November 4, 2008
And He Would Have Got Away With It...
If it wasn't for you meddling kids!
Let's hear it for high youth voter turn out!
UPDATE: Actually, that guy that gave McCain's concession speech was pretty good - if only he had run...he might have had a chance!
Posted by edgore at 9:16 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
October 31, 2008
Get Out!!!! The Vote.
No matter who you plan to vote for, it's important that, on election day, you go out and exercise your right to vote. Unless you are voting for John McCain, in which case you should stay home, because I have heard that there are some kids that are planning to totally get all up in your lawn on November 4th.
Really though...vote against John McCain. I have this great picture I made that I want to post, but it's only funny if he loses. Really, have you got anything better to base you vote on? I didn't think so. (Young voters are ESPECIALLY encouraged. Really, it's extra funny then)
I went down and cast my vote early today. Because it's too late for it to matter to me, I fully expect that Barack Obama will now reveal that he is a secret Muslim terrorist. If he doesn't, I will feel like I threw my vote away. Death to America!
Posted by edgore at 10:30 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Sarah Palin is a Dumb Person*: Episode 362
Sarah Palin does not understand anything. Here is more proof that she has no idea what she is talking about:
If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations," Palin said, "then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media.
Since I know she has never read the first amendment I will reprint it here for her:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Dear stupid person running for V.P. - The first amendment says the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT can't restrict your speech. When the media call you out on being an ass that is actually an EXERCISE of first amendment rights! It's actually WHAT THE RIGHT IS ALL ABOUT!
UPDATE: I have just been reminded that she has a degree in Journalism - which she apparently got without understanding a single thing about journalism! I am not saying that I have proof that she slept with her professors, but it would be irresponsible for me not to speculate about it.
* Some people think it is mean to say that Sarah Palin is a dummy with no clue what she is talking about. I actually think that assuming she is simply ignorant and not smart enough to learn anything is a compliment - the other option is that she is intentionally lying about things and is a venal, evil person without scruples that would say anything to further her career. Since that would be a mean thing to think of anyone I instead prefer to think that she is not too bright and doesn't understand this stuff.
Posted by edgore at 12:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 29, 2008
Don't Vote for the Scary Socialist
"...we’re set up, unlike other states in the union, where it’s collectively Alaskans own the resources. So we share in the wealth when the development of these resources occurs."
- Sarah Palin speaking to Phillip Gourevitch of the New Yorker
The funny thing is, I really don't think she even knows enough about political and economic science to understand how stupid she is.
Posted by edgore at 10:02 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Don't Vote for the Scary Socialist
"...we’re set up, unlike other states in the union, where it’s collectively Alaskans own the resources. So we share in the wealth when the development of these resources occurs."
- Sarah Palin speaking to Phillip Gourevitch of the New Yorker
The funny thing is, I really don't think she even knows enough about political and economic science to understand how stupid she is.
Posted by edgore at 10:02 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
October 9, 2008
Yay! Real Socialism!
So, it looks like the Treasury is finally beginning to realize that direct capital injection is the way to go. They didn't want it in the bill, tutted when it made through and passed, and now have decided to start using it. I think that the fact the Brits did it yesterday (to the tune of an equivalent $500B, adjusted for the size of their economy vs the U.S.) had a lot to do with it. I thought it was great that it got slid in there, but I assumed that we would not see it used in this administration.
The idea is that instead of buying up a lot of toxic debt that cannot be realistically priced, the government will instead invest money into the banks themselves (and hey, probably other things eventually, like car manufacturers - just wait!). In return the government will get preferred stock, either with a promised return (like, say, Warren Buffet), or at least with priority in dividends over regular investors. This might seem unfair, but keep in mind that the other option is that the bank goes under and the investors lose everything...so a pretty good deal over all. This will provide the financial system with additional capital...and the calm and reassurance that comes with that. Hopefully the credit markets improve, and this will fix the commercial paper problems that are causing us to teeter on the precipice of doom. Also, if we are shareholders then we can call for the executives and the boards that got us into the position to be fired and their ridiculous golden parachutes (or Suckage Insurance) rescinded. Appropriate to their business acumen there people can then be offered positions as shift Managers at WalMarts across the country.
Once disaster is averted, and the banks are better capitalized, they can start to address the issue of how to fix the toxic mortgage problem. They will hate doing this since it's mostly going to involve re-writing adjustable mortgages to thirty year fixed at around 6-8% fixed apr. Reasonable, but not great for both sides, but good enough that it could keep some people in their homes. In some cases where homes are underwater banks are going to have to bite the bullet, realize how much they would lose in a foreclosure, and do what so many small business owners do when they have shelves filled with crappy product that is not moving - mark it down to reflect the the new, lower, values. They will lose pretend money, but less than they would if they foreclosed and sold at auction, probably, with all the attendant costs.
Individual home owners who took out equity 3 times the value of their house will have their Lexus cars, Big Screen TVs and other luxury items bought on credit repossessed, and they will be placed into stocks in front of their homes with signs around their necks showing the amount of actual money they put into their homes ($9000) and the amount of equity they borrowed against them ($450,000). Clanking below the stocks will be metal buckets into which passersby may place coins. Once the homeowners have collected enough coins to cover the principle (after all, we are not monsters) on their home equity loans their first mortgages will be written down to the market value and refinance as fixed rate loans. For the years they have spent in the stocks they will get a $1000 credit to use at the Salvation Army or Goodwill to refurnish their homes.
This is a good thing. This (if you ignore the snark above) is the most orderly way to approach this problem, short of having a time machine to go back and put proper regulations in place 10 years ago.
This problem is the result of a lot of things (oddly, not of any of the things John McCain talks about), and it was encouraged by deregulation from both the Republican and Democratic wings of our single party system (you do realize that we have a one party system in America, where we choose between the middle right and the far right wings of the party, while everything in the party's left of middle get's ignored, right? That's another blog post though). The only way to fix it is sensible regulation.
People don't seem to remember that markets needs rules in order to thrive. Not stupid rules though. Since I am in trucking I will use an example from there - the old (70s) trucking regulations that required everyone to charge the same for the same freight going the same distance. This is a stupid regulation that (obviously) stifles competition. The has been rescinded now, and the newer regulations have to do with safety - the maximum hours and breaks for a long haul driver, for example. This is something that makes some degree of sense, since it's regulating an area of the market that the public has an over riding interest in - the safety of the trucks on the road. Trucks also have to obey the laws of the road - speed limits, stop signs and obey maximum weight limits on some roads and clearly label dangerous cargo.
This is exactly the same kind of regulation that markets need. Keep in mind that the market is, in many ways, an artificial construct, just like a game and a game without rules is a game that no one in their right mind should want to play.
I am actually hoping that this crisis will end up being a good thing, resulting more stable markets that bubble less often and don't pop as disastrously. Maybe Milton Friedman can finally be placed up on the shelf with equally discredited economic theorists like...oh...say...Marx (really - watch Duck Soup again). We are all Keynesians and Social Democrats now.
Also, I am betting on Dow 6000 before the election. Who want's to take over/under? I'm also betting on about a 3 year recovery, with severe short term contraction and steady, but slow growth starting from there and bringing us back to near where we are today, but with much more regulated and stable markets. Assuming Obama wins. If McCain wins we will be fighting with dogs over dead rats in the street with a year, and descending into cannibalism by mid-2010. And since no one will have electricity FOX will not even be able to make a reality show out of it.
Italicized items are satirical and not intended to be taken too seriously. Note the bit about McCain leading directly to cannibalism is NOT Italicized.
Posted by edgore at 10:31 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
October 7, 2008
Cranky
So, I wonder which of his inumerable lawns John McCain will demand Barack Obama get off of tonight?
Posted by edgore at 1:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 3, 2008
Mixed Up Priorities
Politicians talk about the heartland of America. I would like to hear more about the brainland.
Also, how many towns still have a discernable mainstreet? What percentage of the population live there? Do these mainstreets continue to thrive in the face of big box stores and exert a great influence on our cultural debate?
Posted by edgore at 1:31 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 2, 2008
Lowering the Bar
Sarah Palin did not come off as a complete idiot. Therefore, she will be hailed as a genius.
Joe came off okay, but really, "Bosniacs"?
Update: I stand corrected. Apparently "Bosniak" has been the correct term for Bosnian Muslims since the late 1990s. I guess that mean's Joe wins on foreign policy. You know, in a debate against me. Of course, someone who is Veeping for a secret Muslim would know that sort of thing.
Posted by edgore at 9:44 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Much Bigger than a Walk To The Chemist
Thomas Schaller reminds us that big numbers are really, really big:
Millions, billions and trillions all sound the same. But a million seconds takes about 11 days to expire; because a billion is a thousand million, a billion seconds takes about 30 years to expire; because a trillion is a thousand billion, a trillion seconds takes about 30,000 years to expire. These are not interchangeable orders of magnitude, folks.
On the other hand, the bailout will only cost you personally a dollar a second for the next 33 minutes!
Posted by edgore at 1:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 29, 2008
Oh Well...
So, the financial bailout has failed. Thank god that we had John McCain right there in Washington builing bi-partisan consensus! Lord knows what might have happened without him there!
What will the failure of the bill to pass mean? Good question. It could mean that credit will freeze up, the Dow will fall and financial companies will have to admit that many of their assets are, in fact, completely worthless and write them down. This would be accompanied by a HUGE market adjustment downwards.
I suppose it's also possible that congress might stay in session and try to come up with another compromise before they go off to campaign (on what exactly I am not sure).
At this point I am not sure that I care which it is. The former is going to have to happen eventualy to really resolve this problem. Everything else is just gaming to put it off a little longer, or to shift where the hot potato is when it goes off. Maybe financial disaster is the best solution to resolving this quickly and finally.
Posted by edgore at 12:25 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
September 25, 2008
Holy Crap
Even though I was expecting it, it's still a little stunning to see it happen.
Update - Just to be clear...WaMu failing and getting bought for a song by JP Morgan doesn't mean "OH NOES!!1! The sky is falling and we must give a trillion dollars to Wall Street or die on Monday!". WaMu was a strictly regulated bank that was, in accordance with regulations, seized and sold off, with no loss by the depositors and no cost the taxpayers. The shareholders lost everything, but, well, that is how it works - make a bad investment, lose your shirt.
The trillion dollars is all about almost completely unregulated investment banks. While there are connections between the two problems, the orderly failure of WaMu versus the Wall Street disaster simply underlines the importance of prudent regulation. If you have that then you don't need Helicopter Hank to swoop in and air drop money to the top 0.1%
Also, while I am talking financial crisis, you hear a lot these days about how whatever bailout is passed it should include something saving the homeowners that are affected by all this. While this seems like it might be a good thing to do, it's important to remember that some of these homeowners were as stupid as Wall Street. Take a look at these idiots, for example. It's hard to be sad that they are underwater when they took out $450K of equity loans on a $189K house in four years, with only 9k down.
Obviously if anything is done about homeowners it needs to be selective and only affect those that were actually screwed, as opposed to those that screwed themselves.
Posted by edgore at 10:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 24, 2008
Not Funny. Sad. Relevant
Note the casual willingness to lie about even a small matter, like "running to the airport". I know people like that. They also lie about big things.
Posted by edgore at 10:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 22, 2008
"202" Scammer
From: Minister of the Treasury Paulson
Subject: REQUEST FOR URGENT CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP
Dear American:
I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude.
I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 800 billion dollars US. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you.
I am working with Mr. Phil Gram, lobbyist for UBS, who will be my replacement as Ministry of the Treasury in January. As a Senator, you may know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation movement in the 1990s. This transactin is 100% safe.
This is a matter of great urgency. We need a blank check. We need the funds as quickly as possible. We cannot directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance. My family lawyer advised me that I should look for a reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the funds can be transferred.
Please reply with all of your bank account, IRA and college fund account numbers and those of your children and grandchildren to wallstreetbailout@treasury.gov so that we may transfer your commission for this transaction. After I receive that information, I will respond with detailed information about safeguards that will be used to protect the funds.
Yours Faithfully
Minister of Treasury Paulson
Posted by edgore at 1:48 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
September 19, 2008
Increasingly Awesome!
So, everybody is happy today and the markets are up because the Government has a plan to save everything! This is excellent news! Do you understand the plan though? Because, really, it's totally awesome.
We are going to create an government organization to buy up all the bad debt (they keep calling it "Toxic" for some reason, I don't know how that is supposed to reassure us). This is basically the same plan that was used to totally solve the S&L crisis, and which totally prevented the Great Depression! All without any cost to the taxpayer, so you already know it's a good plan*.
Once the American tax payer has bought the $800 BILLION in bad debt from all the poor banks that made terrible loans, we are planning to hold on to it for, and I quote, "four to six months". After this time everything will have calmed down and no one in the banking industry will be afraid of these TOXIC loans and then, according to this plan, all the private banks that sold off the bad debt will happily by it back from the government for AT LEAST as much as they sold it for. Heck, we might even make a profit! Just like we did the last two times we did this**. I am sure that there is no chance that the private banks, once free of their toxic debts will decide not to buy back the known toxic debt held by the government and, instead, come up with ways to generate new toxic debt. It is inconceivable that the Amerian taxpayer might end up stuck with over a trillion dollars of of bad debt and insurance obligations in addition to the trillion in bailouts we have already paid out this year. Inconceivable does mean what I think it does, right?
Funny, huh...four to six months is just about the right amount of time for the people that came up with this TOTALLY AWESOME plan to get the hell out of dodge and dump this disaster on whoever is President next. Maybe this really is a totally awesome plan.
* Statement regarding cost to American Taxpayers may be a total lie.
** Statement regarding profit to American Taxpayers may be a total lie.
Posted by edgore at 8:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 18, 2008
My Friends! Strong!
Morgan Stanley has collapsed back to pre-1994 prices!
Goldman on the other hand is only down 10% so far.
Who could have predicted that allowing investment banks to leverage themselves to the point where they basically live paycheck to paycheck like the rest of us would be a terrible idea?
I wish that the economy would just go ahead and collapse so I don't have to sit around thinking about it anymore, but it's like a car crash - I just can't stop watching it.
Posted by edgore at 11:30 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
September 17, 2008
Hooray!
Go Free-Market Capitalism!!!!!! Careful, your invisible hand is showing!
God forbid we should regulate these idiots and save ourselves the huge expense of bailing them out (currently we are at about $1 trillion this year). Can you imagine where we would be right now with a well regulated financial market and no war? $2 trillion ahead!
The mind boggles.
What many conservitives ignore is that when we talk about regulating financial markets what we are really talking about is not limiting their ability to do real business, it's limiting their ability to perform acts of accounting fraud. The radical financial instruments of the past 10 years had nothing to do with actually creating value, and everything to do with hiding losses and pumping up the value of truly worthless holdings.
Posted by edgore at 10:32 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 16, 2008
Are You Ready?
Hopefully you have access to a supply of apples to sell on the street, and several pairs of boots that can be used to make delicious soup. The next few years are not going to be pretty, no matter who ends up as president. Excellent analysis of what is going on here.
Posted by edgore at 9:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 15, 2008
My Friends, Let Me Repeat...
"Our economy, I think still -- the fundamentals of our economy are strong." - John McCain, 9/15/08
It would be funny, if he weren't batshit insane. He also still thinks it's a good idea to privatize Social Security and put it in the hands of the Wizards of Wall Street! What a maverick!
Posted by edgore at 9:25 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 11, 2008
Let's Be Very Clear...
"The fundamentals of our economy are strong" - John McCain, 8/20/08
Posted by edgore at 11:00 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
September 8, 2008
Today I Learned
That Sarah Palin, while Governer of the State of Alaska, raised taxes on oil producers and used that money to increase the stipend that citizens of Alaska get just for being citizans of Alaska.
Sounds like big "S" Socialism to me, or at least it would if I were a conservative pundit, and Palin was a Democrat. No doubt these additional costs were passed on to consumers across the country, so technically I am paying a little bit more for gas to ensure that people live in Alaska. Since I am a raving left wing socialist, bent on the destruction of America, I am okay with this - living in Alaska probably sucks.
Heck, I wouldn't live in Alaska even now that I know they will pay me to.
Posted by edgore at 3:15 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
September 3, 2008
Move Along
It is important to remember when evaluating political candidates that their families and the actions of those families should not be considered, especially if the candidate is running on a platform of family values. This makes perfect sense, unless you think about it.
Posted by edgore at 10:13 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 25, 2008
Future Leaders
By the logic of the McCain campaign we are creating several hundred highly qualified future leaders of the Arab world in Guantanamo. Leaders so qualified that their qualifications cannot even be questioned.
Just something to think about.
Posted by edgore at 9:00 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
August 11, 2008
Really???
I am not a big fan of Obama's, but when the best that McCain can come up with is "He's too popular" there is something seriously wrong with McCain's campaign. Watch the ad below and tell me it's not the saddest thing you have ever seen...
Alright already - I'm getting off your freaking lawn, old man!
(Oh, and that tax increase...it doesn't kick in until you make $200K per year, but then again, McCain has already admitted he doesn't understand economics, so it's okay. As Barbie says, "Math is hard!")
(Oh, oh! And, as go the hot girls, so go I)
Thank god we are finally having the opportunity to have a reasonable campaign that is focused on the issues, rather than personal attacks delivered by an adulterer who reverses his positions as s politically convenient (Really? Torture is good now?). (I apologize once again for lowering myself to the usual level of discourse in our great nation...at least I am wearing a flag pin as I do it, though I will not say where).
Posted by edgore at 10:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 4, 2008
Why Choose?
I am currently in Arkansas, which is surpisingly still full of Ron Paul signs. This, combined with a comment that Erica made and the current state of the Democratic primary compelled me to create this.
I apologize for contributing to the poor level of political dialog in our country.Also, have I mentione dhow much I hate the stupid way that our media frames stories? Personally, I think the least important things to think about when deciding on a president are their race and sex. The fact that the media focuses on it so much shows how far we still have to go.
Posted by edgore at 7:32 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
January 24, 2008
Presidential Debates
Shouldn't the rule simply be "If you are on the ballot, you are in the debate"? You know, assuming you haven't dropped out of the race officially.
I'm getting a little tired of media companies deciding that they get to frame the debate based on the storyline they are trying to impose on this, whaddya call it, critical democratic process.
Posted by edgore at 5:54 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
October 5, 2007
I Sometimes Wonder
Does President Bush realize that he has government healthcare and lives in public housing?
Posted by edgore at 9:22 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 3, 2007
Not Saying Much...
Execute the retarded, spare a liar.
Now that's what I call law and order.
I assume that we will now see a flurry of commuted sentences for all prisoners or potential prisoners who have families that might be adversly affected by their imprisonment and who have already suffered enough just by being found guilty of the crimes they clearly committed.
Posted by edgore at 12:00 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
May 2, 2007
I Can't Not Comment
What a man reads, or even claims to read, speaks volumes about him. George Bush claims to be a fan of novels about remorseless arab killers, for example. Mitt Romney, on the other hand, is a fan of Battlefield Earth; possibly the most illiterate work of fiction ever published.
I could understand if Mitt was a Scientologist and had been brainwashed to like crappy scifi and Tom Cruise movies, but he's not; he's a Mormon who has been brainwashed to believe the writings of noted crackpot and polyamour Joseph Smith.
So this make no sense unless Mitt Romney really is just a pretty dumb guy that likes terrible books and doesn't understand that associating himself with L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology, however remotely, is a bad idea. If that's the case, this guy might actually be dumb enough to be president.
Posted by edgore at 12:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 8, 2006
Hatching Chickens
Well, it looks like the Democrats are taking back Congress - assuming that the Senate races go their way, which won't be official some time because of the close race in Virginia.
However, I would like to take a moment to savor one outcome from this election that is not in dispute. Rick Santorum, one of the most ignorant, hateful, homophobic jackasses ever to get elected, has lost his seat in the Senate, and hopefully, judging by the humiliating margin of his loss, his political career. Ahhhh.
I doubt that the Democrats winning the congress is going to have a huge, sweeping effect- that all of the incredibly stupid "Anti-Terrorism" theater will stop, for example, or that citizen's concerns will be placed on a level anywhere close to corporate interests. But at least a couple of real jerks lost their positions, and maybe a few of the stupidest things that have been done over the last six years will be undone over the next six (Habeus Corpus anyone? Anyone?).
UPDATE: It has been pointed out to me that Santorum is an anagram for Mt. Sauron. Ha! Funny...
Posted by edgore at 9:47 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
October 29, 2004
Get out the Vote
This was originally going to be a non-partisan "Hey, if you are registered to vote you really should go out and vote!" kind of a post, but darn it, I just can't bring myself to do it.
Instead, I'm going to have to go with the partisan, "Hey, if you are registered to vote, you MUST go out and vote for John Kerry!".
Why you ask? Well, there are probably about 3000 reasons, but I am only going to present one. It's the one that I think trumps all other reasons, because it goes to the very core of what this country is supposed to be about, and that is the current administrations belief that it can suspend constitutional protections for citizens basically because they feel like it. So far we have had two U.S. citizens held indefinately without charges (though to be "fair" one was released, after abdicating his citizanship).
This is a crime against our constitution. Our country is founded on the idea that the power of government arises from the will of the people - remember the whole inalienable rights thing? This administration seems to be under the impression that our rights and our citizenship are privileges that are granted to us at their sufferance. This and this alone should be enough to make any voter throw them out of office.
Sure, there are lots of other reasons to get rid of these people, and there are even some good reasons to vote Kerry in, but this is the one issue that I think crosses all political lines. Every single person in America, regardless of politics, should be able to agree that as a U.S. citizen you have certain rights that the government cannot take away, and that any government that tries to do so should be removed.
It's funny because all of these less government, 2nd amendment protecting right wingers are going to vote for Bush when he has already shown that he stands for exactly the opposite of what they claim to believe in.
And if Kerry tries to pull any of this crap, you will see a post advocating his removal.
Posted by edgore at 11:05 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
October 19, 2004
(Authoritarian) Foreign Leaders Back Bush
Apparently at least one foreign leader backs Bush over Kerry. Of course, the fact that it's the one tryng to create a authoritarian capitalistic regime is pretty telling.
For those of you without a program, Putin is using his own War on Terror as an excuse to halt democratic elections of regional governers, preferring to replace it with a system that lets him install whoever he wants.
Freedom is certainly on the march.
Posted by edgore at 9:44 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 13, 2004
Open Letter
I know David and Ann Petigrew. They are friends of friends, and hopefully I will get the opportunity to know them better in the future. Today I went to read my morning headlines in Salon and found the letter below. I'm just going to let it speak for itself. David, Ann - my thoughts are with you.
"Secretary Rumsfeld and President Bush, you are responsible"
An open letter from the wife of a soldier who lost his leg in Iraq.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Oct. 13, 2004 | Dear President Bush and Defense Secretary Rumsfeld,
My husband, David Pettigrew, lost his right leg in Iraq on July 7, 2003. During a night patrol with his unit in the Army's 4th Infantry Division, an RPG round struck his Bradley fighting vehicle. The armor-penetrating round -- which, according to faulty U.S. intelligence, the enemy wasn't even supposed to have -- tore straight through his leg and lodged in the opposite wall of the vehicle.
The next two months of my life were spent at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, at my husband's side in Ward 57. We were in the same room where Pvt. Jessica Lynch had gotten some treatment.
I knew what would follow when our troops went to invade Iraq. I knew that the facts did not add up, but my husband went to do his duty, even though he believed in no reason for going other than to fulfill his oath to follow the orders of his commanders. I have a degree in political science. I am the daughter of an Air Force officer. I knew the ramifications of occupying a hostile foreign country. I simply do not understand how the two of you, our president and commander in chief and our secretary of defense, did not have the same information that I had. Now, Iraq is a mess.
Secretary Rumsfeld, my husband and I met you at Walter Reed. You asked my husband only three questions and asked none of me. It wasn't even a conversation. You wanted to know how David got hurt, whether anyone else was hurt with him, and whether his unit got the guys that did it. You did not ask if David needed anything or if there was anything that you could do to help. Both Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy secretary of defense, and Anthony J. Principi, the secretary of veterans affairs, gave David their cards and instructed him to call if there was anything he needed and was not getting. But you were simply speechless. You were in a hurry. It seemed like you almost didn't care. It seemed like you only wanted to know whether the military forces were being efficient.
My husband David is a very friendly person and a very good speaker. Even if he felt any kind of hard feeling toward you then, Secretary Rumsfeld, he didn't show it. But it was a very off-putting encounter, and I know he was somewhat out of sorts about it. Everyone else he's talked to about what happened to him has asked all sorts of follow-up questions because it was remarkable that he didn't die. They gave him 13 pints of blood between when he got hurt and when he was evacuated to the field hospital -- that's an incredible amount of blood to lose in 40 minutes.
I'm not sure the American public understands that our soldiers are being maimed over there. People hear about our soldiers being wounded, but they're being maimed: They've lost an eye or an arm or a leg. David and I couldn't feel sorry for ourselves over David's injury -- because the guy in the room next to him in the ICU had lost both legs and arms and was permanently blinded.
Under the military way of life and thought, a commander is responsible for errors that occur under his command whether he knew about them or not. Secretary Rumsfeld and President Bush, you are responsible for the inaccurate intelligence assessments, inadequate troop strength, Iraqi prisoner abuses, inadequate logistical support for U.S. forces, and fraudulent contracting billing for the Iraq reconstruction. And you should care about every combat death or injury that occurs.
Your behavior has been inexcusable. You have been dishonest about the support the troops weren't getting and about what's happening on the ground in Iraq. I only have one vote. And my husband, David, is so disheartened that he feels his vote will not even matter. He has no faith left in our current government. I want all those who voted for you, President Bush, or who failed to vote, to realize that your actions led to my husband's terrible injury, as well as those of all the dutiful men and women who fulfilled your demands and have been maimed or killed in Iraq as a result of the administration's miscalculations and poor judgment.
I ask anyone else reading this who wants to know how the military community feels about this administration to take my words to heart. There is a reason why many lieutenants in the 4th Infantry Division have resigned their commissions. Many of them got out; they wanted no part of it. I'm sorry, but if soldiers think they're doing the right thing, carrying out a mission that's valuable and necessary, they don't leave. They go back and serve their second tour.
Polls in Colorado, my state, open on Oct. 18. I hope Americans don't wait until Nov. 2. I hope they vote early and often -- in every election. I hope all Americans exercise their responsibility and their right to hold you, Mr. President and Secretary Rumsfeld, accountable for your actions and the events that have resulted.
-- Ann Pettigrew, Colorado
Posted by edgore at 9:42 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 6, 2004
VEEP vs veep
So, last night's Vice Presidential debate was a little bit of a surprise.
First, I was surprised that Edwards didn't use the classic Star Trek "I'm lying right now" ploy to disrupt Cheney's logic circuits, thereby destroying his central processors and turning him into a smoking mass of melted plastic and silicon.
Second, I had assumed that at some point in the debate Cheney would use his Sith force powers to choke the life out of Edwards from across the desk.
Neither happend, which has made me sad. Instead they both talked on and on, and neither did a great job. Cheney lied more than Edwards did ("I never said there was a connection between 9/11 and Iraq" Um...really?), and Edwards did not do a great job of calling him on it.
There were some good bits though. I have to go through the video and get a still of the moment when Cheney actually snarled. And out of fairness, the time that Edwards had an expression on his face that can only be described as "boy's school Prefect".
Looking forward to carnage on Friday now, given Bush's crazy-ass speech that he gave today. It's funny when he's crazy, cause his finger is on the button.
Posted by edgore at 2:51 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
April 26, 2004
Lax Again
I've been slipping again, not getting around to posting anything, even though there is so much going on in the world. I have, on the other hand alsomst finished redoing the upstairs bathroom, helping redo our bedroom, and been doing a lot of cooking (I like soup!), so I guess it all evens out.
On to the post...
This last weekend I got into a political discussion with a freind who is socially progressive(ish) but otherwise conservative (think reaganomics), and the question came up about my support for Kerry. The answer was this - it's lukewarm at best, I don't agree with im on a huge number of things, and I DO think that he's wishy-washy and hmms and haws his way through too many position where I think a firm stand is need (gay marriage, for example).
BUT! I don't think he's evil. I really, really do think that the current administration is not just misguided, or "firmly believes they are doing what they think is right, even if I don't agree with it". I really do think that they are a bunch of evil scumbags who are undermining the foundations of our country and running it into the ground for the benefit of a very few, and that there will be repurcussions that will follow us for decades if they get a second term and can operate without the fetter of needing to get re-elected.
So, yeah, I don't really want John Kerry to be president, but then again, he's all I have. I don't like Nader, and even if I did I wouldn't vote for him this year because I really do believe that it's important to get these guys out of office. I don't think he'll be a great president, but I think he will be a lot better than what we have now.
Posted by edgore at 4:08 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 5, 2004
I have been lax...
Lately I have not been very good at updating this site. With all the wonderfully horrible things that are going on this great nation, I have been too busy working towards launching or re-lauching several websites I am working on to comment. I have decided that I need to at least pop in and say something...
Sooo...here we go.
Sadly, it appears that the Democratic Primaries are going to be won by a zombie with slightly less charisma than Al Gore. While I was supporting Dean early on, and even gave him some money, he really dropped in my estimation when he suddenly started talking about Jesus and going to church with Jimmy Carter. I don't want a candidates religion to have anything to do with the race - even if it's being used cynically. I guess that if I had to pick a horse today it would have to be Edwards for two reasons. He announced his candidacy on The Daily Show, to fufill a promise he made to Jon Stewart over a year ago, and because he has some personality. I know, I know, I should be concerned about "the issues", but you know what? No one running is anywhere NEAR me on the issues, so I'll go for the one with a good smile.
BoobGate - So, the site of a woman's breast is an outrage, and against the family values (drinking beer, large, but slightly covered breasts, misogyny, homo-erotic undercurrents) that the NFL represents. If boobs are so bad for children, does this mean a federal ban on breast feeding soon? I wouldn't be surprised, since that would be good for the corporations that manufacture formula, and I am sure that some of them contributed to the Bush campaign...
God I hate everything.
Posted by edgore at 10:56 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
December 15, 2003
Wesley Clark
I saw Wesley Clark last week on the Daily Show. True, it's a fake news show, but I typicially find that Jon Stewart's interviews result in me learning a great deal about the person being interviewed.
In this particular case I learned that Wesley Clark is dull, condescending, and apparently thinks that he is running for School Board, not President. All he did was talk about children he has met, and about schools.
Now, I am very big on education - I think it's shameful the way that our schools are being underfunded while taxes are cut and we blow money on military adventures of dubious value and legitimacy.
At the same time though, I would hope that a presidential candiate on a show for 15 minutes would talk about SOMETHING substantive. Clark not only failed to do this, he came off as pretty smarmy.
On the positive side, I did not cringe whenever he smiled. But that isn't moving me over from the Dean camp.
Posted by edgore at 12:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 19, 2003
A Paid Political Announcement
So, last night I gave Howard Dean one hundred dollars. I don't agree with everything he says, I think that he has made several mis-steps during his campaign, and it's almost painful to watch the man smile, but I felt I had to do something.
I'm very unhappy (as you may have noticed) with the current administration. They don't appear to have any understanding of the foundations of our democracy, or the philisophical underpinnings that have allowed it to flourish. Instead they seem to be interested only in two things: control and money.
I knew we had to get rid of these people the moment they decided that they had the ability to pull the rights of citizans out from underneath them. THe founding fathers were very specific - the power of government arises from the will of the people, and the rights of citizans are not granted by the government. They are inalienable - for those of you who got "C"s all through school, that a big word that means "not-take-away-able".
We have to get rid of these people, most of them have been poisoning our government for the last 30 years and if you look at the record, they are responsible for most of the decisions that have put the world into the mess it is in today.
It's time we got finally rid of them.
Posted by edgore at 9:42 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 7, 2003
George Bush Gets a Blog
Wow! George Bush's campaign has finally got a blog!.
Oh wait. It's called a blog, but really it's just a webpage that regurgitates White House press releases, and amusingly, links to conservative media articles based on those same press releases.
Most interestingly, unlike every other blog in the world there is no facility for comments. Now...why would that be? All the democratic candidate blogs allow comments, and guess what? The get positive comments, nuetral comments, negative comments and occasional downright attack comments. They seem to be letting them all stay up except for posts with profanity.
Why on earth would the Bush Reelection team not want to have comments and input from the electorate - the very people they are supposed to represent.
Draw your own conclusions.
Posted by edgore at 4:23 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
