I'm taking a psuedo-vacation while I finish up the semester. I should be back by next Monday.

Feel free to read the archives and catch up on postings past.

Smell ya later,

Scarlet Pimp

I am really busy finishing up my schoolwork for the end of the semester. I will say a few words about how disgusted I am with the Bushies and how they are trying to knock John Kerry's military record.

Dubya- was he in the national guard? Did he show up? His military record still remains a mystery. Do I care? Not really. I would not expect a man of his feeble intelligence and quivering smirk to be in the army, let alone go and fight in a brutal war.

John Kerry- super soldier with eighteen million awards. Not really, but he does have an admirable record besides coming home from fighting and protesting the war. Good for him.

If you want to see the list of records for each side by side, check out Military Service Records - Bush & Kerry

Another website of extremely great importance is theocracywatch.org It is a really inciteful site that discusses the Religious Right and how they are taking over our country. Sounds like fun, huh?

Go forth and read!

Okay. I am having a REALLY hard time with this whole separation of church and state thing and politicians that just don't get it. If you are a Congressperson or Senator, chances are you have heard that this is a democracy. What that means is that you can pray to any god you want, but when you go to school (if it's public) or work (if it's not as a missionary or some religious affiliated position) then you check your religion at the door. This comes from the history of religious persecution with the Puritans and all that other stuff that happened very long ago. Remember the Pilgrims? Plymouth Rock? Ah, forget it.

The reason I bring this up is because I just read a very disturbing article- Kerry Affirms Support for Abortion Rights. I was not disturbed that John Kerry is pro-choice. I am extremely happy to see that he is moving towards more of a proactive campaign in which he is discussing his position on issues instead of lambasting Dubya. His timing is perfect too, considering there will be a huge March for Women's Lives this Sunday in Washington. Where will our president be? Camp David. He is taking a vacation from his family home in Maine where he was taking a vacation from his job in Washington D.C. Cue JayZ's "Big Pimpin" right about now.

What I was disturbed to read were quotes like this:

Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt countered that Kerry's views on abortion were "outside the mainstream" and said the president "supports a culture of life."

What mainstream is he talking about? What culture of life is the president supporting? If it is a question of Christian culture and the Christian mainstream that the Bushies have been so fond of then check this stat out from later in the article:

"Among American Catholics, 56 percent of non-Hispanic Catholics and 59 percent of Hispanic Catholics oppose making it harder for a woman to get an abortion, according to the Pew Research Center."

But those are catholic statistics. Is there still a cat fight between Catholicism and protestants? I haven't a clue. You are entitled to have your religious beliefs as long as you keep it out of our government. We are not a theocracy, last time I checked, and if we are then who voted on Christianity? I would much prefer a religion that is not so involved in what's going on in my uterus. I have nothing to worry about because we are a democracy. Right???

Read further:

Rep. Nick Lampson, D-Texas, was criticized by Republicans recently for keeping track of the votes of Catholic members of Congress and whether they are in keeping with church doctrine. He said the vote tallies grew out of meetings by a group of lawmakers exploring their own beliefs, "knowing many of us want to bring as much of our faith as we can to our action in Congress. We are trying to live the teachings of our church and we try to bring that to work," he said. At the same time, he added, Catholic congressional members struggle with adhering to their faith while representing people of many religions. "I am not here to represent the Catholic church," he said.

Number one, if you are a democrat and you are doing this Nixon-like score keeping, then you need to get your membership card revoked. Number two, if you turn to your faith as a way of finding a moral center in order to deal with a multifaceted constituency, then that is not a problem. If you are trying to take away a woman's right to choose what happens to her own body because God told you to, then you must step down immediately. If many of you want to bring as much of your faith as you can to your actions in Congress, then you are more of a danger to the fabric of our nation than any amount of abortions ever will be. If it is such a struggle to stay Christian and still make sure your fellow man and woman have equal rights and opportunities than maybe there is something wrong with your faith. If your religion is telling you that by oppressing your fellow man and woman you will be in his grace and have a position in heaven or at least your fair share of virgins, then maybe its time to find another religion. Chances are though, it's just your interpretation and the way you are practicing your religion. In situations like this, as a Christian, you may want to ask yourself: What Would Jesus Do? Would he stand outside an abortion clinic cursing and harassing (or killing) the doctors? Hmm, maybe not. Would he send men and women off to war "pre-emptively"? Probably not. If Jesus believed in preemption, I think with his psychic abilities he would have kicked Pontius Pilot's ass way before he had a chance to crucify him. Would Jesus destroy the environment, deny AIDS medication to places like Africa and Brazil because of patents and legal issues? Would Jesus support the NRA? Would Jesus support our current Fuck All foreign policy? Would Jesus give tax cuts to the rich while children are starving in this country and all over the world? Would Jesus want to live in this country where there is a need for affirmative action because of all of the institutionalized racism, where there is so much consumerism and greed, where there is such a lack of spirituality and compassion for people that look and sound and smell different from each other but share the same hopes and fears and desires?

NO. He wouldn't. So, Rep. Nick Lampson of Texas, I just solved your fucking moral crisis. Ask yourself what Jesus would do next time you want to thump your bible when discussing legislature. And if you come up with answers that tell you Jesus would support any of the above, then you need to go back to church.

I get really pissed off at the arrogance and privilege associated with this kind of thinking. You don't see any Muslim or Jewish representatives or congressman calling for a ban on pork and shrimp products. You don't see them introducing "partial-crustacean" laws. You don't see Joe Lieberman keeping score of who has a ham sandwich in the cafeteria. You never hear him complain about how difficult it is for him to be a Jewish Senator while representing non-Jewish people.

You know why you don't hear that? Because Jews have been persecuted enough to know that there is a time and place for temple talk and it is not the time when you are making your campaign speeches. Why? BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE IS JEWISH. I don't even know if there are any Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh, Pagan, or Atheist politicians. The fact that I don't know shows you how well they are separating church and state. There is this Christian privilege in this country that assumes everyone would want to take off December 25th each year. That their holidays are everyone's and that their opinions SHOULD BE everyone's and they have a right to speak these opinions whenever they want to whomever they want. It's just not so. That is part of the brilliance of the constitution and the insight that went into writing:

"..(P)roscribing any citizen as unworthy the public confidence by laying upon him an incapacity of being called to offices of trust and emolument, unless he profess or renounce this or that religious opinion, is depriving him injuriously of those privileges and advantages to which, in common with his fellow citizens, he has a natural right; that it tends also to corrupt the principles of that very religion it is meant to encourage, by bribing, with a monopoly of worldly honors and emoluments, those who will externally profess and conform to it" (Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, 1789).

That was Thomas Jefferson. AMEN! People that have been persecuted for religious reasons can appreciate their freedom to worship more than people that have lived their entire lives with that privlege. It's easy to forget why we have this separation but we should never forget how important it is. For more great quotes on the separation of church and state by founders of this country, check out Separation of Church and State Homepage.

Happy Earth Day! If you treated this day like any normal, ordinary day then join the club! I remember when I was a young, idealistic teenager I loved Earth Day! It was a chance for me to get in touch with Mother Earth and nurture her as she has nurtured me. Earth Day was similar to New Year's Eve for me. I would start off being militant about recycling and using public transportation, but after a few months I was chucking empty cat food cans in with the regular trash and taking a taxi home from the subway.

But those were the good old days of the Clinton Administration when there wasn't much going on except summer music festivals, grunge music and caring about the environment. If you want to know what you can do now in 2004, since you have nothing else to worry about, check out Yahoo for a few simple tips on how you can make little lifestyle adjustments that might make a difference. Yahoo Celebrates Earth Day.

If you were wondering how President Dubya is doing on environmental issues than take a moment to read the website of the Natural Resources Defense Council, where you can find a yearly guide to his term in office that breaks down his record on environmental issues. Warning: Do Not Read On A Full Stomach. It May Induce Vomiting.

Don't tell that to Dubya, he thinks he has done great things for the environment. After seeing his deer in headlights performance last week at his press conference, I have come to the conclusion that his administration hasn't told him what he does everyday to destroy the planet and its inhabitants. I get the feeling that he is like Rick Moranis' character in Space Balls, he plays with his action figures all day in his office and gets to take vacations 40% of the time. Guess where Dubya is now? ON VACATION. Here is an article that discusses the crap that Bush has done, including altering scientific fact in order to "further its political aims."
Bush Hails His Environmental Record on Earth Day

So enjoy the last few moments of this Earth Day. Hug a tree, lick a toad, and enjoy the declining quality of your atmosphere. Peace y'all.

At 6:40 this morning the adjuncts and the administration of NYU came to a contract agreement and there was no strike. Selfish bastards. Now I have to finish writing my term papers and studying for finals.

I have come to a decision that in order to be a president of a large nation, like the US for example, one must learn how to be a prisoner of war. I think it would humble a leader and make him that more compassionate if he knew how it felt to be locked in cell with no contact to his/her family, the council of a lawyer, and no bathroom facilities. I think that one would be more thoughtful about waging wars if one knew what a soldier might encounter, a fate worse than death, the seemingly endless nightmare of captivity. But maybe that's just what its like to be a prisoner of the Unites States.

There was an interesting yet incredibly sickening and heartwrenching article on commondreams.org regarding the 20,000 Iraqi prisoners of war that the US has taken, dare I say stolen from their families. Read: Iraq: Think of Those the US Has Detained

Yes, the Iraqi "insurgents" have taken hostages and one US soldier as a POW. According to the released hostages from Japan and previous reports from American soldiers that were captured early in the war and now can be seen on Oprah, prisoners are treated decently. They are given medical care and decent food and are treated with respect. What really disturbs me is the cruelty of the American soldiers that this story details. I believe its true. I have written here in a previous entry that I had spoken with a friend, part of the National Guard, that is getting ready to go to Iraq, and he had discussed that in his training if he had to choose between stopping to help a bleeding child in the road or running over the child with his tank, then he should run over the child in order to avert an ambush. I can ALMOST understand that kind of thinking, believe it or not. I can't, however, stand behind the cruelty of leaving 20,000 Iraqi men and BOYS in a yard like a pack of dogs to piss themselves in the rain and in the burning sun. I can't stand behind a soldier that taunts these prisoners by throwing pebbles at them, like they were animals in a petting zoo. Another friend of mine visited Iraq with Code Pink and she recanted a story to me of a woman whose daughter had been shot and instead of trying to help the injured girl, a soldier reached down and stole the earrings off of her body and left her for dead. Luckily, the child lived. I can't stand behind an army that is showing repeatedly in Iraq to be institutionalizing cruelty. I am ashamed and I am left to wonder if this is just another American policy of Fuck ALL, if another truth is being revealed to my naive self as I still believe what I have been told my whole life America stands for, or if this is just an example of the leadership of our military forces, the Fuck All policy is that of our Commander in Chief, not a representative of the entire nation or armed forces. If the latter is the case then why is it so easy for these soldiers to turn so cruel? Part of it is the training, I am sure. I don't know what goes into the making of a soldier, but I can only guess it is a lot easier to point a gun at a human being if you believe they are somehow less human than you are. It is that much easier to fall into sadistic behavior when you see these prisoners surrounded by barbed wire, forced to urinate wherever they can find a space, when these people speak a different language, maybe pray to a different god.

It may be easier when you are under the pressure of war to learn to hate, to be vicious, to kill the humanity in yourself when you are forced to kill others. I don't buy it though. I think that's just a cop out. If the army is supposed to teach a soldier "to be all that you can be" then I think we should expect them to be more then what they are right now. Remember the lie, we were there to liberate them, not treat them like a country of criminal deviants.

I don't like to criticize the soldiers in Iraq because I wouldn't want to trade places with them myself, but I am ashamed that they are allowed to act this way, that this kind of activity is probably encouraged, and that a culture with so many technological advances has made so few advances in humanity. They are just following orders, but so were the Nazis. So where the Hutus that killed their neighbors in Rwanda. Where does all of this violence and hatred end? When will it be enough? If you are a soldier, how do you go back to being an ordinary guy or girl, living with your children and trying to lead a normal life after participating and witnessing such atrocities? I don't have answers, just more and more questions.

I am a student at New York University. Sadly, they won't except some of my internal organs as payment in full for my tuition, so I take out student loans, get a few bucks from financial aid and whatever's left over I pay out of my pocket. NYU is a good school I guess, but they are greedy bloodsuckers that not only drain the pockets of students (and their parents) but the pockets of their professors as well. According to the website for the NYU Adjunct Fan Club, a website sponsored by students in support of their professors, the average amount of tuition collected per course (all of NYU): $33,750. The average amount of tuition paid to adjunct per course (all of NYU): $2,700. Nice, right? On their website you can also see a side by side comparison of the adjuncts are demanding and what the university is prepared to offer them. There are HUGE differences. Check them out: www.nyuadjunctfanclub.org
If they don't come to an agreement by Wednesday, they will strike! I hope the adjuncts give them hell. I think it is disgraceful that NYU uses 70% of their teaching staff on a part-time basis.

Have you ever been a temp worker? It sucks. You are human capital and you are treated as such. The only reason that it doesn't progress to slavery is because slavery is now illegal and because most huge corporations wouldn't want to make that kind of a commitment. When you own slaves you have to see to it that their welfare is provided for. With temps, they are on their own. Hiring part time workers has become very popular in the last few years. I know plenty of people that are working multiple part time jobs or are registered with several temp agencies. It is a shitty way to start your day by calling a list of agencies that can never remember your name and asking for work. My own personal experiences have left me needing a hot, sterilizing shower. For example, I decide to be proactive with one agency and call them to see if they had any work for me for the following week. I had just finished working on a two month assignment which brought them much money and I figured we were on good terms. This lady answers the phone and as I repeat my name three times she finally says, "well what do you want?" "Well," I reply, maintaining my composure although I realized what a huge mistake it was calling but it was too late to hang up,"I wanted to see if you had any work for me for next week." "Well did I call you?" She replied like I just cleaned her toilet with her toothbrush. "No," I said. "Well then I don't have any work for you," and with that she hung up the phone. A few days later, one of her clients requested me and she called me up. "Hi, Sweetie. It's *****. Are you available tomorrow?" I, the Scarlet Pimp, had never felt so pimped out in my life.

Temporary staff are treated that way because they are a dime a dozen. Then you have big retail companies like Walmart and Eckerd's and all they do is hire part time workers with a salary cap of around $6 per hour depending on your local minimum wage requirements. How are you supposed to feed a family like that? There is a woman that works in the Eckerd's pharmacy in my neighborhood. She also works in Wendy's and I think I saw her working in this large crafts store before they closed down. Of course part time means no benefits and without having to provide some kind of health plan these companies save TONS of money. Its not illegal what they are doing, but it is SUPER SLEAZY.

So I must ask what kind of message is NYU sending to its students? Well, they aren't teaching us anything we haven't figured out on our own. Huge corporations and institutions care more about the dollar than anything else. So why the hell are we bothering to get a degree at all? So that we can be the manager of WalMart instead of the check out girl? We already know that the economy sucks and there are no new jobs being created. Excuse me if I'm not elated about the 308,000 jobs that were supposedly created last month. How much do you want to bet they were mostly part-time or temporary positions and don't offer anything in terms of benefits?

I am also sick of every other commercial on the TV and radio telling me to join the army, air force or navy. My favorite goes something like, "After graduation, Mary sent her resume to every business in town. Neither of them replied." Join the Army!

So if the economy sucks and I have just spent 4-6 years in college to get a degree in Accounting and my only other alternative is working in McDonald's I should run off and join the army in the middle of a gruesome war that I oppose for ethical reasons? So that I can risk my life for the Holy Trinity of Dick Cheney, George W., and Donald Rumsfeld? So that I can survive after a year and expect to go home to the loving arms of my family and then be told I can't but they will get back to me when they decide? No, I think not. Pass me the hamburger flipper and point me towards the fry basket. Maybe Bush is ruining the economy so that more people will be forced to join the military as a way of feeding their families. We need more soldiers and a draft will be a hard sell to Congress. If people are forced into military service for economic reasons then you have killed two birds with one stone. You have created jobs and you have the personnel required to invade the rest of the Third World.

I hope the adjuncts at NYU kick ass because this is not just a fight for more wages and benefits and whatever else. This is a lesson to all of their students that there is still the possibility for change. The little people can make a stand. If they lose and NYU fires all 2700 of them, then they can still find some solace in knowing that the world sees that NYU is a trader in the false commodity of temporary employees. Soon parents and students will have to decide if NYU is the best place they could spend $30K.

McDonald's is launching an "Anti-Obesity Campaign" to promote exercise and a healthy lifestyle because of all of the criticism they have received. It's true. I went into a McDonald's the other day to use the bathroom-okay and I ordered mozzarella sticks- and they had these pamphlets on how to pick a healthy meal from their menu based on what kind of diet you were following-low carb, low fat, or low calorie. I thought it was brilliant. Finally, someone's figured out a way to help the people figure out a way to incorporate moderate levels of junk food into their diet. See there is a place in the sun for everyone after all.

You have to wonder how effective this campaign will be. A pamphlet on a countertop next to coupons for Great Adventure is not going to sweep the nation with a desire to order their chicken sandwiches without the mayo. This method of advertising healthy alternatives to the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese assumes that people will be lingering around the counters over the garbage bins. How many people actually walk into the McDonald's? The drivethru is so convenient and easy that we put them everywhere now. They have them at the pharmacies and the ATM machines. If you want real changes you need to put the information where the people can see it. Or change the menu. McDonald's has decided to do just that. They are now offering adult Happy Meals called Go Meals that will include salad, bottled water and a pedometer. A pedometer that you can get at a drive thru? How will that come in handy? If I am in a car it is safe to assume that I have an aversion to walking or else I would have parked and actually entered the building instead of waiting in the drive thru line for fifteen minutes. That doesn't seems very logical. What happens if you get a Go Meal everyday? How many pedometers does one person really need? I don't think adults need to get prizes but if they do they should change the prizes frequently like they do with the kids' Happy Meals and there should be a variety of prizes. Maybe McDonald's could offer a yoga mat or resistance bands. Maybe they could give those tai chi weight balls or a CD of music that you can really move to. Or maybe more food! Salad and water is great, but if you are trying to appeal to people that came with a Double Quarter Pounder in mind, you're going to have to give us more food.

Sadly, McDonald's giveth and McDonald's taketh away. Say goodbye to super sizing your drinks and fries. McDonald's is pulling out all the stops to appeal to health conscious people after spending so many years appealing to poor people. Great timing since the economy is doing so well! Extra Value meals and Dollar menus have gotten the financially challenged like myself through a few rough spots. We always knew that fast food was bad for us but now we have to choose between our healthy appetites and tight wallets and healthy food and tight wallets. If you are going to offer alternatives like the yogurt fruit parfait and the upcoming alternative for kids of apple slices and caramel sauce instead of fries in a Happy Meal, then you are going to have to appeal to our wallets as well. There is a reason those dollar menus and super sizing was so popular. We are a nation with a whole lot of poor people. I don't want to spend my hard earned dollars on lunch for myself and be hungry a half an hour later. We are a nation of consumers and McDonald's may try to jump start a physical fitness movement but it will never work if we feel like we are being gypped. I wonder if this is a ploy to get people to order more. More salads, more yogurts, more anything to make us feel full. It takes more now that we are used to Bic Macs and the seasonal McRib sandwich. If it doesn't no one is going to order the Go Meal and McDonald's can sit back and say, "Well folks, we tried but you're just a bunch of gluttons!" Brilliant public relations move by a multinational corporation. It's the same technique that the Bush Administration is using in Iraq. When the handover to the Iraqi people fails, we can go back in and tell the world, "Sorry folks, but they just aren't capable of governing themselves!"

As consumers and citizens the ultimate responsibility of our own well being lies with us. Putting a label on a carton of cigarettes doesn't deter a smoker from smoking and it doesn't make the cigarette companies socially responsible corporations. McDonald's doesn't get any humanitarian awards for repackaging a salad and offering apple slices. We wouldn't stop arresting drug dealers or give them the ability to call themselves a nonprofit organization if they started an anti-drug campaign in elementary schools would we?

There is a really great article on Commondreams.org that discusses the President's press conference in a realistic way without all of the emotion of liberals v.s. the CCC (Christian Capitalist Crusaders) of which W. is their big-haired, smirking, deer-caught-in-headlights, posterboy. I think everyone should check it out : A Scary Performance and A Signal for Slaughter

I, of course, watched the press conference and screamed angry retorts at the television while my neighbors probably cursed the day I moved in. What I think was one of the most important facts to come out of the press conference was the fact that mercenary forces, or "private security contractors," are the third largest forces outside of the US and Britain in Iraq. That makes it seem like less of a coalition, doesn't it? The coalition is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Japan, Italy, Russia, Spain, The Philippines, Korea-they don't want to be there. They want to pull out but now they can't because of all the hostages that are being taken. Now they can't pull out because they will look weak and they can't have let terrorists dictate to them and blah blah blah.

I understand it. I just wish the rest of the world would be more vocal in their opposition to the way the occupation is being handled. As W. put it last night in his press conference, "I wouldn't want to be occupied either!" With his trademark smirk and the stunned silence of the journalists because as we all noticed, there was no red brick wall behind him, this was not The Improv, and he was not Jerry Seinfeld. I think the entire press conference was a joke. It was obvious that W. had a selected list of reporters he could ask questions from. They asked him relatively neutral questions except for the last reporter who basically asked him if he failed at communicating to the American people or in other words, do you think you are a fucking moron and don't know how to speak English? W. appeared to me to get angry at this and then proceeded to contradict himself and not answer the question. I wonder if Cheney was in a room somewhere with a technician waiting to defibrillate and jump start his pacemaker as soon as W. started to mention "The Almighty."

He also said there were people in the world that didn't believe that "brown people" could accept democracy and he didn't believe that was right. Um, W. those are your people. In the same evening he proceeded to knock the "false ideology" of the fighters in Iraq. Would that be the nationalism they are exhibiting or Islam? It is incredibly frustrating to have a president for my country that confirms to the world that he should be running the relay race in the Special Olympics. He couldn't even name one thing, ONE THING, that he did wrong in his presidency. The Center for American Progress has a poll where you can vote to help President Bush decide what his biggest mistake was.
President Bush Needs Your Help

Also, Human Rights Watch is actually performing an investigation into the amount of force being used in Fallujah with all of the Iraqi civilians killed this week, and since most reports state that it was women, children and the elderly being killed, there was probably a lot of excessive violence used. Good for Human Rights Watch! They will of course face heavy opposition from our government but I hope it doesn't deter them from this incredibly important task. This government is all about accountability, as we have seen.

Under each of my postings is a space where you can provide comments or you can e-mail me at Scarlet Pimp.

Someone submitted a comment:
"I would just like to say- that I applaud you voicing your opinion- however, it would be better if you were to educate yourself further on the topics in which you speak of. Depending on a radio show which is in many ways a biased one is not the way in which you should form opinions. I myself am an independent who tends to vote for democrats. So please don't get the impression I have an agenda- I don't. Just don't depend on one side of the spectrum to inform you-- look at both and use your OWN mind."

First, thank you very much for leaving a comment. I love the feedback whether it is positive or negative. I do have to say that I am educating myself before I speak and I do take in as many sources as I can. I will read many versions of a story before I comment about it. If I happen to quote Air America, that doesn't mean they are my only source of information. I do listen to them frequently, as I have written, because I find that they confirm what I have already discovered for myself. Are they biased? Of course. They have a specific agenda and that is to get W. out of office. However, I happen to agree with that agenda!

I have actually watched The O'Reilly Factor, Hannity and Colmes, and other shows that portray the views of "the right" and I find that not a lot of it is based in fact. It is based in opinion without allowing for the opportunity for the token guest from "the left" to have a chance at rebuttal. On Air America, only on the O'Franken Factor have they given someone from the right a chance to back up some of the information that is discussed on conservative shows like Rush Limbaugh's show. That can be a problem and I do feel there should be more of a forum where all views can come together to discuss issues in a civilized and respectful way. Maybe that is too much to ask for from either side.

At all times I am using my OWN mind, (Your use of capitals, not mine) even if it might not seem that way because at the moment there are a lot of people voicing the same anti-bush, anti-war statement. That is significant in an era where freedom of speech is such an issue. I appreciate your encouragement of my voicing my opinion and I encourage you to keep doing the same.

Also, come see this scary Family Tree!

Are Bush and Kerry Cousins?

L. Paul Bremer, the Administrator to Iraq shut down the al-Hawza, the newspaper run by al-Sadr's movement, for "false articles" that "incited violence." Why are we not shutting down the National Inquirer (or the New York Times) for false articles that incite stupidity?

That is just one thing that is going through my head on this rainy, Tuesday afternoon. I am tired of the war. Not as tired as the soldiers in Iraq who are forced to stay there when they should be returning to their families on leave, but I am tired of pro- and anti-war rhetoric. I am tired of the whole damn thing. Whether this war is officially over or not in the eyes of W., we need to accept where we are and move towards finding a solution to get this country and Iraq on the right track.

I think we can all say that no matter what the outcome is from the 9/11 commission, we as a nation will not be able to gain credibility unless we elect a new president. If we do not, then we have affirmed what every other country on this planet thinks of us, primarily that we are all like W., and we do not care about anything but feeding our growing consumerist/capitalist machine. That would probably be the first step in making progress. The other day I was listening to Air America (what else is new!) and they played an interview with Sen. John McCain in which he said definitely after the election there will be call for more money towards the war (bigger deficit) and they would also DEFINITELY have to expand the military. DRAFT!

Of course they would have to draft because no one is going to sign up for the military now unless they have a death wish or serious psychological problems, and honestly, do we really want crazy people defending us? Those people deserve positions in government, not on the front lines! I kid. How many young men have stopped filling out financial aid papers? You can't get financial aid unless you register for a potential draft. I had a friend who paid in cash, his mom could afford it, because he didn't want to have to be caught out there, having to go to war when he was a lover, not a fighter. At the time I said, After Vietnam they will NEVER draft again, but never say never, right?

Instead of arguing about the war, whether we should pull out or not, we have no choice but to stay. What we need to do is thinking about how we can fix all of the horrible damage we have done, especially in Fallujah, where innocent people were killed - about 600 to be exact, mostly women, children and the elderly- in response to the deaths of 4 security contractors, otherwise known as mercenaries. I guess we showed them, huh?

We need to figure out a way to put down the weapons and they won't do it first. You know why? Because they have nothing left to lose and a strong belief in a heavenly afterlife. 72 virgins ain't so bad for a millisecond with a bomb or bullet when you have nothing left to live for! It's hard for the knuckleheads in Washington to realize this, because they have such a low opinion of non-white people, but their nationalism is just as strong as ours. Would it be so bad if we called a truce and said you know what Iraq? We are sorry we fucked this up so bad. We want to make it up to you. Lets start over, this time, you tell us what you want and we will follow your lead. After all, this is your country. And you are intelligent, educated people, regardless of what the media images have portrayed and how our government calls you THUGS. If they only knew the origin of the word-in India, thank you history channel- for a band of thieves, rapists, and pillagers, they would see how it applies to what they have done to your country.

Like I said, I am tired of all of the talk. Now is the time for planning and our first goal should be to get W. and his posse out of office. I hope John Kerry has a good plan for what to do next, since he has become our posterboy for progressive change. I haven't heard it yet. I can only hope it doesn't include the words, draft, deficit and higher mortality rate.

I am listening to Air America, it has become an addiction for me, I must confess, and the show is Unfiltered with Chuck D. (who doesn't talk as much as I would like him to) and two other ladies. They brought up a good point about W. and all of the vacation days he has taken since being in office. First they show how Roosevelt had polio and was receiving treatments and being sickly and in 12 years he was absent about 150 days. W. has been out 150 and his 4 year term is not even up. They also said that we pay his salary, so imagine you owned a business and hired an employee and they were absent forty percent of the year. That is insane! This truly is bizarro world. Our tax dollars don't wield the power that they should. In this country you can be a gay or lesbian person and pay your taxes like a good little citizen and your government can decide on your dime that you will be discriminated against and they are even going to go one step farther and write it into the constitution, a document that states "all men are created equal." In my mind I imagine W. sneaking up to the constitution, removing the glass that protects it, and writing "except for fags and dykes" in red crayon. Then giggling wildly as he speeds off in his fully customized golf cart, with a rifle over one shoulder and Laura smiling adoringly at her man.

I saw a really great documentary this weekend called "An Injury to One" on the Sundance Channel, for those of you with cable, and it was so very much worth the 45 minutes I took to watch it. Here's a link to a description of the movie, An Injury to One. The film shows how large companies like the Anaconda Mining Company in the WWI-era were horribly repressive to their workers, engaged in war profiteering, and called for the lynching of Frank Little, a unionizer. What really grabbed me was the fact that this company owned the police, owned the newspapers so, as the film stated, the only news we have available is company news, and they were able to change the laws in Montana, and then THE NATION, that if you strike during a time of war, you can be charged with espionage and deported or put in jail for lengthy sentences. The film also traces how this event gave roots to the McCarthy era.

I have stated before, I am young, possibly naive to an extent, and I believed whole heartedly in all of the flag waving, America the Beautiful stuff that they teach in school. So when I learn about our countries sordid history of violence and disgraceful acts against humanity, its like finding out there is no Santa Clause and Tooth Fairy all over again. If this country has a history of giving in to large corporations and stepping on the little guy, is it really so hard to see the Tyco trials and Enron crap displayed on television? Are we really that surprised to see all of the pollution in this world caused by corporate pollution? Not really.

Oh yeah, the Easter Bunny is dead too.

Dear Joe:

I want to thank you for taking the time to read my blog and to write me with your opinions. I love to get feedback, positive or negative, because either way it reinforces my beliefs. You wrote me:

"GREAT writing but kind of "Trite" as if there is anything YOU can really do about the "War"
We tried in the Sixties and Seventies with Vietnam and you know what? Whatever you do it will end when those in power WANT IT TO END, other than that youd proberbly get more attention writing about J-LOS Butt or the fact that NYC subways arent carpeted.
Sorry.
"Pigs return to thier own vomit to feast"..... me
Joseph

I understand that there are several (okay, thousands of people) that are rallying others to do something to end the war, so to you my writing is "trite." You are entitled to that opinion. But I have to disagree with you on your statement that there is nothing that I can actually do about the war as an individual because there are those that are in power and they alone hold all the cards. No. There are many examples of individuals taking on huge governments and making social change. In this country alone there was the suffragist movement where women took on the great President Woodrow Wilson (pre-manifest destiny delirium) in a time of war, much to the horror of the nation, and they stood their ground until women were granted the right to vote. Martin Luther King, Jr., I think we are all familiar with the work he did for civil rights. Ghandi took on the British empire for India. Here were individuals that made a difference through peaceful methods. I believe it can happen again.

Secondly, you say that the Vietnam War is proof that those in power will decide when this war is over. There are inherent differences in The Vietnam War and this war, Operation: Resistance is Futile, or whatever it is called. This war was created on lies, lies, lies, on the greed of a select few without care to the men and women they are sending off like lambs to slaughter, and this war is moving much faster than the Vietnam War. It took years for civilians to start carrying guns to the market place and fighting against US occupation in Vietnam. In Iraq, it has only taken one year. One year for a whole country with their own civil unrest between sunnis and shiites to turn against us! The protests during the Vietnam War was also very much anti-soldier, with vets coming home and being spit upon in the streets. This time around we have learned from past mistakes. We support our troops and are fighting domestically to bring them home rather than scorn them for being drafted into a senseless war. ( I know we have not begun to officially draft soldiers, but give me a break, if you are in the National Guard to make money for college and they send you to Iraq and then they won't let you come home by extending your tour of duty, then you have been drafted!) As a country, I believe we have learned from the casualties and the economic waste of Vietnam and that's what makes it so much more possible for us to change events now. We have a more realistic interpretation of what war is and since the Nixon impeachment and the Clinton madness, we can understand the fallibility of our nations leaders, another reason why the protesting against Vietnam was not as successful. People were not ready and able to think that their leaders had made such a huge, costly error and so many of our nations youth were dying without purpose. We were a much more innocent country. The protests of the sixties and seventies enabled people to question their government and to use their voice in a cry for social justice. That has left its mark on our society, despite any doubts that our current national apathy might invoke.

Finally, I think that if I were to write about J-Lo's butt THAT would be trite. We as a nation have had every outlet oversaturated with meaningless gossip in an effort to distract us from the problems of our nation in a well played game of three card monty. Don't think of the economy, think of the hunt for Osama. Don't think of Osama think of Iraq, Don't think of Iraq think of the break up of Bennifer. I have stated before, thinking critically is not encouraged here in America. The focus on Jennifer Lopez's life is. I could maybe "get more attention" talking about her but I would just be adding to the meaningless noise in everyone's head that distracts them from more important issues. What's the point of that? As much as there might be a growth in anti-war rhetoric, it never will get old until changes are made. I believe wholeheartedly that an individual can make a difference. Especially now in this political climate when action is so critical.

Feel free to write me again, I appreciate it!

For other readers, you can also leave comments below this posting.

I watched Oprah yesterday. I had heard that she was having a tour of a veteran's hospital to visit soldiers that have come back from the war. My heart quickened. If Oprah jumped on the anti-war bandwagon, soon America would follow and then there would be a way out of this war!

I was wrong of course. Yes, Oprah did have a tour of the veteran's hospital in San Antonio, Texas and there was the parade of injured soldiers that were happy to have given their arms and legs and to have partially burned alive for their country. She asked them over and over would they do it again and they said they would. I appreciate her dedicating a show to the sacrifice that these soldiers made and they should be honored. Its not me over their risking my neck. I am sitting here in the relative safety of my living room, blogging about what I think is wrong with the world and the appropriate changes that I feel should be made. However, this show glorified the violence, the war heroes and their selfless sacrifice, and they would do it all over again to protect our freedom! Yay!!!

But No! There was no mention of the fact that this war was NOT FOR OUR FREEDOM! Ask them a question, a deep question, about how they would feel if they were losing their limbs for a war that was lining the pockets of a select few. Ask the widow how she would feel losing her husband and if they would do that all over again knowing that. There was only one soldier, I believe her name was Jenny, who told in detail how crappy her life is now. She was also featured in a New York Times Magazine article some months back and I really think that the article in the NYTM was a way more realistic view of what these soldiers are going through. Its not enough to ask a soldier how they are adjusting. Its forcing America to see just how hard it is for them to live their lives post-war. Do we really want these men and women that we can see are brave and love our country so much to have to go through this? Yes we know they will be tough while Oprah is there and it will be really fucking inspirational. But that makes it seem like war is okay because they are okay to participate in it. Well its not.

I tried to step outside myself and think what a housewife in Idaho would think after watching this episode. All I can take away from it is that these soldiers are brave and if they would do it all over again then that means we are there for a reason, and that reason is to fight for America's freedom. I think Oprah had a chance to do a world of good and she fumbled and instead, sent the wrong message. I am not surprised, she had President Bush on her show when he was first campaigning for office and she made him look witty and like a good country boy. I understand that she is not a liberal talkshow, her purpose is to provide some fluff to our lives. If you are only going to do fluff stories, stick to them. Stick to Wynonna Judd's weight problem and the alcohol addiction of a backstreet boy. Don't do a half-assed job of interviewing presidential candidates and reporting on soldiers lives post-war.

She has the ear of the nation's women and she could be doing so much more than she is doing. It saddens me because she has done a lot to make women aware of their own needs, to take control of their lives and to be more conscientious people. She has created the Angel Network which raises millions and although I don't know what the actual numbers are, I think they have helped to put many children through college. She created the Oprah book club which got the housewives reading something other than Good Housekeeping, and then asked them to think critically about what they've read, which is wonderful in a country that has encouraged the suppression of critical thought even if all of the books she picks are thematically the same.

That's not enough. We are at war. We have a corrupt government. What is she doing about that with the incredible power of resources she has at her disposal? If you are going to show the atrocities of war, don't try to put a positive spin on it, Oprah. You are doing more harm than good. Show how horrible it is without the patriotic music playing in the background. Give the background information on the war, put it into the true context because a lot of your viewers don't have the opportunity to become informed by alternative sources of media. Don't take the safe road because, let's face it, you can afford a little controversy. You won't be standing on the bread line anytime soon. If you keep silent about the truth for much longer, the rest of the nation will be.

It's really funny how my government has shut down the Al Hawza press in Iraq, throwing the country into more chaos, because they believed that they were writing lies that would incite violence. Now, give me a break. I can't stand the way Rumsfeld stood in front of the press and said something like, "you don't understand, these people are willing to lie to the press to get what they want!" With a straight face, too! I actually tried to find that quote so I could link it to my blog and it has mysteriously disappeared. Ho hum.

This is coming from a government that this weekend alone has released information that they were investigating the former president of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide and his wife for possible drug connections. They have no proof!!! But they are informing us that they are investigating him because we all know that the mere IDEA that he MIGHT be connected to drug dealers is enough to pull his name through the mud.

This is also coming from a government that lied to the ENTIRE WORLD about weapons of mass destruction so that they could start a war. How's that for inciting violence! It is showing the world also that we believe in freedom of speech as long as the right-wings agree with it. Welcome to our hell, Iraq. See we are treating you like Americans! You have high unemployment, so do we! You have a lack of viable social programs, so do we! You have violence in the streets and people dying, starving, and miserable, so do we! You have your newspapers shut down because you are anti-American, we have our protesters arrested and considered terrorists when we are anti-war! So much in common, we should get together and discuss this. We have a mutual problem and that is...drum roll please...:
The Bush Administration! I never think violence is an answer, I think its pretty uncreative and at this point in human evolution we should probably understand by now that if you stick your hand in fire it fucking burns. In this country we have been put to sleep, given a substandard education and kept numb by this overwhelming consumerism and standard of living that makes it harder for us to organize, to think critically, to rise up. I guess we are at the point where we are fearful of losing everything as we lose everything. In Iraq, they have nothing left to lose and we have given them nothing to have faith in. We have plunged them into chaos and ignored them as they try to tell us what they need. Then we shut down their voice, their press, after being repressed by Sadam's rule and not having a voice or an outlet to tell the truth as they feel and know it, we come in with our flag and our "land of the free, home of the brave" propaganda and we take their voice away again! Good job! If they weren't ready to go on deadly riots we did a good job of motivating them.

I am torn between where I should focus my energy. I am incensed at the war in Iraq and at the same time I realize that here in America we need people to fight to take our country back and restore it's dignity. Help me with this dilemma! I would love to hear from all of you and see where it is you are focusing your energy. If you have questions, comments, or thoughts than feel free to write me at thescarletpaper@hotmail.com. I will post them here and respond to them.

This is a letter that I wrote to Lyn Brown, an anchor on Good Day New York, a morning show here in New York that is similar to the Today Show or Good Morning America.


Dear Lyn Brown:

I am writing to you because there was no e-mail address for Ernabel Demillo on the Good Day New York website. This morning during the broadcast, Ernabel referred to the people that killed the contractors in Fallujah as "the barbarians." Now, I know that the show is scripted and I don't hold anything against any anchor person for doing her job. I do feel that referring to the Iraqi people as "the barbarians" is racist and irresponsible of Good Day New York.

I would like to express how much I enjoyed watching this show in the morning. The chemistry between everyone is infectious and I start my day off with a smile. Unfortunately I feel so offended, I don't think I will be able to watch the show anymore.

To say the words, "the barbarians" invokes the same sentiment that the European colonizers believed about the Native Americans. It means that the Iraqi people are not civilized, they are less than, and they are "the other" in the way expressed by Albert Memmi and Edward Said in their numerous works. Given the unraveling events surrounding our invasion of Iraq, I think that oppressive commentary on an oppressed people should be left out of the dissemination of world news. If these Iraqi people are not as civilized and human as we are, then their lives are not as valuable as Americans. It makes it that much easier for us to take revenge and not try to understand the social and political circumstances that welcomed this atrocity. It is irresponsible of the media to promote hatred and racism, however subtle it might be. Instead of calling the Iraqi people names, why don't we discuss the truth about what is going on in that country? Where is the outrage at the deaths of Iraqi civilians? There is none because apparently to the world of Fox News these "barbarians" are just sand savages. Good Day New York should focus more on spreading tolerance and to have a little bit of cultural sensitivity. What we consider to be civilized may not be in the eyes of the rest of the world. The Native Americans practiced guerilla warfare too, and look how sympathetic history looks upon them now. I would like to state that I am in no way in support of violence or warfare of any kind. What happened to those men was a nightmare and my hear goes out to their family. I would hate for their deaths to be used as fuel for the fire of hatred, racism, and war.

As an anchorperson, maybe it would be wise to censor the writers of the show and refuse to say things that are inflammatory and offensive. I am sure that you and the rest of the talent on the show have a strong ethical foundation. You do seem like decent people and would understand my perspective.

In conclusion, I am greatly disappointed in Good Day New York. I am aware that dealing with viewer complaints is not part of your job, but I am hoping that you will forward this to the appropriate person.

***************************************************************

Yesterday I wrote that the U.S. was not listening to the Iraqi people to see what they wanted to do with their country. Here is a great essay that is on Commondreams.org and is printed in The Nation regarding this point. Let's Make Enemies: Paul Bremer has Unveiled a Slew of Tricks That Allow the US to Hold on to Power in Iraq After June 30.
It has a lot of interesting points that I alluded to yesterday, but most importantly it shows that the pro-US Iraqi's are disappointed in the United States and heart broken over the world we have plunged them into after they cheered in the streets upon our arrival. Remember how happy they were when we arrived last year? It's time to ask ourselves why there was such a complete turn around in their feelings towards Americans.

It also shows that the person doing the crappy job is Paul Bremer. If there is anyone who is responsible for the deaths of the 4 security contractors it is that man. He has failed to do an adequate job of securing the country and providing a viable means of restoring order to society after the fall of the Hussein-orship. In addition, he has made economic gain of foreign corporations his priority instead of the safety of the people he was assigned to protect and care for. He created a desperation in Iraq and desperation lead to a lynch mob.

[In a small side note, yesterday I wrote how Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said troops didn't respond for fear of ambushes and the possibility that insurgents would use civilians as human shields. "A pre-emptive attack into the city could have taken a bad situation and made it even worse," he said. Before we come down on the Iraqi police for not stopping the mutilation and burning of the corpses, lets remember that the US Marines were outside the city and did nothing also. They were afraid just like the Iraqi police. Also, I have one question for the public, is it really considered a "pre-emptive attack" if you are responding to an assault on civilians? Isn't that considered a defensive action?]

In this brilliant article, Naomi Klein also explains how the US occupation is going to be a never ending process due to a loophole in a UN Security Council Resolution and how "the Iraqis can deal with their decrepit hospitals all by themselves, complete with their chronic drug shortages and lack of the most basic sanitation capacity. (US Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson revealed just how low a priority this was when he commented that Iraq's hospitals would be fixed if the Iraqis "just washed their hands and cleaned the crap off the walls.")" Please check out this article, it is worth the five minutes it will take for you to read.

I resist feeling like things are becoming hopeless and we are all just bricks in a wall. I know by reading this you will discuss it with people, you will spread your outrage and that outrage will turn into action. It's a long, painful process but it can be fixed if we just wash our hands and clean the crap off the walls.

Bremer: Iraq Deaths Won't Go Unpunished

You know what is really sad? I was thinking about the contractors that were killed in Fallujah, partly because it was a hot topic of discussion on the news and internet, and partly because the idea of the violent mob that killed these people kept rotating in my head. I actually started to think that maybe our government was behind the murders. If American sentiment, which has been turning against the war, were to be solidified in a hateful mode, then they could gain control back of the spin. Yes, we are all angry and horrified to see these burned and dismembered bodies being kicked around and the cheering of young men for the cameras, but what are we going to do about it? We have to stay in Iraq and end their lawlessness that's what! Long Live America and Democracy! Yeeehaaa! In reality, I think people are sickened at the thought of what is going on in Iraq and just want to be done with the whole mess. It's sad that I would think something like that of my government, because we finance Coups all the time (Haiti!) and we have by far proven that we have no problem being the voice at the back of the lynch mob saying "Let's get those Mother Fuckers!" I love my country and I feel horribly betrayed that the dream of democracy and the belief that all should have the pursuit of happiness has been stolen from me, if it was ever really there. I want to restore the idea of what America is, what we say we are, not the bullshit that we do when the lights go out. The Bush Administration has tarnished our image, America used to mean something-the land of the free and the home of the brave- but we are not free in this country. The Christian Capitalist Crusaders have taken away our freedom with the Patriot Act, the FCC tells us what we can say and do in a public forum, and we are heading towards a course of action that would amend our Constitution so that Homosexuals (tax paying citizens) would have less rights than the rest of the population. Have we all gone mad?

It is my belief that what happened in Fallujah has to be understood before we react. This is something that the Bush people have neglected to do. By keeping America outraged (lets color code our outrage like we do our security alerts, right now I am at fuschia, yesterday I was at chartreuse) the Iraqi people will always be the "other." Its us against them, you are with us or against us. We are dividing, not uniting people! This racism is radiating from the Iraqi Administrators comments:

Iraq's administrator, L. Paul Bremer, condemned the killings as well as the combat deaths of five American soldiers on the same day, and said "their deaths will not go unpunished."

"Yesterday's events in Fallujah are dramatic examples of the ongoing struggle between human dignity and barbarism," Bremer said at a ceremony for police cadets in Baghdad. "The acts we have seen were despicable and inexcusable. ... They violate the tenets of all religions, including Islam."

First let me just say, Bremer, when did you become an expert on Islam? This statement is dripping with the oppressiveness of a colonizer. We will punish, they are despicable and inexcusable. My favorite is his statement that they were "dramatic examples of the ongoing struggle [of the Iraqi people? Of Middle Eastern people? Who are you talking about?] between human dignity and barbarism." Does that make these people less than human? Why not just call them Sand Savages? This reminds me of the sentiment that the Europeans had about the Native Americans when they were being colonized. The Native Americans used guerilla warfare which we thought lacked "human dignity." The European style of fighting was to stand in a line across from each other and shoot. The team with the most alive people wins. Yippee! Do you see the same similarities here? Let me make myself clear, I am not in any way saying that these murders were justified. Violence very rarely is. What we need to ask ourselves is: How can we try to understand the Iraqi people in order to help them if we don't quite see them as human? If we seem them as teetering on the edge of human and barbaric?

Instead of bringing the wrath of god on an entire city, lets try and understand why this happened. What circumstances brought about this level of violence? Why do these people hate us so much? Why did the police do nothing? Instead of telling them what they should be doing with their country, shouldn't we ask them what they would like? Maybe their version of democracy is different from ours. Considering that our country is largely based on Christian ideology, for example, our federal holidays revolve around the Christian calendar and at Bush's inaugeration it was stated bluntly that Jesus was the one true God of the USA. Not only is their belief system is different from ours, but the history of their country and the way their society has developed is also different from ours. How can we presume that we know what is best for them? Maybe they just want an end to the chaos that we plunged them into. People are rioting because they want work, water, food, and an end to violence. War hasn't worked so far, lets try the democratic behavior of diplomacy. Lets not allow these contractors to have died in vain. Lets make it so that this was the act that opened up our eyes and changed our point of view.

Lastly, remember when pre-emptive military action wasin style? Not anymore! Put away those "Pre-emptive Strike Rules!" t-shirts and bumper stickers. Read this:

Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said troops didn't respond for fear of ambushes and the possibility that insurgents would use civilians as human shields. "A pre-emptive attack into the city could have taken a bad situation and made it even worse," he said.

Wow! Imagine the logic it took to figure that out! What modern thinking, too radical!