Political Cartoon - Signing Statement

Evangelical Luxury

Benny Hinn a popular evangelical preacher is asking for your help to spread the word of God around the world. Benny Hinn is asking for you to reach out. No ladies and gentleman, he is not asking you to sponsor a kid in Africa, he's not asking you to bring meals to the needy elderly woman next door, he's asking you to donate toward his new luxury private jet called Dove One so he can bring the word of God around the world. Last time I checked Jesus walked but I guess in this day and age his followers should travel in style.

You too can donate to Benny Hinn's private jet.

Oh, if you donate more than $1,000 you get a free model of Dove One.

Maximum Security Democracy Vol 5 Podcast Posted

Volume 5 of my podcast is up. I talk a lot about the DHS and the new ways they are finding to track and spy on the average American. I also talk about the politics of science. Enjoy!

The Republican Propaganda Talk Show Hosts Create New History

One of the tools the right wing talk show hosts and writers use it to inject a little fiction into fact, and/or try to make fiction fact. They do this by trying to pass opinions off as fact, and to convince the public they are experts in areas they clearly have no expertise. The result is, after they generate enough force behind their opinions they become in a way factual to the public. Look at what has happened to the word liberal. It has become a bad word. Nobody wants to be called a liberal anymore because it carries such negative connotation.

Here is a link to a video of Ann Coulter getting a history lesson. Very funny.

Link

I think it is very typical of the Republican right wing to want to rewrite history the way they think it should be.

The former history teacher Bill O'Reilly wants to rewrite our perspective on Thomas Jefferson to better fit the Republican agenda of mixing religion and politics.

Link

The Republican right has had success speaking as figures of authority on matters they have little knowledge or authority and the public seems to accept what they say. Americans have lost their ability to objectively view anything. Instead they tend to look for people who can "create" at atmosphere, a history, and a culture which completely supports and justifies their point of view.

Rights Are Optional

Donald Vance filed a lawsuit for being held without due process in Iraq. That's typical treatment for non US citizens suspected of terrorism, but apparently it is now becoming quite acceptable treatment of US citizens overseas.

After being held for 3 months in solitary confinement without any kind of due process he was dropped off at the Iraq airport without apology.

This incident took place in Iraq and it seems to only be a matter of time before US citizens begin to disappear for months on end without due process. All in the name of defending against "terrorism". How can we defend against a system that is designed to have no checks, no due process, and no accountablility?

As we fight this war in Iraq to bring "freedom" to the people there, we seem to view our own freedom as a necessary causualty in the war on terror.

link to Chicago Tribune article

Political Blinders - Fox News - A Political Cartoon

The Politics of Science

It seems that the results of scientific studies have become obsolete when they get in the way of political agenda. Considering how powerful the Repulican Propaganda Machine has been as isolating sections of media and outputting a constant bombardment of skewed opinion ie. Fox new and radio, the results of these scientific studies that may be in the interest of the people but not big business get washed under.

Even worse some scientists are feeling bullied to change data to meet political needs. Such pressure has never been worse than under our current administration. This isn't new, but seems to be a trademark of the way the Bush administration handles any science which contradicts their political goals.

10,000 scientists recently signed a statement that demands the restoration of scientific integrity in government policy. On the list are 52 Nobel Prize Laureates.

I think this is a signal that political arms have been bullying the results of scientific research. It has been happening for a long time on issues such as global warming where scientific views don't seem to count, but Bush's view does.

Can we really trust our government to protect us when it comes to research relating to our food, pollution and environmental concerns? I think not.

It is time to restore science to it's true place in setting policy in this country. As it stands good science is being discarded as opinion.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6178213.stm