:: NEWS COCKTAIL aka BlahBlahBlog ::
"Everything is being compressed into tiny tablets. You take a little pill of news every day - 23 minutes - and that's supposed to be enough." -Walter Cronkite, RE TV news. The Web has changed that for many, however, and here is an extra dose for your daily news cocktail. This prescription tends to include surveillance and now war-related links, along with the occasional pop culture junk and whatever else seizes my attention as I scan online news sites.:: 3.12.2003 ::
:: Another patriot questions Dubya's war libido ::
I found the following the following Letter to the Editor in my local paper. It's noteworthy, IMHO, because this is a rather conservative area more often than not prone to public displays of jingoism. So, I'm posting this reader's articulate piece here.
From the Cumberland Times-News:
Bush has failed to make case for going to war against Iraq
The Bush administration continues to bang the drums of war in an attempt to draw the American people’s attention away from the worst economy in over 30 years.
The inept Bush administration has failed to find Osama Bin Laden and those who perpetrated the Sept. 11 massacre, and they continue to use Sept. 11 to their advantage as a campaign issue and a public relations coup. The administration has accomplished nothing in the war on terrorism, but continues to use the 9-11 tragedy as a shield to deflect criticism. Without anything to show, “W” has decided that he needs something to hang his hat on in the war on terrorism, and it appears it will be Saddam Hussein’s head.
The Bush administration has failed to show that Saddam Hussein is anything other than a political issue. There is no established tie between Iraq and al-Qaida or any other terrorist groups. There is no evidence that Iraq poses any credible threat to any U.S. citizen. The bellicose (look it up) Republican party and “W” are set on finishing the job that former President Bush was unable to carry out.
Meanwhile, back at home the economy has produced spiraling gas prices that have risen 11 cents in a recent seven day period. Stagnant car sales and home sales continue. There are no new jobs and we just suffered through the worst retail Christmas season in over 30 years. Income for Americans has stalled since 2001, the stock market is a graveyard of former prosperity, money for public education, health care and law enforcement continues to be jeopardized. Maybe Saddam is simply a distraction. Maybe war is the Bush administration’s attempt to boost the economy. It is estimated that a war in Iraq could cost $1 trillion, while at the same time American cities have a shortage of police and rescue workers, the real line of defense against terrorism.
I join the millions of Americans who question the actions of the Bush administration. I join the millions of Americans who are opposed to a war with Iraq. I am opposed to further exposing Americans at home to terrorist attacks created by this unjust war. I refuse to label every brown skinned person a terrorist. I am not opposed to removing Saddam from power. I am opposed to killing innocent men, women and children in Iraq. I want the administration to capture Osama Bin Laden. I am not willing to allow President Bush to use Sept. 11 as a political tool. I refuse to be frightened into supporting war. I will not buy duct tape and plastic. I support our troops, I don’t want them to die. I am not willing to be led blindly by an administration hell bent on war. I love America. I am a patriot.
Jeffrey B. Hedrick, Rawlings, WV
posted by me
:: 8:03:00 PM [+] ::
...
