I would like to ask commentor #3:

How do you pronounce nuclear?

‘The Republicans have become so powerful because they have a propaganda machine that is second to none.’ - Joe Riley, post 44.

You are right Joe. The reverse is also true; their propaganda machines is second to none because the Republicans are so powerful. Over the years, they have given Clear Channel special market dominating breaks, gave Rupert Murdock citizenship so he can own Fox, etc. Just like them, we have to take a two prong approach, and elect progressives who will be willing to roll back media concentration.

The Republicans have become so powerful because they have a propaganda machine that is second to none.  They have sucessfully infiltrated every facet of the media.  From Rush Limbaugh to Bill O’Reilly, they are there to sway the electorate and they have done a great job.  They have half the people in this country voting against their own best interest.                  These right wing extremists are hard core fascist revolutionaries who are working for the wealthiest people in the world.  Their objective is to turn the people of the world into their slaves.                          The way to defeat these crooks is to expose every right wing talking head as a propagandist, liar, fascist aggitator, and traitor.  Write, call, and Email every radio, TV, magazine, and newspaper and protest every time these lying snakes open their mouths.  The wrong thing to do is lie down and let them get away with it.  We all need to unite and take this country back for all the people, not just the rich.

WHAT WOULD KING SAY TODAY?

Bush opened his State of the Union speech by paying homage to Coretta Scott King which I thought was a bit ironic considering Martin Luther King was hounded by the FBI relentlessly under the Federal domestic surveillance program; he was taped and his conversations were monitored in order to find “dirt,” that could be used against him so that he would be publicly humiliated.

  The FBI collected information about Dr. King’s plans and activities through an extensive surveillance program, employing nearly every intelligence-gathering technique at the Bureau’s disposal. Wiretaps, which were initially approved by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, were maintained on Dr. King’s home telephone from October 1963 until mid-1965; the SCLC Headquarters’ telephones were covered by wiretaps for an even longer period. Phones in the homes and offices of some of Dr. King’s close advisers were also wiretapped.

The FBI has acknowledged 16 occasions on which microphones were hidden in Dr. King’s hotel and motel rooms in an “attempt” to obtain information about the “private activities of King and his advisers” for use to “completely discredit” them.

The FBI’s program to destroy Dr. King as the leader of the civil rights movement entailed attempts to discredit him with churches, universities, and the press. Steps were taken to attempt to convince the National Council of Churches, the Baptist World Alliance, and leading Protestant ministers to halt financial support of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and to persuade them that “Negro leaders should completely isolate King and remove him from the role he is now occupying in civil rights activities.”

When the FBI learned that Dr. King intended to visit the Pope, an agent was dispatched to persuade Francis Cardinal Spellman to warn the Pope about “the likely embarrassment that may result to the Pope should he grant King an audience.” 

The FBI sought to influence universities to withhold honorary degrees from Dr. King. Attempts were made to prevent the publication of articles favorable to Dr. King and to find “friendly” news sources that would print unfavorable articles. The FBI offered to play for reporters tape recordings allegedly made from microphone surveillance of Dr. King’s hotel rooms.

The FBI mailed Dr. King a tape recording made from its microphone coverage. According to the Chief of the FBI’s Domestic Intelligence Division, the tape was intended to precipitate a separation between Dr. King and his wife in the belief that the separation would reduce Dr. King’s stature.  The tape recording was accompanied by a note which Dr. King and his advisers interpreted as a threat to release the tape recording unless Dr. King committed suicide. The FBI also made preparations to promote someone “to assume the role of leadership of the Negro people when King has been completely discredited.” 

So Bush pays respects to the widow of Martin Luther King who our government once tormented with their unrelenting surveillance activities—the same kind of domestic surveillance which again is rearing its ugly head under the new name—DOMESTIC TERRORISM.  If King was living today, would he now be considered a domestic terrorist?

  In the turbulent 1960’s, the Federal Government started to view Martin Luther King as real threat when he expressed his outrage over the Vietnam War.  He delivered his famous anti-war speech on 4 April 1967 at Riverside Church in New York City; one year later he was killed.

                                        FORTY YEARS LATER

Bush mentioned during his State of the Union address, that 80 billion dollars was designated to help victims of Katrina—but where did the money really go?

In mid-January a deal was reached to stall many evictions of evacuees staying in hotels throughout the city. In the last few weeks, a number of New Orleans Hotels had notified evacuees that they would soon be evicted to make way for tourists who had booked rooms during the Mardi gras celebration at the end of February. About 15,000 of the displaced are staying in hotel rooms in Louisiana - most of them are located in New Orleans.

Three quarters of the original population no longer lives in New Orleans.  Hundreds of thousands of residents of southern Louisiana and Mississippi including nearly everyone who lived in New Orleans, are now unemployed.  The lack of revenue from unemployment, will limit the resources of the affected communities for years to come.

This region was already one of the poorest in America and had one of the highest unemployment rates.  What would Martin Luther King say today:  “True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.”

        ALL THE MONEY IS IN IRAQ
Iraq was Bush’s primary concern during his speech; nothing will deter him from completing HIS mission—politicians he stated won’t determine the outcome—it’s a military decision.  So what is he really saying?  Although the American public votes for politicians who represent their political point of view—over 60 percent of Americans are against the war in Iraq; it doesn’t mean a thing, because the public does not have a say when it comes to money and oil.  BUSH IS GOING TO FINISH HIS LONG, LONG MISSION!

He talks about our “addiction” to oil; but we will still act like a junkie who can’t wait to get their hands on the second largest oil reserves in the world. 

Bush’s emotional appeals to nationalism are wearing thin and becoming meaningless. No matter how many times Bush compares our “long war against a determined enemy” to World War II; the situations won’t suddenly become parallel. Today, the U.S. lacks domestic and international support to wage a prolonged campaign or to put up with Bush’s war-related programs; during his speech, he again appealed for renewal of the Patriot Act and defended his “terrorist surveillance program” of wiretapping U.S. citizens without warrants.

Vietnam endured for over 30 years—what would Martin Luther King have said about the Iraq war; we can only surmise the answer based on his writings about Vietnam.

  “Each day the war goes on the hatred increases in the heart of the Vietnamese and in the hearts of those of humanitarian instinct. The Americans are forcing even their friends into becoming their enemies. It is curious that the Americans, who calculate so carefully on the possibilities of military victory, do not realize that in the process they are incurring deep psychological and political defeat. The image of America will never again be the image of revolution, freedom, and democracy, but the image of violence and militarism.”

“The war in Vietnam is but a symptom of a far deeper malady within the American spirit, and if we ignore this sobering reality, we will find ourselves organizing “clergy and laymen concerned” committees for the next generation. They will be concerned about Guatemala and Peru. They will be concerned about Thailand and Cambodia. They will be concerned about Mozambique and South Africa. We will be marching for these and a dozen other names and attending rallies without end, unless there is a significant and profound change in American life and policy.”

And now we are in a LONG WAR in Iraq and our next destination is IRAN!

Yeah, if I’m not guilty, why should I care?  Well, define guilty…  with this bunch, it’s hard to see where that line will be drawn.  I talk to my progressive, religious,Ma a couple of times a week. We can’t stand these people.  We talk about heading to Canada, before they start rounding us up. Are they listening to us?
  I wonder how these folks will feel about having a Democrat, maybe even a Clinton, have these powers that they seem to think is a good thing. I’m sure the war on terror won’t be over by 08. Of course, I would not be surprised that the 08 elections will never happen, due to some national emergency…

Molly,
I have to say right off that a few years ago I rarely heard, or allowed myself to believe, a word you said. I was one of those inane fools who voted for this monster in office the first time around. Not again, EVER again! Because fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. Still thinking naively that I was voting for the lessor of two so-called evils.

But that is what political party loyalty brings doesn’t it? Division of the people. Keeping the focus only on one party so the preferred party goes unchecked while the other one is scrutinized. Divided we fall don’t we? They continue to unite as we continue to divide ourselves into sects and little groups. All the while weakening our resolve.

You may not want to hear me now. But I have to say that the more I delve into what all political parties are doing to this country, the more I see they are all selling us out.

There are equal quotes to be found in Democratic circles when Clinton was in power to start a war on terrorism. Equal quotes that called for many similar actions. The Oklahoma bombing was Clinton’s 9/11 and he had similar rights infringing Patriot Acts just waiting to be thrown at us.

But Clinton didn’t manage to get the patriotic and fake Americanism going that Bush garnered because he already had Waco hanging over him and of course the smoke and mirror circus of Monica, to name just a few snags.

Yet Clinton did manage to do his fair amount of damage to supply China with top nuclear secrets, and to supply North Korea with depleated uranium and that list goes on.

Of course Bush picked up where he left off and someone must have hit him with a madman stick since then. There was no olive branch extended to keep a huge portion of Clinton’s people, it was as it was planned to be. Nor was it a coincidence that Bush continued to supply North Korea with depleated uranium all the way up until he named them in his infamous Axis of Evil. Nor was it a surprise that Kerry conceded so effortlessly. It was as they planned it to be.

Seeing Bush Sr. and Clinton behaving as friends after the nightmare of Katrina is really the only truth we have seen from this paid off mainstream media. Folks, they weren’t acting for once. They are friends and they go way back. They have always worked for the same goals and painted those goals to the likings of the party they were supposed to represent.

Did you know Molly that Bush has passed a majority of the issues presented before him via Democrats? Some say he has passed them all, but I have not had time nor inclination to check that out. Would appear to me worthy of a look.

Then again it would further strengthen what I continue to see in these political parties. They are working for the same goal. The sad thing is that those goals are NOT for the people, or this environment, we are all living in. Those goals are for thier own purposes and for those they are connected with. Sans the public and sans our rights.

Suffice it to say that I have since seen this country in such a way that seeing history repeat itself is undeniable. Dreadfully undeniable. It appears as if those who have not refreshed their history are not seeing how we are repeating it.

It also appears anytime this country has a “war” on anything, we can be sure to see much more of whatever that so-called war is supposed to be against.

War on poverty….left us with more poverty. War on drugs….more on the streets addicted to CIA infiltrated drugs. War on Education…. check those stats for yourself and ask Bush why he would EVER open the door to UNESCO again? This great system of leaving no child behind has done well for dumbing down our future generations.

Then again when they rewrite history to their liking, and spoon feed thier favorite versions to our future generations, the best education would have to stick with those subjects they cannot fiddle with so easily. 

Now we have the war on Terror. I cannot think of ONE day of rest that American’s have had from propagated government created fear since 9/11.

Red alerts, orange alerts, purple and flipping rainbow alerts. Fake anthrax scams all the way to fake smallpox scams and now we are going into yet another YEAR of fake avian flu scams that are intended to only fatten Rumsfeld’s drug company connected stock profits in useless Tamiflu, while millions of others may unwittingly line up for yet another dangerous toxic experimental flu vaccine.

All this government created fear over 70 deaths? Good grief, autism caused by vaccines is in the 2000% bracket in some states. But we need to worry about 70 deaths worldwide and yet another toxic vaccine is always the answer isn’t it? You did know the flu vaccine still has mercury in it right?  Follow the money is all we can hope people will do to see the truth behind these hideous crimes against humanity. 

Only they do cover their behinds don’t they? Not unlike Hitler who enacted unfathomable laws after his self created disater against his own people in his effort to make them cede their rights in exchange for false security. Bush is doing the same to Americans.

Like frogs sitting in the water as this government slowly turns up the heat far too many American’s wait idly by silently wishing someone else will save them. Praying someone else will fight to get back their rights. Begging that this is just some Orwellian nightmare that they will just wake up from.

We will not wake up because this is for real and we are living IN that nightmare. Regardless of the truth or lack of truth in global warming that is but the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

When they can dictate WHERE we can protest, how LONG we can protest, and even make us get a permit to allow them ample time to prepare for that protest, we are already living in a policed state.

When they can openly throw out laws that tell us they plan to have the legal right to force untested and experimental drugs and vaccines on you during any emergency they call, and those untested toxins can kill you but no drug company or government agency will be held liable for your needless death,(see SB 1873) and should you refuse they can put you into their confinement camp (aka the new so-called confinement camps meant for illegal immigrants- yea right)  or jail you, we are already living in a policed state. 

When they can blatantly show how they torture prisioners from this war of lies, they are showing you what they will not think twice before doing to you, or your loved ones, once you wake up and smell the stench of that stale coffee.

There cannot be more proof of the policed state we live in when we see what appears to be people of reasonable common sense yelling out, “Yea! Torture those terrorists! Rights? They don’t need any rights! Lock them up without a lawyer, forget evidence or proof of wrong doing, forget offering a jury of their peers. Secret courts work for me! Refuse them the rights of just recourse. They are filthy terrorists after all!” 

Welcome to Amerika. We need some real leaders now more then ever because we are swimming in far too many followers.

Katrina was an awful reminder of what happens when we think this government will do the right thing or ever SAVE us. That was the second test and we all failed miserably. 9/11 was the first.

They would much rather look inept then to tell the people the truth that Katrina was the act of genocide. Purposefully intended to created one of the largest land grabbing deals endorsed and authorized by this government. While Haliburton the company of no bid contracts sweeps in to lock people out of their homes and refuse them the right to rebuild because we all know people showing they are independent of this government and ones who do not want, or need, them are a threat to the control they want to exert over us while they rob us blind for trying to pick up the pieces of the destruction they allowed against us.

Fragmenting the families to all parts of this country while they searched for thousands of their loved ones was the next phase. Who would care? Who would see the confinement camps they were already in? The makeshift prisons in OK armed by FEMA where no one was allow in, or out, except the Katrina Survivors who were to live there with men in one cabin, women in another, and children in another.

Fragmenting yet more families and putting them into confinement again. For what? Because they survived the blasting of the levees, the starvation in the makeshift ward of the dome and managed to stay alive through rapes and murders?

They survived to only be processed, tagged, and confined again like animals. All under the watchful eyes of patriotic American’s flying their flags high. 

Who would see how well that experiment was conducted to prepare for the next larger one? More Importantly Do people even care? If they do care, Then where are they and why aren’t the streets filled with people willing to really fight for this country and it’s people? Where? That reality of the silent streets makes me fear far more then this government ever can. 

I thank you for your time and I wish you well. I hope you will seek alternative choices to beat this cancer you are dealing with. You do not even want to get me going on the scam cancer inductry in this country. Again, blessings coming your way for complete healing.

http://www.scholarsfor911truth.org/  You want truth, can you handle the truth?
    Scientific consensus affirms the towers were brought down with controlled demolitions. Think about the ramifications of dealing with it.
    Why is it being hidden and ignored? Is there a hidden consensus vowed to silence while nodding and winking that this is really what we needed as a nation therefore it is to be accepted?
    Our despair, our anger, our treasures of life and limb, our national heritage; our world is asleep and impotent to the realities of the event. How can there be any reasonable discussion on any topic if the root of the discussion is not questioned but ignored?  Why did World Trade Center bldg. #7 simply fall down at approximately 5:30 P.M. on 9/11/2001? Isn’t this the real State of Our Union? Please study the above site for more specific information about the truths from which all meaningful discussion must eminate. Thank you Molly for your efforts and your leadership.

Molly is right as usual.
We know the problem but the Dems haven’t fielded a candidate with brains or advisors or gonads.
Bush will undo himself given enough rope, but who is to replace him, Gore the snore, Kerry who couldn’t defend himself, the dino Lieberman?

The Bushies aren’t worried about their family and global warming.  They think “the rapture” is imminent and there won’t be a planet to save.  Apparently they think that God doesn’t know what he’s doing, so they’ll just help him speed up the process.

I agree that there may not be much to save of my country when this bunch is finally through, but I sure do think it’s worth a try for my kids and grandchildren.  I’m 65 years old and never thought that I would live long enough to fear a police state in my country.

Go!  Molly!  Go!

George W. “DumbAss” is proof positive that money can’t buy class or the truth!. . . Like it did his college degrees and elected offices! 

You and Gore Vidal need to run for President and Vice President in 2008!  (I’ll let you two figure out who’ll do which!!!)

You’re a National Treasure . . . Hang in there and,  GIVE ‘EM HELL!  Your friend, Jim Slater

Dear Molly Ivins:

After reading your insightful and honest commentary “Lying About the State of the Union” I read the comments solicited by some of your readers. Most of them seem to despair over how the Bush administration is destroying democracy and the United States of America while holding the rest of the world in total and blatant disregard. Instead of bemoaning the fall of the United States into totalitarianism perhaps we need a good old fashioned revolution to end the madness of King (Tsar?) George. A revolution like the one we had here in 1775-76 or the one in 1917 Russia. There are times when the meek can only inherit the earth by standing up to the bully who would destroy it.

Americans need to get to work. We all need to bombard our senators and reps with e mails. I sincerely hope that those of you who write comments on a variety of blogs, also take the time to write your congresspersons…It is crucial. We need to get really organized for the 2006 elections and win back a majority in either the Senate, the House, or, preferably both. We cannot let pur government and our president get away with murder!! Just remember that they are our employees..after all, our taxes pay their salary. the same goes for the President, so bombard the Whitehouse with your e mails also..They may not respond, but they do count!!

Molly,
  Thank you for your reporting even though it terrifies me for the future of our country and especially for the future of my grandson.  Never have I witnessed such an abuse of power by our government— we must ban together to stop this downward spiral but I honestly don’t know how!
                    Cathy

How long are we going to fret about Bush, without listening to the messages coming from all over the planet about our arrogation of a preponderance of the world’s resources and cheap labor?
First of all, we are a nation whose leadership is virtually unanimous in wanting to extend the American writ into every nook and cranny of the globe, and they’re unabashed about it…except that, when Bush speaks to the nation, he can’t come right out and say that, in his “State of the Union” message. So we hear endlessly about freedom, democracy, the war on terror, now even about becoming less dependent on foreign oil, somehow through alternative energy resources, like oil from crops (which require expensive fertilizers, pesticides, both petroleum derived - a costly system of cultivation, storage, distribution, all oil-dependent). I could go on.

Unfortunately the problem isn’t just Bush…. If anyone has the time, all they have to do is look around the news and witness all the corruption reports.  One thing to count on is “it’s progressively growing” and since Wiretapping is available to the Government Corruption Criminals, they really can be one step ahead of anyone who is trying to stop them.

Sounds a bit extreme, however I was in a family for more than 26 years who joined Organized Crime.  This isn’t any ordinary Organized Crime system my ex-wife’s family joined.  They considered it the Worlds Largest Criminal System!  Wiretapping is nothing compared to the other higher level crimes committed however they NEED Wiretapping because it manages and secures their ongoing criminal activities or operations (which they are sometimes called).

I was deep in the belly of a Laundromat in the Chicago area and we considered ourselves “connected”.  This meant we knew of important discussions leading to decisions from the top of our Political System to our local Political System.  I can tell you that they are very well linked with communications.

Since it’s easy to see the Corruption backed up and supported by flimsy excuses and games with moving people around, can we TRUST Congress?  Aren’t some of these people involved in this corruption? 

Just remember, corruption isn’t the only criminal activity they are involved in.  I know personally that they are involved in International Drug Distribution and Mammoth Wide Scale Multi-faceted Fraud.  The Tribune has published articles one which asked questions about a huge Corruption Laundromat.  Within hours the news article on the Internet was blocked, luckily the Tribune placed it on a webpage.  This particular Corruption Laundromat is mammoth in size and is where our tax dollars went, but unfortunately we don’t own it!  Why isn’t anyone following the money?  Everyone talks about corruption but they aren’t doing it because it’s fun!  Their Corruption produces money that needs to be washed.  I know a couple real good places to look at !

If you feel Wiretapping is shocking, wait till the higher crime surfaces and I guarantee that you’ll fall out of your chair.

Marty Didier
Northbrook, IL

Ms Irvins,

It is very difficult for most U.S. citizens to see themselves from an impartial point of view. The US government, from the point of view of an outsider, looks like a hyper-controlling dictatorship. Surveillance on their own citizens. People arrested without charges. Hurt the opposition by criminally exposing them (like leaking CIA operatives, which should be prosecuted). Utilizing the church and fundamentalism for their own purposes. Does it sound very similar to how other dictartorships behave? Is that the democratic model they want to ‘export’ to those little countries that are currently under military occupation?

Our only hope is the very people that put them in power: the people of the U.S.

People of the U.S.: Please vote those people out of the White House. Things look very sinister already.

I think the beast in the room will only be vanquished by total election reform.  Until we have 100% publically financed elections so that the politicians are not having to fund raise from the moment they take office, we will continue to be a nation of the rich, by the rich and for the rich.  Is it any wonder our system is going down the tubes.

Molly, as always…you bring the focus.  I hope everyone reading your column forwards it on to a dozen others.  As others have said, you are THE national treasure.

Thank God for your clarion voice, Molly. 
There is a new disaster on the way which is in the hands of
a Mike Brown-type political appointee. The 911 Commission believes that a dirty bomb is the biggest problem which could come in another attack on the US, which according to them is not an ‘IF, but a “WHEN” .  On Sixty Minutes Sunday, there was a story about the first vaccine (touted by the Pentagon) as a resource to counter radiation sickness - it can be self-administered and could be put in every household. The response of the Homeland Security Agency is to purchase l00,000 doses, when millions would be needed. No word on who are the lucky folks who will receive those 100,000 doses.  Are they hoping
this small company will go bankrupt so that somebody in Big Pharma can take over their patents? (It’s called Neumune)
According to a Deputy from that agency - all those people who
cannot evacuate(remember Katrina & Rita) would be treated at
hospitals. This was followed by a statement from a hospital that
it would be impossible for existing hospitals to handle the number of victims,
Is anybody looking into this disaster waiting to happen?

How pathetic that silly comments like those from “David Newell Can’t Spell” take up bandwidth. “Can’t Spell” is probably very pleased with what he perceives as rapier wit.

Whoever is so worried about David Newell’s spelling sounds like someone who would worry about the state of their nail polish while their boat was sinking.

this president pitched a no-hitter. with his 2 new Supreme Court appointments, he can commit any crime short of murder and never be prosecuted.
this mafia like administration with a supporting congress and Supreme Court can hand pick a criminal successor to the present mafia don.
the opposition be damned.

I’m sitting here trying to watch the news on cable and the only thing on is bush, and he’s been talking for seems like more than an hour.

I think he must love to hear his own voice.

Gods do not speak just to hear their voice, so I know he’s not a god, but what is he?

It took a hundred million years to get all that carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and lock it up in huge coal and oil deposits. Oil production is 76 million barrels a day. Once that carbon dioxide is back in the atmosphere it will make life as we know it unlivable.

I, too, agree with Ms. Ivins and feel that it was a wonderful article. Our government is completely out of control. The sad part is, there are people now starting to say something, and like one said, we are labeled as unpatriotic, and a sympathizer to the “terrorist” regimes…Gore Vidal’s article mentioned how we are replacing thinking with faith and that just won’t work. The fall of the “American Empire” and the world as we know it is close. The people and I mean the PEOPLE, need to redo and retake this planet. There are a few people making the rules for everyone and those rules are to enslave and have us and our children ask NO QUESTIONS!!! Keep up the good work everyone and let’s really get things back in the peoples’ hands…

Molly, your unrelenting work to save our Republic at the same time you are fighting your personal battle with cancer is amazing.  I am positive you will win this battle because the will to survive has been your strength.  And, “We the People” will win the battle for the Republic. 

Bush’s “State of Denial” speech was of no surprise. Even Bush knows he can’t be trusted evidenced by not offering anything new but his same old lies!  Yeah, this guy is going to be devoted to stopping “our addiction to oil”—I wonder how many shots of beer the “Drinking game” players had on that one! 

Ironically, he states the terrorist are using the “weapon of fear” when he and Rove have used this same weapon on us to invoke fear over law.

Looking at the polls, however, “the people get it” and I’m actually beginning to feel some optimism that 2006 will STOP George and Dick!

Molly hits the nail right on the head. But so few others weld a hammer. You’d think the Democrats would take up a little carpentry.

Thank you, Molly. As ever, you nailed it. I’ve been stunned for years that this White House has used bullying, lies, subterfuge, arrogance, fear-mongering, and hubris - and that they continue to believe that whatever they say is what we will believe. Sadly, many DO seem to believe the lies and far from being gullible, I think many are simply hopeful that SOMETHING good will surface. If the Roosevelt mantra that is being thrown around Washington was actually examined and “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” then this administration continued hammering and perpetuation of “be afraid, be very afraid” is contrary to the spirit of the people. The sloganeering, spin, and lies have made us a country of people who crouch under the bed and surrender our civil liberties without a whimper. We have rolled over on global warming, out-sourcing, Iraq, on the handing over of the country to big business like Halliburton and the oil companies…As a previous writer said, though - how to stop it? So frequently it’s a battle not to descend into despair.

Molly, your unrelenting work to save our Republic is amazing when put in the context of your own personal fight against cancer.  I am positive you will win this personal battle because the will to survive has been your strength. 

Bush’s “State of Denial” speech was of no surprise. Even Bush knows he can’t be trusted evidenced by not offering anything new but his same old lies!  Yeah, this guy is going to be committed to stopping “our addiction to oil”—I wonder how many shots of beer the “Drinking game” players had on that one! 

Ironically, he states the terrorist are using the “weapon of fear” when he and Rove have used this same weapon on us to invoke fear over law.

Looking at the polls, however, “the people get it” and I’m actually beginning to feel some optimism that the elections of 2006 will finally STOP George and Dick!

What is truth anymore?  Where do you find the “facts”?  No matter how much corruption and down right lying that goes on in this administration, the amoral spin team makes it almost go away.  If anyone of us “regular” citizens tried any of that, we would be in jail for life-case closed.  It is so frustrating to sit, after living through some of the best times, to watch one man destroy all that went before and much of what is yet to come.  How can the general population be so blind and sit back and let it all happen.  I don’t pretend to be a devout religious person, but even I recognize that this is not a “Christian” policy but a calculated move to cause similar divisions as were apparent before civil rights-names change-actions similar.  I just wish I knew what I could do to wake up the sleeping minds allowing Bush to continue on this path of lies, corruption and destruction.  Will we ever be able to have the voices heard rather than sit and watch it all just happen?  I know there are many of us out there and I know that we are not unpatriotic.  Thank you for carrying the banner and allowing us a place to voice our concerns and frustration.

Hmm, am I crazy, or is the lobby-that surely exists!-for nuclear energy on a wolrd-wide basis, just kicked into gear with the recent spate of natural disasters.  I found it more than just a bit ironic that the ‘non-Kyoto’ nations (US, Australia, couple of our pals in the orient…) were meeting to propose a much pooh-poohed “alternative” to Kyoto (based on the usual business incentives), the whole issue of Iranian nuclear ambitions came up.  And then Britain said, yes nuclear is best, the Netherlands recommissioned a discredited facility, and on and on, everybody’s doing the Nuclear Dance.  That’s what GWB meant by technology replacing our dependency on oil.  The numbers are being churned up as we speak:  I’ve already heard, yes maybe 10 million deaths from nuclear, but several BILLION with the effects of global warming.  Which of course neglects to mention that those 10 million keep going on for a MILLION YEARS!  This is not conspiracy theory stuff.  There is a lobby and it would be surprising if it didn’t do its job and take advantage of the moment.

The opposition does not have to be quiet.  Why can’t some of our Senators and/or Congresspersons say what Ms. Ivens said as above?  They don’t have to be just negative; they can propose laws—simple ones!—to ameliorate such problems. 

One thing that I would like them to do is to initiate an amendment to our Constitution to reverse a Supreme Court decision. ). If the Supremes think that our current constitution says that a corporation equals a single individual, then our politicians should change it via amendment.  We all know that a corporation does NOT equal an individual (maybe a class action of individuals could equate a conglomeration of corporate stockowners

I have written to my Senators and Congressman to do this.  Why don’t you?

AliceWahl

It’s difficult not to be depressed in light of the events of recent days. Civil Rights has suffered a double-blow with the confirmation of Alito and the passing of Coretta Scott King. Who really expected that the presidunce would stand up at the dais this year and actually tell the truth about anything? But we must come ultimately to the realization that we are in a war, not the one of Mr. Bush’s making, but a war to regain the honor and values that we once prized, and grew up believing in. It will be a difficult fight, but fight it we must. I hate to fall back on a quote here, but it’s a good quote;
“Neither let us be slandered from our duty
by false accusations against us,
nor frightened from it by menaces of
destruction to the Government nor of dungeons to ourselves.
LET US HAVE FAITH THAT RIGHT MAKES MIGHT,
AND IN THAT FAITH, LET US, TO THE END,
DARE TO DO OUR DUTY AS WE UNDERSTAND IT”.
                                            -Abraham Lincoln
who just happened to be a Republican, although I’m not too sure that he would be happy to be labelled as such today.

wake up, brothers and sisters—the time for despair was after the coup of 2000 that replaced president gore with the commander-in-thief.

we should have never backed down and given passive back-door aproval to the biggest crime in the history of the usa.  it’s never too late, though, to bring about the new revolution. 
in solidarity,
nothing man

Molly

Here’s what I did earlier today with The Garlic: All The Cloves Fit To Peel

White House Fiercely Divided; VP Cheney Wants State of Union Address Kept Private

http://puregarlic.blogspot.com/2006/01/tuesday-31-january-2006.html

Peace
JTD

Actually the problem with American are people like “David Newell Can’t Spell.” They are no different than our current administration in that they prefer to change the subject, diverge attention, and call people with whom they disagree names. It is apparent that you “David Newell Can’t Spell” didn’t learn much in grade school other than perhaps how to spell, maybe how to behave like an elementary school playground bully, and certainly not the necessary skills required to carry on civil discussions in a free society.

Bizzaro Superman

Have you noticed how everything that comes out leadership’s mouths is the exact opposite of truth, the exact opposite of the speaker’s intent?

Its always amazed me that these haters of representative democracy effortlessly communicate in reverse truths.  “Compassionate Conservative, … flip-floppers, ... traitors , ... no child left behind, ... (winning the) War on Terror, ... fighting terrorists there, so we won’t have to fight them here ”.  All claims are backward.

In Republican world, the metaphor of our reverse leadership is Superman’s opposite, Bizzaro Superman. 

Excerpted from Wikipedia:
“Bizarro is a fictional character who is a failed clone of Superman
... Unfortunately, his attempts to match the original’s heroics were clumsy and destructive,
... Bizarro has chalky and sometimes rock-like skin, a pale complexion, and a misshapen face.
… Bizarro wears a button that said “Bizarro #1”, in order to distinguish himself from the other failed Superman clones
…. In the Bizarro world, society is ruled by the Bizarro Code, which states that it is a crime to do anything well or to make anything perfect or beautiful
…. In one episode, for example, a salesman is doing a brisk trade selling “Bizarro bonds. Guaranteed to lose money for you”. Later in this episode, the mayor appoints Bizarro #1 to investigate a crime, “Because you are stupider than the entire Bizarro police force put together”. This is intended and taken as a great compliment. 
… Bizarro and the other inhabitants of the Bizarro world used an odd but predictable form of English. The lack of proper verb conjugation; Bizarro only uses the first person conjugation for any verb. For example, the verb to be is always conjugated as “am”, leading to sentences like “This am great”, and the incorrect use of pronouns; Bizarro might introduce himself by saying “Me am Bizarro” instead of “I am Bizarro,”.

“Truth, justice and the American way” is what Superman stood for.  What do you believe our Bizzaro leadership stands for?

I appreciate your words of wisdom which you sprinkle with humor. 
I am in despair, however, because it appears that Groege Bush can act as he chooses, flouting the law, disrespecting American citizens as well as citizens of the world.  I am embarrassed by this man; I fear for the future of America.

Molly, I am so angry. I’m angry about all the gloom and dispair. Why can’t the people that really love this country (and planet) turn that sadness into REAL ANGER ???? It will take a real revolution to beat these people. I urge all Americans to stand up and shout about what Bush is getting away with. It is time for something more than words. It is time for action. This administration deserves to have their asses kicked out into the street. Out of all the scholars who have criticized Bush, who can emerge as a leader to bring us together as one LOUD voice? It is time for a REVOLUTION. We have our chance right now, today. If we wait any longer, we’ll not have a country to save. PLEASE STAND UP. ACT UP. Tell everybody everywhere what these criminals are doing.

Andy Gundersen

Molly: Thanks, as usual, for your words of wisdom.  I, like David above, am now despairing of this nation.  We need to start over.  What are the rules on calling a Constitutional Convention and how can we keep out these thugs?

As dreadful as the reality of the Bush administration is the worse reality is what their miscreance has revealed about the structural flaws in the US system of government.

The unacknowledged elephant in the room isn’t domestic spying programs or supporting torture or corruption on Capitol Hill.

The beast in the room is the inherent structural dysfunctionality of the system of government that has become so revered as to be beyond scrutiny.

I love ya Molly,and I know that you will conquer this cancer as you have the others, and it would seem that democracy is doomed, but worse, it appears that the planet is doomed. It’s kind of hard to figure this one out because wouldn’t ya kind of think that the bushies have children and grandchildren. Is Exxon buying a planet for them? Do they not care that the bush et.al. name will not go on for long?

Ms. Ivins,

You are a national treasure.  Keep at it.  We must prevail.

This corrupt administration shall go down in history as the worst example of a democracy or a republic. 

We don’t want it to be taught in school, for hundreds of years to come (if they still teach civics and if we still have a middle class who support public education), how a democracy with so much promise turned into a dictatorship, while over 50% of Americans slept or watched FOX News.

Boy, this does seem similar to the German Weimar Republic.

I am in despair because idiots like David Newell can’t spell. How did you graduate from grade school, David Newell?

Democracy surely is doomed.

I concur totally with the above post.  Why is it that so many Bush supporters in this country are so willing to say, “the only people who should be worried about government monitoring are those with something to hide”—and yet are so reluctant to apply the same standard to the Bush administration? As an example, why has the White House refused to release photographs depicting Jack Abramoff with Bush?  If the photographs are truly not relevant to the investigation as claimed and the President has nothing to fear, then why is the White House so insistent on withholding them?  If someone under investigation by the government were to reaise such objections, it would only make them suspect him or her even more (presumed innocence be damned). The greater level of secrecy a government maintains, the easier it becomes for that government to become corrupt and begin working towards protecting its *own* interests regardless of whether or not they coincide with those of the people—this administration has been keeping a “heckuva” lot of secrets, and it seems a trifle unrealistic to believe that every single last one of these is absolutely critical to our national security as the administration would have us believe.

Molly,
I am in dispair.  Is there NO ONE who can deal with this man?  His abuses are too many to count.  What can we do?  He will not allow demonstrations, he labels dissenters as terrorists.  He listens to private citizens go about their business.  His refrain is ‘If you aren’t doing something wrong, why worry?’  Well, back at ya Prez.  If Jack met with WH officials and nothing happend, what’s the harm of us knowing?  I really, really, REALLY fear that this is the end of the United States as we have known it.  When corporate, judiciary, executive, and legislative all line up behind the same idol, I believe democracy is doomed.