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You've Got (White) Male
Author: BobR    Date: 06/03/2009 12:43:14

Pity the poor White Male. He has been in power for most of recorded history. For the majority of that time, that position was a birth right, guaranteed to him if he wanted it. People of color and women were essentially property to do with as he wished. That's slowly been changing for the last 150 years or so, and they've been fighting it all the way. Disclaimer: Yes, I - the author - am a white male, but I do not subscribe to the notion that that accident of birth somehow makes me superior to others.

We are lucky to live in an age where racism and sexism are not normally overt. We do not see "black water fountains" or "white only" signs and are shocked when we see them at antique stores. Nightclubs no longer bar "unescorted ladies". Instead, the bigotry and sexism is generally more subtle, and not always apparent. Sometimes, though, it's right out there, usually accompanied by (or followed by - when they're called on it) denials that it was not meant that way.

It should be apparent, however, that the White Male is angry... Angry that they're losing power, angry that they are not automatically assumed to be the one in charge, angry that they can't turn the clock back or put the genie back in the bottle. Pandora opened her box (with the help of some enlightened white and black friends) and there is no closing it now. The White Male's days of the free ride are over and they are not going down without a fight. Over the last few years, that fight has gotten decidedly nasty.
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79 comments (Latest Comment: 06/04/2009 01:37:04 by Mondobubba)

Ask A Vet
Author: TriSec    Date: 06/02/2009 10:26:20

Good Morning.

Today is our 2,267th day in Iraq.

We'll start this morning as we always do, with the latest casualty figures from Iraq and Afghanistan, courtesy of Antiwar.com:

American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 4306
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 4167
Since Capture of Saddam (12/13/03): 3845
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3447
Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 78

Other Coalition Troops - Iraq: 318
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 694
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 472
Journalists - Iraq: 138
Contractor Employee Deaths - Iraq: 1,306


We find this morning's cost of war passing through:
$863, 658, 650, 000. 00


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131 comments (Latest Comment: 06/03/2009 01:53:21 by BobR)

Shocked? They aren't.
Author: Raine    Date: 06/01/2009 12:37:54

I don't even know where to begin this morning. Back in April, the Department of Homeland Security issued a report regarding the concerns of homegrown terrorism. The Republicans were apoplectic, you will recall. It was not a long report, but there is one paragraph that seems to really get everyone up in a tizzy:
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66 comments (Latest Comment: 06/02/2009 05:50:35 by BobR)

The Plight of the White Neo-Cons
Author: velveeta jones    Date: 05/31/2009 13:41:14


From the Desk of Newt Gingrich
"I have a dream: that my four little children will one day live
in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their
skin, but by the content of their character."

- Dr. Martin Luther King

Can you imagine if the President of the United States nominated a judge to the U.S. Supreme Court who said this:

"My experience as a white man will make me a better judge than a Latina woman would be."

Or could you imagine if that same judge ruled from the bench to deny 18 African-American firefighters a promotion just because of their skin color?

That judge would be called a bigot -- and in my judgment, rightly so! Would there be any doubt that he would be FORCED to WITHDRAW his nomination for the Supreme Court?

None.



Honestly, I was not really a supporter of Judge Sotomayor until all the hullabaloo over her. And in fact, I am wondering if the right is pulling the ultimate scam on us. “Yeah, we think she should be withdrawn as a SCOTUS pick [not really] because she’s [not really] a racist and because she’s [not at all] liberal”.
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12 comments (Latest Comment: 05/31/2009 21:47:39 by clintster)

The Four Freedoms
Author: TriSec    Date: 05/30/2009 12:23:04

In January of 1941, slightly less than a year before Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt took to the airwaves to talk to a worried nation. As war clouds gathered, several factions within the US were fighting for control. Some wanted immediate war; others wanted us to stay apart and isolated from Europe for as long as possible.

Ever the politician, Mr. Roosevelt was able to frame the debate by using some concepts from the constitution, and others suggested to him by Eleanor, who was a champion of international human rights. In any case, we should all be familiar with them by now.

Freedom of Speech.
Freedom of Religion.
Freedom from Want.
Freedom from Fear.

World War II was fought for many reasons, but by this speech, President Roosevelt was able to put the coming conflict into the simplest, yet most grand terms that everyman could understand.

Ever since then, the "Four Freedoms" meme has been used by many. Norman Rockwell painted a famous series based on the freedoms that was used during the war for fundraising. These paintings can now be seen at his home and museum here in Stockbridge, MA.

One of my musical heroes, Duke Ellington, eulogized his friend and confidant Billy Strahorn in 1969 by referring to the "four freedoms" that guided Billy's life. In many ways, I find these even more compelling than FDR's.

Freedom from hate.
Freedom from self pity.
Freedom from fear of doing something that would benefit someone else more than it would himself.
Freedom from the pride that could make him feel that he was better than others.

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16 comments (Latest Comment: 05/31/2009 00:56:43 by Mondobubba)

Sliding towards Chaos
Author: BobR    Date: 05/29/2009 04:17:37

With all the recent political kerfluffle over SCOTUS nominee Sotomayor, a quickly deteriorating situation in SE Asia is getting scant coverage. It began with a nuclear test on Monday and is (as of this writing) on the verge of intense military action. The common perception for years has been that WWIII would begin in the Middle East; if some sort of diplomacy isn't pulled out of a hat soon, that perception may be proven false.
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53 comments (Latest Comment: 05/29/2009 23:45:24 by Raine)

Secure Transparency
Author: Raine    Date: 05/28/2009 12:49:02

Yesterday, among the mud flinging and fist clenching outrage over Sonia Sotomayor, a few interesting stories seem to have gone under the radar. AP reports that "President Barack Obama on Wednesday ordered a review of how the nation keeps and classifies its secrets and instructed his top administration officials to lean toward disclosure when they can."
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26 comments (Latest Comment: 05/29/2009 02:52:50 by BobR)

Stubby!
Author: Scoopster    Date: 05/27/2009 13:13:54

Never fear - I is here!
 
18 comments (Latest Comment: 05/27/2009 13:59:53 by Raine)

Supreme Idiocy
Author: BobR    Date: 05/27/2009 03:45:04

Once again, the knee-jerks on the right have reflexively swung their feet at President Obama's Supreme Court Justice nominee - and kicked themselves in the butt. Even those on the left that are always ready to find the dark cloud surrounding the silver lining are shaking their heads glumly, certain that Obama has "done it again". What he has done in selecting Judge Sonia Sotomayor is picked the right justice at the right time.
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71 comments (Latest Comment: 05/28/2009 00:59:47 by livingonli)

Ask a Vet
Author: TriSec    Date: 05/26/2009 10:34:57

Good Morning.

Today is our 2,260th day in Iraq.

We'll start this morning as we always do, with the latest casualty figures from Iraq and Afghanistan, courtesy of Antiwar.com:

American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 4300
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 4161
Since Capture of Saddam (12/13/03): 3839
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3441
Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 72

Other Coalition Troops - Iraq: 318
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 686
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 467
Journalists - Iraq: 138
Contractor Employee Deaths - Iraq: 1,306


We find this morning's Cost of War passing through:
$ 861, 103, 575, 000 .00



Yesterday, Raine focused the blog on our honoured dead. Today, I'd like to look at the living. In all wars, the greatest day is the day it's all over and the troops get to go home. When we win, there are great parades, victory speeches, and cheering throngs that greet our troops when they return.

Our history when our soldiers are not victorious is unfortunately less than stellar. Many a veteran from Southeast Asia got off a flight back to his hometown with nothing more than silence and dirty looks.

Perhaps you know where the Bangor International Airport is. It's in Maine, situated on a hill in the tidy little state capitol. It's the closest US airport of any size to Europe, and by extension, the Middle East.

For years, soldiers returning from their overseas deployment have transited this airport, usually on their way to other places. For years now too, a dedicated group of volunteers has made sure that every flight, no matter what time of the day or night it arrives, is met by a crowd of supporters.

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108 comments (Latest Comment: 05/27/2009 13:12:42 by Scoopster)

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