After Alberto Gonzales spent the first couple of hours proving to everyone with a brain that he is a liar, and an incompetent lap dog, my eyes began to glaze over.
A man who has risen to one of the highest positions in the United States government... a man charged with managing a department of over 100,000 employees, a former judge, a man who was confirmed by the very senate who now greets him with such disdain... a man who could have been--should have been-- the pride of all Hispanic Americans... has proved himself to be a
disgraceful manipulator and fake.
He is not qualified to be the county dog catcher... let alone the highest law enforcement officer in the land.
To watch this chubby little poser sit there, attempting to cover his culpable ass, by stating every variation of the phrase "I don't recall" in the English language... and to do it with a smile on is face, is sickening... and representative of everything wrong in America today.
This is not just a condemnation of Gonzales, however. This morality play exposes the ugliest underbelly of power politics, greed, and arrogance. This is "rot from within".
The Gonzales's of the world have not just appeared overnight... they are not isolated aberrations. He is just a willing tool of those those hidden power-brokers who are capable of pushing people like Gonzales into positions that can benefit the "king-makers". In this case... just another of "Bush's Boys". Unfortunately, Bush himself plays the same roll as Gonzales. Bush's strings have been pulled for years by others far more powerful... and quantum leaps smarter.
As much as we like to sweep this ugly scene under the rug, and pretend it is not happening, we have all been yanked into reality by watching an utterly incompetent and corrupted man try to weasel his way out of accepting any responsibility for his actions... or, as some would say, his non-actions.
All this just points up our own failures. Our failure to truly become involved in the processes that control our nations future. Our failure to demand excellence and hold people accountable for incompetence, failures, and dishonesty. Our failure to say "No More" ...when we know, deep in our hearts and souls, that a thing is wrong. Our failure to acknowledge our own complacency and our willingness to "look the other way".
How else can we explain that the man who framed the legal argument for allowing torture and "renditions" is now the Attorney General of the United States of America... who has the "full confidence of the President?
Why should we be shocked then when we "turn over the rock" and find, buried in the slime and ooze, another one of this administrations "great legal minds".
My parents used to warn me that "If you stick your head up too high it will get shot off." My father said "Don't rock the boat." They were both wrong!
We should all be sticking our heads up and screaming at the top of our voice. This boat needs to be "rocked".
Indeed if we do not "right the ship" we will all sink with it.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Racial Baiting and Demagogues...
Don Imus may be the dumbest talk show host to ever be in front of a microphone. His comments regarding the woman's basketball team at Rutgers University were not only obscenely racist and sexist... they were downright stupid. A career which has made Imus rich and famous is now washed down the drain. Perhaps that is appropriate given the cesspool he has wallowed in for so many years. He might land on his feet if satellite radio gives him a call. Won't surprise me.
Having said that, however, what was even more obscene was the pack of self-serving vultures who smelled blood and swooped in to feast on the Imus carcass.
Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are two of the most outrageous race baiters in the world. They have made careers and fortunes playing the race card at every opportunity. To hear these two bottom-feeding demagogues take a moralistic, holier-than-thou, tone regarding the Imus situation is like listening to Bush and Cheney tell how much they hate war and are only protecting our freedoms.
Both are pure BS.
If Jackson and Sharpton are truly "reverends" where is all the Christian forgiveness that they purport to believe in? Isn't a person who publicly admits their mistake, and asks forgiveness of those whom he offended, worthy of some Christian charity? Obviously not if you are Sharpton and Jackson. They quickly seized the opportunity to get a new photo-opp and advance their position in the black community.
Where are Jackson and Sharpton when every hip-hop rapper uses the vilest of terms to degrade and demean black women and promote violence? They are conspicuously silent when it is their own people who commit such outrageous acts. Could this be more about political posturing and fund raising... than right and wrong? Perhaps it is time for them... and every black leader... to look inward and clean up their own house.
Make no mistake about it ... Imus deserved his fate. But, if he is to be thrown out so readily, and with such vehement rhetoric... then perhaps those who yelled the loudest should now turn their aggressive campaign against the people who coined the derogatory phrases and language they hate so much.
The "gotcha" smile on the face of Rahema Ellis, NBC reporter, spoke volumes about what this whole show was really about. It was a reckoning... vengeance... getting even... pay back.
I fear that we have not come far as a nation where race relations is concerned. This is not a white problem... or a black problem. It is a white and a black problem. We will either deal with it... or it will surely deal with us.
Having said that, however, what was even more obscene was the pack of self-serving vultures who smelled blood and swooped in to feast on the Imus carcass.
Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are two of the most outrageous race baiters in the world. They have made careers and fortunes playing the race card at every opportunity. To hear these two bottom-feeding demagogues take a moralistic, holier-than-thou, tone regarding the Imus situation is like listening to Bush and Cheney tell how much they hate war and are only protecting our freedoms.
Both are pure BS.
If Jackson and Sharpton are truly "reverends" where is all the Christian forgiveness that they purport to believe in? Isn't a person who publicly admits their mistake, and asks forgiveness of those whom he offended, worthy of some Christian charity? Obviously not if you are Sharpton and Jackson. They quickly seized the opportunity to get a new photo-opp and advance their position in the black community.
Where are Jackson and Sharpton when every hip-hop rapper uses the vilest of terms to degrade and demean black women and promote violence? They are conspicuously silent when it is their own people who commit such outrageous acts. Could this be more about political posturing and fund raising... than right and wrong? Perhaps it is time for them... and every black leader... to look inward and clean up their own house.
Make no mistake about it ... Imus deserved his fate. But, if he is to be thrown out so readily, and with such vehement rhetoric... then perhaps those who yelled the loudest should now turn their aggressive campaign against the people who coined the derogatory phrases and language they hate so much.
The "gotcha" smile on the face of Rahema Ellis, NBC reporter, spoke volumes about what this whole show was really about. It was a reckoning... vengeance... getting even... pay back.
I fear that we have not come far as a nation where race relations is concerned. This is not a white problem... or a black problem. It is a white and a black problem. We will either deal with it... or it will surely deal with us.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Freed Britons can sell stories to media - Europe - MSNBC.com
Freed Britons can sell stories to media - Europe - MSNBC.com: "LONDON - The 15 British sailors and marines held by Iran for nearly two weeks were granted permission to sell their stories to the media, the Ministry of Defense said Sunday.
The move is a change from the military’s usual policy of blocking serving personnel from entering into financial arrangements with media organizations. A Defense Ministry spokeswoman said the situation of the former captives is unique and deserved special consideration."
------------
COMMENTARY: If this wasn't so pathetic it would be funny. Now, in a brazen attempt to sell this contrived "fantasy capture" story, the participants in this fraud get to sell their story... for big bucks.
First, lets accept the likelihood that the British troops were duped into this shell game by George, Dick, and Tony. Now that outward and vocal skepticism has raised its ugly head... the real perpetrators figure that the "grunts" can sell this story better than the power politicians. Besides it keeps the story eating up headlines and media interest and diverts the journalists from real and meaningful reporting. That's a very good thing for the administrations of both Britain and the U.S. ... and a game that lazy journalists and a controlled press, are all too willing to play.
George and Dick were hoping that this little gambit would perform the same role as the BS that surrounded the Gulf of Tonkin resolution in the Vietnam war... and provide the excuse we needed to take preemptive action against those nasty nose-tweaking Iranians... in the name of a "rescue" mission.
Unfortunately, that crafty Iranian leader outmaneuvered them at their own game. That's a reality that we are becoming all to used to from an administration whose very name stands for "gross incompetence".
The move is a change from the military’s usual policy of blocking serving personnel from entering into financial arrangements with media organizations. A Defense Ministry spokeswoman said the situation of the former captives is unique and deserved special consideration."
------------
COMMENTARY: If this wasn't so pathetic it would be funny. Now, in a brazen attempt to sell this contrived "fantasy capture" story, the participants in this fraud get to sell their story... for big bucks.
First, lets accept the likelihood that the British troops were duped into this shell game by George, Dick, and Tony. Now that outward and vocal skepticism has raised its ugly head... the real perpetrators figure that the "grunts" can sell this story better than the power politicians. Besides it keeps the story eating up headlines and media interest and diverts the journalists from real and meaningful reporting. That's a very good thing for the administrations of both Britain and the U.S. ... and a game that lazy journalists and a controlled press, are all too willing to play.
George and Dick were hoping that this little gambit would perform the same role as the BS that surrounded the Gulf of Tonkin resolution in the Vietnam war... and provide the excuse we needed to take preemptive action against those nasty nose-tweaking Iranians... in the name of a "rescue" mission.
Unfortunately, that crafty Iranian leader outmaneuvered them at their own game. That's a reality that we are becoming all to used to from an administration whose very name stands for "gross incompetence".
Gonzales Crams for a Senate Grilling - Newsweek Periscope - MSNBC.com
Gonzales Crams for a Senate Grilling - Newsweek Periscope - MSNBC.com: "April 16, 2007 issue - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has virtually wiped his public schedule clean to bone up for his long-awaited April 17 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee—a session widely seen as a crucial test as to whether he will survive the U.S. attorney mess. But even his own closest advisers are nervous about whether he is up to the task. At a recent 'prep' for a prospective Sunday talk-show interview, Gonzales's performance was so poor that top aides scrapped any live appearances."
---------------------
Commentary: The very fact that Gonzo has to "practice" and "be coached" for his upcoming testimony to congress speaks volumes for how lame this man really is. What is it about "testifying to the truth" that is so complicated that he has to be grilled by administration hacks? And why should a man, who is the highest law enforcement official in the United States, be practicing "talking points" spoon fed to him by the administration? He is, after all, the Attorney General of the United States of America... not the legal mouthpiece of Emperor Bush.
Oops! That's my mistake. Gonzales has never been anything other than the legal mouthpiece of Bush. He has been eagerly washing the Bush dirty laundry since the old days in Texas... and he has been well rewarded for his skills at misdirection, cover-up, obfuscation, and downright lies.
Unfortunately for him (and more importantly for the nation) he has been promoted well beyond his point of incompetence. He is so far over his head in his current job that he has become a caricature... and not a funny one. He, like the man who hired him, is a complete failure in his current job. He should be sent back to Texas to plead the case of DWI offenders... he does that pretty well. His employer should be sent back to chop wood and melt away into oblivion. The nation will be better served in both cases.
---------------------
Commentary: The very fact that Gonzo has to "practice" and "be coached" for his upcoming testimony to congress speaks volumes for how lame this man really is. What is it about "testifying to the truth" that is so complicated that he has to be grilled by administration hacks? And why should a man, who is the highest law enforcement official in the United States, be practicing "talking points" spoon fed to him by the administration? He is, after all, the Attorney General of the United States of America... not the legal mouthpiece of Emperor Bush.
Oops! That's my mistake. Gonzales has never been anything other than the legal mouthpiece of Bush. He has been eagerly washing the Bush dirty laundry since the old days in Texas... and he has been well rewarded for his skills at misdirection, cover-up, obfuscation, and downright lies.
Unfortunately for him (and more importantly for the nation) he has been promoted well beyond his point of incompetence. He is so far over his head in his current job that he has become a caricature... and not a funny one. He, like the man who hired him, is a complete failure in his current job. He should be sent back to Texas to plead the case of DWI offenders... he does that pretty well. His employer should be sent back to chop wood and melt away into oblivion. The nation will be better served in both cases.
Monday, April 2, 2007
THE CONVENIENCE OF EVENTS...
Now that the United States congress has finally found its backbone and begun to exercise their responsibility of oversight, the Bush/Cheney/Blair triumvirate is beginning to feel the heat.
What to do?
Aha... a diversion is in order. Since the run-up to a war in Iran is not going too well (given our recent memory of the same misdirection in our run-up to Iraq) perhaps we need to get creative and think of something with a better story line. The old "weapons of mass destruction" thing might not fly this time around. And the "maniac dictator" doesn't seem to fit either.
What to do? What to do? ...
I can just hear this conversation in the oval office...
"George, I think we need to take a new tack... we need something to get the peoples minds off all the sleazy stuff that congress is throwing around."
"You're right, Dick. I talked to Tony this morning and he is up to his knees in 'righteous indignation' from all those misinformed British do-gooders. He hung-up on me mumbling something about 'bloody ungrateful colonies' or something.
"Hey, George... how about this? We know the folks at home hate the Iranians for the old hostage thing that brought that toothy peanut farmer to his knees and gave Reagan the white house. Maybe there's something there? These lemmings in the American press will eat it up if we can create another hostage thing."
"Dick, I think you're on to something. How about if we get Tony involved and see if he can help us devise a scheme that will work for all of us?
"Good idea, George. Tony is a real creative thinker. I'll bet he can come up with something."
Hm mm... wonder what kind of "creative thinking" will win the day...?????
What to do?
Aha... a diversion is in order. Since the run-up to a war in Iran is not going too well (given our recent memory of the same misdirection in our run-up to Iraq) perhaps we need to get creative and think of something with a better story line. The old "weapons of mass destruction" thing might not fly this time around. And the "maniac dictator" doesn't seem to fit either.
What to do? What to do? ...
I can just hear this conversation in the oval office...
"George, I think we need to take a new tack... we need something to get the peoples minds off all the sleazy stuff that congress is throwing around."
"You're right, Dick. I talked to Tony this morning and he is up to his knees in 'righteous indignation' from all those misinformed British do-gooders. He hung-up on me mumbling something about 'bloody ungrateful colonies' or something.
"Hey, George... how about this? We know the folks at home hate the Iranians for the old hostage thing that brought that toothy peanut farmer to his knees and gave Reagan the white house. Maybe there's something there? These lemmings in the American press will eat it up if we can create another hostage thing."
"Dick, I think you're on to something. How about if we get Tony involved and see if he can help us devise a scheme that will work for all of us?
"Good idea, George. Tony is a real creative thinker. I'll bet he can come up with something."
Hm mm... wonder what kind of "creative thinking" will win the day...?????
Thoughts Born Of Tragedy
September 11th, 2001 was a day that stunned the world. Several days later, after my mind began to clear from the shock of the events of that day, I set this to paper... I believe it is worth repeating today...
==================================================================
..."history may judge us to be the real bully if, in the our rush to punish someone, we act in ways contrary to our core beliefs and values as a nation"...
Speaking as one who is closer to the end of life than the beginning, the observation that "those who do not know or understand history, are doomed to repeat it" takes on new relevance for me. Events of the last week have given us all reason to reflect and try to sort out meaningful lessons.
Here are a few observations I believe have meaning for all of us... both privately and in our business affairs:
BULLIES DON'T WIN...
Throughout history the bullies of the world have always lost. Gandhi was right! They may bloody our nose with a sneak attack or a lucky punch but, in the long run, they are always defeated by the forces of good and right. Tyrants down through the ages have had to learn this lesson the hard way. The Hitler's of the world have never prevailed.
Neither have predatory corporations or governments.
COALITIONS WORK...SHORT TERM...
Building coalitions are effective to achieve goals...short term. They rarely work long term.
While it is very possible (and desirable) to bring divergent groups together to battle a common foe...that same coalition will decay when the mutual adversary is overcome. Disparate groups will melt away as their own self-interest begins to resurface.
This is as true in business and private organizations as it is in public and world affairs.
BULLIES & TYRANTS DON'T ALWAYS CARRY KNIVES...
Modern bullies wear designer clothing and use computers. They understand the power of politics, sound bites, and photo opportunities. They are masters at using the tools of mass communications to advance sinister goals. Yes...this includes the use of the internet.
They run large corporations, foundations, financial institutions, think-tanks, and hold our highest public offices. They are subtle. They are deceptive. They are dangerous because, like Hitler, they understand the human need for security and order. They understand how to make actions that steal our freedom... appear to be logical and necessary.
They are comfortable and proficient working with hidden agendas which promote their own self-interests. They are practiced at turning dramatic tragic events, or temporary conditions, into building blocks for their own personal financial gain or extensions of their power base.
The antidote against these poisonous souls... is a mechanism for totally free, uncensored, exchange of ideas and thoughts... the internet!
BEWARE OF KNEE-JERK REACTIONS...
Never has careful, measured, thought been more important than now.
When a bully bloodies our nose our first reaction is righteous anger and indignation. This is both normal and right. We should be angry. We should feel indignation.
This same anger and indignation, however, can lead to a rashness of response which plays right into the hands of the forces stacked against us.
If we attack a perceived foe, without indisputable evidence of their guilt and culpability, we have become no better than they.
Indeed, in the eyes of the world, history may judge us to be the real bully if, in the our rush to punish someone, we act in ways contrary to our core beliefs and values as a nation.
The world is watching. We now have the opportunity to prove what a great nation we truly are. It will take patience, great judgement, and a careful measuring of the facts before we act, if we are to be what we have always purported to be... a nation grounded in fairness, freedom, respect for human rights, responsible judgement, and real justice.
Editorial Commentary Written--9/17/2001 ©Copyright 2001-2007 Thom Reece All Rights Reserved
==================================================================
..."history may judge us to be the real bully if, in the our rush to punish someone, we act in ways contrary to our core beliefs and values as a nation"...
Speaking as one who is closer to the end of life than the beginning, the observation that "those who do not know or understand history, are doomed to repeat it" takes on new relevance for me. Events of the last week have given us all reason to reflect and try to sort out meaningful lessons.
Here are a few observations I believe have meaning for all of us... both privately and in our business affairs:
BULLIES DON'T WIN...
Throughout history the bullies of the world have always lost. Gandhi was right! They may bloody our nose with a sneak attack or a lucky punch but, in the long run, they are always defeated by the forces of good and right. Tyrants down through the ages have had to learn this lesson the hard way. The Hitler's of the world have never prevailed.
Neither have predatory corporations or governments.
COALITIONS WORK...SHORT TERM...
Building coalitions are effective to achieve goals...short term. They rarely work long term.
While it is very possible (and desirable) to bring divergent groups together to battle a common foe...that same coalition will decay when the mutual adversary is overcome. Disparate groups will melt away as their own self-interest begins to resurface.
This is as true in business and private organizations as it is in public and world affairs.
BULLIES & TYRANTS DON'T ALWAYS CARRY KNIVES...
Modern bullies wear designer clothing and use computers. They understand the power of politics, sound bites, and photo opportunities. They are masters at using the tools of mass communications to advance sinister goals. Yes...this includes the use of the internet.
They run large corporations, foundations, financial institutions, think-tanks, and hold our highest public offices. They are subtle. They are deceptive. They are dangerous because, like Hitler, they understand the human need for security and order. They understand how to make actions that steal our freedom... appear to be logical and necessary.
They are comfortable and proficient working with hidden agendas which promote their own self-interests. They are practiced at turning dramatic tragic events, or temporary conditions, into building blocks for their own personal financial gain or extensions of their power base.
The antidote against these poisonous souls... is a mechanism for totally free, uncensored, exchange of ideas and thoughts... the internet!
BEWARE OF KNEE-JERK REACTIONS...
Never has careful, measured, thought been more important than now.
When a bully bloodies our nose our first reaction is righteous anger and indignation. This is both normal and right. We should be angry. We should feel indignation.
This same anger and indignation, however, can lead to a rashness of response which plays right into the hands of the forces stacked against us.
If we attack a perceived foe, without indisputable evidence of their guilt and culpability, we have become no better than they.
Indeed, in the eyes of the world, history may judge us to be the real bully if, in the our rush to punish someone, we act in ways contrary to our core beliefs and values as a nation.
The world is watching. We now have the opportunity to prove what a great nation we truly are. It will take patience, great judgement, and a careful measuring of the facts before we act, if we are to be what we have always purported to be... a nation grounded in fairness, freedom, respect for human rights, responsible judgement, and real justice.
Editorial Commentary Written--9/17/2001 ©Copyright 2001-2007 Thom Reece All Rights Reserved
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
