WHY DOES IRAQ WAR FUNDING MOSTLY FUND WAR-PROFITEERS NOT THE TROOPS? WHY DOES CONGRESS KEEP FUNDING THE WAR???

WHY DOES IRAQ WAR FUNDING MOSTLY FUND WAR-PROFITEERS NOT THE TROOPS?

WHY DOES CONGRESS KEEP FUNDING THE WAR?

And again….

THE WAR IN IRAQ:

THE GREATEST STRATEGIC DISASTER IN U.S. HISTORY
THE RESULTS OF WHAT THE NEO-CONSERVATIVE WAR IN IRAQ:

● 3012 troops dead, over 660,000 Iraqi’s dead
In Memory of the Fallen
● Over 21,000 wounded troops in the Iraq war disaster
● Twice as many Iraqi's killed under the U.S. occupation of Iraq than under all of the years of Saddam's rule; Saddam is gone, why aren't we?
● $300 million dollars a day
● $Half a trillion dollars spent on the colossal Iraq disaster
● $2 trillion dollar projected cost for the sum of the Iraq war and occupation
● A full scale civil war now being waged in Iraq – with our troops caught in the deadly crossfire of violence
● Diminished U.S. national security
Article
● Greatly diminished U.S. hard-power – the military machine is breaking down, it is overstretched and overextended.
● Greatly diminished U.S. soft power – who can trust liars?
● The loss of the moral high ground – no city on the hill for the world to look to.
● An international community of nations that is justifiably disgusted with Imperial American foreign policy of aggression
● A war and occupation based on lies and cooked intelligence
● A war that has only bred more terrorism around the globe

Some things you can do to get involved, stay informed and help end the war:
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=3436
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?list=type&type=18
Donate Here
I highly encourage donations to this group, IVAW, Iraq Veterans Against the War:
http://www.ivaw.org/support

THE IRAQ STUDY GROUP REPORT:
Besides crapping all over Bush’s rosy scenario descriptions of the war, the Iraq Study Group basically did nothing except proclaim that the current course is a disaster and staying that course is not viable….ooooh how exciting!!! Oh my, where’s my party hat!!! Gee, tell me something I don’t know!!!! (but I guess whispering a morsel of truth is a big deal in that it is a lot to expect from politician-liar-followers). But in reality the report offered few substantive recommendations except for a loose reference to changing direction without any benchmarks to force a real change or an admission that the attempted full-privatization of the rebuilding of Iraq has been a complete and total failure resulting more in a mass defrauding the taxpayers than actual reconstruction (so essentially the Iraq Study Group Report is a tiger without teeth and does little to end the current American-Iraq-Occupation / Corporate-Fleecing of the American taxpayers), however, again, the ISG did note that the current situation isn’t working…..yeah, no shit, Sherlock!! (the Commission’s overall effect is more sizzle than steak, more of a new marketing label than a change in the substance of the product) …..and then they had the unmitigated audacity to whine and beg like a bunch of mangy pooches for another chance to get things right???!!!!! You gotta to be kidding, right??? Now, folks, if you believe that, then you will be believing it this time next year when they tell you the same thing, and the year after that when they tell you the same thing and the year after that when they tell you the same thing and the year after that when they tell you the same thing and the year after that when they tell you the same thing. The question is: How stupid are you or more to the point, how stupid do they think we are?

To believe that Iraq is in any way salvageable given the colossal proportions of this disaster, and the fact that the U.S. has literally no control over the dominant insurgencies in Iraq and given that the head manager of the Iraq operation, our employee the President, (remember, we the people together are the CEO’s of this country), the President can only claim a list of defeats that he calls successes in a rather upbeat, Orwellian way, only adds stress and emphasis to what we should all be telling ourselves at this point in time best captured in the old American adage, ‘fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me’!!! If you are trying to decipher between truth and bullshit, a good rule of thumb, ironically, is to listen to whatever Mr. Bush says, because the opposite of what Mr. Bush says is oftentimes much closer to the truth mostly because he’s a filthy liar.

To be clear, however, there is only one known way for citizens to bring an end to the war, that is, keep agitating and agitating and agitating, and there are only two known possible ways for politicians to bring the war to a close now and that is to either A) Bring the troops home now (which only President can order), or B) Stop funding this damn war by cutting off the money (which Congress can do) so remember that in 2008 that if Bush has not yet brought home the troops and Congress has not yet cut off funding for the war to let them both have it at the polls. What am I saying here? I am saying if the Democrats can’t find the cajones to cut off the war funding, I am saying stick it to them in 2008, that’s what I’m saying. (Oh Democrat followers in Congress did you think you were going to use the war to your advantage in 2008? Wrong answer politician-followers!! Know this Democrats: I can move mountains with words and I INTEND TO MOVE MOUNTAINS WITH WORDS). The Democratic Congress now has the power, they have been issued the mandate by the populace, so now if they choose to ignore the will of the people due to the perceived possible political implications of cutting off war funding then clearly they have put their own political interests above and beyond the lives of the troops and the will of the people because they are scared and afraid of how it might look. Awwwwwwwwww!!! Poor wittle babies in Congress are afraid of the dark unknown. Awwwwwww!!! We finally have the means to bring this disaster to an end and the weak, spineless, fraidy-cats of the DLC Centrist Democrats are not going to be allowed to cave into fear and cower in the shadows like a bunch of friggin’ cowards even if that is the triangulating nature without a exacting a heavy price paid for it from the populace.
What the hell is the point of electing Democrats if all they do is cave in to fear? Do you know what it is to be an opposition party??? IT MEANS TO VIGOROUSLY OPPOSE!!

Perhaps you have not heard the news, Democrats, I am not loyal to any party; I am loyal only to my brothers and sisters in Iraq!!!! I am loyal only to them and the only reason I helped get the Democrats elected was to balance Congress and provide the impetus to bring the troops home now. If now Congress cannot find the will to challenge the continuity of this war, then be advised we will work hard to kick your ass out in 2008!!!

THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY DID NOT VOTE FOR THE DEMOCRATS IN NOVEMBER, THEY VOTED AGAINST THE WAR AS YOU, CONGRESS, YOU WILL CUT OFF FUNDING FOR THIS WAR OR WE WILL CUT YOU OFF!!!!!
WHAT PART OF ‘YOU WILL CUT OFF FUNDING’ DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND??
YOU HAVE A MANDATE TO BRING THE TROOPS HOME AND CUT OFF THE WAR FUNDING; EITHER USE IT OR WE THE PEOPLE ARE GONNA CUT OFF YOUR FUNDING AND YOUR VOTES IN 2008!!! WE INTEND TO MAKE A PRINCIPLED STAND AGAINST CONTINUED FUNDING FOR THE WAR AND IF CONGRESS DOESN’T LIKE IT, TOO BAD!!!!!! THE TIME TO FLEX SOME ANTI-WAR MUSCLE HAS COME!! TOGETHER, UNITED AGAINST THE WAR, WE THE PEOPLE ARE STRONG!! DO WE MAKE OURSELVES CLEAR, CONGRESS?? CAN YOU HEAR US NOW, CONGRESS??? WE HAVE THE POWER AND WE AIM TO USE IT!!!!! THE ONLY WAY TO SAVE THE LIVES OF THE TROOPS IS TO END THE WAR. THE WAY TO END THE WAR IS TO STOP FUNDING IT!!!!
SUPPOR THE TROOPS FOR REAL; END THE WAR BY ENDING ITS FUNDING!!!
BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW!!! END FUNDING FOR THE WAR!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/
http://news.monstersandcritics.com/usa/features/printer_1230737.php
No, not better accounting, end all the money that only supports the war-profiteers:
http://fairuse.100webcustomers.com/sf/nyt12_14_6.htm

Mr. Bush is not going to move with any urgency to remove the troops from Iraq, folks, because the President seems intent on being remembered in history not as a President who had the commonsense to remove the troops and end the war, but rather as the LBJ of his time. Let’s face it, however noble his domestic policies, LBJ is remembered for one thing and one thing only, the war in Vietnam, just as Mr. Bush seems to want to be remembered for the Vietnam of our day, the war on Iraq and the troops who died in vain.
The hell with our current President of the United States, he’s a complete idiot anyway.
STEP UP THE PRESSURE ON THE U.S. CONGRESS!!!!!
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/13/opinion/13wed1.html?_r=2&th&emc=th&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/12/13/bush_v_the_two_majorities.php
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/16230201.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/01/AR2006120101509.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061213/pl_nm/iraq_usa_funding_dc
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-12-12-bush-poll_x.htm
SUPPORT ALL THOSE WHO VOICE SUPPORT TO BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW INCLUDING REPUBLICAN POLITICIANS. ONE SUCH REPUBLICAN I DEEPLY RESPECT IS REPUBLIC SENATOR CHUCK HAGEL OF NEBRASKA:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/112906Z.shtml

BE IT KNOWN:
THE ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT GIVETH POWER TO CONGRESS AND THE ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT CAN TAKETH AWAY THAT POWER FROM CONGRESS!!!!!!
WORD UP: GET THE HELL OUT OF OUR WAY!!! GET WISE AND REPRESENT!!

If what you say is true, Ms. Nancy Pelosi, my representative in Congress, then how about a little less yakkety-yak, a little more acteky-act by ENDING THE WAR FUNDING!!!!
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/12/10/BAGJGMSTAQ1.DTL
In fact, the Democrats are right about this, the war-spending bill is about courage:
The question is do they have the courage to stop funding the war or will they cowardly submit to Bush’s demands and rubberstamp the Bush war policy by approving the bill?
The problem is not how Bush will paint you, the problem you have to begin doing some of the painting yourself. You must re-frame the debate and take the fight to Bush. I will continue to help re-frame the debate for you, whether or not you wish me to do so. Let’s all help re-frame the debate because we are all smart enough to paint a picture of peace:
True cowardice in action, the unwillingness of Democrats to end the war in Iraq by cutting off the funds that support it’s perpetuation. Gosh, one almost begins to think that the Democrats hope to use the continuity of the war’s corpses of dead troops to help them get re-elected in 2008 as if their political ambitions were more important than the lives of the troops they bark on and on about “supporting.” I have an idea, why don’t Democrats support the troops for real by cutting off the war funding to the war-profiteer corporations and demanding the troops be brought home now!!!!!!!
http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-12-05-voa59.cfm
http://www.reason.com/news/show/117015.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061130/ap_on_go_co/funding_iraq
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/gate/archive/2006/12/13/notes121306.DTL&nl=fix

These articles of the Iraq Study Group are varied and I think you should read them all to get a sense of how it is viewed before questioning, analyzing and deciding on your own:
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1207-35.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1207-30.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1207-27.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1211-26.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1207-29.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1213-08.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1207-34.htm
Prospect article
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1207-26.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1206-09.htm
New Yorker article
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1211-22.htm
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/120606F.shtml
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/120706E.shtml
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1210-23.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1212-26.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1210-25.htm
http://fairuse.100webcustomers.com/fairenough/salon041.html
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1211-24.htm
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121206A.shtml
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/120706N.shtml
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121206E.shtml
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1212-28.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1211-23.htm
Washington Post article
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1212-31.htm
Yahoo article
Washington Post article
http://www.startribune.com/561/story/846026.html
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1218-32.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1204-20.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1201-31.htm
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/12/01/murtha-iraq-study-group/
Yahoo article
Truthdig article
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1212-07.htm
Washington Post blog article
Prospect article
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1206-32.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1206-34.htm
http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/45091/
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/capitalgames?bid=3&pid=145767
http://noquarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/12/charting_the_wa.html
PM Carpenter blog article
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1215-30.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1215-29.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1218-11.htm
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121506A.shtml
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/12/18/surging_to_defeat_in_iraq.php
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121806C.shtml

Finding a way out of Iraq should not be left to politicians, followers, it should be developed in a non-partisan manner where the establishment can hear it like it is and get their boat rocked properly and appropriately to force them to abandon the Iraq disaster.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/good-news-everybody-we_b_36040.html
The main problem with the Iraq Study Group, in addition to being bi-partisan as opposed to non-partisan, is that the group is composed of establishment figures who have little interest in rolling back an Imperial policy of aggression and a war waged for global hegemony by means of controlling the world oil markets. Ironically, however, it is the war in Iraq which has greatly damaged American hegemony and plunged the empire into steep decline, an empire that has been built the last 60 years on multilateral engagements with foreign nations. And this has been done primarily by the Bush administration and the neo-conservatives who have acted in a very unipolar way, devoid of diplomacy and devoid of listening to the worthy advice of our allies like France for example, which in and of itself from a policy standpoint is an extremely sharp break from the way American global power has been achieved since the end of WWII. So when considering the views and the advice of the Iraq Study Group one should remember the history of such players like Jim Baker who is less a statesman and more a front man to help the Bushies save face, much like during the S&L crisis of the 1980’s, Jim Baker and crew are the means by which the Bushies use to help bail them out of bad situations they seem to bring upon the country. The best forward-looking strategy, however, is to keep the Bush clan as far away from the levers of power as possible. The Bush legacy from Nazi-funding Prescott Bush to ‘new world order’ CIA Director George H.W. Bush to George W. reeks like shit.
The best policy for our nation moving forward is stay in the world and out of the Bushes.
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1213-30.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1213-22.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1213-29.htm
Iraq and the limits of privatization, that is, when privatization is bad for a country:
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/12/11/the_corporate_occupation_of_iraq.php
Is a graceful exit from Iraq unrealistic? At this point, anything related to Iraq is ungraceful but just a regular exit from Iraq is totally realistic and we’ll settle for that.

THIS IS A MUST WATCH:
I get almost all my news from the Internet, folks, rarely television, but I give MSNBC some credit for having the courage and the credibility to keep Keith Olbermann on TV.
http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=100c6125-81eb-41ee-a3bb-85754d54ae2b&f=00&fg=email

I am quite sure Mr. Baker, Bush Sr. wish to keep foreign policy decisions out of the hands of the American people but so long as our troops are dying in Iraq and war and immoral policies are being waged in our name, the average citizen on the street has as much a right to express themselves on matters of foreign policy as Jim Baker or Bush Sr.
Sometimes these rich, right-wingers forget how much they themselves resemble insignificant, puny ants to be stepped on as compared to the mass power of the people!!!!

"Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the comprehension of the weak."
John Adams

The reality is, folks, those in Congress and the Executive have no greater views and no greater comprehension than most other people, in fact, because they are constrained by what they can say in order to get re-elected, their thinking is always constrained by politics so the reality is that politician-followers and those who surround them are some of the most ill-equipped people to champion any viable notion of long-term strategic national interests. You and I are much better equipped than they are and any average American has ten times the common sense as any rich, bloated, blowhard politician. But that’s because POLITICIANS ARE FOLLOWERS. ACTIVISTS ARE LEADERS!!!

"Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected." George Washington

Don’t ever believe that money makes you happy, folks, it doesn’t, comfortable perhaps, happy no. The belief you will find happiness in money will only make you bitter. Happiness emerges from within and from the hope that one can inspire in others.
And money won’t make you a winner either, just check out Mr. Bush for confirmation, what a loser!!!!! Is there a correlation between being a trust-fund baby and a major loser?? Sure seems like it sometimes, doesn’t it? Another skull and bones loser for sure.

The reality about Iraq, folks, is that neither more troops nor keeping our current forces there, neither of these options can bring stability to Iraq and we cannot rebuild Iraq’s infrastructure or restore electricity to homes or fresh water because most of the country is in a state of civil war and is completely chaotic. Without adequate security, the basics like rebuilding Iraq cannot be accomplished. As long as our forces remain in Iraq, the chaos will endure. The reality is that we have no control over what happens in Iraq. The presence of our forces in Iraq only exacerbates the entire hopeless and violent situation. And that is why bringing all of the troops home now is the least evil of bad options. It is the best moral option both for the Iraqi people and for the lives of our troops. At this point, folks, the only reason why our troops are dying is because Washington politicians are mostly a bunch of friggin’ cowards without the balls to level with the American people and tell them we have no control over the situation and that we must withdraw.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121306A.shtml
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121306K.shtml

Congress and congresspersons have as much right to be involved in foreign policy as the President. Good Job Senator Bill Nelson of Florida for having the courage to lead a venture where others did not. Others did not lead a venture because they are followers:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061213/ap_on_go_co/us_syria

OTHER RELEVANT ISSUES AND ARTICLES YOU MAY FIND RELEVANT:
This piece below is really hard for me to beat since I compete with myself to keep writing better, it covers a lot of ground and a myriad of issues while offering harsh, blunt truth as I see it and is in my mind certainly one of the best pieces of writing I’ve ever assembled:
http://honeste--djoftruth.blogspot.com/2006/11/why-is-bush-sentencing-troops-to-die.html
GLOBAL WARMING:
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1213-05.htm
http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/index.html?action_id=69
Move On event
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121306O.shtml
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1212-03.htm
http://www.buzzflash.com/store/items/362
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121506R.shtml
Yahoo article
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1215-08.htm
Think big, think bold, act with confidence and pursue with relentless perseverance:
Working for Change article
Cindy Sheehan:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/120406R.shtml
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121806S.shtml
Habeas Corpus:
New Yorker article
Habeas Corpus and why the Military Commissions Act must be repealed:
http://amconmag.com/2006/2006_12_18/article1.html
Human rights and the immorality of torture:
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1212-25.htm
GI Rights Movement:
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1206-22.htm
Free Speech and the restoration of our Constitutional Civil Rights and Liberties:
We must continue to cultivate the anti-war, Progressive-Libertarian, Left-Right Alliance:
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1213-09.htm
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121306J.shtml
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1213-01.htm
IHT article
SF Gate article
Raw Story article
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121506B.shtml
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1215-03.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1218-01.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1215-10.htm
The Occupation is the PROBLEM not the SOLUTION; training Iraqi forces is pointless because the Iraqi government is not legitimate, it is but only a puppet of the United States
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1206-25.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1129-21.htm
Hilary, take a stand against the war funding and demonstrate you have some principle:
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1207-32.htm
The judicial branch exerting its power to balance and check the executive, that’s wonderful:
SF Gate article
Telegraph article
Yahoo article
The Defense Authorization Act of 2007, one small step for man, one giant leap toward tyranny and the end of the road for the United States Federal Government, not to mention national stability. I would only resign from the peace movement for one reason, besides bringing the troops home, and I hope that day never comes. You can figure out why.
article
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121206J.shtml
Darfur:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/120706H.shtml
Working for Change
Eisenhower as a model for Republicans to aspire, indeed:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1204/p09s02-coop.html
On how DLC centrism is not really centrism at all nor the moderate center but rather an extreme view behind the fig leaf of the term, “centrism.” Waging peace against the war is the majoritive, moderate view. The elections of 2006 clearly revealed that truth.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig7/greenwald2.html
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1206-30.htm
Bravo, Nancy, bravo for demonstrating leadership:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brent-budowsky/nancy-pelosi-takes-bush-t_b_35185.html
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1206-20.htm
On the Rumsfeld replacement:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/120106N.shtml
Ray McGovern:
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1204-31.htm
Troops in Iraq fight for their lives and the lives of their comrades:
Baltimore Sun article
Telling it like it is:
http://www.antiwar.com/lind/?articleid=10090
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1204-25.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1203-23.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1202-26.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1201-35.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1201-27.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1201-33.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1130-26.htm
Keep speaking out because speaking and writing are as much an act as any other action:
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1203-05.htm
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/120406B.shtml
Articles and issues definitely worth paying more attention to:
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1204-26.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1130-24.htm
Realism in reporting
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?bid=1&pid=143747
Editor and Publisher article
Washington Post article
http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/44847/
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L29485733.htm
http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/44771
Muck-racking is the key to renewing investigative journalism of government activities at home in the United States: NEWS WEBSITES TO HELP YOU STAY INFORMED:
HonestE article
Give ‘em hell, Jim:
The Hill article
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brent-budowsky/jim-webb-hero-leader-s_b_27557.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brent-budowsky/outstanding-jim-webb-is-_b_35259.html
Lou Dobb’s and populism? Who would have thought...listen closely, decide on your own.
http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/01/dobbs.html
Israel/Palestine:
At least the ISG honestly addresses the issue of Israel/Palestine and hopefully the Democrats will not act like slime and cowardly attack those needed recommendations:
http://noquarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/12/the_isgs_recomm.html
http://www.antiwar.com/roberts/?articleid=10160
To see and to proclaim that peace, prosperity and stability is in the best long-term interest of Israel, Palestine and the region at large and to forthrightly address the issues surrounding the oppressive, apartheid-appearance of the Occupation of the West Bank by the nation of Israel and to call the nation of Israel what it is according to its policy, that is oppressive, is in reality doing a great service for the nation of Israel and its people. That’s because the short-term thinking of the political establishment which concerns itself with never saying anything too offensive in the interest of getting re-elected even if avoiding the truth if the truth itself sounds offensive, limits the debate to what only appeals to people’s emotions and that, folks, is problematic because the truth, when offensive, often gets lost in the rosy political rhetoric known as bullshit. And when policy reflects bullshit rather than reflecting harsh reality, everyone loses because a policy based on fantasy has no chance of being successful. It is bad policy to begin with. Policy must be rooted in reality to have any chance of success and that is why telling the harsh, blunt, uncomfortable and painful truth even if the truth is offensive is utterly required.

The reason why we have a First Amendment in this country and the reason why that amendment is first, is because every person has a right to tell the truth as they see it and yes, every person has a right to say things that may offend others, for without that right Free Speech would not be free. Free Speech is not only saying what people want to hear; Free Speech means you can say what people do not want to hear, that is, you are free to say things that may offend others because no American citizen has a right not to be offended but every American citizen has a right to say things that may offend others, because that is what make Free Speech free. Free Speech entitles us to reveal blunt truth.

Just like telling the truth in America is likely to unnerve and piss-off some people who prefer to live in a fantasy-land described best by the rosy rhetorical bullshit inherent in our political establishment and uttered by our political-followers, namely politicians, such truth-telling is also likely to unnerve and piss off some people who prefer not to think, and instead prefer to falsely accuse anyone who criticizes oppressive Israeli policy of being an anti-Semite. But the reality, folks, is this: Falsely accusing people of anti-Semitism when people offer constructive criticism of Israeli-policy only cheapens the true ugliness of anti-Semitism and tarnishes the memory of any Jewish person who has ever suffered as a target of real anti-Semitism including the six-million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust. Launching false accusations of anti-Semitism is done only to silence people from expressing constructive criticism of a policy that is clearly oppressive and should rightfully be called such. Merely identifying and proclaiming that Israeli policy is oppressive is not anti-Semitism and is not even what is offensive, rather what is offensive is the oppressive policy itself. And so I call on my fellow brothers and sisters in the anti-war movement to name oppression for what it is and to refuse to cower in fear to tell the truth and to be strong against the fear-mongering false accusations of anti-Semitism that a small, weak-minded minority that has a low tolerance for the views of others and dares launch false accusations of anti-Semitism at anyone who dares dissent and who dares to call oppression by its true name. To that small, weak-minded minority who sees any valid criticism of Israeli policy as an expression of anti-Semitism, I say to you, get over it. It is not anti-Semitism, it is justice and your false claims designed to shut down the debate only impugn the memory of Jewish people who have suffered at the hands of authentic anti-Semitism and for you to launch false accusations and impugn their memory, well, I can’t think of a better example of self-hatred than that. I am sorry if the truth offends you but as I see it, with respect to the policy in the West Bank, Israel is an oppressor nation and saying that is not anti-Semitism, it is telling the harsh truth in pursuit of justice. The truth may be painful, but the truth will set us free to make peace.
http://conversation.peacenow.org/
http://www.peacenow.org/mepr.asp?rid=&cid=3265
http://www.peacenow.org/updates.asp?rid=0&cid=3251
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1206-24.htm
http://fairuse.100webcustomers.com/fairenough/latimes588.html
http://www.amconmag.com/2006/2006_11_20/article2.html
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1204-08.htm
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/objects/pages/PrintArticleEn.jhtml?itemNo=793975
http://www.alternet.org/movies/44920/
http://www.commondreams.org/news2006/1215-04.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1211-01.htm
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121306N.shtml
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1218-28.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1216-27.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1217-21.htm
THIS IS A MUST READ:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/120106H.shtml
Let’s talk about how perseverance is key to building the bridges necessary to the promised land of peace in this region.
Good article about Middle East peace and what could be done about it:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/kamiya/2006/11/28/palestine/
Good organizations devoted to Middle East peace:
http://www.avnery-news.co.il/english/index.html
http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html
http://www.peacenow.org/
http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/
http://www.tikkun.org/
http://www.rhr.israel.net/
http://www.shalomctr.org/
http://www.seruv.org.il/defaulteng.asp
http://www.refusersolidarity.net/
http://www.btvshalom.org/
THIS SHOULD BE A GREAT READ:
http://www.amazon.ca/Palestine-Peace-Apartheid-Jimmy-Carter/dp/0743285026

A MESSAGE FOR MY FELLOW PEACE ACTIVISTS AND CITIZENS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON: Give yourselves the gift of a pat on the back for a remarkable year of achievement. We may not have yet brought the troops home but we have definitely together mainstreamed the anti-war movement and there is no one person or one organization that can take the credit for that achievement, it is something we have all done together by uniting in common purpose and acting in unity to spread our message of peace. I hope my fellow citizens and activist give to themselves the gift of a short break during this holiday season so that we may together ramp up for a new year of progressive anti-war activism as we begin stepping up the pressure on the U.S. Congress to end the funding for the war which mostly funds the war-profiteers and not the troops. Give yourself some credit and give yourself a short break this holiday season to count your blessings and to steel yourself for the coming year where we shall make our voices heard loud and clear against the war in Iraq and against continued funding for the war, but also remember this holiday season as you spend time with family, that the troops are thousands upon thousands of miles away from their families for another holiday season and that they are depending on us in 2007 to continue protesting the war and pressuring the Congress and the President as we continue to lobby to bring them home now!!!!!!!!
And with that said, Happy Holidays my fellow citizens and activists!! Peace!!!

AND NOW A WORD OF WARNING TO ALL THE FOLLOWERS IN CONGRESS:
Dear Congress, the best way to kindly dislodge the anti-war foot from the dark depths of your misrepresenting asses is to bring the troops home now!!!! End the funding of the corporations of the Iraq Occupation!!!! Home for the troops, funding for the people!!!

FUND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE NOT THE WAR AND WAR CORPORATIONS!!!!
SAVE THE LIVES OF THE TROOPS BY ENDING THE WAR!!!!!!
END THE WAR BY CUTTING OFF THE FUNDING FOR THE CORPORATE FLEECING OF THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER VIA THE OCCUPATION OF IRAQ!!!

IRAQ FOR SALE, (WATCH IT):
http://iraqforsale.org/
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/101306O.shtml
Recognize, however, that some contractors, albeit a handful, do provide good service and so it is important to question any sweeping generalizations about contractors and corporations. Some on the hard-Left don’t like to hear the truth either and the truth as I see it is that there are some corporations in our world today and in our country today that do good and noble services for the public without expecting any marketing favors in return. It is not outside the reach for any corporation to be for profit and to also be for noble action. I should know, I work for such a corporation myself and I am proud of it.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121306S.shtml


"We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex."
~Dwight D. Eisenhower
http://www.sonyclassics.com/whywefight/
http://nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=182

SUPPORT THE TROOPS FOR REAL:
END FUNDING FOR WAR-CORPORATIONS AND BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!
http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/
http://www.appealforredress.org/php/appeal.php
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121606Z.shtml


WAGE PEACE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eric E. Johansson
Veterans for Peace
http://www.veteransforpeace.org/
http://www.ivaw.org/
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/
http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/
http://honeste--djoftruth.blogspot.com/

WEBSITES TO HELP YOU STAY INFORMED:
http://honeste--djoftruth.blogspot.com/2006/10/websites-to-help-you-stay-informed.html


A Poem About Being Human Like You And I.

I exist therefore I am;
I wage activism therefore I hope;
I am human therefore I am equal;
I love therefore I care;
I am curious therefore I stay informed;
I know I can make a difference therefore I step forward.
I am righteous therefore I speak out;
I am not afraid therefore I inspire;
I understand therefore I teach;
I am human therefore I am just like you yet unique too.