.
A sad state of affairs in the land of the free and home of the brave.
No question Hilter/Germany/Europeans (some say with some support from the catholic church) did a heinous crime against the Jews. So, as a result (some) Jews have the right to make the Palestinians homeless and stateless, commit ethnic cleansing and subjugate them in an apartheid state? Is this the logic? Did I miss something? Did the Palestinians kill the Jews in Europe?
No matter how one spins it Israel's politics in Palestine is wrong, and morally reprehensible. Those legal justifications and supposed loopholes convince no one but the perpetrators. Hitler Germany's Endloesung for Jews was based on and consistent with their own laws.
The Israel/Palestine conflict is not about religion - it is all about modern day colonialism and apartheid.
There is no accountability anymore, not for the big and powerful. After the recent financial meltdown how many Wall Street thugs have been brought to justice? Even there is no accountability for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, if you are powerful. Of course I am talking about how Bush/Cheney have not been brought to justice.
Therefore, I am not expecting that anybody, including BP, will be held accountable. It's always the same - too big/powerful to be held accountable.
Recently I I had a discussion with an old acquaintance of mine, who is a highly educated, retired professional, and who has worked for decades in Europe, that the media landscape in Western Europe is more diverse, more critical and more open than the mainstream media in the US. He would not have none of that. That made me realize how bleak the situation in this country is.
"So it would seem that your problem is not really with PBS (its title is accurate), rather your problem is with our President himself. Obama is an improvement over Bush/Cheney for sure, but still he is just another demonizing USA politician."
Similarly, our NPR always labels Muqtada al-Sadr as the "young radical Shiite" cleric. Agreed, he is young and he is Shiite. But what is so radical about opposing occupation by a foreign invading army? To me this is a very universal trait. One could even say it is as American as apple pie.
I was, and still am, rather upset about NPR. I have contacted them several times with my concerns but have never received a response. I would not be upset if it were Fox News. What is so dangerous about PBS and NPR is that they have a certain reputation of being objective. Therefore their use of labels, based on bias, has a much harmful effect.
Not sure why people apologize for Clinton (or Obama for that matter). She said (and says) what she did (does), and that's how I'll judge her. I have not forgotten that she was a vocal supporter of the Iraq war. I am not surprised by her "hawkish" remarks because that's what she is - a hawk, by her own choice.
As some pundits and politicians stir the pot for justifying racial profiling and rescinding citizenship of naturalized Americans we might as well have some discussion on the criteria for such profiling. How about profiling countries that have been (are) invaded, attacked or illegally interfered with militarily by the US?
I understand that will not cover all potential terrorists, but certainly a large part of it.
(disclaimer: I am not proposing racial profiling, but just trying to focus the light back on real cause)
Thanks for clarifying some differences between a declared war in a democratic country vs. a covert killing action by mercenaries and civilians in the name of a "democratic" country. Alas too may American think that the end justifies any means. In this regard at least can we say anymore that we are better than the terrorists?
If Bush is an idiot and Obama is smart, then I wonder what difference does it make if the outcome is the same? (And just to correct our smart President Obama, not only was Iraq a sovereign country before we invaded Iraq, but Iraq also had nothing to do with 9/11).
And what difference does it make to an Afghan civilian when his family is killed by (idiot) Bush's policy or (smart, and a Nobel peace prize winner to boot) Obama's drones?
I see a lot of disappointment about Obama. But it is beyond me how can anyone be disappointed. I am not because I was never convinced in the first place that he was a progressive. His words and actions, prior to the election as well as after, have never supported the claim. (continued war, FISA bill, escalation of war in Afghanistan, not closing Gitmo, continued spying on Americans, not prosecuting telecoms fro illegal spying on Americans, not prosecuting war crimes during BUsh/Cheney regime......)
It also beyond me how gullible AMericans are. Are they completely blind or are they lobotomized? We keep on demonizing Iran.... this "we" includes Israel. WHY IS IT OK FOR ISRAEL TO HAVE 200+ nuclear warheads. ANY ISRAEL IS CRITICIZING IRAN????????
Am I living in a parallel world?
Good point. We do not censor opinion with crude laws. No, we censor by controlling access. Case in point is Chomsky. Our MSM have made him invisible and silent to the public. Well done in deed.
Good for Elvis Costello, Santana, Sting, Gil Scott Heron, and Bono!
I too would like to boycott Israeli products on a personal basis. I am not sure there are a lot of consumer products being sold in this country that are from Israel. I assume most are industrial products and services sold to industries rather than to consumers. Does anyone know about organization or websites that inform consumers on this issue? Thanks.
Sorry to say this, but it appears that the American public is the most manipulated people in the free world. Actually it is worst than how it was in the USSR. In the USSR most people knew that what they saw and heard was part of government propaganda. As such they could filter out at least some of the propaganda. Here, in this country however, the manipulation and propaganda is pervasive and sophisticated that most people even do not realize who their opinion is being manipulated.
A sad state of affairs in the land of the free and home of the brave.
Why are we in Afghanistan? Killing and getting killed?
How can two wrongs make it right?
No question Hilter/Germany/Europeans (some say with some support from the catholic church) did a heinous crime against the Jews. So, as a result (some) Jews have the right to make the Palestinians homeless and stateless, commit ethnic cleansing and subjugate them in an apartheid state? Is this the logic? Did I miss something? Did the Palestinians kill the Jews in Europe?
No matter how one spins it Israel's politics in Palestine is wrong, and morally reprehensible. Those legal justifications and supposed loopholes convince no one but the perpetrators. Hitler Germany's Endloesung for Jews was based on and consistent with their own laws.
The Israel/Palestine conflict is not about religion - it is all about modern day colonialism and apartheid.
There is no accountability anymore, not for the big and powerful. After the recent financial meltdown how many Wall Street thugs have been brought to justice? Even there is no accountability for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, if you are powerful. Of course I am talking about how Bush/Cheney have not been brought to justice.
Therefore, I am not expecting that anybody, including BP, will be held accountable. It's always the same - too big/powerful to be held accountable.
Recently I I had a discussion with an old acquaintance of mine, who is a highly educated, retired professional, and who has worked for decades in Europe, that the media landscape in Western Europe is more diverse, more critical and more open than the mainstream media in the US. He would not have none of that. That made me realize how bleak the situation in this country is.
"So it would seem that your problem is not really with PBS (its title is accurate), rather your problem is with our President himself. Obama is an improvement over Bush/Cheney for sure, but still he is just another demonizing USA politician."
Yes, and yes.
I am with you don.
Similarly, our NPR always labels Muqtada al-Sadr as the "young radical Shiite" cleric. Agreed, he is young and he is Shiite. But what is so radical about opposing occupation by a foreign invading army? To me this is a very universal trait. One could even say it is as American as apple pie.
I was, and still am, rather upset about NPR. I have contacted them several times with my concerns but have never received a response. I would not be upset if it were Fox News. What is so dangerous about PBS and NPR is that they have a certain reputation of being objective. Therefore their use of labels, based on bias, has a much harmful effect.
Not sure why people apologize for Clinton (or Obama for that matter). She said (and says) what she did (does), and that's how I'll judge her. I have not forgotten that she was a vocal supporter of the Iraq war. I am not surprised by her "hawkish" remarks because that's what she is - a hawk, by her own choice.
As some pundits and politicians stir the pot for justifying racial profiling and rescinding citizenship of naturalized Americans we might as well have some discussion on the criteria for such profiling. How about profiling countries that have been (are) invaded, attacked or illegally interfered with militarily by the US?
I understand that will not cover all potential terrorists, but certainly a large part of it.
(disclaimer: I am not proposing racial profiling, but just trying to focus the light back on real cause)
Thanks for clarifying some differences between a declared war in a democratic country vs. a covert killing action by mercenaries and civilians in the name of a "democratic" country. Alas too may American think that the end justifies any means. In this regard at least can we say anymore that we are better than the terrorists?