Working For Peace Works

Gareth Evans, the former prime minister of Australia says in the LA Times:

Contrary to what just about everybody instinctively believes, there has been a dramatic decrease in the number of conflicts, down 40% since the early 1990s. There were just 25 armed secessionist conflicts underway in 2004, the lowest number since 1976, according to the meticulously documented Human Security Report 2005, a new multi-government study (www.humansecurityreport.info).

Why the decrease?

Peacekeeping forces help keep the peace. Go figure.

BushCo's New Drumbeat

Anyone that paid even passing attention to the evening news from the Summer of 2004 through the Winter of 2005 heard a steadily increasing drumbeat of rhetoric setting the stage for an invasion of Iraq. One administration official after another proclaimed glum and doom if Saddam were not disarmed immediately.

The rhetoric escalated even as news on the ground was at least mitigating of Iraq's offensive potential. Inspectors in Iraq were finding no evidence to support the world intelligence community claims of WMD even though an always stubborn Saddam was granting unprecedented access.

Now the administration is attacking anyone who questions their motives during the run up to the ill-fated invasion using adjectives like irresponsible, dishonest, and reprehensible when as a matter of fact such questions are simply logical. It just makes sense to question a group of people who were wrong on virtually every assertion they made prior to the invasion and in its immediate aftermath.

They have held none of their own responsible or accountable in any way, yet the same type rhetorical bombardment is beginning against anyone naturally curious about what could have led to so many mistakes.

Do not believe Cheney or Rumsfeld. They are the architects of a growing disaster and will say virtually anything to deflect attention and accountability.

Believe what you saw and heard back during the buildup to the invasion. Compare that to what we now know to be reality. It is the honest and responsible thing to do.

Wrong Without Any Lies

Setting aside everyones'lies and exaggerations, the administration's whining alone is getting monotonous. No matter how long and how hard they defend the reasons for their mistakes, in the end, they're just wrong.

The worst is pointing to Clinton era warnings about the threat of Saddam's weapons programs. Would you use five year old intelligence to go to war? How about three year old intelligence?

If not, what do Clinton's 1998 statements about IraqiWMD's have to do with going to war in 2003?

These folks can't admit even a reasonable mistake. They sure aren't going to own their falsehoods.

Cheney and Bush Go Even More Negative

The darkest of pots are calling some kettles black. Bush and Cheney are calling critics of their use of pre-war intelligence liars and irresponsible.

What do they possibly hope to accomplish by going negative against politicians that are in agreement with a large majority of the American people? Maybe it's a campaign style snow job in the hope folks never dig out from the under the drifting piles of deceit, or just blasting the noise machine endlessly to numb the populace to any truth or reason?

Whatever it is, let's not buy it this time, please.

Josh Marshall is providing a place to document the lies of Darth Cheney and Gee Dubya. Most of us saw and heard the lies and exaggerations, and I pray we cannot be convinced to deny the history we witnessed with our own senses.

Salute, To All Our Veterans

There really is no greater love than to lay down one's life for another. Today we remember the hundreds of thousands that have done so for all of us. We salute, also, the millions more who served willing to do the same.

God bless the families, friends, and loved ones of those who have made, and still make, such sacrifice. Love like that is never truly in vain.

Bush Enabled Terrorists Strike Jordan

We didn't invade Iraq with sufficient troops to impose our will on the country. We left unsecured weapons and ammo all over the place. We didn't anticipate or react quickly enough to a growing insurgency, and ultimately allowed al Qaida to establish itself solidly among the Sunnis and Baathist remnants.

Now one of our best allies in the region has paid a dear price for the Bush administration's incompetence. Jordan was struck violently from a growing base of terrorism that did not exist before we invaded Iraq. If we weren't already, we should now be ashamed.

Robertson Proves My Point

If anyone was unsure that the goal of the intelligent design propagandists was to slip creationism through the side door, Robertson, for his part, dispels any doubt.

“I’d like to say to the good citizens of Dover: if there is a disaster in your area, don’t turn to God, you just rejected him from your city,” Robertson said on his daily television show broadcast from Virginia, “The 700 Club.”

Now why could he possibly be so upset unless his goal is to insert his religion into our kids curriculum.

History really tries to remind us that when religion ruled the world it was a dark, dark age. I thank God that the people of Dover, PA, seem to remember.

Democrats, Unite and Fight - Now!

That pretty much says it. Alito has the record to oppose. Oppose it! Win or go down on principle and run ('06 & '08) on the fallout.

Grassroots, State Organizations, DNC, and Congress: we have the cause(s)and now's the time.