Disinfotainment Today Issue #88 - "American Childcare!"

I'd like to buy a yacht and explore the oceans of the earth. Hell, I think EVERYBODY should own a yacht. But first I've got to pay my rent and utilities. First I've got to feed and educate my children. First I've got to pay our medical bills. A yacht is an extravagance. Basic necessities of life come before extravagances.

Same thing with Mars. I'd love to go to Mars. Hell, I think EVERYBODY should go to Mars. But first we've got to pay our rent and utilities. First we've got to feed and educate our children. First we've got to pay our medical bills. Going to Mars is an extravagance. Basic necessities of life come before extravagances. Anybody who thinks our country has covered our basic necessities of life isn't paying attention. Forget Mars till our bills are paid.

It's a line uttered by King Henry II, memorialized in TS Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral, and variations of it have been used by rulers and despots throughout history. It's the core of "plausible deniability." When Becket pissed off King Henry II by excommunicating the archbishop of York, the man who had actually crowned Henry king, Henry didn't point to one of his knights at the Christmas court at Bures and say "You, kill Becket." He said "Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest," so when four of his knights killed Becket, Henry could honestly say "That's not what I said" and dishonestly say "That's not what I meant."

Does anybody doubt that Reagan said something like "Will no one rid me of those troublesome Sandinistas?" so that Oliver North could honestly testify that Reagan didn't "order" him to trade drugs for arms for the Contras? That's how presidents give orders these days. Clinton never asked for a blowjob. He said something like "Will no one rid me of this troublesome burden in my loins?"

And now comes the proof that our current nincompoop in chief has used the same tactic. According to just about everybody, in January of 2001, well before the attacks of September, speaking of the overthrowing of Saddam Hussein, George W. Bush said to his cabinet "Go find me a way to do this," which is Texan for "Will no one rid me of this troublesome Iraqi?"

It's the same backwards thinking of "creation science," in which the conclusion comes first.

And it was a good idea. It worked. He got what he wanted. It's a bell that can't be unrung, even by voting him out of office. Does anybody really think that voting Bush out of office will get Halliburton out of Iraq? Remember that real estate on Mars I tried to sell you a while back? Guess who's trying to sell it to you now?

A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate Washington spends it.

"The International Bank Activities Reform Commission is revealing to the general public in the United States that Chat rooms, Bulletin Boards and Message Boards run by Lycos, Microsoft, and Yahoo such as Raging Bull and others are being used by government agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve Bank, the FBI, the CIA, Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security to spy on Americans without their knowledge.
"Government agents have used the boards for counter intelligence operations in an attempt to discredit information being posted by whistle blowers who have been ferreting out government crimes and wrongdoing with the full knowledge of President Bush and the intelligence community. "In many cases, the entire contents of a person's computer can be siphoned out and transferred to a massive database in Virginia for further analysis and additional counter intelligence measures."
- PRWeb -

Philosophy of the Week

"Not a shred of evidence exists in favor
of the idea that life is serious."
- Brendan Gill -

Religious Joke of the Week

A priest and a rabbi went for a hike one day. It was very hot. They were sweating and exhausted when they came upon a small lake. Since it was fairly secluded, they took off all their clothes and jumped in the water. Feeling refreshed, they decided to pick a few berries while enjoying their "freedom."

As they were crossing an open area, who should come along but a group of schoolboys from town. Unable to get to their clothes in time, the priest covered his privates and the rabbi covered his face while they ran for cover.

After the schoolboys had left and the men got their clothes back on, the priest asked the rabbi why he covered his face rather than his privates. The rabbi replied, "I don't know about you, but in MY congregation, it's my face they would recognize."

Dueling Quotes

"[The Bush administration] tried to put more arsenic in the water. We stopped them from doing it."
- Dick Gephardt -

"President Bush never 'tried to put more arsenic in the water.' The controversy began in March 2001 when the White House withdrew a regulation issued late in the Clinton administration that had not yet gone into effect. The regulation would have reduced the federal standard for arsenic in drinking water from 50 parts per billion to 10 parts per billion by 2006. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Christie Todd Whitman stated at the time that EPA would ask expert panels to review the science and consider a standard of 3-20 parts per billion to go into effect by the original 2006 deadline. After a great deal of criticism, the EPA decided in October 2001 to issue a 10 parts per billion standard - the same as the original regulation.
"At no point in the controversy did the administration propose raising the allowable limit of arsenic in drinking water above the 50 parts per billion standard that had been in effect since 1942; the controversy centered on how much to reduce that limit. Nor did the White House repeal a standard that was already being enforced; Clinton's regulation had not yet gone into effect."
- Brendan Nyhan: The arsenic meme -

Films of the Week

Don't believe what you read. Go here and look at the Bush in 30 Seconds ads. They're all fantastic.

"When you prevent me from doing what I want to do, that is persecution; but when I prevent you from doing what you want to do, that is law, order and morals."
- George Bernard Shaw -

"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards."
- Claire Wolfe: 101 Things to Do 'Til the Revolution -

"Does some fundamental religious belief - say, that the end of the world is coming soon - influence your policies on the environment and on nuclear weapons? If not, how do you explain policies that seem designed to destroy the planet? Seriously, if you had run on a platform of destroying the Earth, I don't think your policies would be much different."
- Don Williams: Five impolite questions for the president -

    "The technique is as follows: NWO strategists create the Problem by funding, assembling, and training an 'opposition' group to stimulate turmoil in an established political power (sovereign country, region, continent, etc.) that they wish to impinge upon and thus create opposing factions in a conflict that the NWO themselves maneuvered into existence. In recent decades, so called opposition groups are usually identified in the media as 'freedom fighters' or 'liberators.'
   "At the same time, the leader of the established political power where the conflict is being orchestrated is demonized and, on cue, referred to as 'another Hitler' (take your pick: Saddam Hussein, Milosevic, Kadaffi, etc.). The 'freedom fighters' are not infrequently assembled from a local criminal element (i.e. KLA, drug traffickers). In the spirit of true Machiavellian deceit, the same NWO strategists are equally involved in covertly arming and advising the leader of the established power as well (the NWO always profits from any armed conflict by loaning money, arming, and supplying all parties involved in a war).
   "The conflict is drawn to the world stage by the controlled media outlets with a barrage of photos and video tape reports of horrific and bloody atrocities suffered by innocent civilians. The cry goes up 'Something has to be done!' And that is the desired Reaction.
   "The NWO puppeteers then provide the Solution by sending in UN 'Peace Keepers' (Bosnia) or a UN 'Coalition Force' (Gulf War) or NATO Bombers and then ground troops (Kosovo), or the military to 'search for Weapons of Mass Destruction', which of course are never found. Once installed, the 'peace keepers' never leave. The idea is to have NWO controlled ground troops in all major countries or strategic areas where significant resistance to the New World Order takeover is likely to be encountered."
- Three World Wars: What is the New World Order? -

"CIA operations follow the same recurring script. First, American business interests abroad are threatened by a popular or democratically elected leader. The people support their leader because he intends to conduct land reform, strengthen unions, redistribute wealth, nationalize foreign-owned industry, and regulate business to protect workers, consumers and the environment. So, on behalf of American business, and often with their help, the CIA mobilizes the opposition. First it identifies right-wing groups within the country (usually the military), and offers them a deal: 'We'll put you in power if you maintain a favorable business climate for us.' The Agency then hires, trains and works with them to overthrow the existing government (usually a democracy). It uses every trick in the book: propaganda, stuffed ballot boxes, purchased elections, extortion, blackmail, sexual intrigue, false stories about opponents in the local media, infiltration and disruption of opposing political parties, kidnapping, beating, torture, intimidation, economic sabotage, death squads and even assassination. These efforts culminate in a military coup, which installs a right-wing dictator. The CIA trains the dictators security apparatus to crack down on the traditional enemies of big business, using interrogation, torture and murder. The victims are said to be 'communists,' but almost always they are just peasants, liberals, moderates, labor union leaders, political opponents and advocates of free speech and democracy. Widespread human rights abuses follow.
"The ironic thing about all this intervention is that it frequently fails to achieve American objectives. Often the newly installed dictator grows comfortable with the security apparatus the CIA has built for him. He becomes an expert at running a police state. And because the dictator knows he cannot be overthrown, he becomes independent and defiant of Washington's will. The CIA then finds it cannot overthrow him, because the police and military are under the dictator's control, afraid to cooperate with American spies for fear of torture and execution. The only two options for the U.S at this point are impotence or war. Examples of this 'boomerang effect' include the Shah of Iran, General Noriega and Saddam Hussein. The boomerang effect also explains why the CIA has proven highly successful at overthrowing democracies, but a wretched failure at overthrowing dictatorships."
- Steve Kangas: A Timeline of CIA Atrocities -

"Life was better, at first, under the Nazis. The war machine invigorated the economy - men had jobs again, and enough money to take care of their family. New building projects were everywhere. The shops were full again - and people could afford good food, culture, and luxuries. Women could stay home in comfort. Crime was reduced. Health care improved. It was a rosy scenario - Hitler brought order and prosperity. His policies won widespread approval because life was better for most Germans, after the misery of reparations and inflation. The people liked the idea of removing the worst elements of society - the gypsies, the homosexuals, the petty criminals - it was easy to elicit support for prosecuting the corrupt 'evil' people poisoning society. Every family was proud of their hometown heroes - the sharply-dressed soldiers they contributed to his program - they were, after all,defending the Fatherland. Continuing a proud tradition that had been defeated and shamed after WWI, the soldiers gave the feeling of power and success to the proud families that showered them with praise and support. Their early victories were reason to celebrate - in spite of the fact that they faced poorly armed inferior forces - further proof that what they were doing was right, and the best thing for the country. The news was full of stories about their bravery and accomplishments against a vile enemy. They were 'liberating' these countries from their corrupt governments."
- The Bush/Hitler Thing -

"A worldwide epidemic is raging. The cause is a poisonous chemical sweetener, aspartame (marketed as NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful), the most controversial food additive ever approved. In reality it is a drug which interacts with other drugs and changes brain chemistry."
- Betty Martini:The Aspartame Epidemic -

"For years, as a Colorado River guide I told people how the Grand Canyon was formed over the evolutionary time scale of millions of years. Then I met the Lord. Now, I have a different view of the Canyon, which according to a biblical time scale, can't possibly be more than a few thousand years old."
- Tom Vail: Grand Canyon: A Different View, quoted in Noah's flood made Grand Canyon? Geologists skewer park for selling creationism by Julie Cart -

"Immediately after former President George H. W. Bush visited Saudi Arabia in 1998, the Saudis slashed production, sending oil prices up over 225%, oil company profits up over 33,000% (this is not a typo, we mean 33,000%,) and creating a crisis that moved to the forefront of the 2000 Presidential Election, helping his son George W. Bush get elected."
- Samuel A. Stanson: Did former president George H. W. Bush create an oil crisis in order to get his son elected? -

"I have no doubt that Herr Rove has already received the OK from the shadows to put some nefarious plan into action. Let us all hope that the Bush Family Evil Empire doesn't decide to go for the jugular right now and stage a domestic false-flag terrorist event, perhaps involving weapons of mass destruction, to enact martial law. But just in case, I think everyone's internal Orange Alert should be raised to Red."
- RB Ham -

"Even if bin Laden hates all Americans, he must hate Bush more than, say Dean. Bin Laden knows an October surprise would help Bush, so why would he help him?
"Thanks to Osama, Bush is the most powerful person in all of history. Thanks to Bush, Osama is the most famous and respected Arab warrior in history. Thanks to Osama, Bush's family will make a trillion dollars. Thanks to Bush, Osama gets the Jihad that could unite all Arab countries - under him. The B.F.E.E. certainly knows how to structure a deal."
- Bartcop -

"If you vote against the war in Iraq, the Bush administration will do whatever is necessary to get you. There will be severe ramifications for you..."
- Dick Cheney to Paul Wellstone just before his "accident" -

"How serious is America's trade crisis? The best way of framing the answer is that no great power since the last days of the Ottoman Empire has tried to project so much power abroad from such a weak economic base at home.
"With the announcement of a worse-than-expected $41.3 billion U.S. September trade deficit last week, the scene is being set for a major trade crisis. Certainly the trend is little short of disastrous and, all wishful thinking in the Bush administration to the contrary, there is virtually no hope of a turnaround before the 2004 election."
- Eamonn Fingleton: American trade: hurtling towards the tipping point -

     "Mullah Omar of Afghanistan offered to arrest bin Laden on our behalf and turn him over to a western nation for prosecution; Moslems all over the world were horrified at the actions of one of their own, a fundamentalist turned criminal and murderer.     "It would have been so easy to accept Omar's offer, bring in bin Laden, dismantle the training camps and track down their attendees and sponsors, and launch an international effort to disassemble and render impotent al-Qaeda. It probably could have been done in a year or less, given the intensity of the worldwide empathy for citizens of America and the many other nations whose people died in the World Trade Center. Over 500 American soldiers would still be alive, and thousands would not have lost arms, legs, and eyes. Over 40,000 innocent Afghans and Iraqis would still be alive.
    "But Karl Rove knew that George W. Bush had a problem, and saw in bin Laden the solution... George W. desperately needed his own Lex Luthor if he was to reinvent himself as Superman.
    "Rove and Bush realized that if they simply branded Osama as the criminal thug that he was - the leader of an obscure Islamic Mafia with fewer than 20,000 serious members - they wouldn't have the super-villain they needed for George W. Bush to be seen as a super-hero. If Bush only authorized a police action, he'd miss a golden opportunity to position himself as the Battle Commander of The War Against Evil Incarnate.
    "And so began the building of the mythos. Osama as evil genius. Osama as worldwide mastermind."
- Thom Hartmann: A fistful of Kryptonite against SuperGeorge... -

"Anyone who repudiates idolatry is a Jew."
- Johanan b. Nappaha, Talmud: Megilla, 13a -

"They ain't makin' Jews like Jesus any more. We don't turn the other cheek the way we done before."
- Kinky Friedman -

"The important thing is to learn a lesson every time you lose."
- John McEnroe -

"Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is like expecting the bull not to charge you because you are a vegetarian."
- Rabbi Harold Kushner paraphrasing Rabbi Mordechai Kaplann -

"Don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom."
- General George S. Patton -

This New York Times review of Wolves of the Calla finally gives the Stephen King Dark Tower epic the respect it deserves. It's right up there with Lord of the Rings.

Here are some photos of Gen. Wesley Clark with fugitive war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic that he'd probably prefer you didn't see.

Can't decide which recordable DVD format is the best? Here's a good guide. (Hint: the most compatible format is DVD-R.)

The U.S. is currently holding about 13,000 prisoners, most of whom have not been charged. Are you one of them?

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