:: PejmanPundit :: (This Is Meant As Parody!)
"[W]hen our intellect draws near its goal and fathoms to the depths of its desire, the memory is powerless to follow . . ."--Dante Alighieri (Annotated Translation: I haven't read anything I liked that was printed in the last 50 years. Henry Miller who? Postmodernism wha'?)(Suggested replacement quote: "I'm the hideous ugly face of the Corporate Theocracy".)
Definition of Propaganda:
PROPAGANDA: INFORMATION OR IDEAS METHODICALLY SPREAD TO PROMOTE A CAUSE, MOVEMENT, OR NATION.http://carmen.artsci.washington.edu/propaganda/war3.htm
"Propagandists usually attempt to influence individuals while leading each one to behave "as though his response were his own decision." Mass communication tools extend the propagandist's reach and make it possible to shape the attitudes of many individuals simultaneously. Because propagandists attempt to "do the other fellow's thinking for him," they prefer indirect messages to overt, logical arguments. During the war, the CPI accomplished this by making calculated emotional appeals, by demonizing Germany, by linking the war to the goals of various social groups, and, when necessary, by lying outright."
From an earlier exchange between Pejman and Myself:
Pejman you are such a propaganda tool, my Tech Central Station colleague (har har the third time, what, no congrats for me? I might be writing more stuff down there you never know. I'll be the crazy guy who thinks DDT is bad...), why don't you just admit that you're a front, perhaps self elected or paid off, who knows but your links trend that way. It's an overwhelming trend in fact. It's like Ari or Karl has a blog or something it's pathetic. You know, I haven'teven looked at your site today but you're either ignore the bombing that happened today or you'll whitewash and.or rationalize it...That's what I would do if I was a republican partisan and you often do it...I mean, this isn't even a close call. Of course what you do is a kind of propaganda., fess up for God's sake...It's like admitting that the background of your site is green. It's obvious....come on..."
So Pejman responds by saying this:
"Actually, the background of my site is black. I
see that you are as visually impaired as you are cognitively impaired. Medical science
could help, you know.
And I love the fact that you call me a "propaganda tool" when all I do is
express my opinions the way you do yours. Thanks for the laugh, Phil. You're always good
for inadvertent comic relief."
This is actually terribly false. I'm not a propaganda tool for the Democratic Party. The Dems under DLC leadership aren't really much different from the Republicans. I sympathized with the Nader run. I agree with much of the Green platform that I've seen. I did vote for Gore because I thought he had the best chance of winning. I also thought that he was better for the country, at least he can talk coherently. So, you are not expressing opinions like I do. For better or worse, I'm more complicated than that. (Also, one of us is colorblind. That background here is green, not black.)
I've decided to take a look at Pejman's site and determine for myself whether or not he's a shill for the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy or a whore for the Republican National Committee or all of the above. You see, Peyman is on record as saying that he just gives "opinions", implying that he's not a shameless shill for the Republican Party. And when he says something like that I can't help but think that he's memorized the definition of what Doublespeak is. Now, here's a trick: Try to find an independent critique of the Republican Party in any of his posts (that doesn't urge that they move farther right...)
Here's a shorthand I'll be using when I get tired of responding
to Pejman's parade of lies, innuendo and putdowns.
1. Straight RNC Propaganda. (And its subset: Rationalizing Republican Evil At Every Turn
or that Bush he's a smart fella despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary...)
2. Straight Anti-Dem Party Propaganda.
3. Pro Israel at any cost
Propaganda.
4. Damn Arafat Propaganda.
5. Wacky Personal Stuff no one cares about.
6. Attack Iraq and/or Foment Rebellion in Iran. (The latter is a relatively new meme.)
7. Anti warblogger watch spin. Here Pejman usually resorts to name calling and declaring
victory without evidence of such--in this respect he does resemble the resident in Chief.
8. Crazy Right Wing Stuff (Global Warming doesn't exist, no
separation between church and state, Scalia is soooo cool...etc.,)
9: Daily Smears Against Leftists like Rall, Chomsky and Mike
Moore. Sometimes includes Dem officials or Europeans on a
slow day.
10. Pejman "I don't really understand modern humor or modern
Art." Yousefzadeh
11. The Great and Glorious Capitalist System
12: The Saudi Conundrum: where an introspective Pej wonders why we support those Saudi
scoundrels, even as we work with those Chinese scoundrels, Pakistani coup leader
scoundels, work to unseat democratically elected leaders in Venezuela in order to install
scoundrels, create a puppet government in Afghanistan..etc.
Friday, July 12, 2002 ::
NOTICE Blogger has been unbelievably unreliable lately. There is a problem with people's
templates that from time to time prevents publishing new posts. I've been getting error
messages since last night, and while I have been able to publish (after what seemed like
several hundred attempts), I don't know how good publishing is going to be for the near
future (as in tomorrow).
Thus, if you see no new posts, blame Blogger for the problems. Either that, or I'm trapped
under something heavy.
Thanks. And sorry about all of this. Believe me, it is as much of a pain in the ass for
me, as it might be for you.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 10:52 PM [+]::
Let The Muse Inspire You
(Well, this is evidence that Pejman isn't much of a
tech guy, if that wasn't painfully obvious already from his links. I mean, one time he said
my links were stupid and of course most of my links have to do with science! You've
followed Glenn's lead before in terms of overall style. I would do it again and move
toward Movable Type or some other option.) See 5. Wacky
Personal Stuff no one cares about.
...
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Patience is the companion of wisdom.
--St. Augustine
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 8:20 PM [+]::
Let The Muse Inspire You
(Here's Pejman again quoting someone who would
probably find his politics completely objectionable and unreasonable. I couldn't believe
his Einstein quote. Einstein was a left-wing style Bertrand Russell type who thought blind
patriots were morons....!)
...
A MIRAGE OF AN ISSUE Fred Barnes thinks that the corporate scandals aren't real scandals
at all, and that they will have little political effect. As Barnes points out, both
parties have been complicit in what the Democrats are accusing Republicans of having done
with regards to big business. I imagine that the loyal opposition will be trying to find
other political issues soon.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 8:12 PM [+]::
Let The Muse Inspire You
(Here, we're rationalizing the money scandals. You can see that he's hoping and praying that the Democrats walk away from this. And of course, we're quoting Freddy "Fox" Barnes, talk about your fuckin' partial and biased sources...why don't we just quote Ari or Karl so that we can get the "truth"...)(I hope it's clear that I find reading Pejman to be boring and tedious stuff. You just get the strong vibe that Pejman already has the conclusions and he's just looking for the evidence to back them up. You get this same funny vibe whenever the hilariously frightening folks over at Gene Expression talk about IQ, race and something involving "Black" people.)(And of course there's this strong sense of missed questions and speculations. You can't read for more than a few seconds any warblogger rant without reading some complaint about the evil "Saudis". Well the evil Saudis have oil and money, which means they have more free speech than the average patriotic American, such as Pejman "Ted Rall is more courageous than I am" Yousefzadeh. Just once I'd like to see a warblogger back Clean Money Campaign finance reform....) 1 and 2 here: 1. Straight RNC Propaganda. (And it's subset: Rationalizing Republican Evil At Every Turn.) 2. Straight Anti-Dem Party Propaganda
...
OH COOL, I CAN PUBLISH ON BLOGGER AGAIN I just wanted to say that.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 7:49 PM [+]::
Let The Muse Inspire You
...
WAR PLANS FOR IRAQ The British Special Air Services are preparing to sabotage Saddam
Hussein's plants producing weapons of mass destruction. Additionally, British and American
agents are already on the ground, generating opposition to Saddam's regime. The only
question now is when a full-scale military operation will take place to remove Saddam
Hussein from power.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 11:05 AM [+]::
2 Philosophical Musings! Ha, Ha, Ha!
(Welp, the Warblogger mantra at work. "War is Peace" I guess. I suppose when we do this, take out Saddam, who while evil is relatively secular and a nice change of pace from the usual fundie madmen who rule in the mideast, we'll create the same kind of wonderful stability that now reigns over both Pakistan and Afghanistan, murdered VPs notwithstanding...) Sounds like 6: Attack Iraq and/or Foment Rebellion in Iran. (The latter is a relatively new meme.)
...
IS ANYONE ELSE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS? Scientists have created a polio virus in the lab.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 10:45 AM [+]::
1 Philosophical Musing
...
GLASS HALF FULL Michael Lewis sees the bright side of the corporate corruption scandal.
What particularly makes this article a delight is the following funny little
nugget--relating to a House congressional hearing over corporate corruption:
. . . as Jack Grubman and Bernie Ebbers stared stoically into the middle distance,
California's Maxine Waters referred to the corrupt research reports of a Wall Street
investment bank she called ``Salomon Barney Frank.'' And she was reading from a prepared
statement.
Of course, Congresswoman Waters meant Smith Barney, and did not intend to allow the name
of a brokerage firm to be morphed into a hybrid of a corporate name and the name of
another congressman. And of course, no one should worry about the fact that congressional
representatives who can't even get the names of corporations right, are now proposing to
regulate their behavior.
(Link via Andrew Sullivan)
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 10:37 AM [+]::
Let The Muse Inspire You
(Now this takes the cake. Here's a guy who will
defend George Bush for being smart, despite being a president who routinely fucks up his
every public utterance, calling a Democrat dumb for doing the same thing. Now, you might
not like Maxine (I sorta like her myself) but she can speak lots of sentences without
sounding like a complete moron, unlike the current prez. God what a hypocrite this guy
is...If he's not being paid by the RNC then he probably should be. And what's the
kicker: people who can't talk shouldn't be making policy? Compared to who: The moron in
chief? This is painful...) How About 2: Straight Anti-Dem Party Propaganda
...
A CHOICE, NOT AN ECHO Nick Schulz argues that the Bush Administration has abandoned the
principles of environmental science, and is now basically seeing eye to eye with the
global warming alarmists.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 10:27 AM [+]::
(I-I'm a little shocked by this. Let me read it again...Oh wait I was wrong. I thought he was criticizing the Bush administration. Now, Pejman does criticize the Bush Administration, but only when they're not being right wing and crazy enough. It's like criticizing Hitler for not killing Jews fast enough.....)Crazy Right Wing Stuff (Global Warming doesn't exist, no separation between church and state...etc.,)
Let The Muse Inspire You
...
THE MORE THINGS CHANGE . . . the more they stay the same, according to Steven den Beste.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 10:25 AM [+]::
(This is actually an interesting link that captures
all eight of Pejman's Evil Diabolical Memes. Steven den Beste is an infinitely more
intelligent guy than Pejman "I am Manufactured Consent" Yousefdeh.)
Let The Muse Inspire You
...
BUSH UNPLUGGED Richard Starr thinks that the departure of Karen Hughes will remove some of
the restraints on President Bush's language towards the press. And that might be a good
thing.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 10:15 AM [+]::
1 Philosophical Musing
...
PROBLEMS IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE RULING? I'm a little late to this story, given the
fact that Glenn Reynolds covered it last night, but it appears that Michael Newdow's
daughter, on whose behalf Newdow instituted the lawsuit that ruled the Pledge of
Allegiance was unconstitutional, actually had no problem with the Pledge, and believes in
God. She even recited the Pledge willingly and without complaint at school.
This could cause serious problems in the ruling. In order to institute a suit, the
elements of standing must be met. To have standing, you must have (1) an injury to the
plaintiff; (2) fairly traceable to the defendant; and (3) the likelihood that a favorable
court decision would redress the injury. It appears that there was no injury to the
daughter, since she believes in God, and had no problem reciting the Pledge. Newdow, the
father, could still claim standing based on his right to raise his child. But as the story
makes clear, he doesn't have custody, which perhaps could subjugate Newdow's rights to
those of the mother.
I wonder whether the decision will be revisited now by an en banc panel, given the new
information. Stay tuned, I guess.
(Thanks to B.J. Monte for the story)
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 10:03 AM [+]::
13 Philosophical Musings! Ha, Ha, Ha!
(You would think that Pej, someone who fled Iran
(Apparently his dad was hated by both the Shah and the Khomeini...He's never explained
that though, what exactly did his dad do in that regime? Was the Shah mad at his dad
because he spoke out against the regime (Yet another strange thing about Pejman's belief
systems: He had to flee a country run by a leader that the United States supported
strongly, yet he doesn't make this connection that the United States continuously supports
evil abroad...continuously, all the time even.)or because he didn't mend the Shah's
secret police quickly enough? An explanation would be handy..)because of both state and
potential religious persecution would kinda like this whole separation of church and
state. But no.) Definitely 8: Crazy Right Wing Stuff (Global
Warming doesn't exist, no separation between church and state...etc.,)
...
CAN HE DO ANYTHING RIGHT? Reader Matthew D. Jacobson sends this report critiquing Noam
Chomsky's language theories. Despite his obsession with spreading an anti-American
message, it behooves us all to remember that Chomsky is a linguist by training, and that
his linguistic theories are just as much under attack as his political theories.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 9:49 AM [+]::
1 Philosophical Musing
(Welp, here's Pejman doing the propanda stuff: A
Smear A Day Keeps the Warbloggin' okay I guess. Noam Chomsky is arguably one of the
smartest men ever to walk to planet. He's a significant figure in both linguistics and
political theory. That's like being a chess wiz and a popular abstract painter.
Frankly, the vast rightwing conspiracy that is the warblogger movement isn't fit to carry
his footnotes. I might add that you haven't exactly hurt Noam's books sales either. Keep
the hatred coming losers. If I ever produce my "Manufacturing Consent" epic I
would hope that you warbloggers can give me all this free pub so that I too like Noam
Chomsky/Ted Rall/Mike Moore can have a bestselling book...) Feels like 9: Daily Smears Against Leftists like Rall, Chomsky and Mike Moore.
...
THIS IS APPROPRIATE Just take a look.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 9:43 AM [+]::
Let The Muse Inspire You
(Links to something nasty about Yassir Arafat.)
Sounds like 3 and 4: 3. Pro Israel at any cost Propaganda. 4. Damn Arafat Propaganda
...
OF POTS AND KETTLES Apparently, Dick Gephardt and Terry McAuliffe are in no position to
accuse President Bush of corporate corruption.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 9:38 AM [+]::
5 Philosophical Musings! Ha, Ha, Ha!
(Democrats is bad...are you bored too?) Sounds like: 1. Straight RNC Propaganda. (And it's subset: Rationalizing
Republican Evil At Every Turn.)
2. Straight Anti-Dem Party Propaganda.
...
:: Thursday, July 11, 2002 ::
THOUGHTS OF THE DAY
Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare
not, are slaves.
--Lord Byron
Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain - and most fools do.
--Dale Carnegie
(What? This is all you do down here...Jesus.....)
Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools, because they have to say
something.
--Plato
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 10:57 PM [+]::
Let The Muse Inspire You
(Isn't This called Projection...?)
...
WARBLOGGERWATCH WATCH The benighted laughingstock of a site has now unleashed its newest
rabid attack dog at me--none other than the pathetic and clownish Jak King (what a shock
that he would write for a site that advocates positions coincidentally designed to bring
about the death of as many Jews as possible). In his post (put up today), and in the
comments below, Jak demonstrates his limited capacity for humor and wit by referring to me
repeatedly as "Pej-puppet." He also evinces outrage that I would talk
disparagingly of the people on Warbloggerwatch, despite their inability to form and
construct a respectable argument, and despite their apparent obsession with taking
kindergarten style potshots at others. In Jak's world, it is perfectly all right for him
and his fellow Stooges to engage in ad hominem attacks, but it is totally wrong for anyone
to point out this behavior, or to label the denizens of Warbloggerwatch as being the
emotional children that they truly are.
Apparently, Jak is either too much of a liar to admit his hypocrisy, and that of his
comrades, or he is too much of a idiot to recognize that hypocrisy. I really don't know
which is the right characterization: Jak has so often been revealed as a liar and idiot,
that after a while, both options look quite appealing. In any event, I can't help but
laugh at this latest attempt of Warbloggerwatch to make waves. One wonders when it will
ever dawn on the site administrators that they have made jokes out of themselves. It is no
wonder that Neale Talbot stopped writing for WBW. He probably just didn't want to be
judged by the company he kept any longer. Perhaps in the end, Jak and the gang were just
too embarrassing for Neale to take.
In any event, with his "Pej-puppet" blather, his dishonesty, and his limited
capacity for understanding, Jak justifies the contempt that so many feel for him, and for
the rest of the misguided souls on WBW. Wherever you are, Jak, you have my pity; it must
be hard to be the kind of small, flawed and petty person you clearly are.
But thanks for the laughs that you do provide--if inadvertently. I always enjoy being
entertained by the clueless. However, Jak, I'm afraid that you are getting quite boring,
so don't expect me to continue to indulge the Romper Room behavior that you and your
friends continually engage in. After all, I didn't start a blog in order to constantly toy
with the intellectually bereft.
Hopefully, you'll understand. Although at this point, I doubt that you understand much of
anything.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 10:33 PM [+]::
14 Philosophical Musings! Ha, Ha, Ha!
(You might notice this odd inconsistency where he
dismisses Warblogger Watch and yet routinely engages our every argument, putdown, and said
aloud observation. "You guys mean nothing to me, the Mighty Pej...but let me respond
to these 18 points...." And of course it's full of the Pej putdown method. I thought
law school was designed to help you think.) See: 7. Anti
warblogger watch spin. Here Pejman usually resorts to name calling and declaring victory
without evidence of such--in this respect he does resemble the resident in Chief.
...
Admittedly, at 18, she may be a bit young for me. Okay, who are we kidding? She is young
for me. But she is a looker.
And her game and attitude are pretty impressive too. Check this story out for the full
411.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 7:22 PM [+]::
4 Philosophical Musings! Ha, Ha, Ha!
5. Wacky Personal Stuff no one cares about
...
STEYN SPEAKS . . . and he predicts doom for Yasser Arafat:
Best case scenario: Arafat runs in 2003 and is elected to a Palestinian presidency
stripped of all power — like President Vossname of Germany or President
O’Itllcometome of Ireland. Worst case scenario: carried out by the handles. To Bush,
either solution will do. Some rare Palestinian ‘moderates’ (the term is
relative: I mean progressive types who think suicide-bomber classes shouldn’t start
till junior high) might yet emerge. On the other hand, some toxic Arafat lieutenant or
Hamas honcho might carry the day. Doesn’t matter: an unashamed terrorist would be
easier to deal with than a frontman for terrorists.
Don't miss this one--it is one of Steyn's best yet. I know, I know, that's kind of a tough
distinction to make given all of Steyn's other good stuff. But still . . .
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 7:14 PM [+]::
1 Philosophical Musing
...
3. Pro Israel at any cost Propaganda. 4. Damn Arafat Propaganda
YET MORE PLANS FOR AN IRANIAN REVOLUTION I rather like John Weidner's suggestions.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 6:53 PM [+]::
Let The Muse Inspire You
6. Attack Iraq and/or Foment Rebellion in Iran. (The latter is a relatively new meme.)
...
HE WON'T SHUT UP And a good thing too: Michael Ledeen continues to lash the State
Department for not speaking publicly in support of Iranian dissidents.
I have had a few people leave Musings stating their belief that the Administration may be
playing a back channel game to bring down the Islamic Republic. Those people urge me not
to be so tough on the Bush Administration for remaining silent about the turmoil that is
developing in Iran. I certainly don't discount the possibility that there is something
afoot to undermine the Islamic Republic. Indeed, I've written that one of the best things
the Bush Administration could do in order to ensure a regime change in Iran is to bring
about a regime change in Iraq through force of arms. Success breeds success, and I am
certain that the Iranian people, once they see their neighbors in Iraq enjoying newfound
political and social freedoms, will want those freedoms for themselves even more fervently
than they do now.
My problem isn't with President Bush, who I think understands the need to bring down enemy
regimes that enslave their own people. My problem is with sclerotic organizations like the
State Department, whose career foreign service bureaucrats constantly fail to think
outside the box, and come up with imaginative public diplomacy that can advance both the
aspirations of an oppressed people, and at the same time, further American security
interests. I understand that much of diplomacy is conducted in the shadows. But is there
really a necessity for the kind of silence that has enveloped the American foreign policy
establishment when it comes to the burgeoning potential revolution in Iran?
President Bush revitalized his Administration's policy regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict
through his excellent June 24th speech calling for the ouster of Yasser Arafat and his
cronies. Maybe he should consider a similar approach regarding his Administration's policy
on Iran. A strong presidential address could give new life and hope to the dissenters in
Iran. It could also shake up a moribund State Department--one whose thinking continues to
be stuck in yesterday, having no concept of what tomorrow might bring.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 6:51 PM [+]::
5 Philosophical Musings! Ha, Ha, Ha!
1. Straight RNC Propaganda. (And it's subset:
Rationalizing Republican Evil At Every Turn.) 3. Pro Israel at any cost
Propaganda. 6. Attack Iraq and/or Foment Rebellion in Iran. (The latter is a relatively
new meme.) 8. Crazy Right Wing Stuff (Global Warming doesn't exist, no separation between
church and state, Scalia is soooo cool...etc.,)
...
WILENTZ-BASHING Peter Berkowitz slams the Princeton historian for his mendacious attack on
Justice Antonin Scalia.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 6:38 PM [+]::
1 Philosophical Musing
8. Crazy Right Wing Stuff (Global Warming doesn't
exist, no separation between church and state, Scalia is soooo cool...etc.,)
...
A LITTLE SANITY, PLEASE This editorial, and one particular passage in it, help put the
news about corporate scandals in their proper light:
The corporate behavior now under the microscope occurred mainly during the later Clinton
years. It is the subject of political controversy now only because first the market and
then federal prosecutors began to uncover and to punish it during the Bush administration.
Nobody has even suggested an alternative course of action that Bush or his men could have
taken since January 2001 that would have mitigated the harm done by this behavior. Harvey
Pitt, the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, has been under heavy fire from
Democrats and John McCain for his ties to the accounting industry. But these critics do
not criticize any specific decisions he has made as SEC chairman. (His ties to the
industry were well known in 2001, by the way, when the Senate voted to confirm him in a
voice vote, reflecting the lack of opposition to him.) And opposition in the 1990s to
regulation of the accounting industry — much of that opposition justified — was
a bipartisan affair.
My chief concern is that politicians are now going to try to throw out the capitalist baby
with the bathwater, in their zeal to impress voters in an election year. While corporate
scandals are clearly a bad thing, oftentimes, the scandals aren't nearly as bad as the
regulations that follow them.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 6:27 PM [+]::
Let The Muse Inspire You
1. Straight RNC Propaganda. (And its subset:
Rationalizing Republican Evil At Every Turn or that Bush he's a smart fella despite
overwhelming evidence to the contrary...)
2. Straight Anti-Dem Party Propaganda (The big hint is "occurred mainly during the
later Clinton years.')
11. The Great and Glorious Capitalist System
...
CATS AND DOGS . . . LIVING TOGETHER . . . MASS HYSTERIA!!! It looks like Candace Bergen
agreed with Dan Quayle after all.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 5:52 PM [+]::
Let The Muse Inspire You
8. Crazy Right Wing Stuff (Global Warming doesn't
exist, no separation between church and state, Scalia is soooo cool...etc.,)
...
THE FORGOTTEN AMERICANS Why is the Bush Administration turning a blind eye to legalized
kidnapping in Saudi Arabia?
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 5:46 PM [+]::
4 Philosophical Musings! Ha, Ha, Ha!
(You know, we could enforce campaign finance laws.
As I may have mentioned before, the Saudis have more speech because they have more money.
Of course, Pej is rooting for that toothless campaign finance bill that was recently
passed to be thrown out by the Supreme Court. That helps the Saudis. Thanks Pej. You and
the Federalist Society: making the country safe for undemocratic lobbyists.) Sounds like: 12: The Saudi Conundrum: where
an introspective Pej wonders why we support those Saudi scoundrels, even as we work with
those Chinese scoundrels, Pakistani coup leader scoundels, work to unseat democratically
elected leaders in Venezuela in order to install scoundrels, create a puppet government in
Afghanistan..etc.
...
THE SENSELESS PRIMA DONNA John McCain's latest attempt at self-aggrandizement is both
pointless, and full of conflicts of interest.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 5:44 PM [+]::
Let The Muse Inspire You
(Now this is a hard one. I actually respect John
McCain, one of the few Republicans to actually question the influence of corporations on
the body politic.) 8. Crazy Right Wing Stuff (Global Warming
doesn't exist, no separation between church and state, Scalia is soooo cool...etc.,)
...
SESAME STREET V. THABO MBEKE That could very well be the conflict, given Sesame Street's
decision to introduce an HIV-positive Muppet to the children of South Africa. As most
people know, Mbeki's government continues to deny the truth about HIV, and the ways in
which it could be transmitted. I hope that Sesame Street will be able to fill in the
knowledge gap somehow, and that it will be able to avoid government censorship in doing
so.
Usually, I would look askance at efforts to introduce such knowledge to kids so young.
Everyone should be aware of the science regarding HIV, although a fair question can be
raised as to when it is appropriate to introduce that knowledge to young kids. But the
irresponsibility and mendacity of the South African government practically mandate the
kind of drastic measures that Sesame Street is taking.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 5:21 PM [+]::
Let The Muse Inspire You
(One of the few links that doesn't fit the 12
commandments. I'm up to three out of 55 I think.)
...
COURAGE UNDER FIRE This text is from an e-mail forward that was sent to me. It was written
by an Israeli:
I am not the least afraid to go any place, by bus or to a mall. I didn't change or stop
doing ANYthing I used to do before this mess began! People tend to forget that twice the
casualties from terror get killed on the roads! More people still die from heart attack,
cancer, and other things; they just don't show them on TV.
Don't misunderstand me, there is a war going on, it's not pleasant, but lets face it.. WE
HAVE NEVER BEEN BETTER!!!! It's only TV and media that make people think it's the end of
the world coming.
Only 60 years ago!! They were leading Jews to their death like sheep to the slaughter!
No country, no army. 55 years ago!!
Seven Arab countries declared war on the small Jewish state, only a few hours old!! We
were then 650,000 Jews! Against the rest of the Arab world! No IDF, no mighty air force,
just tough people with nowhere to go (Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Saudi
Arabia, attacked all at once).
The country the U.N. "gave us" was 65 % desert. The country started from
scratch! 35 years ago!! We fought the three strongest armies in the Middle East, and wiped
them out in six days. We fought against different coalitions of Arab countries, with
modern armies, and masses of Russian soviet weapons, and still won!!!
We have today a country, and an army, and a strong air force, and hi-tech economy,
exporting millions, Intel-Microsoft-IBM develop their stuff here, our doctors win world
prizes for medical developments, we made the desert flourish, selling oranges and
vegetables to the world.
Israel has sent its own satellite!! In space (three satellites all together!!), we sit
proudly with the U.S. (250 million people), Russia (200
million people!), China (1.1 billion), the Europeans-France-England-Germany (350 million),
as the only countries in the world to shoot something into space!!
Israel is today in the world nuclear power family with U.S, Russia, China, India, France,
and England. (We don't admit it, but every one knows...) To think that only 60 years ago,
we were led, shameful, with no hope, to our death!!
We crawled out of the burning ashes of Europe, we won our wars here with less than nothing
in our hands, we built an "empire" out of nothing. Who the hell is Mr. Arafat to
make me scared? Terrified? You make me laugh! Passover was last month, let's not forget
what the story is all about. We overcame Pharoah, we overcame the Greeks, the Romans, the
inquisition in Spain, we overcame the pogroms in Russia, we overcame Hitler, the Germans,
the Holocaust, we overcame seven other Arab countries at once, we overcame Saddam. Take it
easy, folks, we will overcome these ones too.
No matter at what part of human history you try to think of, for us, the Jewish people,
our situation has never been better!!! So let's lift our heads high, and remember: any
nation or culture that tried to mess around with us was destroyed to the ground - while we
kept going!!! Egypt? Anyone know where their empire disappeared to? The Greeks? Alexander
of Macedonia? The Romans? Anyone today speak Latin? The Third Reich? Anyone heard any news
about it lately?
And look at us, the nation from the Bible, from slavery in Egypt we are still here,
speaking the same language!! Right here, right now. The Arabs don't know it yet, but they
will learn there is one God. As long as we keep our identity, we are eternal.
So, sorry for not worrying, bitching, crying, or being scared, things are going o.k. here.
They surely can go better, but still, don't fall for the media junk, they won't tell you
that there are festivals going on, people keep on living, going out, seeing friends. Yes,
our morale is low, so what? It's only because we weep for our dead while they enjoy the
blood (and this is the same reason why, we will win, after all).
You can forward this e-mail (if you choose) to the whole of the Jewish community in the
United States, and the world. They are part of our strength and it might help some of them
to keep their head up high; tell them there is nothing to worry about. Tell them to think
BIG and to see the whole picture.
"See you next year in Jerusalem."
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 1:07 PM [+]::
8 Philosophical Musings! Ha, Ha, Ha!
3. Pro Israel at any cost
Propaganda.
4. Damn Arafat Propaganda
8. Crazy Right Wing Stuff (Global Warming doesn't exist, no separation between church and
state, Scalia is soooo cool...etc.,)
...
MORE NEWS FROM IRAN The dissent is getting really serious. It's getting incredibly
difficult for me to contain my excitement at the possibility of a regime change. I just
hope and pray that it is relatively bloodless, though something tells me that the mullahs
will kill as many people as they possibly can before power is ultimately wrested from
them.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 12:24 PM [+]::
3 Philosophical Musings! Ha, Ha, Ha!
6. Attack Iraq and/or Foment Rebellion in Iran. (The
latter is a relatively new meme.)
...
WARBLOGGERWATCH: LISTEN UP Dan Savage, no one's idea of a "bloodthirsty
right-winger," shows that he has more geopolitical sense than some of his fellow
leftists:
It depresses this Gore voter past the point of despair to write this . . . but . . . uh .
. . the recently unveiled Bush Doctrine (rough translation: If we think you're coming
after us next Tuesday, we'll be bombing your ass flat this Tuesday) is a necessary evil.
Ask yourself this question and answer it honestly: If it was within your power in August
of last year to order a pre-emptive strike that would've prevented the attacks of
September 11, would you have done it? Of course you would. That's the Bush Doctrine. And
the Bush Doctrine's first smackdown is going to be Saddam Hussein, who has to be removed
from power before he kills thousands (or tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands) of
American citizens in a major American city.
Yes, yes: Taking out Saddam Hussein means war, and war is bad for children and other
living things. I went to grade school in the 1970s, and I recall the poster. But there are
times when war is not only a tragic and unavoidable necessity, but also good for children
and other living things.
What he said.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 12:17 PM [+]::
6 Philosophical Musings! Ha, Ha, Ha!
(Well, the main problem with this tack is that we're entering a new age where other countries--that look up to us by the way--have nuclear weapons. If everyone adopts this shaky trigger finger attitude nuclear death will rain down from many skies. This first strike philosophy isn't the best meme to promote while Pakistan and India are at each other's throats. I might also note that the Bush administration has been an administration not only of errors, but as of late gross and contemptible corruption. God knows they make military errors everyday, killing innocent Afghan civilians routinely. Tactically, they may push Pakistan's nukes into that nation's crazed Islamic fundie hands...stupid stupid and more stupid. And why would Saddam attack the United States? Is he suicidal? Of course, if he adopts the United States policy of striking any potential enemy first he would be well within his rights...)
Combination here: 1.
Straight RNC Propaganda. (And it's subset: Rationalizing Republican Evil At Every Turn.)
6. Attack Iraq and/or Foment Rebellion in Iran. (The latter is a relatively new
meme.)
...
EVEN MORE TROUBLE FOR SADDAM His former subordinates are conspiring against him. I guess
they smell the blood in the water.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 12:14 PM [+]::
Let The Muse Inspire You
6. Attack Iraq and/or Foment Rebellion in Iran. (The latter is a relatively new meme.)
...
THE RETURN OF YET ANOTHER BLOGGER The Author of Much is back, and hunched over a keyboard.
And apparently, she needs a new car.
Crikey.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 12:09 PM [+]::
1 Philosophical Musing
5. Wacky Personal Stuff no one cares about...
SOME HEARTENING NEWS Here is a list of academics who have signed a petition against an
anti-Israeli boycott. I'm proud to say that a number of professors from my law school (all
of whom I know personally), as well as people from my college and graduate school alma
mater have signed the petition. And not surprisingly, I found the names of this guy and
this guy on the petition as well.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 11:57 AM [+]::
4 Philosophical Musings! Ha, Ha, Ha!
3. Pro Israel at any cost Propaganda.
...
SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, SPAM . . . LawMeme has some ideas on how to stop spam e-mail. I suppose
that their answer is unsurprising when you remember the fact that it is coming from the
legal community, but it still strikes me as a good idea.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 11:28 AM [+]::
Let The Muse Inspire You
(Right Wingers just don't get art. The Pythons are notorious left of center types. In fact, the one Python who has come out agsinst the War is Terry Jones, who I believe wrote the Spam sketch with his writing partner Mike Palin.)
10. Pejman "I don't really understand modern humor or modern Art." Yousefzadeh
...
A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS, EXAMPLE # 926,587,341 HappyFunPundit channels George
S. Patton in covering Janet Reno's gubernatorial campaign. Let me just say that I found
the post hysterical.
All right, you sons-of-bitches. Now you know how I feel.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 11:22 AM [+]::
4 Philosophical Musings! Ha, Ha, Ha!
1. Straight RNC Propaganda. (And it's subset:
Rationalizing Republican Evil At Every Turn.)
2. Straight Anti-Dem Party Propaganda 9. Daily Smears Against
Leftists like Rall, Chomsky and Mike Moore or Democratic Party officials, sometime
Europeans.
...
OXBLOG IS BACK! Go over and say hello.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 11:17 AM [+]::
Let The Muse Inspire You
...
I REALLY HOPE THAT THIS REPORT IS WRONG 5,000 al-Qaeda operatives in the United
States(?!?!).
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 11:14 AM [+]::
Let The Muse Inspire You
...
EUROPE'S SICKNESS GROWS MORE PROFOUND European academics are calling for a boycott of
Israeli universities. The boycott is leading to the firings of Israeli academics at
European universities, mentioned before.
And the Europeans wonder why we won't take their direction in international affairs.
Sometimes, I think that we are the only safe harbor of sanity in the world.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 11:10 AM [+]::
3 Philosophical Musings! Ha, Ha, Ha!
9. Daily Smears Against Leftists like Rall, Chomsky
and Mike Moore or Democratic Party officials, sometime Europeans. 3. Pro Israel at any cost Propaganda.
...
JORDAN RULES! And no, I'm not referring to Michael. Rather, I'm referring to the Kingdom
of Jordan, which is allowing us to launch military operations from its territory, when an
attack on Iraq takes place.
This, of course, augments the American strategic and tactical position significantly. It
also makes the Saudis even less relevant. Good news.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 10:58 AM [+]::
1 Philosophical Musing
6. Attack Iraq and/or Foment Rebellion in Iran. (The latter is a relatively new meme.)
...
APPALLING We blinked.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 10:54 AM [+]::
Let The Muse Inspire You
(Here's Pej lamenting the sane decision to abide by the World Court, even as we pursue our war for international justice.)
8. Crazy Right Wing Stuff (Global Warming doesn't exist, no separation between church and state, Scalia is soooo cool...etc.,)12. The Great and Glorious Capitalist System
...
GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS While the White House and Senate Democrats have reached a compromise on
the issue of nominations, they still have to overcome procedural objections to the
nomination process set up by the prima donna of the Senate himself: John McCain.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 10:52 AM [+]::
Let The Muse Inspire You
(I guess this is a perspective thing. If the
Democrats had spine no nominations would get through. The brazen fact of the last
selection is that the Republicans will use the courts to their advantage. But it's not
much of an opposition party.)1. Straight RNC Propaganda. (And
its subset: Rationalizing Republican Evil At Every Turn or that Bush he's a smart fella
despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary...)8. Crazy Right Wing Stuff (Global Warming
doesn't exist, no separation between church and state, Scalia is soooo cool...etc.,)
...
JUST IN CASE YOU NEEDED MORE PERSUADING . . . here is yet another sign of revolutionary
ferment in Iran. Apparently, the Iranian regime is so desperate to put down dissent, that
they are importing Palestinian and Iraqi mercenaries to act as security personnel. The
good news is that this means the regime lacks confidence in its own security leaders. The
potential bad news, as the article points out, is that no one in the State Department
appears to be listening.
Apparently, the only hope for positive American involvement is for President Bush to push
the matter. Which isn't a false hope--as the President demonstrated in his speech calling
for the ouster of Yasser Arafat, he has a tendency to push the diplomatic envelope when he
senses that diplomacy is mired in the mud too much.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 10:43 AM [+]::
Let The Muse Inspire You
6. Attack Iraq and/or Foment Rebellion in Iran. (The
latter is a relatively new meme.)
...
FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! Howard Owens annihilates Warbloggerwatch.
I'm sure it wasn't the toughest thing he had to do all day. I suppose that the only thing
he should have added with regard to the specific idiotic post he was addressing (by the
mentally stunted Dr. Menlo) was that the "warbloggers" were being asked to prove
a negative by WBW. Which demonstrates that WBW doesn't have a grasp of the facts, is
addicted to making cheap ad hominem attacks, and doesn't even know how to debate.
Nice job, kiddies. You got the trifecta.
7. Anti warblogger watch spin. Here Pejman usually resorts to name
calling and declaring victory without evidence of such--in this respect he does resemble
the resident in Chief.
(Link via InstaPundit)
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 10:34 AM [+]::
Let The Muse Inspire You
...
:: Wednesday, July 10, 2002 ::
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Books are but waste paper unless we spend in action the wisdom we get from thought -
asleep. When we are weary of the living, we may repair to the dead, who have nothing of
peevishness, pride, or design in their conversation.
--William Butler Yeats
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 11:45 PM [+]::
Let The Muse Inspire You
...
O YE OF LITTLE FAITH Asparagirl doubts my loyalties. I protest my innocence here. I really
hope you all believe me.
:: Pejman Yousefzadeh 11:40 PM [+]::
5. Wacky Personal Stuff no one cares about.
...
