Consider this: An inarticulate, politically inexperienced man with family links to a previous national regime comes to provincial leadership. Subsequently he gains the highest national office without winning the popular vote. The election in which he was declared the victor is considered compromised by his brother's province. He appoints a chief law enforcement officer who has repeatedly called for constitutional revisions. Regulatory agencies are filled with those previously regulated. Soldiers patrol transportation centers. International treaties are abrogated. International legal organizations are shunned. Roles of police and military are blurred. Law enforcement agencies are centralized. Individual civil rights are reduced. A "shadow" government is created.

Domestic surveillance is increased. People are encouraged to spy on each other. Military budgets are increased. The military establishes a disinformation program. Media access to government is limited. Consultations with the legislative branch decline. Connections to corrupt corporate sponsors are disavowed. Efforts to further plunder natural resources for profit are initiated. Access to past administrations' documents is limited. A war mentality is established with imprecise enemies. Nebulous fear- inducing alerts are periodically released. National level profiling is introduced. People are imprisoned without public charges and unknown others are "disappeared." Does the word "coup" come to mind?

Coup? No! Ganja? Yes!

Rick you are too nice a guy to be such a flaming liberal! It is kinda too bad, but you are all FUed!
Charlie

Huh? I with Charlie on this one...Go figure.

were talking about papa and baby doc from haiti, right? or is it another father/son combo somewhere in the western hemisphere? };{>

Rick, you simply need to listen to yourself once in a while. You answer your own concerns. "A war mentality is established with imprecise enemies" That is the very reason for much of your critique. The enemy is indeed vague, and actions are therefore likely to be blurred as well. But a proactive approach is superior to waiting for the next attack. And much of the directionless action is due to Liberal Concerns regarding profiling. Don't let your Leftist mentality distort the truth. It's OK to disagree with the current administration. Give us something of substance so we can discuss it without your simplistic rhetoric.

Do you lie awake at night crying about the stupid **** in Florida that couldn't figure out a ballot? And then to try to blame the elected official who had nothing to do with their mental deficiancies? Or who want to hand count until they got the result they wanted rather than the actual outcome? Are these the folks you side with? Because the company one keeps says a lot about your own character. You honestly should distance yourself from those idiots with NO PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for their own actions. They epitomize the Liberal agenda: Someone else is to blame.

tailgater

"Give us something of substance so we can discuss it without your simplistic rhetoric."

what has george done for this country, except make you feel patriotic.

unknown people are in prisons with out legal repreentation .
money for the real needs of this country has been denied them in favor of the military. sr citizens can not afford to live because the cost of there medicine is out of control. (not me personally, being a disabled vet allows me access to the VA, which is not getting the money it needs because bush would not release the funds.

i would like you to tell me what george bush has done for this country. forget about this BS war on terror, we bombed afghanistan back to the stone age where they were to start with, even though the people that caused the hell in new york were all from saudi arabia. why?

tell me what your president has done that is positive for my country. you have the floor

Except make me feel Patriotic? How can anyone who calls themself American belittle that feat? The lack of Patriotism was a primary cause of much of our grief. You're old enough to remember life in the '50s. Being American was important. Everybody had the real chance to make a better life for themselves. That all ended in recent years. Through the 90's despite a great economy, it has become increasingly difficult for children to live up to the level that their parents did, nevermind surpass it. Too much emphasis on feel-good legislation has surped our taxes dry. As much money as government could get, they would spend it twice on useless programs. You cry about military spending, and although that is the biggest single nut in our budget at least it is money well spent. Our military is the best in the world. You can't say that about the other programs that we waste money on. But why do you think it's the Presidents job to pay for elderly healthcare? Cripes, the existing Medicaid/Medicare system is so out of whack that doctors question 60 year old folks who are healthy as to why they aren't on any medication. How is that Bush's fault? The problems we have now took years to create, why should they be solved in two years? And HOW can they be solved when Daschel and Gephart have vowed to block any republican initiative? Bush was handed the wheel of a ship about to hit an iceburg. The fact that it didn't sink is a tribute to his leadership skills. His ability to surround himself with the right people that will make decisions, even the tough ones. We need several more years of leadership to move us away from the socialistic society we were heading towards. So don't downplay Patriotism, because the LONG TERM effect of that innoculation will pay dividends. Much more so than a short term fix based on wasting more money. Democrat style.

Rick you need to go and join the ACLU and also Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Crooks! Your hatred for GWB is really getting to be old and boring! Wake up and welcome to the year 2002. It amazes me that you think that Al Gore should be President and that he would do a great job! He would still be running opinion polls on 9/11 to try and decide what to do and when it would bring in the most positive ratings! This is one thing refreshing about Bush, he doesn't live and breath polls! Oh, I apoligize for saying to go join ACLU, you probably already are a member of said group! Charlie

for those of keeping score at home it is Rick 2 Charlie 1 and Gater a distant third with 1. take a breather guys and rest up your digits for round 2...

Sorry CJ but you must have used your scorecard to wipe your arse this morning and smuged that big fat 0 next to Ricks name and made it look like a 2.Gater hits a grand slam and charlie cracked one down the foul line for a double anybody can see that or they aint watching the same game I am. LOL

ACLU = A**hole Coalition for Losers Ultimately

sorry jj, i was counting points/counterpoints...this isn't figure skating so i'm not giving points for technique or political affiliation... };{>

No I'm sorry! You lost me at figure skating.Bye LOL

CJ is right. Perhaps I should have answered Ricks question without getting sidetracked due to his anti-American comment. What has Bush accomplished? Well to start off, this war on terror isn't about bombing the Afghans. You know that, but refuse to admit it. Our sanctity has been violated. We know where the plan originated, and we successfully prevented another devasting attack by dismantling their training camps and communications. Meanwhile, Bush has created the Homeland Security position and has consolidated our major intelligence information by signing the Anti-Terrorism Bill. All the while, he has appeased the campaign finance reform crowd by signing that bill, and also showed unheard of bipartisanship by joining Kennedy and Miller on the Education Bill championed by those two democrats. So not only has the man which you claim has no brain raised our Patriotism, but he has also pushed through legislation for his Republican party and also the Democrats. Sure, there are a slew of other bills, but you get the gist. Bush is being effective without the glitz and glamour that destroyed the character of our Oval Office in recent years. He is running the country without his PR cohorts thumping their chests. And he is maintaining the course despite the unbelievers, not in spite of them. It's a lesson we should all live by. When's the last time you felt Proud to be American?

Let me see if I understand this.

A spoiled little millionaire throws a temper tantrum because he thinks he is not getting enough attention and manages to spend a princely sum to concoct a scheme to kill thousands of my fellow citizens in my own country .- He is the imprecise enemy.

His scheme works and large numbers of non combatant civilians, which he targeted, lose their life. -This is the conduct which ignites in me and my government, a war time mentality.

In response to this a plain spoken guy from Texas raises his fist in the air and says to that heretofore mentioned little monster, you can run but you can't hide. When we find you we will kill you for doing this to our citizens and our country.- This is the inarticulate, politically inexperienced man.

Then this same man with the cooperation of our elected congress takes steps to insure that the chances of a repeat performance by the tantrum throwing murderer is greatly diminished.- This constitutes a coup.

I think I may get it.

I will watch very carefully the temporary compromises my government makes to insure my neighbors safety. I cherish every one of my freedoms and give none up willingly. I understand that if we are forced to sacrifice our freedom we loose. I believe freedom is worth fighting for but I also understand freedom is meaningless if everybody is dead. It's a dangerous tightrope we are forced to walk.

As for that inarticulate man. I wished I could have climbed up there with him and shouted. He said what I wanted to hear. He said what I wanted to say. He expressed what I want to do. I am proud to be an American. We, as a people, don't always get it right the first time but I know of no one who trys harder or comes closer. Americans, when measured against the world, are usually pretty tolerant. However, right now might not be the best time to berate America. Someone might just punch your lights out. While I wouldn't condone that I would understand it. We as a people are not willing victims. Right now Im still d*mn mad about what has happened. To insure that others are reluctant to attempt the same terrorist acts I believe this time it is going to take quite a lot of violence on our part to soothe that anger.

Charlie
you first.

i have already posted numerous negatives regarding jesse. so i accept your apology for suggesting i think he is any thing but a scam artist.

i have already said i know gore won except for your corrupt republicans that fixed the florida election almost like jfk fixed the election in chicago, and the supreme court, forget about it. without that ding thomas, enough time would have been allowed to correct what was "probably" a mistake in florida. don't forget the attack on the people that were recounting by PAID republican thugs. they disrupted the recount harrassed and threatend the counters with physical harm. bush's team does more polling than any presidental team in history.

i must kleave for a moment and have diner and watch the tape of the rams game, but i'll be back.

tailgator>se hablo mucho, pero no dice nada. back to you and your none response.

i thank you that remembered my birthday and special thanks to eleltea, i am typless

Richard, you sir are clearly in a state of delusion. I decided some time ago not to bother with your rantings only to point out the this fact! Have a nice day.

thank you. my surprize birthday party should start about 4:00 pm today.
the family couldn't agree on what we should have for diner. about half wanted pizza and half wanted chinese food.
toby and i are cooking and will serve beef stoganoff, and since we have been lucky in calif and getting exceptional produce, toby has been busy cutting melons and assorted other fruit to serve as a side dish.
right after diner, since it will still be light outside we will all retire to the patio and smoke some excellent cigars and enjoy each other's company.

calling me delusional or fatso or scoundrel, is not an answer to my posts.
state your points of disagreement clearly and succinctly.

calling someone who diasagrees with you names, doesn't really help you case. calling all the right wing people on the boards no-good fascist, hate-mongers, with out a heart or feeling for their fellow man, would be like the old, "yea, your mother wears army boots." a non sequitur.

enjoy your weekend and smoke if you got em.