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Articles
JUNE
2002
Doing it the Easy Way
June 29,
2002 · We've probably all known
at least one person like this, the one whose whole life is
devoted to the proposition that effort and accountability
are to be avoided at all costs. So it was that a man of miniscule
talent who was never called to account for poor grades, problematic
military obligations, or failing businesses managed to achieve
the nation's highest office. By Mike
McArdle
The Asterisk Residency
June 29,
2002 · The asterisk. No president
in our history, no matter how contested the election - whether
1800, 1824, 1876, or 1960, has ever been marked with that
subtle little star, that brands their legacy and leaves his
legitimacy in doubt. By Laurin
Suiter (ZombyWoof)
Funny Money
June 29,
2002 · Enron was George Bush's
number one contributor. It is now bankrupt. Arthur Andersen
was George Bush's number two contributor and is now defunct.
Now we have MCI WorldCom, the number 7 contributor following
in their footsteps. By Bridget
Gibson
No Foreign Policy Foreplay?
June 28,
2002 · This latest administration of
ours has chosen, quite deliberately, to make the Monroe Doctrine
into something wholly unfamiliar to contemporary American
citizens. It is now the desire of the current administration
to rule the world, absolutely and without contradiction. By punpirate
Inferno
June 28,
2002 · Massive fires in the West have
transformed trees and grass into smoke and dust. This act
of God is mirrored in the actions of men. The temples of wealth,
the gilded corporate offices with the fountains leaping into
the air, are in flames. Their scorched earth is a wake of
bewildered investors and discarded employees, covered in the
ashes of their hopes and dreams. By grl2watch
He'd Like To Buy the World
a Coup
Bush's devotion to democracy has led him to keep adding to
the list of heads-of-state he would like to see ousted, by
popular vote, of course, all over the world. They may already
be there by popular vote, but that's a mere technicality.
In a true democracy, it doesn't really matter how they got
into power unless they have the Bush dynasty seal of approval.
Why We Must Fight
June 27,
2002 · The real enemy isn't Ralph Nader,
as many centrists decry. The real enemy isn't the Democratic
Leadership Council, as many leftists proclaim. The real enemy
isn't even the Republican Party. The real enemy is the army
of special interest lobbyists camped out on Capitol Hill.
By Christopher
Harrison
Should President Bush
Be Charged With Negligent Homicide?
June 26,
2002 · Why did George W. Bush "apply"
for the job of President? Because he could? This is recklessly
arrogant at best, criminally negligent at worst. It's one
thing if you're a prep cook who lucks into a head chef gig
without the proper understanding of black pepper, but it's
quite another when your aspirations are aimed squarely at
becoming the leader of the free world. By
Mike Seely
The Diva and the Double-Dipper
June 26,
2002 · Congress is investigating Martha
Stewart. The SEC is looking into Halliburtons numerous shenanigans
that occurred on Dick Cheney's watch. But, no matter what
the evidence, smart money's on neither suffering too much.
By Mike
McArdle
What Happened to the
Humility President?
June 26,
2002 · What is humility? The answer
to this question is illusive but the search provides illuminating
knowledge and exposes incredibly damning evidence to President
Bush's spiritual and mental capacity. By Joseph
Arrieta
Warning! Warning!
June 25,
2002 · I was a child of the '60s and
it finally dawned on me what all the warnings and threats
and manufactured mayhem emanating from Bush II and Co. remind
me of. Just how many of you good people remember "Lost in
Space?" By W.
David Jenkins III
Talkin' About the F-Word
(Redux)
June 25,
2002 · This article was first published
in December of 2001, in the wake of 9/11, when the grim outlines
of police-state-like tactics were first starting to appear
on the American horizon. It might be useful to compare and
contrast between then and now. Doing so may help us understand
the forces we're facing and how to respond as Bush&Co. continue
their move toward a more militarist society. By Bernard
Weiner
The Walls Are Crumbling
June 25,
2002 · Soon the walls of secrecy will
crumble umder an avalanche of words. When people will no longer
fear retribution from their government then they will rise
up to defend the country they love and destroy by their voices
and votes the government they hate. By Bob
Volpitto
The Evil Dick Cheney
June 22,
2002 · Cheney is smarter, more experienced,
and more dangerous than Bush. He's known as the enforcer on
Capitol Hill, with his office known as the torture chamber.
There is a reason for those nicknames, and it's not something
I would be proud of, but Cheney probably is. By Jackson
Thoreau
My Brief Career as a
Racial Profiler
June 22,
2002 · It was a Sunday. The day before
Passover. I was flying from New York JFK airport to Los Angeles
with my husband, mother-in-law, eight year old son, 50-60
religious Jews, and a guy named Mohammed. I was quite sure
I was going to die. By Soleft
Unfortunately, America
Can Rely on its Allies
June
22, 2002 · I am disgusted with the way
that America's allies are responding to Bush's arrogant stance
towards the "War on Terrorism." I am a student in Leeds, England
and have recently found it harder and harder to find someone
who actually knows Bush's objectives or even has a coherent
arguement as to why we should be standing by this act of lunacy.
By Amy-Louise
Lane
The Way We War
June 21,
2002 · In these days of globalization,
it's strange to me that the United States can behave as if
we're the only ones on the planet, with no repercussions for
others, or ourselves, down the road. Bush Inc. seems to have
a serious case of solipsism - we're the only ones who matter,
or even exist. By Isaac
Playing the Hypocrisy Card
June 20,
2002 · Of the many underhanded, cynical,
and blatantly deceptive tactics employed by the Republican
party to finagle some political advantage for themselves,
by far the most pernicious is the Hypocrisy Card. By Drew
Vogel
Bill Clinton: Live in
Concert! One Night Only!
June
20, 2002 · The crush was amazing. I've
attended political functions before. Hell, I've been to the
Oscars. But riding the crest of this particular wave reminded
me of two days long ago and far away, when I stood in line
for 12 hours (and then waited inside for another 12) to see
The Rolling Stones at the Orange Bowl. By Elayne
Keratsis
I Ain't Got No Body
June 20,
2002 · There are many similarities between
Jesse Ventura and George W. Bush. What do these similarities
portend for the Bush Administration? The once mighty Ventura
is now a memory; will the now mighty Bush be a one term flash
in the pan like Ventura was? Or will Bush survive? By Richard
Prasad
Bush to World: "Kick
Me"
June 19,
2002 · Our government seems to be doing
everything it can to make America as widely and fiercely hated
as possible. Is magnanimity or machismo the best course to
ensure our safety? By David
Swanson
There is No War On Terror
June 19,
2002 · Let us not fool ourselves, there
is no War On Terror. The administration is going after the
evildoers in a half-hearted,half-assed manner. The president
and his administration have told us that they "Don't govern
by polls" -- I say they are poll junkies. Every perceived
threat that the president stares down, every "terrorist" that
he arrests keeps up the numbers and keeps him happy. By Adrian
Johannson
The Titanic War on Words
June 19,
2002 · Let's face it: you can graduate
from Yale University, apparently, without ever reading a work
of literature. Our president seems to have done so. He has
worse than no sense of language. He speaks a barbarous English,
mangles words, creates bizarre neologisms, savages grammar,
and generally crashes into linguistic accidents. By Luciana
Bohne
Everything's Gonna Be Just
Fine
June 18,
2002 · The time has come for the naysayers
to join with the fans of this pre-emptive striking, civil
rights-squashing, constitution-shredding, global warming-ignoring,
free speech-hating, Social Security-raiding, rich guy-helping
buffoon and believe that everything's gonna be just fine.
By Mark
W. Trude
Immigrants and Clandestines:
Globalization's New Wretched of the Earth
June 18, 2002 · They're not running
to a "better life." They're running for their life.
Anti-clandestine migrant legislation is a denial of responsibility
for the poverty we cause, from which comes our riches. Anti-immigration
laws, in general, enforce global apartheid. By Luciana
Bohne
Dear Bob Barr, Don't Sue
Me
June 18,
2002 · To Rep. Bob Barr's Campaign Manager:
I was wondering if there are any prerequisites to having Rep.
Barr speak at a gathering I am putting together? I know the
Congressman is busy and I don't want to waste his time so
here is a quick list of questions I have about a possible
future speaking engagement... By Paul
Winkelmann
I Can No Longer Be Silent
June 18,
2002 · I can be silent no more. I cannot
sit idly by and watch our civil liberties be stripped away.
I will no longer tolerate the shredding of the United States
Constitution by our government. By Christian
Salafia
Don't Follow the Leader
June 15,
2002 · I plead with you, America, return
to your roots. Regain your integrity as individuals as I did,
and deny these "follow the leader" syndrome worshipers further
opportunity to destroy us. Bring true compassion and patriotism,
love of country, pride in our ability to show the world greatness,
and truth and beauty. By Bob
Volpitto
The Mountain of Fear
June 15,
2002 · As I was eating my breakfast
and flipping through the day's copy of The Baltimore Sun
earlier this morning, a funny thing happened to me. I don't
mean a ha-ha sort of funny, I mean an abnormal sort of funny.
It was abnormal because it was the first time in a number
of years that I had experienced true fear. By Mark
W. Brown
Card's Trick
June 15,
2002 · Andrew Card gave an interview
to Esquire magazine recently. Was this interview truly candid,
or just more Bush administration spin-doctoring to appeal
to seemingly disaffected conservatives? By Richard
Prasad
Buying Your Own Death
June 14,
2002 · You have fed the monster by buying
into the slick commercialism and consumerism of greed. There's
a big case of the "I got mines" and screw everybody else.
Keep me safe and I will continue to shop at Walmart, continue
to drive my gas guzzling SUV. By Bridget
Gibson
We're Not in Kansas Anymore
June 14,
2002 · It seems that you can't keep
a bad idea down. Readily refutable dogmas, such as astrology,
"trickle-down" economics, and creationism all seem to possess
some Dracula-like immortality,no matter how much logic, experience
and demonstrable proof is arrayed against them. By Ernest
Partridge
THE
DAILY WHOPPER
When Law Fails
June 13,
2002 · International law was originally
intended to regulate war. Post-WWII international law was
intended to make war itself illegal. For all the pomp and
ceremony, those who wail against the increasing irrelevance
and disregard of international law, fail to attract great
outrage for a simple reason: It is not becoming irrelevant;
it already is. By
Jeremiah Bourque
CNN Gets a Whippin'
June 13,
2002 · Roll Call is reporting
that House Bug Man, Tom "The Exterminator" DeLay -- also known
as "The Whip" -- was all kissy-feely with new AOL/Time Warner
CEO Richard "Dick" Parsons after a closed-door meeting last
week... By
Sheila Samples
Bush Knows Nothing About
Soccer
June 13,
2002 ·
On the day after the United States defeated Portugal
3-2, Mr. Bush was asked for his opinion about the surprising
victory. Mr. Bush, being a former Baseball team owner and
clueless about the importance of the question, mentioned weakly
that Americans are great athletes. His comment reinforces
the total disconnect that the Bush Administration has when
it comes to the people of the rest of the world. By
Bruce Douglass
Pass the Prozac
June 12,
2002 · Fair warning to the concerned
citizen who follows the 2002 budget process closely: have
at least 2 mental escape routes concretely planned. Doesn’t
matter if it’s prozac, exercise, sex, alcohol, research, thorazine,
gardening, whatever—diversions that last for at least 48 hours
are absolutely necessary or one will become as insane as the
federal budget process itself. By
Joseph Arrieta
Eyes on the Prize
June 12,
2002 · One of the things that make the
Democratic Party great is also its weakness – our diversity.
Unlike the Hard Right -- who have hijacked the Republican
Party with The Agenda That Must be Obeyed -- we Democrats
fight amongst ourselves about damn near everything. I think
this is great, but it also causes us to lose our focus just
when we need it most. We don’t keep our eyes on the prize.
By Caroline
Spector
Clint Eastwood for Secretary
of Homeland Defense
June 12,
2002 · Who the heck is going to our
first Secretary? Tom Ridge? I don’t think so! I’m thinking
that this position is going to be oh, say about 99.9% PR,
and that’s why we need somebody like Clint Eastwood. Let’s
do a comparison...
By Rich Procter
Leave No Child Behind?
June 11,
2002 · What I think most folks miss
in this altruistic ideal is that we've left countless numbers
of children behind. We left some behind in the 70s, we left
most behind in the 80s, we left way too many behind in the
90s - and more to the point, we don't even remember the ones
we left behind in the 40s, 50s and 60s.
By Darren N. Wilkinson (Coyul)
You're Losing, Mr. Ashcroft
June 11,
2002 · For a man who buys so heavily
into the NRA argument that gun laws only punish legal gun
owners, Ashcroft sure doesn't seem to apply the same logic
to immigration policy.
By Jeff Crook
Stop Chasing Bush, Go After
Dick
June 11,
2002 · Would Nixon have resigned if
his VP hadn't already fallen in disgrace? Hard to tell. Yet,
I think that once you prove that there are crooks in the administration
the press has an easier time associating criminal behavior
and branding the head with similar accusations.
By Scaramouche
The Gay Scapegoat
June 8,
2002 · If there’s one thing conservatives
have become masters of, it’s ascribing the ills of the world
to everybody’s freedom but their own. In fact, they’ve become
virtuosos of the PR ricochet. So I guess it’s no surprise
to me that hiding pedophile priests within the catacombs of
church bureaucracy would become the fault of the radical gay
“agenda.”
By Terry Sawyer
Waltons and Simpsons—Allegories
of Consciousness
June 8,
2002 · Since 9/11, under the son's usurped
rule, Father Bush's wish has come true: 90 percent of Americans
have gone to live on Walton Mountain. There, they seek their
obsessive security at the expense of civil liberties, the
rights of minorities, and the right to dissent. By
Luciana Bohne
"Nucular" Winter
June 8,
2002 · Our nation has lost its credibility
and its honor. The verbal gaffes and political mistakes have
cost us in ways that may never be forgotten or forgiven across
the globe. The abyss yawns before us and the memories of more
prosperous times for our world and families dim. By
Bridget Gibson
Love Slaves of the Potomac
June 7,
2002 · There is plenty to indicate that
a new Sodom and Gomorra is springing whole from the Southwestern
soil. In the wake of these revelations, speculation necessarily
strains to discern the implications for the Republican party's
future.
By Hank Blakely
Mr. Cheney, Step Down
June 6,
2002 · Every action the Vice President
takes should be under scrutiny, shouldn't it? We were all
told about Vice President Gore's alleged problems, ad nauseum.
Why isn't the same level of scrutiny applied to Vice President
Dick Cheney? By
Richard Prasad
Much Ado About Very Little
June 6,
2002 · It's not that I want to be a
spoil sport. And I will admit that a little progress is better
than none at all. But this treaty the Bush administration
is so joyously trumpeting as a major breakthrough in nuclear
disarmament is one gift horse whose mouth is not very appealing.
By Michael
Shannon
The GOP-to-English
Dictionary: Cracking the Republican Code
June 6,
2002 · Finding it difficult to reconcile
Republican rhetoric with their actions? Maybe you just aren't
speaking the same language. Use this handy guide to translate
GOP dialog, and get on the same page as the corporate millionaires
running the country! By
Michael Barry
I Was Once An Immigrant
June 5,
2002 · I am one of those people whom
President Bush and Attorney General Ashcroft have warned Americans
to be on the alert about, to report on--to put on notice,
in other words. I am different, possibly un-American.
By Luciana Bohne
The Bush 9/11 Scandal, In
Plain English
June 5,
2002 · Don't know about you, but all
this who-knew-what-when pre-9/11 stuff is mighty confusing.
So once again, I head to that all-purpose reference series
for some comprehensible answers.
By Bernard Weiner
Revolution in the Weedeater
June 5,
2002 · Malfeasance. Irresponsibility.
Denial. Stupidity. Dishonesty. All of those characterizations
about this White House concerning internal combustion emissions
are true, but they mask the real reason they refuse to do
anything: this White House, like the devil’s handmaiden, is
the protector of Greed and Fear.
By Joseph Arrieta
Ari Briefs the Press Corpse
June 4,
2002 · It's early June, 2002. White
House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer welcomes the group of
assembled reporters and, without the usual preliminary statements,
begins taking questions. Democratic Underground has acquired
an unauthorized transcription of the press briefing... Transcribed
by Warren Pease
It's the Incompetence,
Stupid
June 4,
2002 · It’s time for a new slogan. Personally,
I think “It’s the Stupidity, stupid” has a nice alliterative
ring to it, but since that might sound like too much of an
ad hominem attack on the person currently occupying
the White House, perhaps we should go with “It’s the Incompetence,
stupid.”
By Caroline Spector
Trapped in a Big Office,
George W. Bush Wears the Soul of a Little Man
June 1,
2002 · The headline, Weary, Bush mocks
reporter, intrigued me. Bill Sammon of the Washington Times
was reporting an exchange which took place in Paris between
an NBC reporter and the first born son of George Herbert Walker
Bush. By Teresa
Simon-Noble
BYOB: Buy Your Own Brainwashing
June 1,
2002 · The mercantile aspect of the
Bush war on terrorism is impossible to overlook. The local
gas station sells patriotic tee shirts and posters with a
bulls eye on bin Laden’s forehead. Hardware and drug stores
have baskets full of lapel buttons, key chain dangles, and
plastic signs with suction cups for car window display--each
bearing flags and slogans and crying eagles. By Cecil
Bothwell
Food on the Table
June 1,
2002 · In this modern age of machinery,
transportation and communication one could easily surmise
that food production has significantly evolved from its humble
labor-intensive roots. In many ways it has not. By Joseph
Arrieta
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