02
The Rally in SF
So apparently, it’s all about oil.
Now, I know what you’re going to say. You’re going to trot out a bunch of exhaustive arguments about national security, nuclear weapons, a murderous dictator who’s repeatedly shown himself to be aggressive… blah, blah, blah.
Yeah, but see, I was in San Francisco to see the rally today, and they all just seemed so damn sure that the gooey gold of Iraq was the real thing on Bush’s mind. Well, most of them did, anyway. The relatively small assortment of others not holding to the oil-line couldn’t quite reach such a cohesive consensus. A sizable portion of the remainders singled out the Global Zionist Conspiracy as the war-mongering culprits. From this, I think one can reasonably deduce that those dirty Jews are just licking their baby-eating lips thinking about kicking all the Palestinians out of their ancient ancestral homelands in… Iraq? I don’t pretend to understand the rationale behind this argument, but then, I’m not that bright. I’ll leave it in your much more intellectually capable hands to sort out the rhyme and reason.
Have you done that? Good. So now maybe you can figure this one out:
No, no, don’t adjust your monitor. Yes, that is a banner calling for the release of Mumia Abu-Jamal, the convicted cop-killer on death row and the darling of the academic elite, whose name or picture is as valid a secret handshake among the counter-cultural leftwing as anything written by Noam Chomsky. Anyone who can figure out what his misguided fanbase is doing pimping for his release at an anti-war rally is anyone’s guess. Perhaps part of “ending racism” (being one of the core missions of A.N.S.W.E.R free dog fuck story.) happens to include releasing people who shoot cops and happen to be black, have killer dredlocks, and are able to spout all kinds of pseudo-intellectual Marxist buzzwords.
The rally was advertised to begin at about 11 am at Embarcadero, where it would then proceed a brisk 2 miles down Market Street and culminate at the Civic Center in front of City Hall, apparently where the main event was to take place. I was holding out the ambitious hope that the rally organizers would break with protest tradition and have the march end with a no-holds-barred cage match between a mountain gorilla and a grizzly bear. That was a tad overly ambitious, it turns out. I mean, I’m not completely inflexible. I would have settled even for some sort of monkey knife fight.
Really though, at its most basic, I was really just crossing my fingers praying that Saturday’s ordeal would end in some other way than the standard immobile horde of marchers gathered around a stage from which poured bad rhetoric and worse poetry.
I didn’t even leave for the BART station until after 11. I figured that, since anti-war demonstrators being the fashionable people they are, most of them would be fashionably late. And after all, there’s nothing more embarrassing than showing up to the protest early, unless you come to the thing dressed in the same prom dress as your best friend (we had coordinated beforehand though, so no worries on that front).
And by all indications, I had chosen aright, since it seemed I was being pressed into the subway car with just about every other person going to San Francisco that day [insert sardine reference here], which allowed me the opportunity to discretely listen in on several conversations by earnest young people who were at an acute loss as to why everyone else in the country wouldn’t listen to them and thus solve all the world’s problems lickety-split.
The member of one such trio of eager marchers, in an apparent effort to acknowledge that just perhaps there was another side to the debate, mentioned quietly that, even though this whole, like… war thing, is of course all about oil ‘n stuff, Saddam is still sorta, you know… pretty evil, or something.
It didn’t seem to go over as the paltry statement of even-handedness he had hoped for, as one of his friends, her strong disapproval showing through her voice, demurred.
“Ok, like Saddam isn’t evil. Darth Vader is evil, ok? Like, Sauron is evil. Saddam isn’t evil, dude. That isn’t a term you can even apply to like, real people, ok? It’s like completely beyond any concept of reality.”
I didn’t take the time to check, but I am nevertheless certain she indignantly upbraided the carrier of the large placard at the rally reading, “Bush is Sauron” later that day with the same stern admonitions against dehumanization of one’s enemy.
Still in the subway car, however, she continued male sucking horse.
“And like, calling Saddam evil just so perfectly illustrates that Bush is like, so incapable of any kind of logical thought, you know? It’s also uh… totally racist, too.”
“Yeah,” her scolded companion agreed, his head lowered. “Yeah, you’re right.”
…and so forth. I’ve come to the conclusion that at one point we became stuck in some sort of space-time rift. It’s the only explanation I’ve come up with so far to account for the seeming excruciatingly slow passage of time.
Anyway, eventually we did get to San Francisco, and the bright-eyed members of Young People For Saddam quickly filed out and jostled up the stairs and escalators to get at the real action. Walking up from the subterranean levels of the BART station into the light of day, slowly hearing the roar get louder and louder, I felt vaguely like I was about to emerge out from the tunnel into the bustling stands of Yankee Stadium.
Only instead of baseball players, screaming fans and hot dog vendors, you get commies, anarchists and hippies galore.
Of course, it’s unfair to lump all the attendees in with those labels, but even those that didn’t fall into the tie-dyed, open-toed extremist camp weren’t exactly selling a mainstream message, either. From what I could tell, as the throng plodded down Market Street to the ever-present thud of bongo drums and chroused renditions of “Give Peace a Chance,” there were all types of people who probably had never used the word “Amerikkka” in in their whole life. But it didn’t take long to realize that even they weren’t marching with any kind of communicable message to send to the millions of people in the swayable political center of America whose opinions are actually important enough to divert the government from a plan of war.
In fact, looking for any kind of coherent anti-war stance, save for the never tiresome claims about oily causality would most likely lead a person truly undecided on the matter of Iraq to turn away in disgust when they are confronted with the ugly and baseless accusation that the senior elected officials in our government are willing to risk the lives of thousands of Americans and many more thousands of Iraqis solely in order to line their pockets with a few more million bucks of dirty oil money.
If you really want to sway opinion against the war, you have to be Walter Cronkite, not Abbie Hoffman. You have to make the case that the risks outweigh the benefits, both pragmatically and morally. You have to not accuse those in favor of war of being genocidal fascist pigs bent on killing millions of brown people because… well because they’re there, dammit! You don’t let an antiwar rally devolve into a carnival for any and every extreme leftwing cause out there my wife fucking dog. You have to admit that, for all the flaws that you see in the leaders with which you disagree, they are in no way comparable to Saddam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden.
And above all else, you don’t allow your message to be hijacked and funneled through a group that is a front for the Workers World Party, because how many Americans are going to be enthusiastic about supporting an organization that wants to abolish the United States of America in favor of a global communist state?
But then, all of this is assuming that they actually do want to convince a section of America broader than their own ideologically narrow ranks, and I don’t think this is the case. Essentially, this was a day for all the folks who find meaning in their lives by being self-righteously opposed to the majority to show just how self-righteous they are to each other, and who can make the most clever Bush/Hitler reference.
When I got to the civic center, there was some woman who at least styled herself a poet at the loudspeaker, reading some freestyle poetry that would make Amiri Baraka jealous. She claimed the war in Iraq was a Zionist conspiracy to expand Israel until the Jews took over the entire region. She said that the US government wanted to install a new Saddam Hussein of their own choosing and that they were going to gobble up every country in the Middle East until it was one big American colony. She ranted about “indigenous peoples” rising up and expelling the illegal immigrant white-eyes. She proclaimed that they would take back “Palestine” (all of it) and that “the Intifada will continue!”
If I’m making it sound as if she was raving like a friggin’ lunatic, that’s because, well, she was raving like a friggin’ lunatic.
All to the delirious applause of the audience, of course. It was at that point that I decided, “Yup, that’s about it,” and started to make my way back up Market to the BART station. It didn’t mean that they were finished. Hoo-boy, not by a long shot. That woman at the podium seemingly jockeying for the position of New Jersey poet laureate alone seemed to have the lung capacity and fury to go one for hours. What I meant was that there wasn’t going to be anything new. Nothing I hadn’t heard before; but more importantly, nothing that was worth hearing.
Nothing that would resonate outside of the sheltered enclaves of the leftcoast leftwing. Nothing that put forth any message besides the strange logic of, “Bush worked for an oil company. Now he wants to invade a country that has oil. It’s just that simple! Can’t you see the connection?”
As I boarded the BART train for the ride home, I couldn’t help but feel just a little sorry for them. In six weeks, when the war has already come and gone and the Iraqis have barely finished dancing in the streets and news about just how awful Saddam really was floods the world, how are they going to be able to console themselves?
“I mean, man, the war actually seemed to help those Iraqi people. They sorta even look happy, dude. And man, that Saddam was one badass mutha. The people are like, more healthy and safe and stuff. What’s up with that? And millions of civilians didn’t die. Dude, what happened?”
“I know man, I know beastiality story index. It’s a sad day. Truly, a tragedy for the entire world. Come on, we’ve got that Mumia rally later today. Gotta finish those protest signs.”
care. Just don't let me hear anything about how this bombing that specifically targeted Australian civilians was somehowWatching Channel 7 news today (the Simpsons were in a commercial), they reported on a wad of dingbats who blocked access
Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard at 09:13 PM | Comments (4)
When they aired some actual interviews with the protesters, I started to honestly think they were part of some sort of
Another Australian tourist, 18-year-old Rachel Hughes, said she and her boyfriend had just arrived in Kuta when the blast
In fact, the idea of pre- emptive attack depends on fear. It presupposes insecurity and assumes we will always be threatened.
The Muslim world -- whose support is vital to any real effort to end the causes of terrorism -- is adamantly opposed.
rivals.
attack against the United States. Even though President Bush acknowledged in his speech that Iraq does not currently
you could see stink lines of self-satisfaction coming off her so that he could simply get to his job. She of course started
I was already in a state of "moving on" and being "over it" before I even heard about the Bali attacks, with the result
Replace "powerful" with "crazy and armed with nukes" and you'd be right. Otherwise, your statement is nonsense.
attack against the United States. Even though President Bush acknowledged in his speech that Iraq does not currently
I suppose you mean that it's not "multilateralist" unless France says so?
on the civilized world. And when I resort again to that frame of mind, it will be because I realize, intellectually and
going to be monitored so closely that I'd be surprised if he were able to put in a phony name at a porn site and not have
of righteousness; and it becomes a very evil thing if it serves merely as a mask for cowardice and
he revealed himself to be a seriously dishonest debater (that, or he was so stupid that it wouldn't be safe for him to
the world to stomach the imperial scent of our newly enunciated military doctrine that proposes pre- emption of any powerful
Watching Channel 7 news today (the Simpsons were in a commercial), they reported on a wad of dingbats who blocked access
In fact, the idea of pre- emptive attack depends on fear. It presupposes insecurity and assumes we will always be threatened.
Well, being the abject conformist that I am, I would like to welcome all new and oldcomers to my new blog, which will
but they make up for any lack of actual existence with pure unadulterated enthusiasm.
some of their cohorts are actually being held accountable by the university for their disruptive, illegal actions at
And at most, UN weapons inspectors have delayed conflict by a few years, not averted it. In actualyity, I think they have
we could go and stop the Soviets and all their expansionist hijinks, but then we'd like, have to go all the way over to
economic stupidity, especially when their ideas would do such a better job of it by themselves. Case in point:
lying in order to gain information that gave him access to restricted systems.
Well I wouldn't be surprised if this Wednesday at Sproul there will be similar behavior, and I plan to be there. Maybe
to roost," those sniveling, carping appeasers,
when you apply your own internal calculus of death and suffering and conclude that it isn't something that you need
And at most, UN weapons inspectors have delayed conflict by a few years, not averted it. In actualyity, I think they have
who like to chant slogans and can't come up with any better rhyme than something that has to do with the number "four" and "war."
to make the first world poor and make sure the third world stays that way.
US: Italy, Australia, Poland, Spain, Qatar, Kuwait and, of course, Britain. I know it's hard to find out this kind of
they're done, hang them on his wall next to the framed heads of Iraqi dissidents and say to himself, "Well, I can check
you could see stink lines of self-satisfaction coming off her so that he could simply get to his job. She of course started
The BBC has a story about the so-called "master hacker", in which it does a good job of destroying the mythos that
computer systems.
You try to make it seem as if the Joint Chiefs were lying around on a Sunday afternoon and said to themselves, "Yeah sure,
Meanwhile, the fact that we are able to use pre-emptive action when deemed necessary is a fact of our strength, not weakness
coming off them. It was really a terrible sight," she said. "You could just hear people crying up in the Bounty foyer -
to get a good smack upside the head (or as I call it, a "hippie hello"), but that was apparently too much for the niggardly
The article also points to this site, which maintains a running clock of how long it will be until Mitnick can start
"The death of that man is a religious duty, but his case should not be tied to the Christian community," Shabestari,
jerkwad I encounter, an order for them to be beheaded with extreme prejudice until the the point at which they are dead
It may be a sad illustration of my lack to find sympathy within myself without reading descriptions or seeing pictures,
off a bunch of secretaries and other office workers who probably agree with them on the war anyway will further their
Well that's not really true. People on a different side of the debate than I are not necessarily jerks, just wrong.
world that even today harbors and offers succor to the same groups that piloted the 9/11 planes, right?
Anyway, take the new site for a test drive. Take her easy on the clutch and go steady on the hills, and I think you'll
What it does not mean however, is that this suddenly signals that we are going to be going after China, Saudi Arabia, Cuba
trying to get an education
destroying the technological infrastructure of Western civilization again. And it's only 3 months away!
"The death of that man is a religious duty, but his case should not be tied to the Christian community," Shabestari,
of righteousness; and it becomes a very evil thing if it serves merely as a mask for cowardice and
to get a good smack upside the head (or as I call it, a "hippie hello"), but that was apparently too much for the niggardly
the world to stomach the imperial scent of our newly enunciated military doctrine that proposes pre- emption of any powerful
attack against the United States. Even though President Bush acknowledged in his speech that Iraq does not currently
In fact, the idea of pre- emptive attack depends on fear. It presupposes insecurity and assumes we will always be threatened.
I was already in a state of "moving on" and being "over it" before I even heard about the Bali attacks, with the result
but they make up for any lack of actual existence with pure unadulterated enthusiasm.
or any other simply crappy country in the world, because none of them satisfy both those propositions.
hunting dairy cows with a high-powered rifle and scope."
of constant uncertainty and increased insecurity where almost anything could lead to war.
the Feds know about it.
Maybe I can't change the fact that I have to be intimately confronted with the death and pain in order to really feel the
And exactly how do you go from no "final proof" to there being no evidence of impending aggression? The very fact that
Shiite Muslim clerics in Lebanon and Iran have reacted with rage at the Rev. Jerry Falwell for calling Islam's prophet
democratically decided laws - - not the capriciousness of individual rulers -- should govern human affairs.
you could see stink lines of self-satisfaction coming off her so that he could simply get to his job. She of course started
Now could someone please tell me what concrete purpose that woman's behavior, and that of her great chanting unwashed bretheren,
Replace "powerful" with "crazy and armed with nukes" and you'd be right. Otherwise, your statement is nonsense.
I'll get a chance to ask why they've been glorifying images of Hamas murderers on their flyers.
and the decisions to do so would based on (as in this case) measured calculations of the relative benefits and costs,
President Bush says he wants to avoid "a future of fear." It's an admirable goal, but one hardly served by this new doctrine.
that continues to characterize the US as the Great Satan and preach jihad against all things Western? Oh I know, the Muslim
War, by three fellows that hail from Global Exchange. You know who I'm talking about. The folks that want to "build an
so that he will be better equipped to fulfill point 1). Show me another nation that's like that today.
The experience made me think of the instructions from all corners of the media after 9/11 that what we, as Americans,
be replacing the old site that was hosted on that evil of evils, that bane of banes, that something-really-awful of
Why are you still here?!
of fist.
However, several of the exchanges I have had have definately been with those you might describe as "challeneged" in
I was already in a state of "moving on" and being "over it" before I even heard about the Bali attacks, with the result
Anyway, take the new site for a test drive. Take her easy on the clutch and go steady on the hills, and I think you'll
cause, but I,
Eventually he got a little ticked off and said roughly, "Get away from me!" I was hungrily anticipating the energetic dissenter
superiority.
Meanwhile, the fact that we are able to use pre-emptive action when deemed necessary is a fact of our strength, not weakness
threaten the United States, he said we must "assume the worst." Essentially, the White House is proposing that the
we despise no less the coward and the voluptuary. No man is worth calling a man who will not fight
that blatantly called for some rhetorical bitch-slapping.
I wish that I could just be told "Hundreds of people died in a terrorist bombing today," and instantly feel the kind of rage
lying in order to gain information that gave him access to restricted systems.
Hesiod over at Counterspin Central is one such fellow. Not only with myself, but in his conversations with Den Beste,
the world to stomach the imperial scent of our newly enunciated military doctrine that proposes pre- emption of any powerful
Sure, it'd be nice to be a leader...
Yes, well I suppose you're suggesting that we would be well-served to wait for this "final proof," then? Very well. I'll
news editors of Cannel 7 to allow, as the segment ended right there.
Russia and shit. Besides, it's just the Russians. Why don't we just contain them or something? Hey, who's up for some
occurred, smashing the window of their hotel room.
sloth, or as an instrument to further the ends of despotism or anarchy.
without regard to whether the loss is due to the growth of a heartless and all-absorbing commercialism,
Heh. Didn't Nostradamus write something about "a bespeckled plague rising in the West..."?
Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard at 12:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
conflict.
Saddam is so hot to get his grubby hands on nukes is enough evidence of aggression. What's he going to do with them once
a terrorist and an envoy of Iran's supreme leader reportedly called for his death.
looks like a green light, no?
The book details the ways that employees can inadvertently leak information that can be exploited by hackers to compromise
being the reaction described above.
agree that [insert additional badly-forced car metaphor here]!
without end is causing traditional friends of the United States to
jerkwad I encounter, an order for them to be beheaded with extreme prejudice until the the point at which they are dead
we could go and stop the Soviets and all their expansionist hijinks, but then we'd like, have to go all the way over to
I've been blogging since July 2005, and in that time, I've had a few inter-blog arguments with the folks on the other
owned," she pontificated, in that snotty "52% of my clothes are made of hemp which therefore makes me morally superior
assures everyone that "Don't worry, the problem is being taking care of by the inspectors."
a terrorist and an envoy of Iran's supreme leader reportedly called for his death.
serves? As far as I can tell, all they did was take some people who were probably overwhelmingly against the war anyway,
that has the temerity to look at us cock-eyed.
I'm going to be checking the weather channel for reports of snowflakes in Hell, but meanwhile you should go read it now.
vaunted proof of yours. Then you could be really sure.
That is, until this morning. Now I'm glad to say that I've gotten over getting over it, and am thoroughly pissed again.
of the mass moron movement.
world that even today harbors and offers succor to the same groups that piloted the 9/11 planes, right?
the Feds know about it.
Maybe I can't change the fact that I have to be intimately confronted with the death and pain in order to really feel the
they're done, hang them on his wall next to the framed heads of Iraqi dissidents and say to himself, "Well, I can check
Russia and shit. Besides, it's just the Russians. Why don't we just contain them or something? Hey, who's up for some
The BBC has a story about the so-called "master hacker", in which it does a good job of destroying the mythos that
"to prolonged indulgence in luxury and soft, effortless ease, or to the deification of a warped and twisted sentimentality"?
to the San Francisco federal building to protest the passage of Bush's resolution for action against Iraq.
the way. Apparently that wasn't enough for the however, because they then started pulling at her legs to keep her from
the efforts to find these people and eradicate them, to ferret them out from their cowardly hiding places and vaporize
"approach parody" is too mild. They sprinted towards parody, jumped on top of it and proceded to give parody a spirited
It seems the Muslim version of a slander suit is cutting off your head. Now when I read this I was shocked, just shocked
It may be a sad illustration of my lack to find sympathy within myself without reading descriptions or seeing pictures,
Stand up to these thugs This Wednesday, the 16th at noon, an apparent composite of the Students for Justice in Palestine
Yes, well I suppose you're suggesting that we would be well-served to wait for this "final proof," then? Very well. I'll
Those people are especially useful when they have access to the core computer systems that hackers would otherwise struggle
hacky-sack?"
"The death of that man is a religious duty, but his case should not be tied to the Christian community," Shabestari,
anger that is so justifiable -no, demanded- by these despicable acts, but if that must be the case, then from on, I'll be
that off my list of things to do. Now, on to learning how to square-dance."
a terrorist and an envoy of Iran's supreme leader reportedly called for his death.
A taste, just a taste...
Heaven forfend them not being on board with us!
Sure, it'd be nice to be a leader...
for the life of me, cannot see it. The news showed a clip of a guy trying politely to walk around a woman so self-righteous
Hesiod over at Counterspin Central is one such fellow. Not only with myself, but in his conversations with Den Beste,
alternative economy." I suppose that's better PR than saying they want to impose a grab bag full of sociialistic silliness
Kevin Mitnick will be able to use a computer again in approximately 3 months.
or any other simply crappy country in the world, because none of them satisfy both those propositions.
Well, being the abject conformist that I am, I would like to welcome all new and oldcomers to my new blog, which will
the teacher trying to impress both of them.
being the reaction described above.
without end is causing traditional friends of the United States to
An insightful, well-written and quite simply excellent column somehow found its way in the SF Chronicle's website today.
Eventually he got a little ticked off and said roughly, "Get away from me!" I was hungrily anticipating the energetic dissenter
we could go and stop the Soviets and all their expansionist hijinks, but then we'd like, have to go all the way over to
occurred, smashing the window of their hotel room.
sloth, or as an instrument to further the ends of despotism or anarchy.
news editors of Cannel 7 to allow, as the segment ended right there.
I have to admit I'm pretty curious just to see what he's going to do. The guy has shown himself to have an overpowering
the way. Apparently that wasn't enough for the however, because they then started pulling at her legs to keep her from
they're done, hang them on his wall next to the framed heads of Iraqi dissidents and say to himself, "Well, I can check
Quite the contrary, Bush's aggressive rhetoric, disregard for international law, and his lack of any vision other than war
of righteousness; and it becomes a very evil thing if it serves merely as a mask for cowardice and
Hesiod over at Counterspin Central is one such fellow. Not only with myself, but in his conversations with Den Beste,
about equal probability.
Now of course I'm sure that these open-toed folks have a flurry of perfectly well thought-out reasons as to why pissing
side of the political spectrum... what are they called?
to elicit empathy had been raised considerably since 9/11,
alternative economy." I suppose that's better PR than saying they want to impose a grab bag full of sociialistic silliness
Kevin Mitnick will be able to use a computer again in approximately 3 months.
In fact, the idea of pre- emptive attack depends on fear. It presupposes insecurity and assumes we will always be threatened.
world that even today harbors and offers succor to the same groups that piloted the 9/11 planes, right?
Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard at 09:37 AM | Comments (0)
only be revealed as more useless than it already seems), there is right now a coalition prepared to go into Iraq with the
Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard at 09:13 PM | Comments (4)
on the civilized world. And when I resort again to that frame of mind, it will be because I realize, intellectually and
to roost," those sniveling, carping appeasers,
During that protest, my girlfriend had to take a midterm in Wheeler auditorium and had to step over the bodies lying in
jerkwad I encounter, an order for them to be beheaded with extreme prejudice until the the point at which they are dead
psychopathic fancy without fear of retribution.
Stand up to these thugs This Wednesday, the 16th at noon, an apparent composite of the Students for Justice in Palestine
I mean come on, when you're arguing with someone who's just going to call you a Nazi when you spend 2,000 words making
Hey, didn't there used to be a city where this smoking crater is?
Really, how often is someone able to so perfectly crystallize the dilemmas that will exist a century in the future
Stand up to these thugs This Wednesday, the 16th at noon, an apparent composite of the Students for Justice in Palestine
a careful, precise argument, what point is there in engaging them verbally anymore?
that off my list of things to do. Now, on to learning how to square-dance."
cutting-edge performance art group impersonating real anti-war folks, as the whole ordeal seemed to approach parody. No,
Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard at 12:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Well I'm far far far too petty a person to do that.
she can last 6 hours). I make this declaration keeping in mind that this does not imply a judgement on the Idiotarian
Now at this point, most people would just say, "let it go, and move on."
I figured that was the way to go. But then I read this.
nothing may stand in our way!
cause, but I,
vaunted proof of yours. Then you could be really sure.
Saddam will use these nukes when he gets them, whether that use takes the form of vaporizing a city or merely being hung
going to be monitored so closely that I'd be surprised if he were able to put in a phony name at a porn site and not have
obviously they have lost loved ones or friends."
vaunted proof of yours. Then you could be really sure.
Heh. Didn't Nostradamus write something about "a bespeckled plague rising in the West..."?
occurred, smashing the window of their hotel room.
sloth, or as an instrument to further the ends of despotism or anarchy.
military action to counter the Soviet threat was not possible, because of their equal capacity to destroy us through
Replace "powerful" with "crazy and armed with nukes" and you'd be right. Otherwise, your statement is nonsense.
off a bunch of secretaries and other office workers who probably agree with them on the war anyway will further their
The experience made me think of the instructions from all corners of the media after 9/11 that what we, as Americans,
one of the most fad-driven enterprises imaginable. It produces a new catechism each decade, which everyone dutifully recites.
in words so much more exacting than even those who actually live in that time would be able to produce?
I see. Did you talk to this "everyone" at your International Socialist Organization direct action planning seminar or
And exactly how do you go from no "final proof" to there being no evidence of impending aggression? The very fact that
Russia and shit. Besides, it's just the Russians. Why don't we just contain them or something? Hey, who's up for some
The BBC has a story about the so-called "master hacker", in which it does a good job of destroying the mythos that
The experience made me think of the instructions from all corners of the media after 9/11 that what we, as Americans,
I finally went and did it.
slope proposition, claiming that because we go after Saddam, we'll suddenly be all aggro-ed up to obliterate any country
to really concern yourself with, except in a somewhat general, theoretical way.
But I am thankful that at least for now, I've been able to summon that deep-seated, personal wrath so appropriate to an
Shiite Muslim clerics in Lebanon and Iran have reacted with rage at the Rev. Jerry Falwell for calling Islam's prophet
economic stupidity, especially when their ideas would do such a better job of it by themselves. Case in point:
In fact, the idea of pre- emptive attack depends on fear. It presupposes insecurity and assumes we will always be threatened.
Also, I've printed out and made a bunch of copies of some flyers from this site and will be passing them out.
Please. I can't swing around a dead Saddam on a rope without hitting this argument these days. At bottom, it's a slippery
, "I don't believe the American people support this war. Everyone I've talked to is against it!"
But I am thankful that at least for now, I've been able to summon that deep-seated, personal wrath so appropriate to an
to penetrate.
Meanwhile, the fact that we are able to use pre-emptive action when deemed necessary is a fact of our strength, not weakness
threaten the United States, he said we must "assume the worst." Essentially, the White House is proposing that the
that extended anger and sadness bring, or maybe even from just the fact that my threshold of human suffering sufficient
but they make up for any lack of actual existence with pure unadulterated enthusiasm.
Stand up to these thugs This Wednesday, the 16th at noon, an apparent composite of the Students for Justice in Palestine
We despise and abhor the bully, the brawler, the oppressor, whether in private or public life, but
One middle-aged woman who looked like she hadn't combed her hair since Jerry Garcia died had this to say, when asked
the not-being-a-jerk department.
Finally, long after the fad has grown tiresome, everyone's attention turns to another scrap of dogma for the next decade.
join the majority of the world's nations in distancing themselves from Washington in a fashion not seen since the Vietnam War.
the way. Apparently that wasn't enough for the however, because they then started pulling at her legs to keep her from
support (in the small, mostly insignificant ways that are possible for one such as myself)
Really, how often is someone able to so perfectly crystallize the dilemmas that will exist a century in the future
"Standing in the foyer of the Bounty Hotel, people were just walking in, blood dripping off them, burns to their face, skin
The book details the ways that employees can inadvertently leak information that can be exploited by hackers to compromise
I tried to present my ideas in an honest and truthful way, and not be seriously offensive, even when he acted in ways
Falwell was a "mercenary and must be killed," the Farsi-language daily Abrar reported Saturday.
United States invade a distant country without any evidence of impending aggression.
we despise no less the coward and the voluptuary. No man is worth calling a man who will not fight
destroying the technological infrastructure of Western civilization again. And it's only 3 months away!
that boiled up to the surface when I read things like this.
for the life of me, cannot see it. The news showed a clip of a guy trying politely to walk around a woman so self-righteous
vulnerability.
but I hope to do that soon. I also hope to win the Nobel Prize in Kickboxing, and judge each of those things to be of
I don't know about you people, but I'm already stocking up on extra food, water, and electrons.
information with your heads crammed so far up your asses, so I'll give you a pass.
I finally went and did it.
alternative economy." I suppose that's better PR than saying they want to impose a grab bag full of sociialistic silliness
I don't know about you people, but I'm already stocking up on extra food, water, and electrons.
Mr Mitnick even had to get permission from his probation officer to use a computer to write his book, The Art Of Deception,
use grown-up scissors), but nevertheless, even though he really didn't deserve it,
it is shoved, in all its detailed horror, right into my face.
...but there's no shame in being a follower when those you're following make such damn good points.
the not-being-a-jerk department.
I was already in a state of "moving on" and being "over it" before I even heard about the Bali attacks, with the result
Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard at 09:37 AM | Comments (0)
The BBC has a story about the so-called "master hacker", in which it does a good job of destroying the mythos that
trying to get an education
we could go and stop the Soviets and all their expansionist hijinks, but then we'd like, have to go all the way over to
According to the president, "we cannot wait for the final proof" that Saddam Hussein's government is planning an imminent
which is all about the biggest threat to the security of all companies: their own employees.
he revealed himself to be a seriously dishonest debater (that, or he was so stupid that it wouldn't be safe for him to
alternative economy." I suppose that's better PR than saying they want to impose a grab bag full of sociialistic silliness
economic stupidity, especially when their ideas would do such a better job of it by themselves. Case in point:
I guess not. The fact that the UN is anything but democratic since the vast majority of countries represented there do not
them into a thin paste of protein on a cave wall, to wipe out every last vestige of the disgusting stain they have left
Sure, it'd be nice to be a leader...
When they aired some actual interviews with the protesters, I started to honestly think they were part of some sort of
To quote a boozed up, cynical and misanthropic individual whom I greatly admire: "Making fun of these people is like
"The death of that man is a religious duty, but his case should not be tied to the Christian community," Shabestari,
hunting dairy cows with a high-powered rifle and scope."
them into a thin paste of protein on a cave wall, to wipe out every last vestige of the disgusting stain they have left
go it alone. What he failed to do was tell us who the members of his war coalition are. Why? Because there is no coalition.
University or Diversity
And exactly how do you go from no "final proof" to there being no evidence of impending aggression? The very fact that
we could go and stop the Soviets and all their expansionist hijinks, but then we'd like, have to go all the way over to
According to the president, "we cannot wait for the final proof" that Saddam Hussein's government is planning an imminent
President Bush says he wants to avoid "a future of fear." It's an admirable goal, but one hardly served by this new doctrine.
Do you mean the Muslim world that celebrated 9/11, saying the US deserved it all along? Or perhaps you mean the Muslim world
"approach parody" is too mild. They sprinted towards parody, jumped on top of it and proceded to give parody a spirited
lying in order to gain information that gave him access to restricted systems.
fact that these people are thugs, bullies and liars.
not just "fear," as if we're going to indiscriminantly nuke the floor under our beds because monsters might be hiding there.
satisfy you. I'd be much more amendable to the idea however if you were willing to be a personal eye-witness to this
Those people are especially useful when they have access to the core computer systems that hackers would otherwise struggle
hacky-sack?"
looks like a green light, no?
vaunted proof of yours. Then you could be really sure.
serves? As far as I can tell, all they did was take some people who were probably overwhelmingly against the war anyway,
Meanwhile, the fact that we are able to use pre-emptive action when deemed necessary is a fact of our strength, not weakness
of righteousness; and it becomes a very evil thing if it serves merely as a mask for cowardice and
the not-being-a-jerk department.
Such as this quote by Teddy Roosevelt concerning his acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize, posted now
them into a thin paste of protein on a cave wall, to wipe out every last vestige of the disgusting stain they have left
curiosity that trumps any sort of legal resriction placed on him, but it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that he's
United States invade a distant country without any evidence of impending aggression.
Eventually he got a little ticked off and said roughly, "Get away from me!" I was hungrily anticipating the energetic dissenter
I tried to present my ideas in an honest and truthful way, and not be seriously offensive, even when he acted in ways
One of the great advances of the modern era has been the spread of the rule of law. This is the now common idea that
United States invade a distant country without any evidence of impending aggression.
And exactly how do you go from no "final proof" to there being no evidence of impending aggression? The very fact that
I figured that was the way to go. But then I read this.
and the decisions to do so would based on (as in this case) measured calculations of the relative benefits and costs,
Maybe I can't change the fact that I have to be intimately confronted with the death and pain in order to really feel the
news editors of Cannel 7 to allow, as the segment ended right there.
When they aired some actual interviews with the protesters, I started to honestly think they were part of some sort of
President Bush says he wants to avoid "a future of fear." It's an admirable goal, but one hardly served by this new doctrine.
last update : 6-1-2009
