If God Lived On Earth People Would Break All His Windows

Sinead O'Connor borrows this Jewish proverb for her beautiful new album, Theology.

It's been 20 years since her debut CD, The Lion And The Cobra, stormed onto the music scene. Ever since, Sinead has been singing about social injustice and religious hypocrisy. Her latest work sums up her feelings in song so wonderfully, and presents them to us...twice. Each song is represented twice in this specially-priced* 2-disc set. Disc 1, "The Dublin Sessions", presents each song acoustically, and features just Sinead and guitarist Steve Cooney. You can listen to some of those songs on Sinead's MySpace page. Disc 2, "The London Sessions", showcases all the songs in their "full band" versions. The version sold at Best Buy also includes 5 live versions recorded in Dublin in Nov 2006. Videos of two songs from that gig are available on Sinead's web site.

(*Most places are selling it for $17.99. BB sells it for $14.99 and I got it on sale there for $11.99. I have a problem with these mega-retailers underselling the larger record stores, which are becoming extinct as a result. Unfortunately, there are no large Tower Records, or Virgin Megastores in my area, only an FYE in Miami. As much as I want to support large music retailers, I'm not going to drive 40 miles to pay more.)

"I wanna make something beautiful for U and from U," Sinead sings on the 1st song. And that pretty much sums up the whole record: "Something Beautiful". You don't have to be to religious or even have any particular belief in God to appreciate these songs. Sinead has poured her heart out once again, and created something she should be proud of. In her own words, "Theology is an attempt to create a place of peace in a time of war. It is my own personal response to what has taken place and is affecting everyone around the world since and including September 11, 2001. I simply wanted to make a beautiful thing which inspires me.”

Through 8 original songs, 2 covers (Curtis Mayfield's We People Who Are Darker Than Blue and I Don't Know How To Love Him from Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice) and a rendering of the traditional Rivers Of Babylon, Sinead explores various themes pertaining to her beliefs and her connection to God. For me, the stand out track is "If You Had A Vineyard", a poignant commentary on the sadness and UNgodliness of Israel's brutal oppression of the people of Palestine.

"They have turned their backs to You for worship of gold and stone" she sings on "Out Of The Depths". Indeed they have. Shine on Sinead. God knows you're right, and He knows you're beautiful. So is your work.

If You Had A Vineyard
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If U had a vineyard On a fruitful hill
And U fenced it and cleared it
Of all stones until
U planted it With the choicest of vine
And U even built a tower And a press to make wine
And U looked that it would bring forth sweet grapes
And it gave only wild grapes
What would U say?

Jerusalem and Judah U be the judges I pray
Between me and my vineyard This is what God says

What more could I have done in it That I did not do in it?
Why when I ask it for sweetness It brings only bitterness

For the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts Is the house of Israel
And the men of Judah His pleasant plant

And he looks for justice but beholds oppression
And he hopes for equality but hears a cry
Jerusalem and Judah This is God's reply

Sadness will come to those who build house to house
And lay field to field 'til there's room
For none but U to dwell in the land Oh in the land
And sadness will come to those who call evil good And good evil
Who present darkness as light and light as darkness
Who present as sweetness only the things which are bitterness

For the vineyard of The Lord of Hosts
Is the house of Israel
And the men of Judah
his pleasant plant

Oh that my eyes were a fountain of tears
That I might weep for my poor people

For every boot stamped with fierceness
For every cloak rolled in blood
Jerusalem and Judah
I'd cry if I could

Who Says War With Iran Is Necessary?

Americans are being primed for believing that a war with Iran is not only justified but necessary. Don't be a victim of propaganda. Look more closely at what Iranian President Ahmadinejad said in his now famous quote about wanting to wipe Israel off the map. There's more to the story, as usual.

"Iranian President Ahmadinejad did not threaten to "wipe Israel off the map."

"There is no new policy," Ahmadinejad said. "They created a lot of hue and cry over that." Ahmadinejad added, "It is clear what we say: Let the Palestinians participate in free elections and they will say what they want."

Experts confirm that Iran's president did not call for Israel to be 'wiped off the map' and the reports that he did so serve to strengthen western hawks.

What has been confirmed by human rights groups has also been observed directly by journalists: Israel Does Target Civilians and Always Has.

Fabricated Bellicose Statements

See another video on the "wipe Israel off the map" propaganda. President Ahmadinejad was talking about the occupying regime which is a form of government. On Feb 20, 2006 Iran's foreign minister said, "He is talking about the regime." President Ahmadinejad also said in his speech that the issue with Palestine would be over "the day that all refugees return to their homes [and] a democratic government elected by the people comes to power."

In his letter to Bush (see Text of Iranian President's Letter to President Bush), he asks, "are we to understand that allowing the original inhabitants of these lands - inside and outside Palestine - whether they are Christian, Muslim or Jew, to determine their fate, runs contrary to principles of democracy, human rights and the teachings of prophets?"

President Ahmadinejad Calls for Democracy, Free and Fair Elections and a Durable Peace.

Mike Wallace Interviewed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on 60 Minutes. At the request of the Iranian President Ahmadinejad, the FULL UNEDITED version was shown on C-SPAN. "The cable public affairs net will air the 60 Minutes edited version, followed by the full 90-minute interview, to give viewers a window on what is left on the cutting room floor." - John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 8/11/2006. We can see what they cut out, a call for democracy.

Read through these links for an alternative to the mainstream media's warmongering:
http://www.chomsky.info/articles/20060623.htm
http://representativepress.blogspot.com/2006/04/off-table-bombing-iran-is-not-only.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3983-2005Mar26.html

Read Richard Perle and Co.'s "Clean Break Strategy", a paper that documents a plan to dominate the Middle East by attacking Syria and Iran. http://www.iasps.org/strat1.htm

The Build Up To Iran Timeline

Stop Financing Israel's Aggression

"Military necessity" doesn't justify the genocide that Israeli and American Zionists are committing against the people of the Middle East- Palestinians, Lebanese and Iraqis in particular.

Our tax dollars support the aggressive and oppressive policies of Zionists.

Americans need to get involved, inform themselves, and speak up. It's our civic responsibility. There's too much media propaganda working against us. There are too many filters stopping the real news from reaching us. Contact the media and explain to them that you want accurate reporting, especially when it comes to your tax dollars and what they're being used for.

Familiarize yourself and utilize FAIR's Media Activist Kit. "Inside this kit you will find "how-to" guides for identifying, documenting and challenging inaccurate or unfair news coverage, along with information about how to promote independent media."

Stay The Course! Stay The Course! Stay The Course! Errrr....‘We’ve Never Been Stay The Course’

Here's a fun commercial for Democrats from Oct 2006. It's a neat compilation of some of the bullshit rhetoric spouting from the mouths of the bloodthirsty Bush Administration. It shows how Bush is a Master Flip-Flopper himself. I can understand changing your mind about something, no big deal there. But to lie through your teeth while you refute your past actions, that's just gross. It's amazing that he thinks he can can alter reality just by saying so.

Anyway, I guess the joke's on us: As it turns out, "the Democrats" haven't provided much of a change in anything. What a bunch of suckers we all are!

21 Gun Salute

Here are 21 faces. Meet some of the U.S. service members from Florida who have been killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom. They're just a few out of the 167 total Florida service members who have died in the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan so far. You can find more human statistics at Washington Post.com

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Lance Cpl. Juan E. Segura

Age: 26
Hometown: Homestead, FL
Date of Death: 11/9/2004
Incident Location: Anbar province, Iraq
Branch of Military: Marines
Rank: Lance Cpl.
Unit: 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division
Unit's Base: Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Incident: Killed by enemy action in Anbar province.

Juan Segura was a regular at the local boxing gym from the time he was a small boy. When he became old enough, he volunteered as a sparring partner and competed in amateur regional tournaments. Segura's father, Jesus Torres, said he was determined to be a professional boxer, like his father and grandfather in Mexico. Torres said his son had one request for his expected homecoming in December: "He wanted me to go buy him boxing boots, a robe and gloves. He told me he was ready to become a pro like his dad." Segura, 26, of Homestead, Fla., died Nov. 9 in fighting with insurgents in Anbar province. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Segura was finishing up his second tour of duty in Iraq. He stunned his family during a visit home on Mother's Day when he said he had volunteered to return to combat. "The whole time I kept telling him, be safe and come home," his father said. "He would tell me, `Yeah, yeah, Dad, I am going to be fine.'"
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Pfc. Kenny D. Rojas

Age: 21
Hometown: Pembroke Pines, FL
Date of Death: 10/29/2005
Incident Location: Beiji, Iraq
Branch of Military: Army
Rank: Pfc.
Unit: 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division
Unit's Base: Fort Stewart, Ga.
Incident: Killed when his unit was conducting a combat patrol and a landmine exploded near his Humvee near Bayji.
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Sgt. Pamela G. Osbourne

Age: 38
Hometown: Hollywood, FL
Date of Death: 10/11/2004
Incident Location: Baghdad
Branch of Military: Army
Rank: Sgt.
Unit: Division Artillery, 1st Cavalry Division
Unit's Base: Fort Hood, Texas
Incident: Killed when two rockets struck their camp in Baghdad.
Pamela G. Osbourne called home from Baghdad every morning, between 5 and 6. When the phone didn't ring Oct. 10, Rohan Osbourne called out for his wife in his sleep. Two of their three children woke him to ask him what was wrong. "Why are you calling mom's name?" they asked him. He said it was probably because he was not awakened by her usual phone call. Osbourne, 38, of Hollywood, Fla., died Oct. 11 when rockets hit her Baghdad camp. She joined the Army in 2001 and was based at Fort Hood. A native of Jamaica, Osbourne came to the United States when she was 14. She lived in Miami, then in Hollywood, where she worked as a certified nurse's assistant at a nursing home. She had two dreams: to become a U.S. citizen and to serve in the military. She accomplished both. Her husband said a medical condition could have kept her out of harm's way, but Osbourne refused to avoid Iraq. "Hold your head up, baby," she said during their last conversation. "I'm coming home. Even if I come home in a box, you should know that I did it for you. Take care of the kids. Stay strong. And remember that I love you."
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Sgt. Phillip D. McNeil

Age: 22
Hometown: Sunrise, FL
Date of Death: 1/20/2007
Incident Location: Karmah, Iraq
Branch of Military: Army
Rank: Sgt.
Unit: 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry (Airborne), 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Inf
Unit's Base: Fort Richardson, AK
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his Humvee in Karmah.
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Lance Cpl. Rene Martinez

Age: 20
Hometown: Miami, FL
Date of Death: 9/24/2006
Incident Location: Anbar province, Iraq
Branch of Military: Marines
Rank: Lance Cpl.
Unit: 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expediti
Unit's Base: Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Incident: Killed while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Anbar Province.
Cpl. Rene Martinez, 20, of Miami was killed Sunday, the military said. Martinez was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force and was deployed to Iraq about three months ago. Martinez graduated from Miami Sunset Senior High School and had wanted to be a Marine since he was young. He had hoped to study accounting after completing his service, his sister Maria Martinez told The Miami Herald.
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Sgt. 1st Class Curtis Mancini

Age: 43
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Date of Death: 1/29/2004
Branch of Military: Army
Rank: Sgt. 1st Class
Unit: 486th Civil Affairs Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve
Incident: A weapons cache near the troops exploded outside Ghazni, Afghanistan.
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Spc. Alexander Jordan

Age: 31
Hometown: Miami, FL
Date of Death: 9/10/2006
Incident Location: Baghdad
Branch of Military: Army
Rank: Spc.
Unit: 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team
Unit's Base: Fort Richardson, Alaska
Incident: Killed when he encountered enemy forces using small arms fire during combat operations in Baghdad.
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Sgt. Kip A. Jacoby

Age: 21 years old
Hometown: Pompano Beach, Florida, U.S.
Died: June 28, 2005 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit: Army, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Air Field, Ga.
Incident: Killed on a rescue mission when the MH-47 helicopter he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad.
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Cpl. Armando Ariel Gonzalez

Age: 25
Hometown: Hialeah, FL
Date of Death: 4/14/2003
Incident Location: Central Iraq
Branch of Military: Marines
Rank: Cpl.
Unit: Marine Wing Support Squadron-273, MWS Group-27, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Unit's Base: Beaufort, S.C.
Incident: Killed in a non-hostile accident when a commercial refueler collapsed at Logistics Supply Area Viper.
Marine Cpl. Armando Ariel Gonzalez never forgot his family. He came to the United States from Cuba in 1995 and learned English at Miami-Dade Community College in Florida, said his father, Julio Orlando Gonzalez. "I'm very proud of him. He was serious, affectionate and responsible," he said. "He always hung out with his brother and me. Even after he married he always came around. He looked after me, his brother and his wife." Gonzalez, 25, of Hialeah, Fla., was killed April 14 when a commercial refueling truck collapsed as he worked beneath it. He was married seven months before his death.
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Pfc. Roger A. Suarez-Gonzalez

Age: 21 years old
Hometown: Miami, Florida, U.S.
Died: December 4, 2006 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Incident: Killed by small arms fire while conducting security and observation operations in Ramadi.
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Petty Officer 2nd Class Scott R. McHugh

Age: 33
Hometown: Boca Raton, FL
Date of Death: 5/2/2004
Incident Location: Anbar province, Iraq
Branch of Military: Navy
Rank: Petty Officer 2nd Class
Unit: Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 14
Unit's Base: Jacksonville, Fla.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Scott McHugh loved fishing, camping and canoeing, and was devoted to his family and friends. "He was always fun, just a great guy to be around," said Jonathan Mogor, who became friends with McHugh when they were teens and joined the Navy with him. "You always had a great time when you were with him." McHugh, 33, of Boca Raton , Fla., was killed by hostile fire May 2 in Iraq's Anbar province. A Navy Seabee, he was based in Jacksonville, Fla. After graduating from high school in 1989, McHugh attended Palm Beach Community College for a year before joining the Navy. After a few years, he joined the Navy Reserves, returned home and became an emergency medical technician. He was still trying to figure out his future when he was called into active duty in March. "It's such a shame," said his mother, Joyce McHugh. "He was a super, super honest guy. He was a straight arrow."
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Spec. Manuel Lopez III

Age: 20 years old
Hometown: Cape Coral, Florida, U.S.
Died: April 12, 2005 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
Incident: Killed when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his Humvee in Baghdad.

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Staff Sgt. Jude R. Jonaus

Age: 27
Hometown: Miami, FL
Date of Death: 9/6/2005
Incident Location: Baghdad
Branch of Military: Army
Rank: Staff Sgt.
Unit: Brigade Troops Battalion, Division Support Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division
Unit's Base: Fort Stewart, GA

When Jude R. Jonaus was sent to Baghdad as a pharmacy technician, he assured his family that his job placed him far from the line of fire. "When he left, one of my cousins said 'Be careful,' and he answered, 'Man, I'm nowhere near danger. What am I going to do? Slip on a pill?'" said his younger brother, Ricky. Jonaus, 27, of Miami, was killed Sept. 6 when his vehicle rolled over after hitting a bomb. He graduated high school in 1996 and was assigned to Fort Stewart. Jonaus dreamed of being a career soldier. "Ever since he was a little boy, he would say, 'When I grow up, I want to be the chief,'" said his father, Gernessoit Jonaus. He was a strong athlete. In April, he placed sixth in a bench-press contest at Camp Taji, when, weighing 176 pounds, he lifted 260 pounds. He also played soccer. He was generous. When his father, a Miami taxi operator, wrecked his cab, he gave him $3,000 for a down payment on a new vehicle. He helped Ricky with his college tuition and would send his siblings plane tickets to visit him. He also is survived by his mother, Amenia.
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Cpl. Romulo J. Jimenez II

Age: 21 years old
Hometown: Miami, Florida, U.S.
Died: November 10, 2004 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Marines, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Incident: Killed during the U.S. assault on Fallujah.

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Staff Sgt. Ramon E. Gonzales Cordova

Age: 30
Hometown: Davie, FL
Date of Death: 8/8/2005
Incident Location: Ramadi, Iraq
Branch of Military: Marines
Rank: Staff Sgt.
Unit: 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division
Unit's Base: Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Incident: Killed by small-arms fire while conducting combat operations in Ar Ramadi.

Ramon E. Gonzales Cordova served in the Marine Corps for 11 years and traveled the world. Family friend Michael Millstone remembers Gonzales proudly showing off his scrapbook. "He'd joke, saying, `Don't I look great in a uniform?'" Millstone said. Gonzales, 30, of Davie, Fla., was killed Aug. 8 by a sniper in Ramadi. He was based at Camp Pendleton. His sister, Blanca Gonzales, said she often reads the poem that helped her cope with her brother's death, especially the last lines: "And never, never be afraid to die / For I am waiting for you in the sky." Gonzales joined the Marine Corps in 1994 after graduating high school. "Ever since I can remember, he always wanted to be a soldier," said his sister. "I remember him playing with little soldier toys." He is survived by his wife, Joselyn, and 3-year-old son Sergio. He was finishing his second tour and his wife said he would always ask her for candy to give to Iraqi children. Gonzales spoke to his mother, sister and wife the day he died, just two months before his 31st birthday.
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Pfc. Christopher R. Cobb

Age: 19 years old
Hometown: Brandenton, Florida, U.S.
Died: April 6, 2004 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Marines, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Incident: Killed by enemy fire in Anbar province.

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Sgt. Adam L. Cann

Age: 23
Hometown: Davie, FL
Date of Death: 1/5/2006
Incident Location: Ramadi, Iraq
Branch of Military: Marines
Rank: Sgt.
Unit: Security Battalion, Marine Corps Base Camp
Unit's Base: Camp Pendelton, CA

Incident: Killed by a suicide bomb attack on an Iraqi police recruitment center in Ar Ramadi.
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Pfc. Roland E. Calderonascenio

Age: 21
Hometown: Miami, FL
Date of Death: 4/12/2006
Incident Location: Misiab, Iraq
Branch of Military: Army
Rank: Pfc.
Unit: 1st Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry
Unit's Base: Fort Hood, Texas
Incident: Died of injuries sustained when a makeshift bomb exploded near his Humvee during combat operations in Misiab.
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Cpl. Theodore A. Bowling


Age: 25
Hometown: Casselberry, FL
Date of Death: 11/11/2004
Incident Location: Anbar province, Iraq
Branch of Military: Marines
Rank: Cpl.
Unit: 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division
Unit's Base: Camp Pendleton, CA
Incident: Killed during the U.S. assault on Fallujah.

Theodore Andrew Bowling couldn't wait to get home from Iraq to marry his girlfriend, Patricia Kirby, and start a career as a police officer. Bowling, who went by the name Andrew, spent hours on the phone with his fiancee planning the wedding. The two had been friends before he was first sent to Iraq, but when he returned home after his first tour, the two fell in love. "We just looked at each other different," Kirby said. "It just worked out." Bowling, 25, of Casselberry, Fla., died Nov. 11 in a hostile attack in Anbar province. He was based at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and is also survived by his mother, Lena Perry. Bowling was just a few weeks from his return, and told his girlfriend she should get a plane ticket to meet him in California. His last words to Kirby were full of optimism. "He said, 'Don't worry, it'll be OK. I'll see you in a couple of weeks,'" she said. "That was it. He only had a minute to talk."
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Lance Cpl. Andrew Julian Aviles

Age: 18
Hometown: Tampa, FL
Date of Death: 4/7/2003
Incident Location: Central Iraq
Branch of Military: Marines
Rank: Lance Cpl.
Unit: 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion, 4th Marine Division
Unit's Base: Tampa, Fla.

Incident: An enemy artillery round struck him just as the amphibious assault vehicle in which he was riding crossed a bridge over the Tigris River.

Marine Lance Cpl. Andrew Aviles had put off a full academic scholarship to Florida State University because he felt he had a moral obligation to serve, his family said. He had planned to study business. Aviles, 18, of Tampa, Fla., was killed April 7 when an enemy artillery round struck his vehicle. Aviles graduated in 2002 from T.R. Robinson High School, where as a senior he was class president, cheerleader and a member of the wrestling team. A National Honor Society member, he graduated third in his class. "This man had a phenomenal presence in the school. He was Mr. Everything," said Chuck Jaksec, who leads the school district's crisis intervention team.
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Captain Derek Argel

Age: 28
Hometown: Lompoc, CA
Date of Death: 5/30/2005
Incident Location: Eastern Diyala province, Iraq
Branch of Military: Air Force
Rank: Captain
Unit: 23rd Special Tactics Squadron
Unit's Base: Hurlburt Field, FL

When he was in fifth grade, Derek Argel started showing up at high school water polo practices. He eventually grew to 6-foot-6, became the school's most valuable player and went on to play at the Air Force Academy. "He worked exceptionally hard. He never took anything for granted," athletic director Bob Lawrence said. Argel, 28, of Lompoc, Calif., was killed May 30 in a crash of his surveillance plane about 80 miles northeast of Baghdad. He was based at Hurlburt Field. Argel loved the water _ in addition to playing water polo, he worked as a lifeguard, fished and surfed. He kept fishing poles and surf boards in the garage with hopes of passing his hobbies on to his 11-month son, Logan. "He was very adventurous and outdoorsy," said his aunt, Carolyn Gentry, recalling how he used to trek through the woods with her son. "They loved to be out in nature and camp, and go out looking for critters and snakes." Though he was happiest spending time at the beach and playing with the family's two dogs, he felt God intended him to be in the military. "He was just a soldier by every means of the imagination" said his wife, Wendy.
Captain Derek Argel Memorial Page
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Where's YOUR Tax Haven, Sucker?

"But it's MY money!" "It's Government Theft!" That's what people who don't like the concept of paying taxes usually say when the subject comes up. The issue is also usually divided between left and right, or at least is used to be. These days, it seems like no one wants to pay taxes, and no candidate for any office will even begin to suggest that he'll raise taxes. Now it's all about "tax cuts". The United States borrows money from China, Japan & the United Kingdom to pay for our debt while at the same time gives tax cuts to wealthy Americans. I guess it's cool that we don't hate Communists anymore, but does that seem right? Borrowing money to float our debt, while giving tax cuts? If you make over $1 Million per year, then it may not sound so bad.



Other than borrowing money from other countries, you could finance a tax cut by reducing government spending, but this administration has been super-spendy. We've spent over $435 billion in Iraq so far. You could also increase the number of exports and reduce imports, but we're not doing that either.

Corporate America is doing its part to get out of paying its taxes. The U.S. Congress has enabled them to do it. According to Lucy Komisar of the Tax Justice Network-USA (taxjustice-usa.org) "During the 1950s, U.S. corporations accounted for 28 percent of federal revenues. Now, corporations represent just 11 percent... The tax haven racket is the biggest scam in the world. Tax havens, also known as offshore financial centers, are places that operate secret bank accounts and shell companies that hide the names of real owners from tax authorities and law enforcement. They're run by the international banks with the cooperation of the world's financial powers for the benefit of corporations and the mega-rich... Offshore is where most of the world's drug money is laundered, estimated at up to $500 billion a year... The other major purpose of offshore is for tax evasion, estimated to reach another $500 billion a year. That's how corporations and the rich have opted out of the tax system."

"In 1996-2000, Goodyear's profits were $442 million, but it paid no taxes and got a $23-million rebate. Colgate-Palmolive made $1.6 billion and got back $21 million. Other companies that got rebates in 1998 included Texaco, Chevron, PepsiCo, Pfizer, J.P. Morgan, MCI Worldcom, General Motors, Phillips Petroleum and Northrop Grumman. Microsoft reported $12.3 billion U.S income in 1999 and paid zero federal taxes. (In two recent years, Microsoft paid only 1.8 percent on $21.9 billion pretax U.S. profits.) "

We've spent $435 billion on the war, and every year we lose $500 billion in tax evasion. Corporate America makes billions and pays nothing. We borrow money from China to pay for tax cuts for wealthy citizens, and the strength of our economy is measured by the amount of cheap goods we buy from China and Wal-Mart.

And there you have it. It's understandable if you're angry about paying taxes, no one likes to. It's also frustrating to know that you're not rich enough to get out of it. In some countries, they get complete medical care with the taxes they pay. Our taxes would go much further if these companies paid their share. Speak up! Tell your congressional representatives that you find this unacceptable and ask for laws that hold corporations responsible for paying their taxes.

Another Brick In Another Wall

One of my favorite Pink Floyd albums is The Wall. I saw Roger Waters in concert recently and he put on a fantastic show. He opened with "In The Flesh", the first song on The Wall and it brought the house down, it was perfect. During the encore, he did "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2" ("We don't need no education," etc) and the crowd went crazy, stood up, and sang along. Why is a story of isolation, anger, and the barriers we build around ourselves still so popoular? The Wall by Pink Floyd is the 3rd best selling record of all time (tied with Led Zeppelin's fourth album @ 23 million copies sold). On the big video screens behind the stage, we saw images of the wall that Israel is building through Palestine, with its fresh graffiti and kids climbing on it. I reflected on how crappy it is that the world is still not lacking for new "wall" footage, and began to wonder why it is that walls still seem like such a good idea to so many people.

With a large fence that can't be scaled, isn't it a fine line between "secure" and "trapped"? I see the obvious: they're big, they keep things out. But I'm presupposing a standard at which we are elevated beyond such simple means. Shouldn't we be beyond walls by now? After thousands of years of human evolution, I feel like we should be. But we still use our guns and our bombs and our fists, and sticks & stones. When we feel really civilized, we use lawyers. We tend to make it a confrontation. We're building empires, and they need to be fortified. Unfortunately, wall-building seems to be a pretty big business these days.




U.S.-Mexico Border Wall: "Our Wall" National Geographic Magazine, May 2007 Feature

Newsweek article from OCT 2006, (when the Senate had just passed the Secure Fence Act, authorizing 700 new miles of fence on the U.S.-Mexico border) points out lots of reasons why we don't need to build walls, like children, to solve our problems, and that by doing so, we cause many new, significant problems.



According to this FEB 2006 San Francisco Chronicle article at sfgate.com, "The plan already has roiled diplomatic relations with Mexico [before the bill was passed]. Leaders in American border communities are saying it will damage local economies and the environment. And immigration experts say that -- at a cost of at least $2.2 billion -- the 700-mile wall would be an expensive boondoggle."

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The Apartheid Wall
Israel has built about 170 miles of the barrier separating it from the Palestinian-dominated West Bank. Another 140 miles are planned or under construction, and 155 more are under review. The barrier, a wire fence in some places and concrete wall in others, has additional enhancements such as barbed wire, electricity, sensors, watchtowers and sniper posts. Supporters say it has been routed to foil terrorists and critics say it unfairly incorporates Palestinian land into Israel.

There's a fact sheet at the Palestine Monitor (a voice of the Palestinian people through the Palestinian Non-Governmental Network - PNGO).


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Walls around the world: Can't we just all get along?

Great Wall of China:
One of the greatest construction projects in world history, the Great Wall runs, with branches, about 4,500 miles. Large parts of it date from the seventh through fourth centuries B.C. Built of dirt, stone and brick, the wall ranges from 15 feet to 25 feet wide and 15 feet to 30 feet tall with a 13-foot-wide road on top and watchtowers at regular intervals.

Berlin Wall:
The barrier that separated West Berlin from East Berlin and surrounding areas in the former East Germany from 1961 to 1989 was a series of concrete walls up to 15 feet high topped with barbed wire and enhanced with watchtowers, stationary guns, mines and electrified fencing. By the 1980s, the wall ran 75 miles around West Berlin and 28 miles through Berlin.

Morocco / Western Sahara:
The Moroccan Wall is a 1,600-mile system of sand berms and rock walls built in the 1980s by Morocco to control Western Sahara, where tensions continue between Morocco and Polisario Front separatists despite a U.N.-brokered cease-fire. The wall is an earthen mound about 7 feet high fronted by a 23-foot-wide ditch and studded with bunkers, barbed wire, and anti-personnel and anti-tank mines.

India / Bangladesh:
India has built more than 1,300 miles of a planned 3,034-mile barrier at its border with Bangladesh. The fence will be patrolled by 50,000 officers and key stretches will be electrified. Construction of the $1 billion double fence -- which is 10 to 12 feet high, floodlit and razor-wire filled -- began in 1986 and will be done next year. It may extend near a demilitarized zone separating the two countries, to enclose Indian villages on the border.

How Would A Patriot Act?

What does America mean to you? Apple pie? Baseball? The Red, White & Blue? McDonald's? Blue Jeans? The Land of Opportunity? Freedom? Democracy?

Lots of things come to mind when I think of "America", but when I think of a dictatorship, I think of one major thing: Heavy combat boots kicking in doors, rough hands grabbing collars, and helpless people being hauled away, never to be seen or heard from again.

The greatest tragedy of 9/11 is not the deaths of nearly 3000 people. The real tragedy is that the Bush Administration decided to use that horrific event (and continues to do so to this day, every chance it gets) to undermine the basic foundation of the country. How Would A Patriot Act? Defending American Values from a President Run Amok by constitutional lawyer and writer Glenn Greenwald is a must-read for anyone who is interested in being an American, or who already calls themselves one.

In case you weren't paying attention in high school (I wasn't), America has faced worse than fanatical religious zealots bent on our destruction. In the 18th century, the British Empire was the most fearsome global power around. We beat it. Or, I should say, they beat it, that is, the founding fathers did.

One of the many aspects of our government that sets us apart from the rest of the world is the separation of powers into 3 branches. No one branch should have more authority over another. And if one did have any particular authority, it should be the one that represents the people: Congress.

To posit that a threat of unimaginable proportions would necessitate the need for the President to have unchecked, "broad, sweeping powers" (makes me think of Chancellor Palpatine in Star Wars) indicates that someone in the neocon fan club has been reading their George Orwell, or perhaps Nazi history.

Now we find ourselves living in an America that locks up its citizens without trials, without lawyers, and without presenting any evidence against them. You don't need to be a scholar (obviously I'm not one) to see how wrong this is. And illegal. It's more than just wrong and illegal, it's the antithesis of "America". So that it wouldn't have to force the Supreme Court to point out how insane it is, the Bush Administration finally charged Jose Padilla after he was imprisoned for 3 1/2 years.

But that's not all. In addition to hauling Padilla away, our President has also been spying on us without warrants and condoning torture. Also, illegal. I defy any staunchly conservative Republican to claim that Bill Clinton's lying about an extra-marital affair doesn't pale in comparison to Bush's direct violations of the U.S. Constitution and U.S and International Law. And to pass off these illegal acts as the way to combat the latest "threat to our very existence" posed by terrorism is so mind-bogglingly backward it makes me cross-eyed.

The truth is, the founders were faced with unimaginable challenges and threats, and that's exactly why they designed our nation's government the way they did. Greenwald quotes from the founders themselves, many quotes are pulled from The Federalist Papers, to illustrate this point dramatically. They knew this could happen. They were really smart. They were prepared for it. They also knew the power that fear has over the populace, and they were prepared for that too. They knew that the key to overcoming that fear was knowledge.

On many topics, I am just as ignorant, or more so, than any other American high school and college drop out. How Would A Patriot Act? puts many things into perspective. It provides facts, quotes, references, and is well worth the $12.00 price. Can you put a price on the tools that overcome tyranny? $12.00

If you call yourself an American, if you're proud to call yourself an American (or used to be proud), then you owe it to yourself and to your country to read this book. Arm yourself. Speak up. The revolution has already happened.

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Other Reading:

Power Surge: The Constitutional Record of George W. Bush by Gene Healy and Timothy Lynch

If you are interesting in keeping up with Constitutional abuses, you can read how President Clinton started the trend that Bush is expanding:

Dereliction of Duty: The Constitutional Record of President Clinton by Timothy Lynch
Timothy Lynch is assistant director of the Cato Institute's Center for Constitutional Studies.

Arrogance of Power Reborn: The Imperial Presidency and Foreign Policy in the Clinton Years
by Gene Healy
Gene Healy is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School and an attorney practicing in Washington, D.C.

And for old school Abuse of Power, check out the growth of Presidential power during the Nixon Administration in The Imperial Presidency, by historian Arthur M Schlesinger Jr.

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Some famous quotes to mull over:

"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." Benjamin Franklin

“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.” Patrick Henry

“The liberties of our country, the freedoms of our civil Constitution are worth defending at all hazards; it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors. They purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood. It will bring a mark of everlasting infamy on the present generation – enlightened as it is – if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of designing men." -Samuel Adams

“Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights.” Thomas Jefferson

“Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison.” Henry David Thoreau

“A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.” Edward Abbey

“It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.” Voltaire

“I believe there is something out there watching us. Unfortunately, it's the government.” Woody Allen

Did you hear the one about the...?

These days, I get suspicious when there's a flurry of big "news" stories pushed on us in the media. We are inundated with Paris and the Pope. Foiled terrorist plots turn out to have been blown way out of proportion but were shoved in our faces like rags soaked with chloroform. There is a pattern in the push news versus the pull news, and the timing is always a little conspicuous to me. My reflex reaction nowadays is "Uh oh, what am I missing?"

Here are a few links to check in on Iraq. They morbidly sum up our progress there.

Iraqi Lawmakers Pass Resolution That May Force End to Occupation
"The Iraqi parliament has passed a resolution to stop the renewal of the UN mandate that defines the American occupation of Iraq. If it's not renewed in Dec 2007 then the occupation will legally be defined as armed. ...It is possible, even probable, that the Maliki regime will veto the resolution passed today. The White House's separatist allies in Baghdad have consistently found ways to bypass the assembly...."

++

Bush Says We’ll Be in Iraq for 50 Years, But Reporters Don't Bother to Ask Iraqis to Comment
"...we called Iraqi lawmakers from different parties representing the country's different ethnic and sectarian groups, and found that, without exception, just hearing that there were official whispers in Washington about plans for a decades-long U.S. troop presence in their country shocked and awed them, and not in a good way."

++

Iraq Refugee Crisis Worsens: 4.2 Million And Rising
"Across Iraq, millions of people are looking for safer places to live, and not finding them. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) reported last week that 4.2 million Iraqis have been forced out of their homes.

There are also ominous signs that the four-month-old US security plan for Baghdad is failing to reduce the level of violence despite an extra 17,000 US troops in the capital."

++

Military deaths in Iraq: U.S. = 3,503
"As of Saturday, June 9, 2007, at least 3,503 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes seven military civilians. At least 2,864 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers. The AP count is 12 higher than the Defense Department's tally, last updated Friday at 10 a.m. EDT.

The British military has reported 150 deaths; Italy, 33; Ukraine, 18; Poland, 20; Bulgaria, 13; Spain, 11; Denmark, seven; El Salvador, five; Slovakia, four; Latvia, three; Estonia, Netherlands, Thailand, two each; and Australia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Romania, South Korea, one death each.

The latest deaths reported by the military: A soldier was killed Saturday by small arms fire in Diyala province.

The latest identifications reported by the military:

• Senior Airman William N. Newman, 23, Kingston Springs, Tenn., died Thursday from an explosive south of Balad; assigned to the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team of the 15th Civil Engineer Squadron, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

• Army Sgt. 1st Class Greg L. Sutton, 38, Spring Lake, N.C., died Wednesday from an explosive in Baghdad; assigned to the 212th Military Transition Team, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan."
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Iraq Blogs - A first-hand view of Iraq from the online weblogs of soldiers and civilians who are there now.
* Raed In The Middle
Raed Jarrar is Iraq Consultant to the American Friends Service Committee.
* Healing Iraq
Daily news and comments on the situation in post Saddam Iraq by an Iraqi dentist
* HNK's Blog
Weblog of the teen-aged daughter of a doctor and an engineer in Mosul, Iraq
* Baghdad Burning
Girl Blog from Iraq... let's talk war, politics and occupation.
* A Family in Baghdad
mother: Faiza, sons: Raed, Khalid , and Majid writing down their diaries. Father: Azzam is not interested.
* Secrets in Baghdad
Khalid Jarrar blogs from Baghdad about life in Iraq and his recent detention
* Bob Zangas' Journey In Iraq
Weblog of an optimistic Marine working as a civilian in Iraq until he was killed by insurgents disguised as policemen.

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* Iraq.net
* Yahoo's Iraq page

* Some headlines at-a-glance:
-US eyes long-term military presence in Iraq: report (AFP)
-Truck bomb in Iraq kills seven policemen
-Suicide bomber kills 14 Iraqi soldiers (AP)
-Iraq to Turkey: stop shelling north Iraq (AP)
-Iraq group claims journalist assassination: Web
-Officer advises dropping Haditha charges (AP)
-Iran: New doubts on talks with U.S. (AP)
-New White House plan: Keep US troops in Iraq permanently

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Old News: It's what's new again

Middle row, 3rd from left, in fabulous rust, teal and white polyester.




I was born in March, 1968. As a young child in the 70's, until 1974 when full-time school began, I would sit at the kitchen table to eat lunch. The radio that was attached to the underside of the cabinet where the dishes were kept would be on for most of the day, playing either oldies, or pop, or later, when the house was full of teenagers, rock. As I ate my peanut butter & jelly sandwich on white bread with plain Utz potato chips and drank white whole milk, I would hear certain words and phrases again and again and again, until they burned themselves into my memories forever.

Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam. Watergate Watergate Watergate. Middle East Middle East Middle East. Nixon Patty Hearst Nixon Patty Hearst Nixon Patty Hearst. OPEC OPEC OPEC.

As a child of 4, 5 or 6 years old, of course none of this news meant anything to me, but I knew it was news. I attached a sense of importance to it, likely due to the sheer repetition, and probably also because of some of the comments my mom or dad might make- snorts, retorts, chortles, exasperated sighs and sarcastic shouts of agreement, and also maybe because everything on AM radio sounds like important news. I felt an innate sense of trust in the voices I heard; it never would have occurred to me that what I was hearing might be slanted, skewed, distorted to the left or right, incorrect or even a bold-faced lie. It definitely never occurred to me that what I was hearing might have been intended to draw my attention away from something else that was more important.

I think of the kids today and what they hear in the news while they eat their lunches and their ears are hungry for whatever they might pick up.

Iraq Iraq Iraq. US Attorneys US Attorneys US Attorneys. Middle East Middle East Middle East. Bush Paris Hilton Bush Paris Hilton Bush Paris Hilton. Gas prices Gas prices Gas prices.

Can it really be 30 or so years later? How is it possible that the news, even slanted or biased or HDTV or Podcast, can possibly be so identical to what it was back then? And in the 2040's, when I'm in my 70's (if I should tempt fate for that long), could it possibly be much different? Will the trend continue? Richer rich, poorer poor, better houses, more homeless, more fat people, more starving people, more drugs, more diseases, more freedom fighters, more insurgents, more civil wars, more international wars, more control, less stability...

Will the cancer of Globalization finally kill the body? Or is more like a parasite that incapacitates the host just enough to feed hungrily while keeping it alive, chugging on until a new solution to escalate its appetite is found? My guess is yes, all of the above. And 2040 doesn't seem that far away at all.

The Incredible Edible Anus & The Choice for Surgeon General

"First, do no harm." Second, eat as much Belgian chocolate anus as you can. Third, enjoy safe and responsible anal sex.



President Bush nominated James Holsinger as the nation's new Surgeon General last week. America's new potential National Doctor doesn't believe in equality for gays because their parts don't fit together "complementarily" during sex. He backs this up with the fact that we have adopted the terms "male" & "female" to refer to the ends of some mechanical parts, e.g., the male end of a plug. I don't know what Holsinger's doing wrong, but the male end of the penis fits into the female end of the ass just fine often enough. What are they teaching those kids at the Asbury Theological Seminary?

The good doctor also believes that homos can be "cured". I'm tired of that old BS. Knowing firsthand what some gays will do to hide their true identity, it's no surprise that this concept is popular amongst homophobes. But you can bet that inside the mind of every "cured" gay man is the desire to be held by strong, hairy arms.

Then there's the belief that homosexuality is a lifestyle choice and not an issue of orientation. Nuture vs nature. Chosen, not biological. It's beyond me how a presumedly reasonable person, like a doctor or a scientist, can believe that a young person, say in their pre-teens, can choose a lifestyle that they know nothing about, that they've never even heard of. According to the Pew Research Center, 4 in 10 Americans have close friends or relatives who are gay. Did Holsinger and his friends at the Theological Seminary consult any of them about this?

Holsinger's nomination will go before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Clinton, Obama, Dodd, all Presidential candidates, sit on that committee. I trust they'll do the right thing, but I'm going to make my voice heard anyway. I encourage you to as well.

Duuuude, where does GW come up with these people??? I find it so jaw-droppingly stunning that every single appointee for...ANYTHING...is so utterly the opposite of what a reasonable person would choose. Rumsfeld, Miers, Gonzales, Bolton, Keroak spring to mind, but really all of them just suck completely. Where are our scientists? Where are our Constitutional lawyers? Where are the reasonable, intelligent people that don't have a payback agenda or "beholden to" complex? It's astounding, it's astonishing, it's...it's...aaarrrgghhhh...

I swear that man really wants to run this country into the ground. I mean he just does, it's as plain as day. It's as if he made a plan: "How to Ruin America in 8 Years or Less".
Step 1: Rig Elections.
Step 2: Gain Support with False Flag Operations.
Step 3: Instill Fear in the Populace.
Step 4: Make Ongoing, Endless Wars.
Step 5: Invalidate/Ignore the U.S. Constitution.
Step 6: Fill Chairs with Idiots/Loyalists.
Step 7: Destroy the Economy.
Step 8: Reap the Harvest.

So it's all part of the plan. Of course, he's not truly stupid, just devoid of morals, and, oh yeah, a soul. Look into his eyes, what do you see? No soul. Watch his defensive posturing when backed into a corner by the simplest of questions. Listen to him stutter. Any Body Language experts out there? What do you see?

REPORTER: "Mr. President, what makes you an authority on terrorism?"
PRESIDENT: "THEY WANT TO KILL YOUR CHILDREN MAN!"

Everything he does is damaging, unhelpful, or just plain stupid. Yes, I'm sure there's a Master Plan that we don't see. There must be an explanation. Who knows how much money was transferred into what account, or who was there on a certain day when certain damaging behavior was witnessed. Okay, so someone has pics of someone waking up next to a beautiful but groggy-eyed prostitute (with big boobs and a penis). Yes, yes, it's all very exciting I'm sure. But DAY-UM! Is there a limit? Is there a point where people stand up and say "Wait a minute, is this guy for real?" Would somebody please rip up a picture of him on Saturday Night Live? Is there any blood left in the veins of Lady Liberty? Where's my country? Wake the hell up America. Everything the rest of the world says about us is true.

Palestine & Israel: An Ugly Anniversary

Today is the 40th anniversary of the beginning of Israel's Six-Day War, which began the enduring occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. To commemorate, I've begun reading Jimmy Carter's book: Palestine Peace Not Apartheid.

This weekend, the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation and United for Peace and Justice are sponsoring a two-day event in Washington, DC to protest the occupation with a rally, a teach-in, a march and some lobbying.

If you can't make the day's festivities, you can contact your representatives in congress and tell them how you feel about the occupation, or how you feel about Israel's aggressive policies and the oppression of the Palestinian people, or anything else you feel is important to you. Even if your elected representatives share your views, you can still write them to voice your opinions. You can review their votes on past issues with this handy tool.

The online version of the Israeli paper, Haaretz, has a section devoted to the occupation. It's encouraging to read that there are many Israelis who don't agree with Zionism, and who strive for peace.

To clarify: I'm not antisemitic, or anti-Judaism. I don't believe in the bible as the word of god. I don't believe that Jews, or anyone, have any divine claim to land.

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After yesterday's bleh blog about the democratic debate, I considered doing one devoted to the republicans today. But yesterday's words were so uninspired and practically unreadable, I couldn't imagine coming up with anything interesting about the rag tag group of scary old republican fogies running for President. They Bush-bashed, yay; they gay-bashed, boo. Yawn.
I didn't see any leaders on the stage, just finger-pointers, side-steppers and demographic-panderers.

A few of them said they wanted to pardon Dick Cheney's former aide Lewis I. "Scooter" Libby, who was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for lying and obstructing a CIA leak investigation. That's the big news now: Will he get a Pardon? No surprise there.

Democratics: They Go Down Easy

It's getting harder and harder to come away from these things with a feeling of optimism. If you didn't see any of it, CNN has it of course. Or you can go to You Tube (there are no commercials, and it's broken up into smaller parts.) It's nice to hear the responses to the 'gays in the military' question. That the question was even raised shows at least some progress on that front.

DENNIS KUCINICH made the most sense in this debate and he still has my vote in the primary. He's real. When he speaks, you don't get the impression that he's reciting whatever his Spin Doctor wrote. I'm doubtful that America is ready for him. Anyway, he hasn't raised nearly enough money to win, which illustrates a big flaw in our system.

HILLARY CLINTON... I love to hear her talk, but each time I do she sounds a little more spin-ish than the last time. She's getting really good at speaking about why she voted for the authorization to use military force. Each time she goes over it, it does sound better and better. You have to give her that. Maybe by NOV '08 she'll have us believing that she absolutely did the right thing. At this point it's still iffy. Was she a victim of the Right's balls-to-the-wall propaganda campaign, i.e., "If you're soft on terror, you're a terrorist"? They had pretty much everyone drinking the Kool-Aid at that time. Or maybe she really just wanted to set up GW for failure. Either way, I'm more concerned about all the money that AIPAC contributed to her campaign. Corruption and Lobbyist influences are my 2 of my pet peeve issues these days.

But if we can't have an honest President who does the right thing, and we can't have a woman, then we should definitely have a good-looking black man. I do feel that it's important to note how sexy BARACK OBAMA is. But is he qualified? Come on. If Chimpy McFlightsuit can do it, who can't? I would prefer any well-spoken person with a pretty face and a spark of life in their eyes over GW.

Were there really 5 others? Wow, good for them.

The New U.S. Embassy in Baghdad: On Your Left, You Will Find...

I was reading over the weekend, again, about the new U.S. uber-Embassy that's being built in Baghdad. I'm interested in its progress because it's one of the few physical examples of any progress in Iraq. But also, its construction is a plain indication of the plan for Iraq that the Administration has but rarely talks about.

We don't hear much about it, but with a $1.2 billion per year ongoing commitment, you don't need any speeches to dramatize those intentions. When it's done, on schedule for September, it'll be a small city of 4000 employees spread over a 104 acre lot. A $592 million-dollar-price tag for what amounts to a big step in globalization.

A 5/24/07 Washington Post article details some of the downfalls of this type of endeavor, specifically interruptions to incoming supplies. How ironic is it to read about an American in Iraq complaining about his fresh fruit being delayed?

Through 5/29/07 articles at Tom Dispatch, & Think Progress, I got a glimpse of the computer-animated renditions of the various buildings in the complex on the BDY web site. (Berger Devine Yaeger is the American company that was contracted to design the facility.) It seemed like a strange coincidence that tonight I would see new articles about the images being removed at the request of the State Department. At this time, the company's site isn't coming up at all...

An AP article at The International Herald Tribune quoted Ryan Crocker, the US Ambassador to Iraq:

"We have enough challenges out here, both the military and the civilian elements of our government, without having that kind of thing taking place back home," Ryan Crocker said on a Sunday television interview. "We certainly hope that it will not have any lasting impact on our security."

Yeah...we hope not Ryan. Why does he always look like a deer in the headlights? Maybe now the embassy will become mainstream news and the rest of the country will finally get a chance to mull this over. Will people draw the line and demand that our elected representatives reverse this policy of long-term commitment?

*** As an update, here's a July 5, 2007 Washington Post article about some of the dangerously shoddy construction at the embassy. It paints a bleak picture for anyone who's going to be stationed there.