Department of Homeland Security: New Gestapo?

So, at work today, I hear Fox News mention something about Iraq and how "this is the beginning of the end for Al Qaida in Iraq." I commented, "Gee, that sounds awful familiar." One of the girls I work with turns to me and asks why. I brought up the infamous "Mission Accomplished" sign, which prompts her to say, "I don't get what the big deal of that was. We went over there to get rid of the government that was there, and we did." Of course I can't just let that go, so I bring up the fact that the reason we invaded was because of the supposed nuclear material that Saddam Hussein was ready to use against us at any minute and that he wouldn't let us inspect it, which she of course denies. Then I add that we didn't even capture Saddam Hussein for another seven months after that. She turned away from me angrily in defeat. I didn't even mention that before the "Mission Accomplished" banner, a mere 139 American servicemembers had died in Iraq up until that point, and 2361 have died since the mission was apparently accomplished. Yep. As of today, 2500 American military members have died over there. But it's all okay. Believe me. It's worth it. Because just a few days ago we finally mannaged to kill our number one target in the war on terror. Wait, not that guy. This guy. So, basically, as long as we can get somebody within months of an election we can call it progress.

An interesting side note, Osama bin Laden's FBI page does NOT list the September 11th attacks as something he is wanted for. Instead it mentions embassy bombings from 1998. Food for thought.

"It's only a reduction if you choose to look at the highest year of funding" --which happens to be last year.

The President had this to say yesterday about the expiring sign up time for new Medicare drug coverage:

Deadlines are important. Deadlines help people understand there's finality and people need to get after it.

Deadlines help people understand there's finality and that they need to get after it, huh? Oh yeah, in related news, Bush finally set a deadline for withdrawal from Iraq...wait, I mean....crap.

What the hell is wrong with these people?????

"My son had something shoved up his butt seven or eight times. If that's not sexual assault, what is?"

Prosecutor James Landis told a judge at last week's hearing that the "broomsticking" was a hazing ritual and a punishment, not sexual assault.

Seriously, what the fuck?

The law will make it a crime for reporters and newspapers to publish stories that Bush violated the law...

Amendment I of the United States Constitution:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Is this really what we are coming to? When Benjamin Franklin was queried on the type of government our forefathers had prescribed, his response was simple: "A republic, if you can keep it." I wonder what he'd say, if he saw our current situation, and the general apathy among the masses...

Yet another reason to hate where this country is going.

Read and Beware.

Though I can't say it surprise me that much.

This shouldn't really come as a surprise. What I find most disturbing though, is how blatantly the administration lies...and then gets away with it. FUCK! Sorry.

Yet another reason why I've lost faith in this country's current government.

Why haven't we heard about this?

PLEASE READ

What were you thinking about, the last time you printed something from your computer? I bet the last time you printed anything, you weren't even aware of this. Be careful what you print....

"The first thing he decided to do was close schools," Kahn said. "That shows something about his views on education and his priorities."

Apparently FEMA does not want the media to photograph the bodies of hurricane victims. Makes sense. I mean, they've gotten enough bad press already, and pictures of the dead would only make them look worse. But whatever, it's not like we're supposed to have a free press or anything, right? We got rid of that piece of the Constitution, didn't we?

The response to this hurricane from federal officials makes me sick. Not just the slowness and seeming lack of care, but the lame ass excuses they give to try to cover their own asses. In particular, the Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff had this to say,

"This was not just a hurricane; it was a hurricane that was followed by a flood. It was unprecedented and, I think, that created a challenge that, frankly, overwhelmed a lot of people"

Today I was reading the news about the hurricane aftermath and came across this quote from Biloxi, MS mayor A.J. Holloway:

This is our tsunami

Okay. I sympathize with all of the families that will and are going to be affected by this storm, but to compare this in any way what-so-ever to the tsunami that hit Asia and Africa last December. Let's compare:

Tsunami	Hurricane
No Warning	Three Full Days Warning
As Many As 250,000 Dead	As Many As 100 Dead
11 Countries Affected	1 Country Affected
Complete Villages Washed Away	Pretty Bad Flooding, but Buildings Still There

So, despite being a terrible storm, this is now where near the tsunami. I wish people would stop piggybacking their smaller events onto bigger events in an attempt to breed extra emotion which is probably not even needed. Another example being the London Underground bombing which killed approximately 50 people. "This is our 9/11." Bullshit. It was a horrible thing that shouldn't have happened, but 50 people compared to 3000, and a wounded subway which was nearly back to full operations within 2 days compared to one of a country's largest economic centers being destroyed along with it's largest city basically being shut down for a few days and all air travel in that country being halted for two days, there is just no comparison.

And while I'm talking about piggybacking, it's disgusting how many people have jumped on the Cindy Sheehan bandwagon with their own agendas, and completely ruining any chance she had of getting Bush to sit down with her again. I think what she is asking is a completely fair question and needs to be answered, not just to her, but all of us, but once everyone jumped on there was no way in hell Bush would agree to sit down with her, because all of a sudden it would be a win for the "other side". If he had just sat down with her in the beginning, the media wouldn't have probably even been involved and it would have been kept under the table. But now there's a mess of people with different agendas protesting in one spot, and just basically making themselves look bad. Not to mention the jackasses that caravaned from California just to stage their own "You don't speak for us, Cindy" protest, trying to make this big "battleground". She never made a claim to be speaking for America. She jyust wanted an answer to what should be a simple question to answer. It's lamer than FDR's legs.

Why must he do this? Seriously. All the Senate wanted were some files so they could make an educated decision on whether or not to allow this guy to be the voice for the country at the United Nations, but of course it had to be a struggle to give them that. And now he is probably going to go behind their back. Yet another stupid devisive decision....

On a different note, at least one guy is coming to his senses on at least one issue.

I'm sure all of you have heard about the Live 8 concerts by now. What most of you probably don't know is that one of my best friends down here basically got to be the BBC's correspondent for the Philadelphia concert. Jackie happened across a thing on the BBC page asking for a volunteer, and apparently she's the only American that reads BBC news, or at least the only one that was going to be in Philadelphia for the concert. To read the interviews from the seven correspondents at the other concerts you can click here.

On a separate note, I've redesigned, in case you're blind and didn't notice. If anything looks off, or buggy, or whatever e-mail me so I can take a look at it.
Edit: I designed the page with a screen resolution of 1024x768, so try switching to that first, if things look messed up.