Ah, but Boggs, you just don’t understand the administration’s definition of “freedom.” The troops were indeed sent to Iraq to secure “freedom"--the “freedom” of the U.S. ruling class to rule the world and control its oil.

Some still think that our military was sent into Iraq to guard and save american freedom. That couldn’t be furthur from the truth.
I’m sorry that the military didn’t have an honorable mission. Next time they are conned perhaps they won’t rush to sign up.
I would like to see every flag pin wearer have to don an 80# back-pack and wear full uniform and stay outdoors away from air conditioning and eat MRI’s for the duration of the war.
Parents, don’t bring your children up to be warriors for the next profiteering president.

Thanks Leefeller, but the truly enlightened one was Bill Moyers.  The man is a certified genius and a voice that is badly needed in these Orwellian times.

Ernest Canning

This reminds me of your enlightened post and the quote from Henry Wallace past vice president, in regards to his comment on superpatriots, good work.

“I wore my flag tonight, first time.  Until now I haven’t thought it necessary to display a little metallic icon of patriotism for everyone to see.  It was enough to vote, pay my taxes, perform my civic duties, speak my mind and do my best to raise our kids to be good Americans.  Sometimes I would offer a small prayer of gratitude that I had been born in a country whose institutions sustain me, whose armed forces protected me and whose ideals inspired me.  I offered my heart’s affection in return.  It no more occurred to me to flaunt the flag on my chest than it did to pin my mother’s picture on my lapel to prove her son’s love....The flag’s been hijacked and turned into a logo, the trademark...of a monopoly of patriotism.  On most Sunday morning talk shows, official chests appear adorned with the flag as if it’s the Good Housekeeping seal of approval.  During the State of the Union, did you notice Bush and Cheney wearing the flag?  How come?  No administration’s patriotism is ever in doubt, only its policies.  And the flag bestows no immunity from error.  When I see flags sprouting on official lapels, I think of the time in China when I saw Mao’s Little Red Book of orthodoxy on every official’s desk, omnipresent and unread.

“But more galling than anything are all those moralistic ideologues in Washington sporting the flag on their lapels while...attacking dissenters as un-American.  They are people whose ardor for war grows disproportionately to their distance from the fighting.  They’re in the same league as those swarms of corporate lobbyists wearing flags and prowling Capitol Hill for tax breaks, even as they call for spending more on war.

“So I put this on as a modest riposte to the men with flags in their lapels who shoot missles from the safety of Washington think tanks....I put it on to remind myself that not every patriot thinks we should do to the people of Baghdad what bin Laden did to us.  The flag belongs to the country, not to the government, and it reminds me that it’s not un-American to think that war, except in self defense, is a failure of imagination, political nerve and diplomacy.  Come to think of it, standing up to your goverment can mean standing up for your country.”

Bill Moyers--2005. http://www.democracynow.org/pl?sid=05/05/16/1329245

Loved the show, wish Krugman was a little more aggressive.  I quit watching Tucker long before he lost the bowtie. I can’t stand his voice let alone the foolishness that spills out of his mouth.  If I were one of those guys who didn’t have the balls to do the military service, I would keep my mouth shut and hope no one noticed me.  These guys seem to be over-compensating for their clear lack of courage.  And real bullies, like I said keep your mouth shut and hope no one notices......

His message at the end of his show is almost always worthwhile but many times his guests and such discussions are a waste of time when he has neocon guests like Tucker Calrson.

Like anyone else, Bill Maher has views I’m not in agreement with: his continuing diatribe against all religions, a cock-sure attitude about Israel which discards other views, etc. But for the sake of equal time for neocons, he puts a neocon windbag like Tucker Carlson on his show who monopolizes otherwise intelligent conversation. A case in point is Paul Krugman’s comments who is not as loud and clamorous as Tucker, but had important comments about the vetoed health care bill for children. It would be alright if Tucker had something important to say, but it’s just a rehash of think-tank propaganda.

Right on, Bill Maher!!!

U.S. flag pins made in china and leaking led, only 99 cents!

I use to watch real time frequently, however, with the recent comments made by Maher regarding 9/11, unrelenting support for Israel and his use of the media contrived buzzword “islamofacist” Bill has revealed that he is another media controlled shill.

Bill, you are the MAN!!!!!