The next times someone tells me of how corrupt Korean politicians and media are, I will make it a point to show them this and this. Geez, this is not good.
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The next times someone tells me of how corrupt Korean politicians and media are, I will make it a point to show them this and this. Geez, this is not good.
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52 Comments
I am somehow reminded of those that immediately, uncritically, and, as it turns out, wrongly, took the claims of a certain professor hook, line, and sinker when he claimed he’d been placed on the “no fly” list due to anti-Bush speech.
There likely is a very good reason U.S. media did not buy into the “BBC” (that’d be BradBlog.Com, heh) claims. Maybe Dan Rather missed that email.
Richardson, *Maybe* this news item is so much nonsense, but newstrust.net has been a previously reliable source of information on things that are reported in a variety of news papers and online.
I too am somehow reminded how some people see only what they want to see — a bit like our Korean hosts and their responses when asked about the activities of their northern cousins.
We will know more in due time, I hope, but Monica Goodling’s legally questionable deeds, while working in the DOJ, are a fact.
“Maybe” it’s nonsense, but your post implies that you already accept this info as *truth*, “I will make it a point to show them…”
The Monica Goodling’s is very similar to the last episode of jumping to conclusions by using a known to build off of (as in there is a “no fly” list).
I guess fan death is true; I read about it on the news.
EDIT: The Monica Goodling’s *element* …
Man, Richardson, you are one tiresome neo con.
Palast has the documentation to back it all up. Read Armed Madhouse and open your eyes.
I wouldn’t be surprised if low level ‘operatives’ from both sides did a little bit of dirty trickery when it came to voting (playing dirty seems a common thing in elections big and small). I remember an election for the chief of a local Indian band in the town my dad worked in. It was common for candidates to hand out booze shortly before election day, in return for their vote.
Palast plays too fast and loose with facts for me to believe what he says w/o independent verification.
If he’s onto something, why did all reputable media ignore him in 2004? The answer to that is probably to why I’m asserting that accepting his story uncritically is premature.
Oh, and I’m not a neocon, though I do agree with some of that philosophy. I have read Irving Crystal’s book on it, so do know a bit about it. Throwing that label around so quickly – another sign of non-critical thinking. The same type seems to have an inclination for conspiracy theory.
Truly sad. Thank God there’s only a year and a half left for Bush-Cheney. How much damage can they do during that time? A whole lot more, unfortunately.
Yes, and if the Dems get in, they can further the damage by continuing the tradition of big government, big taxes and other idiot policies that may end up sinking the US someday.
Richardson, by “reputable media” are you talking about the networks you threw under the bus for their slanted coverage on Iraq? On this issue they’ve got it all dialed in?
You’re right, “reputable” isn’t the right word; I should have used the term “mainstream.”
And there still is that nagging reason why THEY won’t cover it (hint again; beware of Dan Rather syndrome – I’m sure some here willingly swallowed that load as well, and relished it).
If there was an even halfway credible story I’m sure they’d have it on screens and headlines for months. I think you know they would, too.
“Yes, and if the Dems get in, they can further the damage by continuing the tradition of big government, big taxes and other idiot policies that may end up sinking the US someday.”
Yeah, better to avoid those “idiotic” plans since the Republicans are obviously so much smarter.
That way, we can continue to increase big government, NOT raise taxes to NOT fund the expansion here in the US AND abroad to finance the war in Iraq (which the US can’t win anyway….since we don’t even know WHAT winning this war means anyway since it involves three different groups of people, other than Americans, fighting each other in an inevitable civil war), resulting in a ballooning deficit. Oh yeah, and screw our individual liberties and the Constitution since they are being trampled on in the name of “security.”
Yep, those Republicans sure have done a good thing.
Richardson-
Why doesn’t the “respectable/mainstream” media cover these stories?
http://www.projectcensored.org...../index.htm
The corporate media in the U.S. is completely compromised. It’s not a left/right bias, it’s total subordination to big business special interests. I don’t see how any thinking person can deny that at this point.
“Yep, those Republicans sure have done a good thing.”
And the Dems have all the answers to all the wrong questions.
“it’s total subordination to big business special interests”
Yeah, right, big biz runs everything. Whatever you say.
I do see an issue with corporate news running stories meant to grab viewers rather than report unbiased news. Again, if the topic of this post had merit, they would be all over it in a heartbeat. That only tends to further undermine Palast’s assertions rather than confirm them, however.
Richardson,
What is sad, is, that your posts on other topics are so thoughtful and right on. You’re not a dummy (and sorry if my exasperated abusive post about George Bush has lost the War at the Lost Nomad included you in my slam of ‘morons’.
But for a guy who can finger and complain about illogical Korean group-think, when it comes to the Republican party it is clear that Richardson is a True Believer. Ideological. Inflexible. And, here goes, unwilling to think objectively.
R, the Goodling scandal has been well-documented in a variety of mainstream news sources. It is not a fringe conspiracy theory, but rather an about to go to investigation very suspicious public fiasco for the Bush administration.
Richardson, and The Marmot, I have a challenge, and then a question for you.
I challenge, I defy you, to post this: A post where you defend and promote the performance of the Bush administration from 2000-now. You can’t talk about the hopeful future. You can’t rage against Democrats. You have to make the case that the George W. Bush admin is reasonably competent, aware and effective.
I defy you to do this. With confidence. You see, I know that you will ignore this, lay low for a while, and then resurface grumbling about the Democratic party later. I have perfect confidence you will refuse to praise the leader of your party, a leader who has enjoyed immense power and should be beyond the excuse of “what could he do?” these last 7 years.
Hey, you know, it is an open challenge. I DEFY any republican reading to explain the merits of the George W. Bush administration. You are not allowed avoid the subject with a coulter or limbaugh attack-dog blitz on Democrats. You have to praise your man W Bush.
What is it with die-hard republicans? Did George come and xxxxxx? If he machine-gunned girl scouts on the white house lawn would you dare to find your voice in a criticism?
I say, you don’t love America. You love the Republican party. And you are deep, deep in the Uri-nara Korean-style republican “anybody who does not love korea, I mean America, is a traitor.”
“I believed in Bush when I voted for him in 2000, and a bit less so in 2004. Now, he has obviously made an enormous mess. But to admit that is to admit that I made a stupid choice, and that I have to apologize for a hundrend pro-Bush rants.
Hmmmm.. Easier to pretend Bush didn’t lose the war in Iraq, but Obama and Hillary did”
GEORGE BUSH HAS LOST THE IRAQ WAR.
(edited for content)
Hugh ever you are, you’re an ass.
Be prepared to have Bill Clinton as First Lady in 08.
Well, 10DH couldn’t meet the challenge apparently.
Hugh,
I don’t agree with many things the Bush admin has done, particularly when it comes to my area in interest, North Korea. I also don’t take such blanket challenges, particularly when delivered in a bossy manner or from certain types; I know enough to know I’d be wasting my time, and I don’t have large amounts of time to waste, anymore.
How about this; you first write a detailed criticism of why the Bush admin isn’t, “reasonably competent, aware and effective” – with all the restrictions you suggested – and I will entertain the idea of responding to that? The ball is in your court, and remember, I only say I will “entertain” the notion of responding.
So I’m, a “True Believer” Republican? Which branch? Neocon, Paelocon, Arnold types, eh? You know me so well, you explain that. I’ll let you know where you’re wrong. The truth is, you’ve no idea of what I think on scores of issues, and your preconceived notion of me is as flawed as your desire to surrender to the terrorists.
Comments like that, in part, are why I know it’s useless to debate with you and those like you.
The BBC is the most respected international news medium, based in a country with stricter libel laws and without a constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech Let’s see what they do with the 500 emails turned over by Palast.
The thing I don’t get is how does a Republican President who has spent most of his tenure talking about War on Terror vote to give the illegals amnesty on the immigration bill. I don’t want to discuss the pros or cons of the immigration bill, I’m just saying it just doesn’t add up. Bush also push through the bill for more money and troops for Iraq but never did a thing about erecting a fence and strengthening the borders, as you would expect such a president to do. For Bush, “security matters” seem limited to just Iraq. Many observers felt that the war only increased the threat of terrorism. Maybe that was the point all along…
Information Awareness Office
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I.....ess_Office
Mother Jones Iraq War Time Line (Lie by Lie)
http://www.motherjones.com/bush_war_timeline/
As soon as Hugh made the “xxxxxx” comment, two things were clear: Hugh is an ass, and his “challenge” wasn’t worth taking.
(edited for content)
“The thing I don’t get is how does a Republican President who has spent most of his tenure talking about War on Terror vote to give the illegals amnesty on the immigration bill.”
Big Business would benefit greatly. An enormous, permanent pool of cheap labor, perpetually poor, and mostly disenfranchised - what could be better?
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: when this sort of electoral fraud happens in an oil-rich third world country, or one that is strategically located, the US sends some of its troups and puts a pro-American government in power…all in the name of freedom and democracy, of course.
If we could bring the topic back from ‘Did or did not George Bush xxxxxx?’ to the one on which this thread is based, I agree with Sonagi that time will tell. Should BBC find merit in and report on it, this story will be hard to keep down stateside.
And, adding to #26 above: don’t forget the taxes that these newly-documented workers - millions of them - would have to pay, and also what their employers would have to additionally provide. See this link for information regarding what CA employers are currently obliged to pay.
(edited for content)
Sorry, one more o.t. comment - a pdf of the immigration bill:
http://www.heritage.org/Resear.....lation.cfm
~300 pages, but what’s one afternoon?
sorry again - direct link to the bill
I edited out certain colorful phrases from Hugh, et al.
I feel as if I have released the scat-flinging chimp that Elvis loved to unleash on boring parties. Please guys, let your comments be more gracious, even if you completely disagree with what someone else says.
“Mother Jones Iraq War Time Line (Lie by Lie)
http://www.motherjones.com/bush_war_timeline/”
Pretty good read. Depressing too.
I’ll wait for the facts to sort themselves out on this one. Some questions jump up immediately. If the majority of poor, homeless, and those in military service are white, how would excluding persons in those categories produce a majority of blacks? Moreover, the “Naval Air Station” address does not mean “deployed”. An “FPO” address would be a possible indicater that these people were deployed. Furthermore, most residents of a Naval Air Station are people who would vote out of state.
So, the facts will come out. As pointed out by several, there must be some reason the MSM have been reluctant with this “story”.
Lest we forget… both major American political parties have a long and colorful history of voter fraud. The Republicans, regrettably, have traditionally attempted to suppress blocs of voters who they see as favorable to the Democrats. Let’s not forget, however, the Democrats’ penchant for paying for votes, encouraging ineligible voters, and enfranchising the dead. “Vote early and often!” goes their electoral creed. You’ll recall that Mayor Daley’s legions of cemetery voters quite likely tipped the Electoral College in JFK’s favor in 1960.
I’m not advocating or excusing electoral fraud. If the Republicans did indeed do what they’re accused of, throw the book at ‘em. But lefties, get the hell off your high horse and tone down the rhetoric. You’ve been playing this game for ages too.
“I’m not advocating or excusing electoral fraud. If the Republicans did indeed do what they’re accused of, throw the book at ‘em. But lefties, get the hell off your high horse and tone down the rhetoric. You’ve been playing this game for ages too.”
Hear, hear.
Why can’t the pro-rovers be the bigger men and just list the accomplishments of the rove administration?Without the third grade,anti-liberal whining.I’ll start the list.$3.50 a gallon gas.That sure did help me out.Giving the terrorist a live fire training camp.I feel lots safer.I’ll bet the people who really run the world are laughing their asses off at all us peons down here spatting and nattering on about who’s the bigger idiot.
Yeah, of course that’s Bush’s fault. Has nothing to do with the fact that the US hasn’t added refining capacity in something like 30 years. Ass. Next:
You should, considering there hasn’t been a terror attack on US soil since 9/11. Ass.
I know what you are, but what am I?
Why has there been no additional refining capacity?Because big money wants even more money.Who’s little emperor dumya beholden to for his bragging rights?Big money.The fourth branch of the government knows who to put in office to take care of their needs.
Call me a few more names and maybe ann coulter will send you a pair of her soiled panties to sniff.
No new oil refineries have been built in the U.S. since 1976, or over 30 years. Pointing to the last six years of presidential administration is weak. What about the 24 (or 23.5) years previous? Some people just want believe. Goes back to my first comment on this thread on uncritical thinking.
38 - I used one epithet that traditionally connotes stubbornness and silliness, both of which were evident in your original post (and your subsequent response).
From you, by contrast, we get… what? “I know you are, but what am I?”"little emperor dumya”"…maybe ann coulter will send you…”Now, remind me… WHO was carrying on a few posts ago about discourse carried on at a third grade level?
The lack of oil refineries points to the NIMBY syndrome (not in my backyard) and environmental regulations making it all but impossible to build because of the nightmare of red tape and huge costs just to get to the approval stage. And over the last couple of decades, the price of oil didn’t yield enough profits to make it worthwhile to fight tooth and nail to build new refineries that would be regulated to the max, thus lowering profitability further.
“No new oil refineries have been built in the U.S. since 1976, or over 30 years. Pointing to the last six years of presidential administration is weak. What about the 24 (or 23.5) years previous? “
This helpful graph shows how gasoline prices have fluctuated, both in real and inflation-adjusted dollars:
http://oregonstate.edu/Dept/po...../gasol.htm
Now it’s true that there has been little investment in upgrading or expanding domestic refineries in the last twenty years or so. However, if you look at the graph, you’ll see that the price of gasoline has nearly doubled since 2002. You’ll also notice that prices held fairly steady in the election year of 2004.
World consumption of petroleum rose by less than ten percent during the same four-year-period that gas prices in the US doubled. The dramatic jump in the last four years compared to far more modest increases in world consumption is a discrepancy cannot be explained away by gradually aging refineries, the excuse of the day being churned out by the US oil industry in response to consumer anger. Something just does not compute.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/in.....perDay.xls
42 - All due respect, Sonagi, but the dramatic rise in US gasoline prices since 2002 ceteris paribus that you’ve described would seem to fit a scenario in which US refining approached 100% of capacity. Increasing demand + supply limited by refining capacity = steadily increasing prices. Computes just fine, methinks.
“Increasing demand + supply limited by refining capacity = steadily increasing prices. Computes just fine, methinks.”
A 100% increase over the last four years is not “steadily increasing prices.” Still does not compute. US oil refining is indeed very close to capacity, and the loss of refineries after Katrina has hurt, but these facts alone do not explain the doubling of oil prices since 2002.
Sonagi, the US majors do not control the price of oil and neither does OPEC. The price rises in response to market demand. Is it possible that the oil majors try to ‘tweak’ prices to their advantage? Every company in the world likes to price things to their advantage, but it is not a gouge-fest as so many claim. Global demand has risen on the back of fears about supply. Some of the price rise has been due to fear, but that is priced into oil, as in every commodity. There have been several government investigations into the oil biz in Canada and the US and none have ever found proof of collusion or illegalities.
i think my last calculation last month came out to be $6/gallon in South Korea.
No matter how much you complain of Big Oil in America, just remember that you’re getting a really sweet deal in America.
It is indeed driven by Global demand. South Korea is experiencing the same surge in prices. Same complaint. Local oil co’s are doing it for profit.
Untrue.
i think now it’s close $8/gallon. And the locals on naver are going bonkers.
44 - If we hit ~100% of maximum refining capacity around that time, and demand has continued to increase, the sharp price increase we see on that graph is exactly what would be expected in this situation.
http://inflationdata.com/infla....._Chart.asp
This may or may not be a legitimate story. To me, it is just another layer on this sorry situation. We can argue all we want but it won’t change the situation we face.
Those of you who are adhering to the tenets of the present administration must face the fact that even within your party support is dwindling. I don’t know if it’s myopia or you know something nobody else knows.
The fact is that we could have done a better job in Iraq. I don’t know if the outcome could have been changed but the people put in charge were ill-suited for the endeavor. If you are going to go into a place like that you’d better do it right. There was no room for this sort of ham-handedness. If the appointments didn’t reek of cronyism and we’d had a plan, executed it and didn’t see the ineptitude I don’t think the support for this administration would be ebbing this quickly. The outcome might have still been the same but morale would have been higher, certainly.
In 1960, had Illinois’s 27 electoral votes gone to Nixon instead of to Kennedy, Kennedy would still have won the electoral vote 276 to 246, instead of 303 to 219.
user-81, then what about Nixon’s re-election and water gate?
Nixon cheated, even though he won by a wide margin.
Your case, JFK’s cronies cheated for him, even though he ended up winning comfortably.
Oh, but no ones likes to talk about Daley and the Irish connection pulling deceased people casting ballots.
Let’s just talk about water gate and how long Nixon’s nose was, and how Nixon started and ended Vietnam, dishonorably and what a a crook Nixon was. Did I mention Nixons’s nose? Pinocchio?
Oh, but JFK. Camelot. Dynasty. My father would have never, blah, blah, blah. My father , blah, blah, blah.
50 - Your math is correct. Illinois wasn’t the only state with significant allegations of vote fraud in Kennedy’s favor, however. Texas, with its 24 electoral votes, was another locus of controversy. The point remains: both parties have been trying to win elections by hook or by crook for a long time.