Three Rolls of Fear (duct tape for the ages)
On February 10, 2003, then US Fire Administrator, David Paulison, and then Homeland Security Secretary, Tom Ridge, advised me to purchase enough duct tape and plastic sheeting to seal all the windows in my home. I was also to have enough food and water for three days and a battery-powered radio so as to stay news-aware in the event of a power outage.
We had already overthrown the Taliban and begun to turn Afghanistan towards a better path. Bin Laden was on the run but would be captured at any moment. I was certain we would get Bin Laden--not a doubt in my mind. But Al Qaeda operated in cells. Living in a military-heavy state, I rationalized why an enemy of the United States might target our area. If a base was the target, depending on the weapon and wind conditions, my family could fall victim, and reducing the chances of that had to be my goal.
The aim was to keep the bio-terror weapons out, and my still-inside family safe and sound. Al Qaeda could purchase, steal, build or otherwise acquire a weapon of unspeakable power, unleashing a cloud of deadly gas or radiation capable of wiping out entire towns. These meager household items could give my family a fighting chance, and all Americans were urged to stock up.
Having a daughter in my wife's womb and a brand new house and no family within 500 miles, I was reticent to ignore the warning. If my government was telling me that things were this bad, who was I to question? Who was I to NOT do something so simple that could end up saving so much? Those Al Qaeda bastards weren't going to get MY family. My co-workers and I, all married for under 3 years at that point, looked at each other with dropped shoulders, dazed. The protective instinct was beginning to well up in all of us, and it was not an easy thing to address.
I drove to my favorite home improvement store, convinced I needed a boatload of plastic and duct tape and, most-importantly, a large enough bin to label accordingly and house the lot. "The bin is critical", I told my wife as she waddled down the cement-floored aisles. The bin was key. We needed to put everything we needed in one place, easily accessible and ready for anything. We bought 4 gallons of water, a huge roll of plastic, 1 battery-powered radio, and 3 rolls of duct tape (I had a partial roll already, and honestly, 3 rolls of duct tape goes a long way). Even though our house was two stories, I didn't have a ladder, but "I could seal the windows on the inside", I thought to myself.
Can you imagine? Just over 18 months earlier, we were hit by Al Qaeda on a horrifying, unprecedented scale. The imagery of that day still haunted me. The towers. The Pentagon. My mother's workplace being evacuated. The frantic calls from hijacked planes to family and 911 (I noticed the date's cruel symbolism immediately upon hearing of the second plane). Bin Laden. The desperation and the fear. People leaping from the burning towers knowing it might IMPROVE their own death.
As these thoughts raced through my head, a sense of helplessness was overwhelming. I tried to envision myself on a fateful day where MY town was falling victim. Where MY family was faced with such a crisis and had one meager shot at survival. To seal ourselves in before the killer fog crept towards our cul de sac. To survive only on what was already IN the house.
I expected that I would be the only one to protect us. I needed to be ready for anything, and if I wasn't it would be my own naivete that killed us all. I considered how much cash to have on hand in case the power was out for an extended period of time or the banking system was disrupted. I thought of making a plan with my wife on where to meet up if something happened. I thought of how we could make our way to family if law and order fell apart. How would we have enough gas? How would we eat? How could we bring a child into this? How would any of it matter if I didn't have the final piece of invasion protection?
I thought of purchasing a gun.
Terrified, but trying to be strong. Hawkish, but trying to keep myself informed. I devoured the news. I was trying to understand what it was, exactly, that Iraq was up to? I struggled to concentrate at work. I hit refresh on MSNBC.com every 10 minutes. News.google every 5. I read the public portions of DEBKA.com religiously. My car radio never left NPR. If I wasn't watching Aaron Brown I was watching Bill O'Reilley. Hardball was must-see TV. From all of this, I knew Saddam was a bad dude, but I still came up empty on seeing the urgency.
Until France and the UN started telling us we were wrong. Until they started telling us what we could and could not do, I was willing to give Iraq the benefit of the doubt, and let the weapons inspectors finish their work. Then I knew it was France and other members of the UN who were weak. They weren't willing to do what it took. Tony Blair could always put things into context where Bush was unable. Cheney, Rumsfeld and Rice told us how bad Saddam really was. I distinctly remember listening to Cheney on NPR explaining the aluminum tubes. Bush himself spoke of Saddam going after uranium in Africa.
Given the circumstances, we didn't have a choice. What was France's problem, anyway?
On March 16, 2003, my still-pregnant wife and I went to dinner. Mexican food. One of our favorite places. By the time we came back the United States of America had started attacking Iraq. Bush went on television and informed the people. It had begun.
At first it was oddly, ashamedly exciting. The Press had been "embedded" with troops and were riding along in armored vehicles, BROADCASTING as they went! Missiles flew. Tracers sliced up the night. Planes and tanks and troops and weapons of all sorts for which the Iraqis simply had no equal. The frantic search for the Weapons of Mass Destruction was already underway, and we would find them sure as shi* and show those Frogs what for!
Jesus.
As I write this, it is just over 3 years from the announcement that made me go out and buy duct tape.
The terror alert level was raised 5 times nationally and twice partially, one of which lasted from Aug 1, 2004 to Nov 10, 2004. Interesting time frame.
Afghanistan is essentially one city in the center of the world's biggest poppy field. Bin Laden and his number two are still on the loose, producing videos.
We have not been attacked again, but our troops are attacked multiple times every day in Iraq by newly-created terrorists. Saddam is on trial, but we have found no WMD. The Uranium story was fake, and the Administration outted a CIA agent because her husband dared make note of it. The aluminum tubes could have been for anything. We went for WMD but went straight for the oil, leaving tons of high-explosives free for the taking.
The bombing of a holy site in Iraq has spawned higher levels of violence that have left hundreds dead in days and Iraq under curfew, near martial law.
Memos have exposed how Iraq was a done deal since at least July of 2002. Multiple intelligence officers have explained that they were selectively listened to, but the Senate stalls on its report into fixed intelligence. The Senate and House have both complained that the intelligence they were given before Iraq was incomplete, but Republican control quashes any possible investigations.
We were told we were fighting for our freedoms and our American way of life. But we now actively torture and rape prisoners. We spy on Americans illegally for four years and then go back and fix the law to make it legal. We let pharmaceutical companies write Medicare laws and oil companies write energy policy. We claim democracy is the way to peace but use war to force the democracy in.
Just two weeks ago, Dick Cheney shot his lobbyist friend in the face and wondered what all the fuss was about. Cheney lied about an Iraq/Al-Qaeda connection and wondered what all the fuss was about. Halliburton gets no-bid contracts in Iraq and he wonders what all the fuss is about. He lied in the Veep debate and wondered what all the fuss was about. He helped direct the outting of a covert CIA agent and wondered what all the fuss was about.
Now, President Bush wants to allow a company owned by the United Arab Emirates run many of our busiest ports in some of our largest cities, and HE wonders what all the fuss is about. Why are the words Trojan and Horse coming to mind? If Bush isn't afraid of letting a country whose banking system has helped fund terrorism schedule all of the shipping containers that come in and out of Newark, what the hell IS he afraid of?
Bush isn't divorced from reality. The two have never even held hands or had a one night stand, much less a failed marriage.
So, I'm not afraid of terrorists anymore. They will probably hit us again. And people will die. We might try to stop them, but eventually they'll get us. This is not me being defeatist. This is me being realistic. Afghanistan had the support of the world, but Iraq was nothing more than an oil grab wrapped in a vendetta wound up in the military-industrial behemoth our leaders are trying to keep well-fed. The Bush Administration has wound up inspiring so many more terrorists with his unnecessary and self-defeating policies, the War on Terror is more of a War to Generate More Terrorism. America is the victim of a cruel and unusual bait-and-switch.
I'm not afraid anymore, and so I will not be needing so much duct tape. My bin, so crucial to my family's survival almost three years ago, sits in my garage loaded with sporting equipment and a rooftop luggage carrier. We drank the water. Most of the plastic sheeting is covered in splotches of paint from use as a drop-cloth.
These other things were useful, but the duct tape? I'm no MacGyver, and I really don't have many ducts anyway.
I never did buy that gun.
No, I'm not afraid of terrorism anymore. I'm afraid of economics. I'm afraid of a declining housing market and stagnant wages. I'm afraid of outsourcing and I'm afraid of losing my job in a quest for synergy. I'm afraid of having a Master's Degree and having to work two jobs to make half of what I do now. I'm afraid of a minimum wage in place since 1997. I'm afraid of the fact that I can't afford to contribute to my retirement or my children's college fund. I'm frightened that my health insurance expenses went up 18% on January 1st when inflation was not even 1/4 of that. I'm afraid of getting sick and not being able to afford the medical bills, and I'm afraid of the same thing for my retired parents and in-laws. I'm afraid of China and a weakened dollar. I'm afraid of oil being traded in Euros and I'm afraid of an inverted yield curve. I'm afraid of my variable rate mortgage and I'm afraid of my car payment and I'm afraid of gas going back up over $2.50/gallon. I'm afraid of the price tag for the Iraq war. I'm afraid of the trade deficit and terrified of the budget deficit. I'm mortified by the thought of three more years of George W. Bush and worried some other Republican might be able to win in 2008 by rekindling the fear card fire. I'm afraid of all of these things, and duct tape won't do a thing against any of them. Duct tape isn't what I need, money is.
And so, their original purpose nullified by common sense and a Bush Who Cried Wolf, I offer these 3 Rolls of Fear as a souvenir to the highest bidder. I offer the molded fruit of Republican labors to make me afraid for my life and the life of my family.
I can assure you their quality is unsurpassed by any other duct tape product. Manufactured by 3M under the Scotch brand, these rolls of duct tape would last the occasional duct tape user perhaps 50 years. A stunning silver-metallic hue, each roll is still completely intact. Packaging was removed after original purchase to minimize reaction time in the event of a terrorist strike, but no further damage has been done. LIKE NEW, as they say.
The return on investment would be fantastic. You will have a conversation piece quite unlikely to have an equal anywhere in the world. You will have duct tape for years to come. You will have a tangible reminder of a difficult and painful period of fear that rolled into the United States in the wake of 9/11, a fear stoked for political reasons and quashed by logic and reality. And you will have the recurring sense of pride in how you helped my family and I cast off a reminder of our ginned-up fear of terrorism and face our economic fears head on.
Update: Cross-posted in a diary at DailyKos, and in a diary at BoomanTribune, and still available on eBay. Many will get the point, but only one can get the tape.
Update 2: Hearty welcome to folks coming in from BuzzFlash
mcolley
I'm not liberal, I'm just paying attention
We had already overthrown the Taliban and begun to turn Afghanistan towards a better path. Bin Laden was on the run but would be captured at any moment. I was certain we would get Bin Laden--not a doubt in my mind. But Al Qaeda operated in cells. Living in a military-heavy state, I rationalized why an enemy of the United States might target our area. If a base was the target, depending on the weapon and wind conditions, my family could fall victim, and reducing the chances of that had to be my goal.
The aim was to keep the bio-terror weapons out, and my still-inside family safe and sound. Al Qaeda could purchase, steal, build or otherwise acquire a weapon of unspeakable power, unleashing a cloud of deadly gas or radiation capable of wiping out entire towns. These meager household items could give my family a fighting chance, and all Americans were urged to stock up.
Having a daughter in my wife's womb and a brand new house and no family within 500 miles, I was reticent to ignore the warning. If my government was telling me that things were this bad, who was I to question? Who was I to NOT do something so simple that could end up saving so much? Those Al Qaeda bastards weren't going to get MY family. My co-workers and I, all married for under 3 years at that point, looked at each other with dropped shoulders, dazed. The protective instinct was beginning to well up in all of us, and it was not an easy thing to address.
I drove to my favorite home improvement store, convinced I needed a boatload of plastic and duct tape and, most-importantly, a large enough bin to label accordingly and house the lot. "The bin is critical", I told my wife as she waddled down the cement-floored aisles. The bin was key. We needed to put everything we needed in one place, easily accessible and ready for anything. We bought 4 gallons of water, a huge roll of plastic, 1 battery-powered radio, and 3 rolls of duct tape (I had a partial roll already, and honestly, 3 rolls of duct tape goes a long way). Even though our house was two stories, I didn't have a ladder, but "I could seal the windows on the inside", I thought to myself.
Can you imagine? Just over 18 months earlier, we were hit by Al Qaeda on a horrifying, unprecedented scale. The imagery of that day still haunted me. The towers. The Pentagon. My mother's workplace being evacuated. The frantic calls from hijacked planes to family and 911 (I noticed the date's cruel symbolism immediately upon hearing of the second plane). Bin Laden. The desperation and the fear. People leaping from the burning towers knowing it might IMPROVE their own death.
As these thoughts raced through my head, a sense of helplessness was overwhelming. I tried to envision myself on a fateful day where MY town was falling victim. Where MY family was faced with such a crisis and had one meager shot at survival. To seal ourselves in before the killer fog crept towards our cul de sac. To survive only on what was already IN the house.
I expected that I would be the only one to protect us. I needed to be ready for anything, and if I wasn't it would be my own naivete that killed us all. I considered how much cash to have on hand in case the power was out for an extended period of time or the banking system was disrupted. I thought of making a plan with my wife on where to meet up if something happened. I thought of how we could make our way to family if law and order fell apart. How would we have enough gas? How would we eat? How could we bring a child into this? How would any of it matter if I didn't have the final piece of invasion protection?
I thought of purchasing a gun.
Terrified, but trying to be strong. Hawkish, but trying to keep myself informed. I devoured the news. I was trying to understand what it was, exactly, that Iraq was up to? I struggled to concentrate at work. I hit refresh on MSNBC.com every 10 minutes. News.google every 5. I read the public portions of DEBKA.com religiously. My car radio never left NPR. If I wasn't watching Aaron Brown I was watching Bill O'Reilley. Hardball was must-see TV. From all of this, I knew Saddam was a bad dude, but I still came up empty on seeing the urgency.
Until France and the UN started telling us we were wrong. Until they started telling us what we could and could not do, I was willing to give Iraq the benefit of the doubt, and let the weapons inspectors finish their work. Then I knew it was France and other members of the UN who were weak. They weren't willing to do what it took. Tony Blair could always put things into context where Bush was unable. Cheney, Rumsfeld and Rice told us how bad Saddam really was. I distinctly remember listening to Cheney on NPR explaining the aluminum tubes. Bush himself spoke of Saddam going after uranium in Africa.
Given the circumstances, we didn't have a choice. What was France's problem, anyway?
On March 16, 2003, my still-pregnant wife and I went to dinner. Mexican food. One of our favorite places. By the time we came back the United States of America had started attacking Iraq. Bush went on television and informed the people. It had begun.
At first it was oddly, ashamedly exciting. The Press had been "embedded" with troops and were riding along in armored vehicles, BROADCASTING as they went! Missiles flew. Tracers sliced up the night. Planes and tanks and troops and weapons of all sorts for which the Iraqis simply had no equal. The frantic search for the Weapons of Mass Destruction was already underway, and we would find them sure as shi* and show those Frogs what for!
Jesus.
As I write this, it is just over 3 years from the announcement that made me go out and buy duct tape.
The terror alert level was raised 5 times nationally and twice partially, one of which lasted from Aug 1, 2004 to Nov 10, 2004. Interesting time frame.
Afghanistan is essentially one city in the center of the world's biggest poppy field. Bin Laden and his number two are still on the loose, producing videos.
We have not been attacked again, but our troops are attacked multiple times every day in Iraq by newly-created terrorists. Saddam is on trial, but we have found no WMD. The Uranium story was fake, and the Administration outted a CIA agent because her husband dared make note of it. The aluminum tubes could have been for anything. We went for WMD but went straight for the oil, leaving tons of high-explosives free for the taking.
The bombing of a holy site in Iraq has spawned higher levels of violence that have left hundreds dead in days and Iraq under curfew, near martial law.
Memos have exposed how Iraq was a done deal since at least July of 2002. Multiple intelligence officers have explained that they were selectively listened to, but the Senate stalls on its report into fixed intelligence. The Senate and House have both complained that the intelligence they were given before Iraq was incomplete, but Republican control quashes any possible investigations.
We were told we were fighting for our freedoms and our American way of life. But we now actively torture and rape prisoners. We spy on Americans illegally for four years and then go back and fix the law to make it legal. We let pharmaceutical companies write Medicare laws and oil companies write energy policy. We claim democracy is the way to peace but use war to force the democracy in.
Just two weeks ago, Dick Cheney shot his lobbyist friend in the face and wondered what all the fuss was about. Cheney lied about an Iraq/Al-Qaeda connection and wondered what all the fuss was about. Halliburton gets no-bid contracts in Iraq and he wonders what all the fuss is about. He lied in the Veep debate and wondered what all the fuss was about. He helped direct the outting of a covert CIA agent and wondered what all the fuss was about.
Now, President Bush wants to allow a company owned by the United Arab Emirates run many of our busiest ports in some of our largest cities, and HE wonders what all the fuss is about. Why are the words Trojan and Horse coming to mind? If Bush isn't afraid of letting a country whose banking system has helped fund terrorism schedule all of the shipping containers that come in and out of Newark, what the hell IS he afraid of?
Bush isn't divorced from reality. The two have never even held hands or had a one night stand, much less a failed marriage.
So, I'm not afraid of terrorists anymore. They will probably hit us again. And people will die. We might try to stop them, but eventually they'll get us. This is not me being defeatist. This is me being realistic. Afghanistan had the support of the world, but Iraq was nothing more than an oil grab wrapped in a vendetta wound up in the military-industrial behemoth our leaders are trying to keep well-fed. The Bush Administration has wound up inspiring so many more terrorists with his unnecessary and self-defeating policies, the War on Terror is more of a War to Generate More Terrorism. America is the victim of a cruel and unusual bait-and-switch.
I'm not afraid anymore, and so I will not be needing so much duct tape. My bin, so crucial to my family's survival almost three years ago, sits in my garage loaded with sporting equipment and a rooftop luggage carrier. We drank the water. Most of the plastic sheeting is covered in splotches of paint from use as a drop-cloth.
These other things were useful, but the duct tape? I'm no MacGyver, and I really don't have many ducts anyway.
I never did buy that gun.
No, I'm not afraid of terrorism anymore. I'm afraid of economics. I'm afraid of a declining housing market and stagnant wages. I'm afraid of outsourcing and I'm afraid of losing my job in a quest for synergy. I'm afraid of having a Master's Degree and having to work two jobs to make half of what I do now. I'm afraid of a minimum wage in place since 1997. I'm afraid of the fact that I can't afford to contribute to my retirement or my children's college fund. I'm frightened that my health insurance expenses went up 18% on January 1st when inflation was not even 1/4 of that. I'm afraid of getting sick and not being able to afford the medical bills, and I'm afraid of the same thing for my retired parents and in-laws. I'm afraid of China and a weakened dollar. I'm afraid of oil being traded in Euros and I'm afraid of an inverted yield curve. I'm afraid of my variable rate mortgage and I'm afraid of my car payment and I'm afraid of gas going back up over $2.50/gallon. I'm afraid of the price tag for the Iraq war. I'm afraid of the trade deficit and terrified of the budget deficit. I'm mortified by the thought of three more years of George W. Bush and worried some other Republican might be able to win in 2008 by rekindling the fear card fire. I'm afraid of all of these things, and duct tape won't do a thing against any of them. Duct tape isn't what I need, money is.
And so, their original purpose nullified by common sense and a Bush Who Cried Wolf, I offer these 3 Rolls of Fear as a souvenir to the highest bidder. I offer the molded fruit of Republican labors to make me afraid for my life and the life of my family.
I can assure you their quality is unsurpassed by any other duct tape product. Manufactured by 3M under the Scotch brand, these rolls of duct tape would last the occasional duct tape user perhaps 50 years. A stunning silver-metallic hue, each roll is still completely intact. Packaging was removed after original purchase to minimize reaction time in the event of a terrorist strike, but no further damage has been done. LIKE NEW, as they say.
The return on investment would be fantastic. You will have a conversation piece quite unlikely to have an equal anywhere in the world. You will have duct tape for years to come. You will have a tangible reminder of a difficult and painful period of fear that rolled into the United States in the wake of 9/11, a fear stoked for political reasons and quashed by logic and reality. And you will have the recurring sense of pride in how you helped my family and I cast off a reminder of our ginned-up fear of terrorism and face our economic fears head on.
Update: Cross-posted in a diary at DailyKos, and in a diary at BoomanTribune, and still available on eBay. Many will get the point, but only one can get the tape.
Update 2: Hearty welcome to folks coming in from BuzzFlash
mcolley
I'm not liberal, I'm just paying attention
posted by progprog | 2:32 PM
21 Comments:
congratulations. it only took you four and a half years to pull your head out of your ass. forgive me for not heaping the accolades on you. you see, for me, and a lot of the people I know, all of this was painfully obvious all along. so, however painfully disspiriting it must be to now realize the truth, it pales in comparison to having watched the deception as it was fostered upon us in real time with the complicity of fucking idiots like you who believed the bushit in the first place. I'm done. its your turn to pick up the banner and fight this shit. best of luck.
Yikes, anonymous. Relax much?
No, it didn't take me 4 and a half years to take my head out of my ass.
I didn't support Bush in the first place, but I did get sucked into the propaganda. For that I'm ashamed of myself and the government and the media.
I stopped believing the hype about the war back in late 2003, and started changing my reading, television, and conversational habits in response. My fear of terrorism gradually waned since then as well.
It did, however, take me a full three years to decide to hawk my duct tape.
Now please, switch to decaf.
Wow, a great take on what happened to many of us during those years.I feel we got duped and diverted while they used it to pursue the agenda.
You know why i think they are not scared, because its possible this was all fabricated just like the gulf of tonkin or operation northwoods in the 1960's.
I maybe wrong, but history and a little research go a long way in drawing my own conclusion.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful essay. And your honesty. I was one of the older moms frantically waving anti-war signs before the war started (the info was out there) -- but I had had the "advantage" of the scepticism that comes from having lived through the Vietnam era. Your essay helped me to understand how so many intelligent, good-hearted younger people got swept into supporting the war. I just hope that you, in the evolution of your thinking, represent many others. . . because I don't see this war as being the last; another may be on the immediate horizon.
Hi,
After 9/11 people complained that the White House was not doing enough to combat terrorism and to prepare the nation for potential, additional attacks. Your DUCT TAPE fiasco was a result of that blame game initiated by opponents of the White House... yet you still complain. Most people took the DUCT TAPE fiasco as a general metaphor for other types of more common sense preperations... but you seem to have bought the whole hog.
Many people bought all of the things on Tom Ridge's shopping list, any sat by CNN or whatever for 18 months waiting for the next attack. Some bought those parachutes for jumping out of their office windows. These people are naive, but I think that you are just gullible.
There is a guy on ebay selling NOTHING on Ebay for around $34 to help cure people of both NAIVITY and GULLIBILITY. It's got 5 or 6 days to go. You should think about it..also stop hijacking Ebay listings to further your minority political agenda which is only anti-Republican not anti-war.
I have alsom emailed this to your Ebay ad and I'm sure that you liberal values will prevent you from displaying it within the ad. The truth stings!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=5673254219&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT
"I have alsom[sic] emailed this to your Ebay ad and I'm sure that you[sic] liberal values will prevent you from displaying it within the ad. The truth stings!"
I saw that. And so did several of the previous comments here that I ALSO did not post in the auction, several of which were not as rude as your own. I instead left a link to come here, so congratulations on thinking your post is more important than anyone else's.
You seem to be suggesting that I should be supportive of Bush, and the Republicans in general, perhaps. But at the same time you question my naivete for listening to them in the first place? I don't get it.
So is the terrorism alert level to be ignored as well? Am I naive if I ignore it or naive if I take heed?
Your contradiction reminds me of a unique phenomenon among some Republicans. They claim to be conservatives, AND they support President Bush. But when thinking of his major policies and his deficit spending and his nation building and his spying on Americans and his refusal to keep government smaller than even Slick Willy could keep it... none of these are conservative values. His spending policies alone should kick him to the dog house of every fiscally conservative Republican in this country.
I don't think it is Liberals that have strayed from their values. But George W. Bush--and the portion of his followers that refuse to stop and think--has certainly lost touch with all but an ever-shrinking pittance of their supposed values.
Amen Brother.
Dude! you got some serious problems! You sound really easy to program! Good God! Get a position and go with it already!!
The Tom Ridge duct tape has what to do with the economy and your financial problems? The ad doesn't really go anywhere. You need to have someone condense it for you. Mommy or Daddy might give it a go.
Seems like you're trying to blame everything that Bush does on the Republican party when everyone knows that the GOP don't think too much of Bush... You've tried to throw all of the things that you hate about America and blame them all on one guy. You should slow down little buddy. Have some chocolate milk... relax!
Michael Moore is a liberal... does that mean that all liberals are big fat sweaty liars? well maybe... but it shouldn't and that's the point here!
I know why you tried to paste your little essay into an Ebay ad then promote it yourself to wacky auction sites...it's because nobody was interested in it when it was here on this tree-huggin blog page. You are in the minority like the other guy said. Does it hurt? Reads like it does! Sarcasms city!
You better keep that duct tape handy! When they told you to buy it did they tell you that you'd need it within a few months? no? why are you selling it then? GWB cried wolf? Did the little boy who cried wolf pull out all the stops to protect the town from wolves? Did the townspeople forget WHY there were no wolves, turn arrogant and then sell their Wolf attack supplies on Ebay? He didn't, they didn't and I can't see the similiarity... You're really reaching!!
Judging from the history of YOU over the last 5 years or so, in another 5 years you will no doubt have reversed your position again! You've displayed some really decisive qualities in your little Essay! You go girl!
JohnMcCAIN-08
Anonymous, that was quite a rambling bit of rambling rambleness you rambled off there. I said that "many will get the point", but you clearly didn't.
YES, I was duped. As were many. Had you read my previous response to one of your brethren:
"I didn't support Bush in the first place, but I did get sucked into the propaganda. For that I'm ashamed of myself and the government and the media."
Since when is basing my opinion on newly-released facts a change in position? I'd say it is a position that was changed by reality. Regardless, I wholeheartedly agree that in 5 years time I will likely change my position on some things. 5 years is an awful lot of reality to process, not that you or your Dear Leader will bother.
Not sure about the rest of your rant. But I'll let you keep hiding behind "Anyonymous" and leave your post up so everyone else can laugh at you with me.
Because I choose not to obtain a USERNAME to your blog, does not mean that I hide behind anonimity. Your true liberal character continues to shine. You rely heavily on mis-information. It is fun to watch. Whilst myself and all of the people that look at this page laugh at you, you are still excited that you found a way to promote your college-boy-pamphlett.
You have mentioned tons of events, issues and problems with America and tried to tie them all together and then point them at Bush. It's a childish approach to politics. Just because your guys can't win elections, shouldn't mean that you have to resort to mis-information, sarcasm and a blind-eye mentality.
I'm sorry that you are having financial problems... and maybe that degree that you brag about in your ebay ad isn't bringing in the dough that you thought it might.
You insinuate that anyone that disagrees with you is a BUSH supporter and that any Republican is a BUSH supporter, well let me tell you.. that's incrediby naive and you display your ignorance not only for your own countrymen, but also for politics in general. It's not that black and white. You are showing your age in a major way.
The USA, the UK and Australia have all had general elections since the war began and all 3 leaders have been re-elected with no problem... in fact, GWB won with more votes than EVER before... he also received the POPULAR vote for the first time since the 1988 election... John Howard in Australia has been re-elected for a third time! A historical 4th term!! this has never happened in Aus!! Tony Blair was also easily re-elected... at the time of his re-election he was the only Labour PM to ever be elected to a third term, the Leader of the G8 and the president of the EU!! These guys are doing just fine!
You can rely fake liberal polls all you want... I will rely on TRUTH and FACT!
You are in the minority! You hate it! It tears you apart! you lash out at anyone that disagrees with you and accuse them of carrying a GWB picture in their wallet!
Saddo...
GWB is YOUR leader too... this is what it means to be an American you muppet! A lot of us PUT UP with Clinton from 93 til 01... this chump was also YOURS and MY leader.. whether you liked him or not!! This is what it means to be an American. Get a clue!
You want a 1 party system? go to China or Cuba!!
You want to see the Democrats back in power? You've got 8 months til the elections... better get busy... oh and a top tip... don't try to convince people with mis-information.. it tends to drive people the other way!
Ramble on that one politi-NEWBIE!
A userid for my blog would give you an identity that can be used on any one of what must be millions of blogs hosted by Blogger/Blogspot. You could read other blogs that might share your views, or even start your own blog, although unless you have a mouse in your pocket, I'm certain it would be a lonely endeavor.
"pamphlett" has one 't', which I know because I am a "college-boy".
As far as whether I am in the majority, here are several polls you may be referring to as "fake liberal polls":
Rasmussen, Mar 9, 2006 -- 55 disapprove, 43 approve
Fox News, Mar 2, 2006 -- 54 disapprove, 39 approve
So, by "fake liberal polls" did you mean that the polls are fakes, put forth by liberals? Or that the polling organizations phoned a bunch of people that claim to be liberals, but are in fact raging, red-blooded Republicans?
And yes, George W. Bush, is my President. I am proud of being an American, but that does NOT mean I have to be proud of George W. Bush, his leadership, or his policies.
By fake polls, I mean that some big news organisations simply make up the news.. particularly in Europe.. this doesn't help their cause.. you can get some new "dumb" recruits but you can't convert anyone of any serious worth with mis-information.
It's what you do.
They ignore the bigger picture and concentrate on smaller facts... like you. I obviously made a lot of sense in my last reply as the highlight of your rebuttal involves a word that I didn't know how to spell. A lot of the time it's just speed typing too... ahh.. I digress!
These generalisations you make are astounding!! The anti-war people are some of the most hateful, siteful people I've ever come across.
You suggest that all people that don't agree with your tiny minded view are Bush supporting Republicans and that all Republicans are RED BLOODED and RAGING! That's moronic! It's tantamount to racism. 51% of your fellow Americans are what? My blog would be what? lonely? Think some more sunshine!
It's no big secret that the average minority, gay person, pro abortionist, same sex marriage and whatever else(come on! you know what I mean) tends to vote for the Democrats over the past 20 years or so. These people are Democrats for their own individual reasons and you could never INSIST that they all held equal zeal for each individual issue... It would be a stupid thing to say... so.... don't!
Regarding your final paragraph about the President and his role in your life goes the same for me... I am not proud of George W. Bush, his leadership, or his policies. He wouldn't have been my first choice. When McCain lost out at the primaries in 96, I supported senator Dole and even manned the phones at the local Repub HQ... when McCain lost out at the primaries in 2000.. the same thing.. I backed Bush... now when I say "backed Bush", what it should read is that I supported the Republican candidate!
So... you are incorrect... disagreeing with you does not make you a Bush supporter, a Republican, Red Blooded or Raging. It's a feeble attempt at political debate. You seem to be full of rage and you think that a good way to vent it is to write mis-information propoganda that is riddled with your snide and facetious demeanor...only thing is, nobody came to read it and your friends only pretended to read it so you bought some duct tape and made up a story... the other thing is, is that your story makes you look weak, confused, indecisive and gullible.
If some terrorists had crashed a helicopter full of TNT into your local Nuclear Power Plant.. I guess we wouldn't have read about your duct tape huh? If some religious fanatics poisoned the East Coast's water supply would we still be reading about your duct tape and your hate for the 2 party system?
Little buddy, the two party system is good. It means that when people get tired of your lot, then my lot can have a turn... This is good, see?
In your eyes, you have a real firm grip on things and anyone that does not see it your way should not be allowed to vote. They are insane. Although you are fervently indecisive, you feel that you are still right all of the time and that people should look up to you and read the wisdom that you dictate.
The entire Republican party, all of it's supporters, voters and delegates are all war-mongering, anti-economists! It's sheer genius!
51% of the country tricked the other 49% to buy duct tape and suggested that 9/11 was not the last attack! Wow!
Little buddy, I might spell pammfledt my own way, but at least I'm not a hateful dweeb that will say ANYTHING.
Insisting that all Republicans support every iota of Bush's agenda is quite insulting. I think you should apologize. There are millions of Republicans that love their families, jobs and lives just as much as you do. They are not necessarily racists or fat-cats and they don't necessarily work at Enron. There are millions of Republicans that would stop and offer you help if you were broken down on the side of the road.
I'm just saying that when you are so hateful of an entire political party AND it's members, you are being hateful to half of the citizens of the USA... come on little buddy... don't do that... this July we are 230! Can't we all just g-g-get along? Didn't you hear about the civil war?
I actually agree with a few things you said on Ebay... particularly, 'shot his lobbyist in the face', that's classic baby!
When Dubyah first won I thought.. huh.. this might be cool.. 2 governor's in a row... I dunno.. I like the Washington outsiders once in a while(yeh yeh.. senator mcCain blah.. yeh-yeh!)... Bush did some really good stuff during his gubernatorial days in TX(halved crime for real!) and I thought that he might bring the ingenuity to the White House...but he didn't/hasn't really. I still believe that we are better off than we would be after 4 or 6 years of algore or 1 of Kerry.. (gulp)
But nobody needs to ask why they don't call Dick Cheney,'Richard'- The guy, as Dave Letterman says is "A BIG BOWL OF BAD!" I think he's particulalry WEIRD. Do you think the average Republican Senator or Congressman is a fan of Cheney? Uh uh... the guy is a creep. Who would want that evil looking mumbling weirdo over for dinner..(shudder)
Anyway... lighten up dude!! these are your countrymen you're rippin' on!
Hey, are you really gonna send off the duct tape or end it at the last minute? Your listing will sit on those wacky auction sites forever and the ebay ad should site there for 120 days... Google fest! wow... you could dine out on this for years! Or next time, sell some flares or some band aids. haha.. Got any Tang?
The reason people look to polls is that they are scientific. There is an entire field of study on which they are based. One can not poll on the statement "Describe your journey to your current political views." Instead they take regular polls and watch the trends.
I'll just rebut the note about Bush's Texas reign for now with one link and some facts.
George W. Bush's Texas is number 1 in:
- overall toxic releases
- recognized carcinogens in the air
- suspected carcinogens in the air
- developmental toxins in the air (affecting brain and nervous-system development in children)
- cancer risk.
George W. Bush's Texas is good at:
- It ranks number one in major discharge facilities (those are your big-time polluters), with 575 major facilities, compared with the next-largest states of Pennsylvania with 390 and New York with 350 major facilities.
- Texas ranks second in total number of minor Nipdes facilities, about 5,700. Louisiana has the largest number of such facilities in the country, about 6,000.
- Texas is the second most-populous state, but it has very limited water resources. Many of the state rivers, lakes, and bays are severely polluted. Over 3,000 miles, or one third, of Texas rivers and 44 percent of Texas bays are so polluted that they do not meet the standards set for recreational and other uses. Thirteen Texas lakes were covered by advisories or bans on fish consumption in 1996.
So while I'm disappointed in Bush's presidency, and disappointed in his environmental policies, I'm certainly glad his inability to run again might limit his ability to match his performance in Texas. Here's a book on the subject.
I'm with you on Cheney being a creep, and perhaps you are right that Cheney's fellow Republicans don't like him much (his approval ratings are in the teens). Let's agree to agree on that. But it's too bad that they are still listening to him (sometimes).
And yes, whoever wins the tape wins the tape. I'll ship it to them just as I said I will. I don't have many ducts anyway.
ok ok ... nearly time to get username... just kidding..
Bush was Governor for less than 6 years... blaming him for all that stuff is silly. People said that 9/11 was a result of HIS policies but he'd only been in office for 8 months.. the attack took longer than that to plan.
Man... I know you're a youngster... it's funny.. you paste these facts 'n figures and believe in 'em as gospel. It's dopey.
When I said College Boy... this is what I meant. Have you ever been handed a political pahmflettte by some young eager looking student type who has just discovered politics and thinks he's gonna save the world! Well I have... and from both sides! Twisting facts n figures is a chump's game...
You coould say that before Clinton became president, that Arkansas was 49th in everything (behind MS) and that in Arkansas you had to be 18 and have a note from your parents to have your ears pierced but you only had to be 13 to have an abortion and no parents had to be present... is it fair to say that Bill Clinton is personally responsible for these weird rules? Nah... only a true chump would try that in an argument..
It's silliness... You spout your statistics as if Dubyah stayedup late at night trying to figure out how to make people choke on the air or to see what he can pollute or who he can make broke.. come on dude!! get a grip! do people really buy this BS from you?
Do you remember 9/12? People were confused and scared... REALLY! They needed some massive security blanket.. a big great whopping placebo...and that's what they got! Homeland Security Dept, TERROR alert level, Tom Ridge's shopping list and a whole lot more.
These 'placebos' are not for EVERYONE... they are for the sheep. the meek.. the frightened.
There are so many things in American life that one just doesn't see! Gestures and such! You know what I mean? There was a supposed terror threat at LAX(L.A. Airport) and next thing you know, there is tanks driving around the airport. This is purely for the dumb-dumbs... what's a tank gonna do to a guy with a suicide bomb in his jacket... What's a tank gonna do with 19 dudes armed with box cutters? NOTHING!! The tank is there to make the dumb-dumbs feel that much better.
Ok duct tape man?
TOP TIP: If you are in a political debate with someone, you make dozens of points and your opponents first instinct is to atack your grammar, spelling or typing.. then you probably gave him something to think about.
The whole reason I have taken part in this debate 3 or 4 or 5 times now is that you generalize in a major way...It's quite nasty!
I would never say that all Democrats are Gay, baby killing minorities that want to marry a sheep and legalise everything.. but you do the opposite version all of the time. Telling conservatives what conservative means...? Duh! You are right up your own poop chute!!
It's just arrogance... you are either under 22 and don't have any life experience yet or you've been in a coma since Mondale nearly won back in '84.
By the way, most Democrats have tried gay sex. Most Democrats stink, but all of you smell. When a democrat farts, it's usually un-audible. Why did the Democrat cross the road? Because he had his dick stuck in the chicken. (I only meant some of that.. Reagan was a democrat til the '60s)
oh god.. can you imagine if Hillary ran and won and it was 41>BUSH 42>CLINTON 43>BUSH 44>CLINTON
That would be lame.. ok dude!! Get down with yer bad fact twistin self!! Go on!
Sunbury, may I call you Sunbury? Maybe Slough? I'm glad you keep stopping by, I am.
Success has many fathers and failure is an orphan, can we agree on that? People blame the guy at the top. The buck used to stop at the White House, now it just floats off into nothingness.
I don't think 9/11 was a result of his policies, it was a result of the twisted minds of people who hate the general policies of the US w/ regard to Israel and arabs in general. Though, I do think Bush ignored a number of warnings leading up to it. That debate will never stop.
I might be a youngster in comparison to yourself, though I'm over 30. But what is "dopey" about believing in facts? If you tell me that "facts" are dopey, you are cutting off the only thing we could use to measure success over failure. You can't measure success subjectively. If "facts" are dopey, how could you even prove me wrong or how could I prove you wrong?
The other day, a "young, eager looking student type" tried asking me if I was aware of the Lord Jesus Christ as my one true savior. I told him I wasn't buying. Does that count?
You said that "Bush did some really good stuff during his gubernatorial days in TX". I was just responding with some of the really bad. I think we're in agreement that he "didn't/hasn't" lived up to the hype as Prez.
I don't think Dubya stays up late at night thinking of anything. I don't really consider him much of a thinker at all. He's just fed by his advisors. That can be good or bad, and for Dubya, I don't think he is critical enough or inquisitive enough to filter the advice accordingly in order to make sound decisions and drive policy.
And no, noone buys this "BS" from me. You have probably already set the record for visits by one person to this little blog o' mine, so congrats on your dilligence.
YES, I remember 9/12. Did you read my eBay auction? I remember it all too well.
As far as your "TOP TIP", a blog is typically something in which a person writes a post, and folks may or may not visit, and may or may not leave a comment. Generally speaking, the original poster will not respond to every single bullet point left by someone as a comment. If I were to do that, someone such as yourself could rattle off 15 pages of "dopey facts" and I would spend all of my days rebutting them with subjective nonsense. Perhaps this is new to you, but that's the gist.
I think that Bush/Clinton/Bush/Clinton would be bad for the country, but will still vote for Clinton if she is the nominee. Still, I don't like the dynastic nature of it all, to be honest. We rebelled against your location to get away from a monarchy, not establish our own ping-pong version of it.
So, while the debate is fun and all, I just don't have the time or the inclination to respond to each and every point in each and every comment you keep leaving. I pick and choose to make a point and be brief. This is my blog, so I get to do that. I get to leave your comments up or blow them away. I get to choose who I want to respond to, or who to forget about.
Oh, and your spelling of "pahmflettte" this time was hilarious. heh.
Finally, if you ever start a blog, let me know. I'll link to it and leave long, rambling comments, expecting you to respond to every point =)
Ha... I did start a blog and never made the first entry.. I do however run a political website that's been up and running for around 7 years.
Yeh, i didn't want to mention that I am writing from the UK, only because I thought you would confuse me for a Brit and tell me to butt out or whatever. I'm American and have been here for nearly 5 years... It's like living in California in 1986(I did that too)... The PC age is still a toddler. The place is backward. The misinformation is RAMPANT. Thee head of the BBC was fired around a year ago for MAKING UP THE NEWS (anti Iraq war), then one of our famous tabloid paper's editor's was fired for MAKING UP THE NEWS... he had some fake photos taken of British soldiers pissing into the faces of blindfolded Iraqi prisoners.. someone pointed out that we hadn't used those rifles for a long time and that those weren't proper army boots... have a look on Google.. the guy's name was Piers Morgan and the paper was the MIRROR.
Yeh I've seen my IP show up as Sunbury and Slough on site meter's and site trackers... it's funny cos I'm in Richmond which is 20 or 30 miles from those places. Basically, I'm in West London.
When the terrorists attacked London on 070705, I had some packing tape in the house, but no duct tape... sso obviously we were screwed. Just kidding.
Cute rebuttal about your selective responses. What I said was pretty clear though. You ignore 99% of my political points and went straight for spelling.
yeh you are right.. i don't know a lot about blogs... is it still a blog when you advertise it on Ebay and it has an interactive author? Isn't that a message board?
I am 35 in october... I am surprised that you are in your 30s. You attempt debate tricks that I gave up in my early 20s.
When John McCain is sworn in as #44 in January 2009, try and exercise a little optimism. John McCain is a good guy. They pulled his fingernails out and put stuff up his butt in Vietnamese prison... he was there for 7 years or something... that's got to equal waking up to Hillary. (You know, HILLARY? The famous New Yorker?
The things that you say about Republicans, I am hearing about Americans on a daily basis in this PUSSY country. I find it offensive and vulgar.. particularly as the USA prevented this 66million people from speaking German as well as a lot of other hardships since... and now... misinformation and hate.
Can you imagine hearing from Brits that ALL Americans have guns? I've been told that you can buy FULLY AUTOMATIC MACHINE GUNS at wal-mart...? When you tell them taht it's not true they laugh at you. This is the danger of mis-information. Have you ever heard of DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS, the Texan anti-litter campaign? The BBC claims that it is referring to the DEATH PENALTY and that EVERY TEXAN belives in the DEATH PENALTY and that's why they all have DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS on their bumper stickers. Surely this would upset even a Democrat vacationing in the uK? IT PISSES ME OFF!
You could come to London and tell everyone all of your exciting facts and figures and dates and names and blah blah... and you know what? They would call you a Yankee war monger... this is where the mis-information leads.
Do you understand me yet? Twisted politics leads to dumb dumb dumb.
Do you get BBC news in NC? My dad gets it in L.A.... he is usually disgusted.. they leave out the important bits and highlight the bits they want you to know about. My dad is a Californian Republican... this is probably the equivalent of an NC democrat... I aint jokin... You'd love it out there!
Now that we're best friends(felix n oscar) can I make a suggestion? Watch that auction during the last hour... sometimes losers drive the price of high profile auctions up for fun.. you know.. one guy bids $20,000 and the other $21,000 then your ebay bill is $1200.... that's the downside of being featured on those sites. You see, I too have a wacky auction that is also being featured right now on those sites...
anyway... cheer up!! you could be in London!
You do know that Blair's party, LABOUR, is supposed to be the equivalent of the US DEMOCRATS... the Republican equivalent, The Conservatives now claim that they never wanted to go to Iraq even though they all voted for it...
IT'S LIKE CALIFORNIA IN 1986!! I LIVE IN HELL!! THE PC CLIMATE IS INSANE HERE!!
The day after the bombings in July, our Police Chief came on TV and said that we didn't have enough muslim police officers, "SEND US YOUR BROTHERS, SISTERRS,FATHERS and MOTHERS" he said... that's extreme PCism... CA1986 style... Angry Muslims blew up our train stations... hmmmm... they must be angry about not being cops!! yeh that's it! Forget all the real English people that are shitting bricks and wishing they had bought more duct tape, lets get some MUSLIMS in the POLICE FORCE!!
If you lived here for a year,I don't think you'd vote for Hillary. I think you'd find love for the USA that you never knew you had in you and you'd probably go straight home, quit your job and volunteer all of your time campaigning for Pat Buchanan... ha!! just kidding...
Hey... we're 5 hours ahead of you out here... I'm gonna go grab a brewski... you have a nice evening!!
We both love America... a lot. That's a pretty good agreement.
don't listen to the dittoheads who call you names or complain you're a liberal or anti-american or whatever.
you're just a red-blooded american trying to keep this economy moving by engaging in some commerce. even republicans have to like that!
amen, man. great ad.
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