bushwatch

This particular page is dedicated to watching our new and stunningly inarticulate president in chief. While we would hope that the man from Texas would bring us a new utopia of clean fuels and bright, shiny well educated kids, we think our future will more than likely resemble something like the Bladerunner skies: Dark and foreboding, with the occasional plume of sporadic fire. This page is dedicated towards chronicling what we think will be four years of Antichrist like behavior concerning civil liberties, civil rights, the environment, the war machine economy and evil that we can't imagine yet. (Originally published January 5, 2001)

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Indeed, the most basic Bush mystery is how he spends his time. We know he doesn't follow culture, except sports. He doesn't bone up on public policy. He's never really traveled (he's been to Scotland once, for a wedding). He's narrowly read. His ranch house doesn't have cable; he doesn't avidly follow the news. Information -- including news of Dick Cheney's heart attack -- seems to reach him slowly, sp`oradically. He seems insulated, as a matter both of process and inclination. There's no question that he delegates: James Baker ran Florida; Dick Cheney ran the transition. The unanswered question is, What doesn't he delegate? What does Bush himself decide? Who does the job of the president? Is there anybody there?

--Harold Meyerson, LA Weekly

(links provided by www.bushwatch.com and www.buzzflash.com mostly)

Obviously, I haven't posted here in awhile for cataloging all of the Bush administration's various evils seems to me to be repetitive and redundant. I'm trying to think of other ways of changing things other than this particular page. More news on this as it comes to me.

Philip Shropshire, October 11, 2003.

First Reports From CNN and our Idiot Prince's Comments
Complete Line by Line Demolition of the Idiot Prince's Last Speech
Two Completely Nightmarish Accounts of Why the War Won't Be Easy ("It's the Occupation, Stupid") here and here.
Words of Wisdom From Max Sawicky
What Iraqis Can Expect from American Style "Democracy"

Must Read. Here's a sample:

3. Under various decrees of the revolutionary command council, capital punishment can be handed out cruelly and whimsically in Iraq for a wide variety of offences. Guilt or innocence is irrelevant. This is reported only by a few outside human rights bodies. This would cease under an American-installed system. Instead, executions would be largely confined to black murderers, most of whom will probably be guilty, accused of murdering whites and too poor to afford a decent lawyer. This will be reported only by a few outside human-rights bodies.

5. Any Iraqi journalist thought likely to ask Saddam Hussein a difficult question is now subject to the dictates of paragraph 3. The American way (as seen during the presidential press conference two weeks ago) provides for such people to be stuck at the back of the room and simply not called.

Not enough chatter about this: Israelis Murder Peace Activist. God help us if it was the French...

Righteous Anger From Doc Menlo
Union of Concerned Scientists Against the Invasion

Here are some pics from the Washington D.C. Protest.

And there's this:

I thought the best commentary came from Max Sawicky, who was there. He takes two devastating shots at Instapundit here and here. And Atrios takes a shot at Glenn as well, always good fun. And Oliver, bloggin' up a storm lately as befits his celebrity status, takes on the ANSWER Smearers.

Meanwhile, back at the Transhumanist Future, James Hughes has written a very compelling piece over at Better Humans. He too is pushing the correct idea that technology thrives in democratic societies. He actually elaborates on this more in this essay. (My Fave line: "avante garde minorities.") Like me, James is also a charter member of the Ministry of Extraneous and Ironic Links. Check out his Pac Man link. It's not nearly as cool as my "Brotherhood of Evil Mutants" link the week before, but hey, we can't all be gifted.

Also at Better Humans:

Nanotech Becoming Real
Swiss Direct Democracy Uses Internet Voting (They already have direct democracy...need to look at this.)

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(computer art by Le Phil' Shropshire)

My evil cousin Todd Jackson (seen above), who will cut off his left nipple ~~will lactate~~ to write for Front Page, is some sort of Bizarro world political version of myself ("Me Am Far Right Wing Conservative Pundit and me know Horowitz am decent guy....!"). But just because you're a neo-fascist that doesn't mean that you can't write well, as James Lileks proves to us everyday. Check out Todd's intense poetry.

ON The Eve of a New Year: Obviously, there has be to a lot more work done around here. The only reason you haven't seen more stuff is that I've been kind of depressed and busy as of late. But with this unprecedented level of evil there has to be some comment, some note-taking. So, I'll be working harder in 2003 to fully document the worst age I've ever lived through, and which a pure dissenter like myself might not survive...Into the breach.

Here are the more political stories over at the main page:

Here's My Debut Column at Better Humans
Don Hazen's Depressing Year in Review

The ~~Warbloggers~~ Justifiers Have A Political Message By the Way: "They Believe, They Judge, They Kill"...Now, who would that describe...? I'm continuing in the vein of great comics artists. Jack Kirby This Week, Steve Ditko last week...

Took The Science Fiction Test And I'm Ursula LeGuin, Who Recently Led A Peace March in Seattle...Must Be Accurate

Ursula, by the way, is a stunningly great writer. Find her incredible fictional denunciation of the Vietnam War The Word For World is Forest (Anthologized in Dangerous Visions) and I also recommend her creepy erudite anthology of science fiction stories: The Compass Rose

Osama May Already Have Suitcase Nukes (From Indispensable Unknown News)
Big Evil United States Wrecks Efforts For Poor Countries To Get Cheap AIDs Drugs
(Reason 45,673 as to Why They Hate Us, Justifiably...)
Great Follow The Money Site From The Guy or Gal
Behind Cursor

Left Answer to Right Wing Think Tanks
(Now if they could only get a network of their own...)
Ivan Illich, of Deschooling Society Fame and one of my Heroes, Has Passed Away
Story About IMF Screwing Two Poor Countries (Robot Wisdom) And It's About Water Privatization Again
(Gawd the US is Evil)
High Schooler Gets Interrogation From Secret Service After
Wearing Anti Bush T-Shirt
(Gawd the US is Evil Part 2)

Great Interview With Artist Micah Wright

Speaking of Foreigners (Other Than Iraqi Kids) We Have To Kill...

Conflicting Views Toward US Role In Venezuela
(Am Strongly leaning toward Blame America First Because
Of Our Sponsored Coup Attempt the First Time)

Blame America First One
Blame America First Two
Blame America First Three
And: Those Goddam' Commies or Homegrown American
Pravda Writer Glenn Links To This Perspective

I honestly don't know what to say anymore about the Bush administration. I think it's the most evil administration I've ever had the displeasure of living through. It's not just that he's not that swift, or knowledgeable, or can't pronounce words, it's his habit of always making the worst decision. All the time. I don't believe in religion but God does this guy have the makings of the Anti-Christ. I mean, isn't this what the Anti-Christ would do? Wouldn't the Evil One start conflicts, ignore root causes, argue that cutting down trees would prevent forest fires (This actually might not be wrong, but coming from him it still seems self-serving and evil.). There are so many stories that reflect on this man's evil--and not just opinion pieces, but studies and investigative pieces--that you hardly know where to begin. But here are three items, apologies to the Marvel Bullpen Page and Excelsior!

Item!: There was a massive 20 year study about the effects of globalization. A liberal think tank did it but its results aren't surprising if you're watching the world, or wondering why you can't live on what you're making. Anyway, it appeared at a great new site called "Reclaiming Democracy". The link to the story is here.

"From 1980-2000, most countries followed the paths of public spending cuts, corporatization of public services, implementing fees for health care (and education in many case), and removing government protection for young industries. Many of the world's poor and mid-income countries experienced unprecedented levels of foreign debt and loss of their wealth to interest on loans during the period.

The Scorecard findings include:

An overall slowdown in reducing infant and child mortality and in improving overall life expectancy (not necessarily an indicator of policy failure--it could be a natural flattening of progress curve).

Reduced progress in education as evidenced by declining school enrollment rates and literacy. Slower growth in domestic spending correlates to decreased educational spending;

Slower economic growth fodecades r countries at all income levels;

A negative growth rate for the poorest countries;

For moderately wealthy countries, income growth declined from 100% increase per capita between 1960-1980 to a 21% increase in the last two "

Item!: And just in case you thought those guys were lying about the effects of globalization, here's a specific story about how globalization is destroying South Africa and, in particular, the credibility of the African National Congress.

The results on the ground are now making themselves clear. Patrick Bond, a Johannesburg academic, was involved in drawing up the original RDP and is now a firm opponent of GEAR. The author of several books on what he calls the country's "elite transition" from apartheid to neoliberalism, Bond said he believes, like many other South Africans, that GEAR is "a capitulation to the markets … a very one-sided Faustian pact."

According to Bond, almost a million jobs have been lost to GEAR. South Africa's unemployment rate is now conservatively estimated at 25 percent -- and may be as high as 40 percent. Twenty-two million South Africans, out of a population of 42 million, still live in absolute poverty, according to widely reported estimates.

Here's the kicker graph. Over there at Instant Pundit he makes it clear that we're ignoring the atrocities in Zimbabwe. Well, I'm not and I'll always call an atrocity an atrocity. But if inequalities aren't addressed folks get angry and no I don't agree with Godless that it's the victim's fault. I'm guessing that this happened over in Zimbabwe:

Recent research showed that GEAR has led to 10 million South Africans having their water cut off, 10 million having their electricity cut off, and 2 million being evicted from their homes -- all for non-payment of bills which, in a country in which half the population gets by on around $2 a day, they simply cannot pay, according to a March 2002 report by the Municipal Services Project, a Canadian-based research group that studies municipal services in South Africa.

Item!: Here's yet another story that Glenn probably won't link to. It turns out that Coke not only discourages union activity in Colombia, but it actually orchestrates the death squad hits. Don't you just love America? Somebody tries to make a decent wage doing something other than sell cocaine and of course you simply have to have them killed. File this under "Why They Hate Us?"

"According to Terry Collingsworth of the Washington DC-based International Labor Rights Fund and co-counsel for the plaintiffs, "There is no question that Coke knew about, and benefits from, the systematic repression of trade union rights at its bottling plants in Colombia, and this case will make the company accountable." The plaintiffs are seeking compensation and an end to the human rights abuses committed against Coca-Cola's employees and union members.

The suit claims that Coca-Cola controls all aspects of business conducted by its Colombian subsidiary Coca-Cola Colombia, as well as the operations of Panamerican Beverages, its Colombian subsidiary Panamco, and Bebidas y Alimentos. According to the complaint, Panamco and Bebidas y Alimentos exist solely for the purpose of bottling and distributing Coca-Cola products in Colombia. Both are Florida-based companies with 'bottling agreements' requiring them to abide by Coca-Cola's code of conduct regarding their operations and labor relations."

Here are some other interesting links:

Death Squads Go Better With Coke
Defense of African Countries Refusal To Accept GE Food
Writer Also Works For A Great Site Called Reclaim Democracy

Send us your opinions. Send to pshropshire@yahoo.com

All Pictures and Words

Philip Shropshire

unless otherwise noted