Not One Soldier Has Been Killed With Mustard Gas Or Sarin Gas.

[Solomon]

Fox needs to shut the fuck up with that old news. They told us in 2003 that they found those old shells.

I guess they have really given up on finding wmds to be touting this shit.

To think those old musty shells are an imminent threat to america...

How many Iraqis have we killed over those old shells?

[leveymg]

1. Don't tell that to the Iranian Army.

During the war with Iraq in the early 1990s, Iranian soldiers suffered hundreds of thousands of casualties from Iraqi nerve and blistering agents. It was a horrible way to die, and the survivors are maimed and blinded.

But that was under Bush 41. Ancient history.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. How many WMDeeeez did the Iraqis ship over here AFTER we

massacred their relatives on the highway of death, after we bombed the sh*t out of their country for years, after we indirectly helped perhaps a million children to die due to sanctions, after we helped them out with chemicals and biologicals, and after we sent Dummy to shake their dictators hand???? Zero. But these simple facts mean nothing to people with an agenda that they wish to hide.

[JDPriestly]

3. Bush is desperate. I am ranting.

Bush's trip to Europe went very badly.

I quote:

With public opinion surveys showing a growing animosity in Europe toward the United States amid fears that its anti-terrorism policies and the Iraq war are endangering global stability, the president raised his voice during a news conference and several times used the words "absurd" and "absurdity" to describe the criticism.

. . . .
The rendition policy and the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo have become focal points for the opposition to U.S. policies in Iraq and to Washington's anti-terrorism campaign. Rendition involves transferring terrorism suspects to countries thought to practice torture.

To a reporter who said that "most consider the United States the biggest threat to global stability," Bush said: "That's absurd. We'll defend ourselves, but at the same time, we're actively working with our partners to spread peace and democracy. So whoever says that, it's an absurd statement."

In response to a reporter who questioned whether the United States is promoting or hindering world peace, Bush said, "I thought it was absurd for people to think that we're more dangerous than Iran. We're a transparent democracy. People know exactly what's on our mind. We debate things in the open. We've got a legislative process that's active."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/world/3991428.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/21/AR2006062100881_5.html

The Washington Post presents is a "cherry-picked" version from his press conference in Vienna. I saw the video excerpt described in the www.chron.com article. Bush was visibly impatient. annoyed and upset with the reporters' questions. The European leaders he was with were obviously embarrassed by his conduct. I wish I had a transcript and full video of the Vienna press conference.

Apparently the leaders he met with criticized Bush's Guantanamo policy. He apologized and said he would like to close Guantanamo but that he is waiting for the Supreme Court to decide on the venue for the trials of certain of the prisoners. Of course, everything Bush said is a lie. He chose his Guantanamo policy. The Supreme Court has to decide the venue issue because his administration has insisted that the Guantanamo prisoners are enemy combatants with no rights civil trials. Bush is lying, lying, lying. Fox news may fall for his lies, but our European allies do not.

When Bush is confronted with the truth, he blames others -- the Supreme Court in this case -- or whoever is handy. He never takes responsibility. Can you imagine the gall of Bush to claim he would like to close Guantanamo. What a lie. He has had lots of opportunities to close that prison camp. And he can choose to give the prisoners trials with due process at any moment. No one is stopping him. Why doesn't anyone in the American media have the courage to confront Bush with the truth?

The damage Bush is doing to our country is obvious from what happened during his trip to Austria and Hungary. With the exception of Great Britain (and I am not sure about the British people), we have lost the trust of our closest allies. We are rapidly becoming isolated and friendless in the world. The handwriting is on the wall. We have lost the most important prerequisite of a leader -- the confidence of the followers. The outsourcing of American industrial capacity has destroyed our ability to lead in the economic sector. Our debt is destroying our ability to lead in the financial world. And Bush has destroyed our credibility as a diplomatic leader.

Bush told the Viennese press that we have a transparent government -- another lie. We used to have a fairly transparent government until Bush decided to rule by edict (signing statements) and in secret (by classifying so much information) and began snooping on our phone calls and personal information. The right-wing controlled press suppresses so much of the truth about what is going on that most Americans are no better informed than they would be if they were illiterate and living in a third world country. And I fear we have not bottomed out in terms of news manipulation and lying yet.

While I am ranting: I'm tired of people who criticize the Democratic Party for being divided and for lacking leadership. Let's look at the facts. I'm 63. I remember clearly precisely where I was standing the moment that I heard that Kennedy had been shot. That day shall live in infamy. It was the great turning point in the history of our nation. 9/11 was nothing compared to that day. We lost our innocence as a nation on that day. It wasn't because Kennedy was such a saint or such a savior. He was not. It was because that day marked the beginning of an era in which one leader of the left and center left after another was either assassinated or died in a plane crash or . . . . You name them Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King are just a couple. Recently there were Carnahan and Wellstone. As soon as a Democrat emerges who has appeal and who is not completely sold out to the American corporate elite, he dies under mysterious circumstances. Compare this history of assassinations and strange accidents for Democrats with the history of assassination attempts on Republicans and right-wingers. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me that only incompetent kooks attack right-wingers -- kooks who don't succeed in their assassination attempts. And right-wingers rarely die in airplane crashes. Barbara Olson is the only right-winger I can think of who died in an airplane crash. I've already listed two recent Democratic leaders who died in air crashes. Of course, much of this is due to the basic philosophical difference between lefties and righties. We lefties do not believe in assassinating people regardless of how much we disagree with them -- and that is as it should be. All I'm saying is that it is wrong to criticize Democrats for a lack of leaders. It's not that we lack bold leaders, it's that bold Democrats with leadership potential don't seem to live long enough to assume national leadership roles.

But, let's look at the Republican "leadership." The have "lead" us all right -- into ever worsening military, economic, environmental and diplomatic disaster. The Republican kind of "leadership" we can do without. Thank you.

OK so it's almost 3:30 a.m. and I still can't sleep. It felt good getting this off my chest for what it is worth. I have a lot of ties to Europe. I remember how when I lived in a little town in W. Germany people stopped me on the street to thank me for the kindness of the U.S. to their country after the war. Yes, that really happened back then. The ordinary people were really grateful to the U.S. -- And now look at what is happening. It is just so sad. What a different world it would be if Martin and Bobby and Jack and Paul and all the rest of our true leaders had been allowed to live and help our country fulfill its destiny. It's really, really sad not just for America but for the world. I mourn our lost leaders. I mourn what has happened to my country. I mourn the firing of Dan Rather from CBS. I mourn Bush's stupidity.

[H2O Man]

4. 9-11.

9-11, 9-11, 9-11. Also, 9-11.

We can not afford to wait until the smoking gun becomes a mushroom cloud. 9-11 changed everything.