Al Gore's Assault Pile

Al reminds me of a man I've known for many years. Good-looking, intelligent, educated, manipulative, somewhat emotionless, artificial. Gore and my friend have similar mannerisms. Specifically, a look of consternation (or constipation), with a condescending tilt of the head and change in vocal pitch that silently says 'here, let me explain it to you stupid.'

My guy even sighs the way Gore continuously sighed through that one presidential debate, although I could understand Al's exasperated sigh having to deal with someone as stupid as GW, I could never understand why someone as camera savvy as Gore publicly performed that incessant loud sigh. I mean, didn't Gore remember anything from the historical Great Debate - when televised JFK looked like a winner and Nixon came off like a shifty-eyed front porch dog.

In 2000 not only did I hold my nose and vote Gore I had to close my ears.

In this excerpt from Assault On Reason, Gore's latest addition to the hobby club of has-beens who write, Al seems to think a change in political/social discourse only began recently.

GORE: "At first I thought the exhaustive, nonstop coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial was just an unfortunate excess—an unwelcome departure from the normal good sense and judgment of our television news media. Now we know that it was merely an early example of a new pattern of serial obsessions that periodically take over the airwaves for weeks at a time: the Michael Jackson trial and the Robert Blake trial, the Laci Peterson tragedy and the Chandra Levy tragedy, Britney and KFed, Lindsay and Paris and Nicole."

"…. unwelcome departure from the normal good sense and judgment of our television news media." Oh my, hahahahaha. For those who think Gore is stale and dry – you see - he can be funny outside of SNL.

As Peg Bundy would say – Oh Al. Americans have always obsessed on whatever the media feeds them. From Jackie O. to the Manson family to Patty Hearst to the murder of Kitty Genovese to who shot JR. From Madonna wearing her underwear as outerwear and little drunk doper Drew Barrymore, Beevis and Butthead. From Jeffrey Dahmer to Clinton's blowjob.

This would be the same good sense media that for weeks controlled the airwaves in November 1963 and fed the public the lone nut gunman interspersed with scenes of horse and caisson and John-John's salute. The same news media that remake criminals and creeps like Nixon, Kissinger, Reagan, Bush Sr. into authors, statesmen, and good guys. That good sense and judgment media?

But Al "Occidental" Gore writes not for me. He writes for what I used to be. He writes for those folks who relate to each paragraph with a "Yes, right, yes, that's the way I think, see, believe." I remember when I used to do that with certain political writers. Many still write today, writing basically what they wrote years ago with nothing changed other than the title and current political badguy. What a waste of trees.

But I realize these authors are writing for the younger crowd, the political larvae and pupae. Not writing for grayer heads who can smell an unctuous political pile of it and step over.

A Di$ease of Poverty

Bu$h Reque$t$ $30 Billion to Fight AID$

WA$HINGTON, May 30 — Pre$ident Bu$h called Wedne$day for Congre$$ to $pend $30 billion to fight global AID$ over the next five year$, a near doubling of financing that i$ part of a White Hou$e effort to burni$h Mr. Bu$h’$ humanitarian credential$ before he meet$ leader$ of the Group of 8 indu$trialized nation$ next week.

The initiative, if approved, would build on a program that grew out of the pre$ident’$ 2003 $tate of the Union addre$$, when he a$ked for $15 billion over five year$ for prevention, treatment and care of AID$ patient$ in developing countrie$. Congre$$ approved more than $18 billion, but the program i$ $et to expire next year.

Mr. Bu$h’$ announcement, delivered in the White Hou$e Ro$e Garden, add$ to what ha$ become an unexpectedly high priority for the White Hou$e. AID$ wa$ not a $ignature I$$ue for Mr. Bu$h when he ran for office in 2000. But it ha$ become one in part becau$e the Chri$tian con$ervative$ who make up hi$ political ba$e have embraced it, and in part becau$e Mr. Bu$h want$ to build a legacy for the United $tate$ and a more compa$$ionate image abroad to counter international critici$m of American policie$ in the wake of the $ept. 11, 2001, attack$.

----Hmm. Image, America's "image." Needs expensive airbrushing to impress G8.

Developed nations donate billions of dollars to Africa in HIV/AIDS funding, mainly to pay for life-prolonging drugs and education campaigns. But, the AIDS aid is funneled through thousands of complex Anglo agencies and NGOs before finally trickling into Africa's national healthcare systems which are broken and fail dismally. Not much $ reaches the people who need it most, since billions have been raised for decades and still Africa's HIV/AID$ epidemic grows, if one believes the experts who make their living off the "epidemic".

If the Christian conservative$ are hugging this initiative there's a whole lot of faithful lining up at the trough to administer funds in the global war on AID$.

Wonder how they divide 30 billion 8 ways minus the price of bureaucracy. Oh, I got it. The rich get richer and the poor get AIDS.

Crack Down Hugo

CARACAS (Reuters) - Hours after President Hugo Chavez shut down Venezuela's main opposition broadcaster, his government demanded an investigation of news network Globovision on Monday for allegedly inciting an assassination attempt on the leftist leader.

Seizing on the momentum of RCTV's closure, Communications Minister Willian Lara presented a case to the state prosecutor's office saying experts hired by the ministry had found that opposition broadcaster Globovision was inciting assassination attempts on Chavez.

As evidence, he cited Globovision showing footage of an assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II in 1981 accompanied by the song "This Does Not Stop Here," sung by Ruben Blades, now Panama's minister of tourism.

"The conclusion of the specialists ... is that (in this segment) they are inciting the assassination of the president of Venezuela," Lara told reporters at the prosecutor's office.

----Yep, the people of Venezuela love their leader, well …'ceptin the squeezed out middle class and those 18,000 oil workers Hugo fired … I couldn't find Ruben's song but here's one for El Presidente, non-inciting, I think.

Abba-Fernando

Summer of Peace Tour

Every time I read something of Cindy Sheehan I think of Lila Lipscomb. Of the two women to lead the "peace movement" my choice would have been Lila. I tend to believe the selection of Cindy was because Lila had a mind of her own -"We have to go into Senate meetings and make ourselves seen and heard. We have to go to the House meetings. We have to go to the City Council meetings…."

Lila is a working class woman in an interracial marriage, seemingly genuine, strong of voice; a potential leader. Cindy, formerly a suburban housewife living the typical white life, with a whiny voice, fit the face of a phony anti-war movement much better. Now gadding about malls of the world rather than the California mall, Sheehan was/is malleable, where Lipscomb very possibly might not have been.

I usually don't bother to read Sheehan's articles anymore but read this one from Buzzflash: Friends don't help friends commit war crimes. Full of cliches, memes, talking points, bumper sticker slogans … and the usual prattle from the white "left" that the current white "right" is "lying."

Sheehan: "Exploiting phony intelligence and playing the farcical politics of fear worked for the neo-cons before, but we must not allow it to work again. Why should the world believe anything that comes out of the mouths of the lying BushCo? The only reason would be for profit –"

Excuse me hon, but that's the way your white ruling class has always operated. Fear and lying.

And when in the hell has the USA ever had "moral standing" in the world except in the minds of white people and the history books they wrote?

Like a game show with high stakes – lying for profit – winners take all. These days the white ruling class doesn't openly order the distribution of infected blankets or meet up at the public auction block or slaughter the natives who won't accept Jesus as their savior, and sundry other profit levers. These days, methods to profit are decided in groves and summits and fancy euro cities or pretty places like Aspen.

Yessiree, the ruling class is so slick now they present folks like Cindy Lemmings and Bill Orally as the "opposition" to something. Or high profile jokesters Rosie O' and Annie Coulter a.k.a. the "system's been very very good to us" rude, loud mouth girls for extremists on both sides.

A ruling class so slick they maneuver embedded long-term pols like Ron Paul and Dennis K. into the public arena to be heard as the "voice of the people." I guess that would be "the grit and grind people" - a rule of grit your teeth and bear it libertarianism or grind your teeth and bear it socialism.

But shuckandshit, a few well-placed talking figureheads can convince most of the sheople most of the time they have a say-so in ruling class affairs – and all they have to do is listen, believe, repeat, donate, and follow the ruling class vetted opposition. Right over the cliff ….. screaming we shall overcooommme. Slick.

(Ruling class approved "opposition" safety figures for Black folks are Obama, Jesse, Sharpton, numerous leading Blacks, etc.)

Breakfast of Champions

What Congress Really Voted For: Benchmark #1: Privatizing Iraqi Oil for US Oil Companies.

AfterDowningStreet: This threat could not be clearer. If the Iraqi Parliament refuses to pass the privatization legislation, the US Congress will withhold US reconstruction funds promised to the Iraqis to rebuild what the United States has destroyed in Iraq. The privatization law, written by American oil company consultants hired by the Bush administration, would leave the control of only 17 of 80 known oil fields with the Iraq National Oil Company. The remainder (two-thirds) of known oil fields and all yet undiscovered oil fields would be up for grabs by the private oil companies of the world (but guess how many would go to the United States firms given to them by the compliant Iraqi government.)

…. Let me interject a wider clue here : It is not just US oil firms. Do folks not understand that global corporations, i.e. Lukoil, Royal Dutch/Shell Group, BP, TotalFinaElf, Exxon-Mobile, etc. is just one global elite octopussied mob of riffraff?

For instance, Exxon Mobile largest shareholders are : Barclays Global Investors, State Street Global Advisors, Vanguard Group, Fidelity Management and Research, Northern Trust Company, AllianceBernstein, Wellington Management Company, Capital Research & Management Company, JPMorgan Chase, BlackRock, Columbia Management Advisors, Mellon Financial, TIAA-CREF Investment Management, Goldman Sachs, Lord Abbett.

The above investment management firms mostly manage high net-worth clients, and get this – they aint all Amerikun investor clients. You got your Brits, your Irish, your Aussies, your Euros, your Russians, etc. etc.

Get a clue – this war for oil isn't just for firms in the United States. The US is little more than the muscle which protects the asses and assets of the global elite. In the grand scheme of things for Joe N. Amudhut, it makes no difference if it's a "State owned" corporation or a "private" corporation bending him over to pull out the profit.

If any of these "leftist/progressive" bigmouths were genuine they would illuminate for Joe Blow how to eat the current system for breakfast, instead of serving endless articles bitching about "US firms" getting the best contracts.

(Also author states: "No other nation in the Middle East has privatized its oil. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Iran give only limited usage contracts to international oil companies for one or two years." Not true. Gazprom 25 years in Iran, Lukoil similar contract with Saudi, and other long-term Saudi deals with Italy's Eni, Spain's Repsol, and China's state-owned Sinopec Group. And by the way, Saudi only nationalized their oil in 1975; isn't that about the time Joe USA was bent over the barrel?)

Wangin' the Doodle

Koko Taylor


Muddy Waters - Hoochie Coochie Man


Tracy Chapman and BB

Private Parts

Dennis Kucinich: Throughout this entire murderous enterprise, I have consistently challenged the war, challenged our right to be in Iraq, and challenged my own party about its commitment to peace. Many of the Democratic candidates for President say they are for peace but keep voting to fund the war in Iraq. They say they are for peace, but they vote for legislation which will privatize the oil of Iraq, thus insuring that there will be no peace. Why? Because the privatization of Iraqi oil will be rightly seen as one of the greatest acts of thievery of one nation against another.

…hmm, could the privatization of America's oil be seen as one of the greatest acts of thievery, by one social class against another?

The Iraqi people will get the Anglo-styled capitalist "democracy" - like the rest of us.

Scared White People with Hair Raised

Poll: One in Four U.S. Muslims OK With Homicide Bombings Against Innocent Civilians.

WASHINGTON — One in four younger U.S. Muslims said in a poll that homicide bombings to defend their religion are acceptable at least in some circumstances, though most Muslim Americans overwhelmingly reject the tactic and are critical of Islamic extremism and Al Qaeda.

While nearly 80 percent of U.S. Muslims say homicide bombings of civilians to defend Islam can not be justified, 13 percent say they can be, at least rarely.

That sentiment is strongest among those younger than 30. Two percent of them say it can often be justified, 13 percent say sometimes and 11 percent say rarely.

"It is a hair-raising number," said Radwan Masmoudi, president of the Washington-based Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy, which promotes the compatibility of Islam with democracy.

---Hey Antwon, sick of women clutching their purses tighter when you walk by? Hey Mohammed, tired of those silly airport screeners giving you the once over? Or just tired of white people? I scare white people, a t-shirt for the modern young "minority" man or woman.

Club Members

A couple or more excerpts from Peter Boyle/Green Left: This year’s proposed US spending on the Iraq war is larger than the military budgets of China and Russia combined. The combined spending requests would push the total for Iraq to US$564 billion, according to the non-partisan Congressional Research Service.

That sort of money could go a long way to addressing so many of the world’s most urgent problems. But war is a very profitable business for some very big and powerful corporations such as Halliburton, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Vinnell and Blackwater. It has been argued that rather than profiteering from war, these corporations are making war for profit. Many of them would not exist as we know them without war.

If you want to fight the system run by these corporate war criminals then help keep the Green Left Weekly project afloat. Since the last issue, Green Left Weekly supporters raised $2913 bringing the total raised for our fighting fund so far this year to $59,908. That’s 24% of our $250,000 target for this year.

Give us a call also if you would like to help distribute Green Left Weekly or if you want to help organise a mighty protest when Bush comes to Sydney in September this year.

----Yep that's a lot of wasted billions. And most Amurakins pay up – through taxes, through voting for prescreened and ruling class owned pols, by Joe Blow spending more than he earns, by being easily distracted with infotainment news; by Joe joining or supporting or identifying with small, harmless, nonconfrontational groups who proclaim to spread the truth - that US politics/policies are bad. Become a member and we'll keep telling you how bad it is.

But let me tell the "greenies" that not only Halliburton, Grumman, Blackwater "would not exist as we know them without war" but many, many others would not be in the counting house counting out their money. Without this war Hugo and Venezuela would not have all that oil profit to pump into programs; many of which by the way will not show returns on the investment, eventually keeping most Venezuelans in the same poverty, but ruled by the thugs of their choosing.

China's industries are also profiting from US warmongers (see the new seven sisters below). I suppose on the bright side Venezuela could be as successful with socialism as China is with communism – yeharr.

And do folks really believe the US, China or Russia are completely honest and open on military budget spending?

Perhaps we'd rather billions were spent right here at home as under previous administrations. Spent on the prison industry, the drug war, illiteracy, healthcare, job creation. Never mind that prisons cannot rehabilitate and are human warehouses, nevermind that half of America is high on street or prescription drugs, still dumb as dirt and under or unemployed. Give those funds to Wackenhut, DEA, NEA, Lockheed and Grumman still get theirs; give those funds to Medicaid millionaires - waste funds while wasting lives in a different manner; less bloody public.

Worst of all, aside from the lying blood suckery of the global elite warmongers, are the pseudo-solutionists, those altruistic groups to enlighten and lead. Those Orgs, in the one hand bringing stats and corporate names (available everywhere) and in the other hand seeking donations to cover the costs of "fight the system." I've only heard that bumper sticker for half a century.

But the pseudo-solutionists are damn near mighty as entertaining as watching Leroy Jenkins fight.

Dirty Girl

UK scientists suggest that a type of friendly bacteria found in soil may affect the brain in a similar way to antidepressants.

Researchers from Bristol University and University College London discovered using laboratory mice, that a "friendly" bacteria commonly found in soil activated brain cells to produce the brain chemical serotonin and altered the mice's behaviour in a similar way to antidepressants.

They are suggesting this could explain why immune system imbalance could make some people vulnerable to mood disorders like depression.

Lead author, Dr Chris Lowry from Bristol University said, "These studies help us understand how the body communicates with the brain and why a healthy immune system is important for maintaining mental health".

"They also leave us wondering if we shouldn't all be spending more time playing in the dirt," he added.

Dr Lowry and colleagues became interested in the project when they heard that cancer patients treated with the bacterium Mycobacterium vaccae reported increases in their quality of life. They speculated this could be because the bacteria were activating brain cells to release more serotonin.

--- Headed to the garden now for a dose of serotonin.

War For Oil Sisters

From October 2006 Alternet: Bush's Petro-Cartel Almost Has Iraq's Oil.

ALTERNET: But even "untold riches" don't tell the whole story. Depending on how Iraq's petroleum law shakes out, the country's enormous reserves could break the back of OPEC, a wet dream in Western capitals for three decades. James Paul predicted that "even before Iraq had reached its full production potential of 8 million barrels or more per day, the companies would gain huge leverage over the international oil system. OPEC would be weakened by the withdrawal of one of its key producers from the OPEC quota system." Depending on how things shape up in the next few months, Western oil companies could end up controlling the country's output levels, or the government, heavily influenced by the United States, could even pull out of the cartel entirely.

Both independent analysts and officials within Iraq's Oil Ministry anticipate that when all is said and done, the big winners in Iraq will be the Big Four -- the American firms Exxon Mobile and Chevron, the British BP Amoco and Royal Dutch Shell -- that dominate the world oil market. Ibrahim Mohammed, an industry consultant with close contacts in the Iraqi Oil Ministry, told the Associated Press that there's a universal belief among ministry staff that the major U.S. companies will win the lion's share of contracts. "The feeling is that the new government is going to be influenced by the United States," he said.

---Who benefits? The Bush Cartel?

From March 2007 FT: The new Seven Sisters: Oil and gas giants dwarf western rivals.

FT: As oil prices have trebled over the past four years, a new group of oil and gas companies has risen to prominence. They have consolidated their power as aggressive resource holders and seekers and pushed the world’s biggest listed energy groups, which emerged out of the original seven sisters – ExxonMobil and Chevron of the US and Europe’s BP and Royal Dutch Shell – on to the sidelines and into an existential crisis.

The “new seven sisters”, or the most influential energy companies from countries outside the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, have been identified by the Financial Times in consultation with numerous industry executives. They are Saudi Aramco, Russia’s Gazprom, CNPC of China, NIOC of Iran, Venezuela’s PDVSA, Brazil’s Petrobras and Petronas of Malaysia.

---So who ya wanna buy oil from? The old seven sisters (now four) or the new seven sisters?

Eyes Wide Open

The exhibit is too large now (with 3-4 pairs of combat boots being added daily), and will no longer be touring the United States in it's fullest form (there will continue to be Eyes Wide Open exhibits at the state level, representing the fallen from that state). It's final showing of the full national exhibit of combat boots and shoes will be in Chicago over Memorial Day Weekend.

Newest Family Member

Meet BigDog/A.

A throw away, estimated age 18 months, Boxador (Lab Boxer mix). Dumped off at the edge of town. About 20 pounds underweight, with raging ear infections, eye infection, a tape worm, bloody nose, and heartworm (treatment begins next week for that). Lovable, lovable, a real keeper.

Ninny Nancy Never Ending

WASHINGTON -- The House today tried – and failed – to override President Bush's veto of a $124-billion war spending bill that would have forced him to withdraw troops from Iraq.

Even as congressional leaders went to the White House to discuss a compromise bill, the House voted 222-203 to override the veto, far short of the two-thirds necessary for passage.

Debate was passionate, as it has been during each of the last two House debates over the war.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) bristled at suggestions from the White House that Democrats are planning to surrender to terrorism.

"This administration should get a clue," Pelosi said. "The war in Iraq has made matters worse." Noting that the war in Iraq has now lasted longer than U.S. involvement in World War II, Pelosi blamed the administration for neglecting "the war on terrorism …in Afghanistan" to pursue a "failed policy" in Iraq. "Stop this war without end," she said.

--- Lying, eyebrow painted political ho', speaking as if the war on terrorism is valid, or the war on Afghanistan is legitimate. Heaven forbid dems make an issue of OBL still at large, or the whodunit anthrax killers.

The comparison - "war in Iraq lasted longer than … World War II .." is as dumb as the slogans issued by the rightwing. Political pointless prattle.

What part of "fat man and little boy" do folks not understand? If Pelosi and ilk want the US to win Iraq the way the US won WWII - then shut up and give Boy George a couple of nukes for a couple of cities in Iraq. I guaranfukintee that will end the Iraq War.

Exit IMF and WB

The Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, today severed ties with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

In doing so he distanced Caracas further from what he described as Washington-dominated institutions.

The populist leader, who took office pledging to pursue radical political reform and an economic "third way," said yesterday that Venezuela no longer needed institutions "dominated by US imperialism."

Speaking at a May Day event, Mr Chavez said: "We don't need to be going up to Washington... We are going to get out. I want to formalise our exit from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund."

Caliente

Cuando Caliente el Sol – Helmuy Lotti


Samba


Samba Pa Ti – Santana