Sound Off!: July 2007

Monday, July 30, 2007

Machine

Subject: A Ticking Time Bomb: Diseases that Cross American Borders

The Rutherford Institute is a rightwingnut evangelical propaganda machine, biased against anyone who doesn't have money, and Helen, you need to speak to a psychiatrist about this pathological obsession with "Mex's." It's just not that big a problem. It's a strawman being used by the repukes to appeal to bigots, and divert them away from the repukes' own crimes. Remember, Gonzo Taco-boy is a "legal," and more dangerous to America than all the terrorists in the world put together.

All of the supposed terrorist hijackers were in the country legally. (The ACTUAL terrorists were home-grown.) Nobody is going to smuggle a nuclear bomb through Mexico when it can be sailed into any port in the US, including San Diego, Washington, New York, and Miami. And the northward spread of disease is caused by global warming, as the vectors expand their territory, while the importation of formerly Asian diseases is caused by our soldiers bringing them home due to shitty medical care in Iraq and Afghanistan. And it was an American who went flying all over with treatment-resistant TB.

We have foreign nationals in the country legally all the time, including attending our schools and working in our behind-closed doors firms -- both of those are close-contact environments, whereas the undocumenteds working in the fields are much less likely to come in contact with most Americans. And the legals' hygiene habits are every bit as nasty -- the Saudi
semi-royals at my university never took a bath or changed their clothes, as far as I could tell.

Hepatitis and anti-biotic-resistant bacteria are spread by the overcrowding in jails -- America has more people in prison than any other nation, including China, and something like ten times per capita the number of people incarcerated than any other nation. Very few of those are illegals. The vast majority of them are low-income, in for minor things like prostitution and drug use, not for being violent or a threat to society (or grand theft), but also the most likely to spread contagions when packed five to a cell.

The CDC has been crippled by Chickenshit George and his incompetent, corrupt political appointees, while its budget for scientists and investigators was cut (even their emergency response jet was coopted, and its on-scene lab stripped out, to make it a vacation jet for one of the wartime-deserter's buddies).

If you eat at a fastfood joint, the low-rent teenager, or elderly person whose savings have been wiped out, behind the counter is not going to be an undocumented, but he is likely to spit on your food. Blood supplies are heavily screened, as are donated organs, unless you go on the black market. The numbers he spouts here are not backed up by ANYTHING -- it's a bullshit story based on bullshit, made-up quotes and fear-mongering to sell advertisements and promote a certain extremist brand of political bigotry, with no credible sources -- in fact, no named sources at all. But then, people who have ever taken a class in logic or critical reading don't buy Rutherford or Time.

In short, this idiotic sewage is the same stupidity being spewed by Limpdick and his ilk, while they themselves have undocumenteds mowing their lawns and cleaning their mansions, in order to keep the "Mex's" in their place and not go to the authorities to report abusive conditions. Any real, sane immigration policy would open the borders completely, so long as the person coming through was entered into the system for tracking purposes when they took a job or used a service, and forget this bullshit about building a wall across a thousand miles of desert. Most of the want to go back home after work anyway.

It's like the military's idiotic anti-homosexual policy -- "but they could be blackmailed!" Well, if it was LEGAL, then they couldn't be blackmailed, now could they? If an immigrant didn't live in constant fear of being arrested, then they wouldn't HAVE any reason to avoid a checkout, and the whole smuggling industry would dry up.

Ah, but then the wine companies, and fruit and vegetable industries, and chemical factories, would have to pay their workers, and obey safety and health regulations, and how are they going to make enough profit to buy their hundred foot yacht and have enough left over to donate fifty grand to repukelican politicians if they have to treat "furriners" like human beings? (If you think the French are rude, try getting into one of those clubs where you have to be worth over ten million in order to even get the bouncer to look at you.)

And a lot of those smugglers, especially drug and prostitution smugglers, not only donate to the rightwingnut bigots in order to keep their profitable "business," but most of the drug smuggling is already run by the black-ops CIA. The Iran-Contra ring didn't end just because Ollie North looked solemn and then dropped out of sight and then got a talk show.

Drawing a line to define a country is Dark Ages fiefdom anyway. To become a citizen, a person should have to pass that government's citizenship test, and I do mean regardless of where you were born, because I'll bet you a space shuttle that 90% of bushvoters couldn't pass the one that third-world immigrants are required to pass in English.

My limits of tolerance go pretty high, but it flat ends with animal and child abusers, idiots, and bigots. And the bushvoters trying to blame all the problems with society on "illegal immigrants," when they themselves, with their greed and hypocrisy, are the actual cause of all the problems.

--The Die Hard

North American Union

Subject: The End of America

Why does all this have to be so underground and so confusing? I actually try to keep up but find myself so mired down that the whole situation today for a conservative American is one of feeling bound up and powerless... Who can we trust? NAU--it took me several tries before I even found out what the acronym stood for... am I alone in my struggle?

--A Concerned Citizen

Friday, July 27, 2007

North American Union

Subject: The End of America

Thank you for coming out and speaking out about the north american union. I am very set against it and believe that if enough American citizens knew about it they would revolt just as they did against the illegal amnesty travesty. I truly believe that people would be willing to not only take a stand but they would also be fighting mad about it and not stand still and take it the way they are now because they are unaware of it.

--An American for a Free America

Thursday, July 26, 2007

The End of America

Subject: The End of America

As I passed John's essay on to friends it was SO easy to think, "Rey, this time you're passing on bunk." But then I remember a few decades ago when people said these same outlandish things about the nations of Western Europe - France, Germany, Spain, and so forth.

"They will give up their Francs and Marks and Guilders and use a single Euro currency instead." Nonsense.

"They will place their nation's courts under a more powerful court system." Yeah, right.

"They will revise their individual constitutions to suit the wants of the other nations of Europe." In a pig's eye they will. The French will accede to the Germans? The Germans will do what the Spanish demand? Balderdash.

But of course all that did come to pass because it made a huge difference in the economic pie. The European Economic Community (Economic has been dropped from the formal title) is now largely one nation and its corporations are much better able to compete with us and with the 500-lb gorilla of international trade, Japan, and the coming 1,000-lb gorilla, yu-kno-hu.

So much better able to compete that frequently the US loses to the EC. When the Euro first replaced the Mark and the Franc in 2002, five years ago, it was worth 79 cents US. Today 1 Euro is worth $1.37. That's a 73% gain. They won; we lost. To Americans with big money and big power, that spells crisis.

Is there a movement in and around the US to stem our international business bleeding by uniting this nation with Canada and Mexico, and maybe other neighbors eventually? Is anyone thinking of forming a super government here, a North American Economic Community whose government would be superior to the governments of the individual nations?

Evidently there is, and John tells us that Junior George Bush is among them.

The potential economic gains to major corporations in North America are vast, so it's a given that virtually all the corporate power of North America will unite behind this. We would see a repeat of what happened in Europe: the major corporations pushed the governments into something 99% of the people were not only against, but aghast at. And in the end the people were brainwashed by floods of PR that this was in their best interest so they voted for it.

One can argue (I won't) that the PR effort needed to sell this to jingoistic Americans could be even more than the PR needed to sell it to nationalistic Germans and xenophobic French. Perhaps, but there can be no doubt whatever that PR can get the job done.

What would Congress do? That's easy. Follow the money. Ask yourself: "What is Congress's record on opposing the largest PACS?"

--Rey B.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Hank Aaron

Subject: Barry Bonds Is No Hammerin’ Hank

I read with interest your article on Hank this morning. His record was amazing especially for his build. He did all that while smoking cigarettes. I attended a game in Atlanta in the late 60's and spotted Hank smoking in the dugout. Could it be that Cigarettes aren't as bad as people make out. I don't think i would want to chance it though.

Emerson L.

History

Subject: Barry Bonds Is No Hammerin’ Hank

I know we don't know each other, but we do think alike, particularly when it comes to Aaron vs Bonds.

Your article in todays Daily Herald said it all and said it well. You did a good bit of research on Aaron's records and history and spiced it all with some of your personal memories to produce a fascinating article.

My own memories of number 44 who played right field for the then Boston Braves were also vivid. He always used to hurt the Cubs with the homers he hit against them. But I remember one game when he caught the third out in the inning running toward the right field boxes. He looked in the stands and flipped the ball to a surprised group of fans way down the line. At the time I
thought that was a nice thing to do. It was, and he's still a winner, no matter how many home runs Barry Bonds hits.

Thanks for the memory and Aaron's history.

--Howard M.

No More

Subject: Barry Bonds Is No Hammerin’ Hank

I read your article and can not agree more. Growing up in Milwaukee 50's/60's I was a HUGE fan of both Hank and Eddie.

When we played ball I used to pretend to be Hank and my fiend, who batted lefty, would be Eddie. Race was not an issue, it was about who they were, and how they played the game.

I am fortunate to say that I saw a great player hit a lot of HR's at County Stadium. It broke my heart when the team moved to Atlanta but I forever remain a Hammerin Hank fan!! There are no more like him!

--Rick Z.

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Responsibility

I have not been surpised to find people in my home town willing to simultaneoulsy wave the flag while stomping on The Constitution. I have found that everywhere. What I have been surpised to find is the lack of tolerance for an opposing viewpoint. I have cultivated the habit of keeping silent lest I generate more enemies than friends in my new home.

After reading your article I am reminded of my own responsibility and while there is certainly no point in battling a completely closed mind, when I detect a sign of intellect behind the mouth voicing its diatribe justifying torture, and the suspension of The Bill Of Rights in the name of "security" I will express my views, as is my right and my responsibility.

Thanks again.

Sincerely,

Pat McGuire

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Top Ten Movies

Subject: The Top Ten Movies of All Time

You have recently stated that the American Film Institute, in evaluating films, should provide more concentration on the films artistic value and influential nature when picking the top ten best films ever.

I applaud the American Film Institute for their incite in choosing films that support and uphold the great American and family values of this great nation.

The encroachment of vulgarity, sex and violence in the movies produced in the last three decades may very well be artistic and influential, but that kind of garbage is not good art or influence. It is destructive.

The movies of today do not reflect true-life stiles, they reflect what used to be the minority filth of our society and are encouraging today’s youth to believe that it is common, ordinary behavior and is acceptable. Nothing could be further then the truth.

I have respected and supported your opinions on many subjects, but I have to express my disappointment in this one.

Michael C.