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POPSLessons in Manliness: Theodore Roosevelt and the Spanish-American War "Theodore Roosevelt, who arguably accomplished more than any other American man, called his experience in the Spanish-American War, “the great day of my life.” It was during his charge up Kettle Hill that Theodore Roosevelt’s leadership and confidence finally crystallized. He passed the test and emerged as a leader capable of ascending to the presidency."
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POPSCollateral Damage "But I would be doing Iraqi women and Zangana's "City of Windows" a disservice by solely focusing on suffering and their role as victims. Because despite the web of destruction, violence and repression Iraqi women face on a daily basis, we must not forget their acts of courage and empowerment despite the hardships they are facing"
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POPS'Bush Is Too Horrendous to Be Forgotten' SPIEGEL talks to American author Philip Roth about growing old, why George W. Bush is the worst American president ever and why he never gives out his cell phone number. Philip Roth, who will be 75 in March, is one of America's most critically acclaimed living writers. His 1969 novel "Portnoy's Complaint" brought him fame, and he went on to win a Pulitzer Prize for 1997's "American Pastoral."
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POPSThe Real Reagan "If the GOP is looking around for an icon to worship, it might consider Bill Clinton. He cut spending from 21.4% of GDP to 18.5% -- three times as much as Reagan. True, he raised taxes from 17.6% to 19.8%, but that's still a smaller chunk than when Reagan left office. And he left us with an annual surplus that threatened to eliminate the national debt. What's more, I think he's available." (not as President though)
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POPSWar And Taxes What was it that GW said about Ken Lay? He hoped he was saved? I have to give credit where credit is due. What a hypocrite. What a liar. What a law breaking asshole. What a disastrous, failed, lunatic of a policy maker who is laughing the whole way to the bank. And we all paid for the deposit slip baby.
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POPSWhy Congress Didn't Bring The Troops Home I think it would do us all a good service to try to understand why the Dems failed us in ending this horrible war, instead of finger pointing, name calling, and blaming. If we had a Republican Congress we'd be in war with Iran by now too. I think we should try to learn from this failure.
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POPSImprisoned at Birth - Tough Choices in Tough Times On February 19, 1942, soon after the beginning of World War II, Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. The evacuation order commenced the round-up of 120,000 Americans of Japanese heritage to one of 10 internment camps—officially called "relocation centers"—in California, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, and Arkansas. http://www.infoplease.com/spot/internment1.html
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POPSWe Can't Handle The Truth "They don’t mention that we spend almost a trillion dollars a year on a protracted war in Iraq, money that we must borrow from China and Japan. We spend 51% of our discretionary budget on our military. No nation on the globe spends more than 6%. Maybe this could be a reason our economy is faltering?"
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POPSREALITY CHECK! There is a frightening new global trend of denial... Europeans think that they don't need to limit fishing... Car companies don't think they need to improve fuel economy standards... Bush thinks he can increase spending and cut taxes at the same time... Jingoists think we are winning the war in Iraq... Democrats think Hillary Clinton has enough experience to win an election... Polluters think that Global Warming won't really happen... Evangelicals think Jesus is coming back soon... Fundamentalists think they can win the war against modernity... The truth is: we're stuck with this world. The rules DO apply. No free passes. You have to face the music sometime. We must choose realism over comfortable delusion. Unfortunately, for now, wistful thinking will rule the day until we let it all collapse around us. Then we'll stand there scratching our heads saying: How could this happen?
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POPSWar Casualities Not Forgotten "Thousands of crosses and stars cover four tapestry-like "peace panels" across the imposing stone walls in the nave of the church. That location was selected so worshipers would see a constant and powerful reminder of the war's human toll as they leave the sanctuary. We wanted to create a symbol that would help us stay uncomfortable, that would constantly remind us of the daily needs to build peace, to choose peace in everything we do," said psychologist Lo Sprague, a member of the committee."
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POPSConflict in Iran: Symbiosis between Bush and Ahmadinejad
I've stitched together three very interesting articles over the last week, which become much more interesting when you read them in sequence. Look carefully at what is happening. If there is anything that lays bare the role of the Bush Administration's jingoistic belligerence in the Middle East, it is the recent conflict in the Strait of Hormuz. With the international pressure off Ahmadinejad, he starts taking heat in Iran for the shortcomings of his leadership. Without fear, his belligerent and isolationist politics lose their appeal. In order to defend his world view, and preserve the source of his power, he needs America as an enemy... So some Iranian boats play around with one of our convoys, Bush comes out with some insane saber-rattling press conference, and, Ahmadinejad is back in business, courtesy of the Bush administration. If you desire war, you need an enemy. If you need an enemy, you desire war. Bush needs Ahmadinejad. Just like Ahmadinejad needs Bush.
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POPSTolstoy & Gandhi: Two Giants Bound By Pacifism
Enlightening account of the relationship between Tolstoy & Gandhi "In South Africa, Tolstoy's writings landed on the desk of a young Indian dissident, Mahatma Gandhi. He was overwhelmed, declaring that after reading Tolstoy his "lack of faith in non-violence vanished." He hung a picture of Tolstoy on his office wall and named the camp where he trained activists in peaceful resistance Tolstoy Farm. Gandhi wrote five letters to Leo Tolstoy and received four in return, all glowing with praise and intellectual exchange. In his last letter, written in September 1910 only weeks before his death, Tolstoy told Gandhi that his activity was "the most central and important of all the work now being done in the world." Years later, Gandhi repaid the compliment, writing that he knew of no one "in India or anywhere else who has had as profound an understanding of nonviolence as Tolstoy had." Tolstoy had inspired Gandhi's legendary instruction to "be the change you want to see in the worl
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POPSWhat Exactly Is Wasteful Spending? I think it would be overcharging the army 6 billion a year for services that made Halliburton rich such as food, laundry, and meals they never served to the troops. Or maybe the bill the republicans voted down for stiffer penalties on contractors who overbill. Or maybe the 1.7 they spent for a new amphibious vehicle that broke down an average of every 4 hours, leaked and veered off course. And for that, the contractor, General Dynamics, received 80 million in bonuses. Instead I believe McCain would like to cut "wasteful" spending on such programs as Medicare and Medicaid, SCHIP, oppose any increase in minimum wage, and cut programs that work such as head start or LIHEAP. Who is being asked to sacrifice? It sure the hell isn't those getting rich off this unjust war.
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POPSThe Cost of the Iraq War: A Pundit's Guilt This is a stark moment of humanity for Christopher Hitchens, who I must admit, is not always a lovable character. He has had to soberly (or, maybe not soberly!) face the consequences of his punditry. Political opinions do not exist in a vacuum. These are not simply ideas we are talking about. This nation is overwhelmed with flippant armchair strategists on both sides who have no real understanding of what is actually going on. The Iraq War isn't a failure of American ideals, it is a disaster of well-meaning ignorance.
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POPSThe Nature of War Need to go to the source to get the full story. A little philosophy can stimulate the mind.
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