offred's Comments (534)

“I found it ironic that in his Nobel speech, Obama said that the U.S. never wages war with democracies.

I would say that the CIA overthrowing a democratically elected government IS waging war on a democracy:

[From Wikipedia] "The 1953 Iranian coup d’état deposed the democratically elected government of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq....

The United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) overthrew the government of the popular Prime Minister Mosaddeq at the request of, and with support from the British government. In what the CIA called Operation Ajax, the U.S. enabled Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to become an authoritarian monarch[4], who went on to rule Iran for 26 years until he was overthrown in 1979..."

Just a side comment: We're still cleaning up after the British Empire's disastrous colonial policies, e.g. Palestine/Israel, Iran, Afghanistan.”

“Hear, hear, Ed!”

“Women's rights in Afghanistan was Laura Bush's cause. She came out with it because people in general liked Laura Bush and because people here and abroad didn't trust George W.

I agree. It was pretty much a publicity ploy to justify the US military staying there (especially in light of the fact that the reason we went there--to capture Osama bin Laden--didn't happen).”

“If we were going to totally "fix" Afghanistan, we wouldn't leave until the Muslim community stopped performing female circumcisions. We'd also have to stay until we "make" tribal elders, fundamentalist Muslims who enforce their version of sharia law, and men--and their mothers-in-law--reduce the oppression of Afghan women.

But the US doesn't have the time, the treasure, the military (sons, daughters, fathers, mothers) or the will to spend the decades that will take to do that. And do we have the legal and moral right to force Afghanistan into our image? And doesn't Afghanistan have a legal and moral duty to make those changes itself?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_genital_cutting

http://web.unfpa.org/news/news.cfm?ID=1101”

“Freeing Afghan women from oppression is not the reason we went into Iraq. If we were concerned about women being oppressed, we'd go into Africa, where militia members and child soldiers are raping women and girls (and even some men) to the point where they need reconstructive surgery so they aren't incontinent and again have control over their bowels (without which they're social outcasts).

The US can only make token moves toward reducing the oppression of Afghan women. After the US leaves, however, the tribal elders, the fundamentalist Muslims who enforce their version of sharia law, and the men--and mothers-in-law--who make life miserable for young women will still exercise the power.

We can build all the girls' schools we want to, but they'll be shut down and their teachers killed after we leave. Sorry, Afghan women, that change is going to have to come from within Afghanistan.

What can Afghans do to address the corruption in the government? To eliminate repression of women?”

“Excuse me!? What is with this headline?

Contraception is not abortion. Contraception prevents a pregnancy. Abortion terminates an existing pregnancy. Please stop conflating the two terms.

We already have one Republican fundamentalist governor, Bob McDonnell from Virginia, who may be planning on declaring access to contraception--not abortion--illegal. Apparently he wrote a graduate studies paper discussing that women should not work outside the home and that contraceptives should be declared illegal.

Don't give the pre-literate mouthbreathers ammunition in a headline.”

“Where was the White House press corps when Alberto Gonzales and Scooter Libby were repeating "I don't recall" and "I don't remember" before congressional investigations?

Where were they when Bush/Cheney were testifying--not under oath--before the 9/11 commission? When Bush/Cheney were drumming up the Iraq war on fabricated WMD intel?

Where were they when US attorneys general were kicked out of office for not being good Bushies? When Don Siegelman was repeatedly being treated to miscarriages of justice by Rove cronies?

When Ken Blackwell was sending Ohio voting results through Tennessee election night 2004?

They're all big bad reporters now when Secret Service people let gate crashers in and it's the social secretary's supposed fault? Desiree Rogers is a smart woman. You can be sure she'll have a rep with a big attitude checking the guest list next time.

The press corps should be glad the Obamas are going to have state dinners with interesting and important newsmakers as guests. Bush only had five state dinners and most of the guests were Republican donors.

The press corps were gutless wonders during the Bush years. They should be ashamed.”

“STANDING OVATION!!!!!!!!”

“I'd love to see some CEOs who use Aetna contact the insurer and say, "Thanks, but no thanks. We're going to get our health coverage insurance from a patriotic American insurance company. You can't offer us enough discounts and bells and whistles to convince us to use Aetna."”

“Wow, I'm straight, but I'm thinking of finding a gay professor to marry so I can get access to affordable health insurance.”

“Hang in there, PhilipB. We'll outwit, outplay, and outlast the bigots and narrow minds.”

“Wow, I didn't think there were that many jobs in New York City. How did NYC avoid the recession? Turning down business from 10 percent of the population because straights are afraid they're going to be forced to marry people of the same sex--or that lesbians will steal their wives away.”

“I guess ramsfan expects those of us who aren't married--whether straight or gay--to support heterosexual married people to our detriment financially. I'm single, and I've always wished I got the tax breaks and special treatment married people get.”

“Excellent illustration!”

“If you'd like to contact New York City's tourism board and let them know the approximate number of dollars you will NOT be spending in NYC and why, use this link:


http://www.nycgo.com/traveltrade/ref=nav”

“"... Waldorf Astoria wedding... Brooklyn Botanical Gardens wedding... Montauk Beach wedding"

Boy, think of all the income those vendors aren't going to get. You'd think the hospitality industry would be politicking their little hearts out so they'd be able to insure they have plenty of gay clientele and business. In fact, think of how much potential money restaurants, Broadway, museums, tourist sites like Niagara Falls would lose if gays decided to boycott New York City and state. Apparently New York isn't interested in their money or the taxes gay-friendly vendors would pay from their proceeds.

Glad to hear New York City and the state are doing so well during this recession.”

“Health insurance companies learned their craft from the Mob:

They make you pay $500 a month for protection, but first you'll have to pay a lot of money out of hand; then when you try to use the insurance, they'll refuse to cover the expense for some reason.

At least if you miss a payment with the Mob, they just start out by breaking your fingers. If you miss a premium payment with a health care company, they cancel your insurance, you get sicker and sicker, and then you die.”

“Hear, hear.”

“Sounds like crimes were committed. Where are the lawsuits? The fines? (Which could be used to begin upgrading our mid-20th century power grid.)

I have a friend whose sibling worked at the SEC. The sibling retired early because whenever worker bees took evidence of wrongdoing to the officials at the top (political appointees), they were told to shut up.

The evidence is out there. Where is the willingness to deal with it?”

“Bravo, Ms. Warren!”

“In an article in yesterday's HuffPo, Grassley whined: “"For the first 16 years I made $3,000 every other year as a state legislator. Now do you expect me to live on $3,000 every other year?"

I, a former Iowan, replied: Nobody's talking about your first 16 years. (Actually, back then $3,000 a year for a part-time job would have bought a new station wagon every other year.)

I, however, am now reduced to making the same amount of money per year that I made in 1980. And no, I can't afford $4,500 a year for health insurance.

Grassley, you're living like a king compared to most Americans.””

“It's been well publicized that the Secret Service is stretched to the limits, protecting more people than ever before, without adequate personnel, funds, training, and rest and relaxation.

Pull the Secret Service coverage for the Cheney family. Other retired vice presidents didn't get Secret Service coverage.

I'm sure Blackwater/Ze would give Cheney a good discount on bodyguard service, considering the amount of work Cheney threw their way. (Actually they should provide the service gratis--they could write it off as a PR expense.)

On the other hand, Cheney can afford to pay for his own bodyguards, considering the war profits he's got tucked away in Saudi Arabian banks. (I'm sure he's already closed down his Swiss bank accounts.)”

“"None of the prosecutors were ever told why Huckabee felt compelled to have a hand in freeing so many prisoners, though all of them speculate that his deeply religious nature led to a strong belief in repentance and forgiveness. In some cases, prosecutors say, evangelical leaders attested that a prisoner had found Jesus and that seemed to influence the governor's thoughts."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/29/multiple-police-officers-_n_373119.html?page=2&show_comment_id=35432388#comment_35432388

Huckabee is another Republican politician who hears voices in his head and thinks Jesus is talking to him.”

“It's been well publicized that the Secret Service is stretched to the limits, protecting more people than ever before, without adequate personnel, funds, training, and rest and relaxation.

Pull the Secret Service coverage for the Cheney family. Other retired vice presidents didn't get Secret Service coverage.

I'm sure Blackwater/Ze would give Cheney a good discount on bodyguard service, considering the amount of work Cheney threw their way. (Actually they should provide the service gratis--they could write it off as a PR expense.)

On the other hand, Cheney can afford to pay for his own bodyguards, considering the war profits he's got tucked away in Saudi Arabian banks. (I'm sure he's already closed down his Swiss bank accounts.)”

“Require at least one member of each American family read twice a week the London Times and English Al Jazeera and another European newspaper.

Occasionally watch Democracy Now, McNeil Lehrer Newshour, and Bill Moyers' Journal; the rest of the time one family member should alternate through the other news shows, such as CNN, MSNBC, and yes, even Fox News.

Be open to scanning blogs, left, right, and center.

The answer is to get your news and your opinions in more than one place.”