For five years I have been the victim of a formal torture program at the hands of the CIA. The torture is electromagnetic and difficult to trace, retaliation for my political research. . . . I have been subjected to a gruelling daily regimen of torture rendered from a remote source. I have been burned by microwaves, kept awake for days at a stretch by shrieking noises in my ears, the effect of pulsed audiograms. One evening I was hit by an infra-sound attack . . . on my spine, the most painful experience of my life. I was left crawling and screaming across the floor. For die-hard skeptics, I can offer this proof: Two of the leading child psychologists in the country once witnessed magnets repelled from my cranium. When I wrote a letter to Amnesty International about my plight (it was ignored), friends of mind [sic] were subjected to microwave attack. . . .

Someone who saw Alex make that claim said that he's simply a kook. He's worse than "Prophet Yahweh," who claims to be able to summon UFOs through reciting verses in the Hebrew bible. They both make up stories and make false unsupported bizarre claims.According to a former associate of Alex Constantine, he is a kook who took a lot of drugs. His former associate said:

More stuff on Dan Rightmyer - the kook known as pen name Alex Constantine 
[ This is a repost of the following article:                               ] 
[ From: "MC" xxx>                                        ] 
[ Subject: Dan, Dan the ACID man                                           ] 
[ Newsgroups: sci.psychology.psychotherapy                                 ] 
[ Message-ID: <7cdhte$l4...@remarQ.com>                                    ] 
I've responded adequately to Dan Rightmyer and his silly billy pal Brian in 
another recent thread. But there is something else you good folks really 
ought to know about Dan "Alex ConstantWhine" Rightmyer. 
(Sung to the tune of the "Beverly Hillbillies" theme...) 
Come and listen to my story 'bout a nut named Dan 
Hears voices in his head he says are from "The Man." 
He says "They filled my noggin full of electronic bugs!" 
But he doesn't let you know that he's done a lot of DRUGS. 
(ACID, that is. LSD. "Hundreds of trips.") 
"Hundreds of acid trips" is the admission Dan made to his former best 
friend, S.M. Any reasonable person who wants the full story should feel free 
to write me or call me. I'll tell ya how to talk to this former best friend 
for yourself -- you'll hear all sorts of outrageous, hilarious stories about 
Dan's history of massive drug abuse, as well his insane behavior. 
(Here's a sample: Once, one of Dan's inner "tormentors" identified himself 
by name. Dan found that a gentleman of this name was listed in the phone 
book. Dan, who owned a firearm, thretened to go to the house of this 
obviously-innocent party and shoot him!) *

That's right, everybody. The "investigative journalist" and "expert" on fascism, is someone who takes drugs. "Alex" believes his opponents are fascist and/or CIA agents. Alexconstantine.com said:

Adding insult to injury, unthinking critics have made fun of Alex’s suffering. One of these is a former associate of Alex’s named Martin Cannon. [Is Cannon a CIA agent?]

The answer is no. He's not a CIA agent. He is simply exposing who "Alex" really is, which makes "Alex" and/or his supporters call them CIA agents and/or fascists. "Alex" is a leading member of the 9/11 ''truth'' movement, which spreads the false conspiracy theory that it was the American government that committed the 9/11 attacks. Right after the title part "Resisting Islamo-fascism Awareness Week," it says to " confront the Horowitz fascists." This is a classic example of "Alex'' here falsely labeling his opponent fascist without any evidence. Horowitz and his supporters are not fascist. They seek to expose Islamo-fascism and leftist denial of this threat. In "Alex's" article, I had a search of fascist up. It appears 22 times. "Alex" said:

This October 22-26, America’s fascists will attempt to make a further major step in this repressive process. They have declared an “Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week.” They are planning programs and protests at over 100 campuses, supposedly against the oppression of women under Islam and “the threat posed by the Islamic crusade against the West.” In fact, their aim is to rally people behind the U.S. “crusade” against the people of the world and to shut down dissent against this crusade on the campus and, by extension, more broadly throughout society.

"Alex" here again, calls his opponenets fascist without giving any evidence. Islamo-fascism awareness Week was not organized by fascists. It's an anti-fascist campaign. It exposes Islamo-fascism and leftist denial about the Islamist threat. Islamo-fascism Awareness Week seeks to spread the basic ideas of freedom and democracy into the Middle East and to stop Islamist infiltration of the world. It seeks to fight Islamist influence on campus and bring out the pro-American, pro-Israel and conservative viewpoints.It seeks to protect both Muslims and non-Muslims alike from Islamo-fascism. Islamo-fascism Awareness Weak should be praised."Alex" said:

Horowitz is threatening to go after “the anti-American curriculum of the tenured left” and to “teach an alternative curriculum that will arm America against the radical Jihad.” In fact, Horowitz has already led attacks on professors like Ward Churchill, known mainly for his work on exposing the U.S. genocide against Native Americans, and Norman Finkelstein, known mainly for his exposure of Israel’s crimes and its hypocritical use of the Nazi Holocaust of the Jews to justify those crimes.

Both Ward Churchill and Norman Finkelstein are terrorist supporters. This is a storng label. But it is true. Ward Churchill compares 9/11 victims to Nazis. Churchill actually supports the 9/11 attacks, while most the world condemned this barberic terrorist attack on our great nation. Churchill said in his essay:

 There is simply no argument to be made that the Pentagon personnel killed on September 11 fill that bill. The building and those inside comprised military targets, pure and simple. As to those in the World Trade Center . . . 
 
 Well, really. Let's get a grip here, shall we? True enough, they were civilians of a sort. But innocent? Gimme a break. They formed a technocratic corps at the very heart of America's global financial empire – the "mighty engine of profit" to which the military dimension of U.S. policy has always been enslaved – and they did so both willingly and knowingly. Recourse to "ignorance" – a derivative, after all, of the word "ignore" – counts as less than an excuse among this relatively well-educated elite. To the extent that any of them were unaware of the costs and consequences to others of what they were involved in – and in many cases excelling at – it was because of their absolute refusal to see. More likely, it was because they were too busy braying, incessantly and self-importantly, into their cell phones, arranging power lunches and stock transactions, each of which translated, conveniently out of sight, mind and smelling distance, into the starved and rotting flesh of infants. If there was a better, more effective, or in fact any other way of visiting some penalty befitting their participation upon the little Eichmanns inhabiting the sterile sanctuary of the twin towers, I'd really be interested in hearing about it. 

Decent people found this horrible abhorrent remark to be offensive [especially the part where Ward Churchill calls 9/11 victims "little Eichmmann"] . Churchill compared more than three thousands innocent people in this great nation America, who were killed by Al Quada barbarians for being "infidels," to Nazis.Who's Norman Finkelstein. He's publicly a supporter of Hezbollah, which killed the most Americans before Al Quada. The 9/11 commission found that Hezbollah and Iran have ties to Al Quada. Hezbollah seeks the destruction of the state of Israel and the creation of an expansionist Islamist state in Lebanon. Finkelstein said in the Lebanese TV station Future TV:

I was of course happy to meet the Hezbollah people because it is point of view rearly heard in the United States. And I have no problem saying that I do want to express solidarity with them, and I'm not going to be a coward and a hypocrite about it.

Mr. Finkelstein goes on saying that he doesn't know nor does he care about Hezbollah as a political organization. Mr. Finkelstein, Hezbollah's vision of Lebanon is anti-democratic and is the same expansionist Islamist state as Iran. He rudely disrupts and shouts at his interviewer, who doesn't come out in favor of Hezbollah [though I disagree with her with what Hezbollah was in 2000 for I consider Hezbollah as a radical Islamist terrorist organization since its founding by the terrorist regime in Iran]. Hezbollah used terrorism on innocent civilians since day one.  Finkelstein said that "there is no question among rational people that Israel was never going to let the Hezbollah victory go by.''That's correct Norman because a Hezbollah victory includes the elimination of Israel and the Islamization of Lebanon and the rest of the world. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said:

But world opinion should know that Islamic conquest is not the same as conquests by other rulers of the world.... [Non‐Islamic] conquerors want to rule the world so that they 
can spread through it every injustice and sexual indecency, whereas Islam wants to conquer the world in order to promote spiritual values, and to prepare mankind for 
justice and Divine rule..

Finkelstein said:

If Hezbollah laid down its arms, and said,"We will do whatever the Americans say," you wouldn't have a war, that's true, but you would also be the slaves of the Americans. I have to respect those who refuse to be slaves.

Finkelstein said that there is no other way than military resistance unless the Lebanese [Finkelstein said many Lebanese chose to be "their" slaves] chose to be slaves. That's the biggest piece of garbage there is. Neither America nor Israel want to enslave Lebanon. If Hezbollah disarms like what America, Israel, the UN and the international community call it to do, then the Lebanese people wouldn't be slaves of America or Israel. It would help bring peace to Israel and Lebanon. Hezbollah wanted the Lebanese people to be "slaves" of the Syrian occupiers, Finkelstein. Unlike Israel and America, Syria refuses to recognize Lebanon's right to exist and occupied Lebanon, even controlling their political system, until 2005 [though Israel did occupy southern lebanon from 1978-2000 and the rest of Lebanon from 1982-1983, it wasn't to control Lebanon but to fight the terrorists in Lebanon who targeted Israeli civilians and fought to eliminate Israel]. Syria considers Lebanon as part of "greater Syria." Israel, on the other hand, doesn't want to control Lebanon and seeks to eliminate the terrorist threat from Lebanon.  When Syria occupied Lebanon, Hezbollah wasn't resisting Syria. Syria has [even when it was occupying Lebanon] gave their support to Hezbollah to unite against Israel and America. Finkelstein, the anti-Israel and anti-American propagandist, even expressed bigotry against Arabs. Finkelstein said:

You have no self-respect. How can you expect other people to respect Arabs, if you show no respect for yourselves.

Before he made that bigoted remark on Arabs, he falsely accused President Bush of destroying Lebanon and said that he should be declared persona non-grata there. Finkelstein has this close-minded pro-Hezbollah mentality that if any Lebanese doesn't fight alongside Hezbollah terrorists, starting wars on Israel, then he/she would rather be a slave. As I pointed out: A. the Hezobllah embraced the Syrian occupiers. B. the Lebanese people especially the Christians, don't want to live under the Islamist state that Hezbollah is fighting for. Most Lebanese oppose Hezbollah and want peace with Israel and to return to the time before the Lebanese civil war, when Lebanon was a free democracy, in which Christians and Muslims coexisted, and when Lebanon's capital Beirut was known as "the Paris of the Middle East." Hezbollah is a major obstacle to that vision and opposes it. Most Lebanese don't want to start wars with Israel. That doesn't make them "slaves" or having "no self-respect." That just means they don't want to live under hezbollah's Islamo-fascist vision and that they don't want to start wars with or commit terrorist attacks on Israel. They don't seek to destroy Israel.It's many Lebanese Christians, not Hezobllah, that fights for the freedom of Lebanon from bloodshed and wars. The Lebanese Christians don't want to be second-class dhimmis as they would be in the state Hezbollah and other Islamists fight for.Most Lebanese understand that it was Hezbollah that started the war and dislike Hezbollah for that. Almost all Lebanese Christians oppose Hezbollah and its terrorist war on Israel. Even most Lebanese Sunnis and many Shiites oppose Hezbollah's terrorist attack and blame Hezobllah for provoking Israel to attack Lebanon [Hezbollah used  Lebanese civilians as human shields, while Israel only targeted Hezbollah, so when Israel strikes Hezbollah, it would hit civilians and would be a propaganda war on Israel]. The Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood is the only Sunni [the Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood, along with the rest of the Muslim Brotherhood, is a radical Islamist organization] organization that supports and fought alongside Hezbollah against Israel in the July 2006 war on Israel. "Contrary to Western press reports, indicating high percentages of Christian support for Hezbollah, 90 percent of Christians, 80 percent of Sunni and 40 percent of Shiites in Lebanon oppose Hezbollah," said Sami El-Khoury who's president of the World Maronite Union.
After being attacked by Hezbollah supporters, many Lebanese said that they like Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert more than they like Hezbollah leader Hasan Narallah, who they spoke out against. Hasan Narallah said,"If the Jews gather in Israel, it would save us the trouble of going after them worldwide."Amal Saad-Ghorayab even exposes Hezbollah as an anti-Semitic organization. On Al-Manur TV, Hezbollah's TV station, they present the blood-libel, the notorious anti-Semitic hoax made up in medival Christian Europe, as a fact. Norman Finkelstein supports Al Quada. He said:

Frankly, part of me says - even though everything since September 11 has been a nightmare--'you know what, we deserve the problem on our hands because some things Bin Laden says are true'. One of the things he said on that last tape was that 'until we live in security, you're not going to live in security', and there is a certain amount of rightness in that. 

Norman Finkelstein also praised the notorious Holocaust denier David Irving. Anne Applebaum said:

And now it turns out that I am not the only one who has been quietly irritated by the museum's existence. Norman Finkelstein, a professor at Columbia University in New York, has just published a book whose title reflects something a bit more robust than quiet irritation: The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering.
In it, Finkelstein argues not only that the Washington Holocaust museum is inappropriate, but that the majority of people who now claim to be Holocaust survivors are fakes; that the American Jewish institutions dedicated to squeezing compensation from European governments and industries are keeping most of the money for themselves; that David Irving is a nauseating man but a good historian; that the insistence on the Holocaust's uniqueness has suppressed rational discussion of the history of the events themselves.

Finkelstein said:

But Irving, notorious as an admirer of Hitler and sympathizer of German National Socialism, has nevertheless, as Gordon Craig points out, made an "indispensible'' contribution to our knowledge of WWII.

Yet these are the two guys "Alex" defends. He, along with Finkelstein, accuse Israel of using the Holocaust as a cover for Israel's "crimes." It's funny of "Alex" to accuse Israel of using the Holocaust as a cover for its so-called "crimes" while Alex calls his opponents fascists and Nazis all the time."Alex" and Finkelstein, Israel is defending herself. In fact, Israel has a school that teaches its soldiers and trains them to follow international law  and go after the terrorists with causing the least amount of harm on Palestinian civilians as possible. Israel even sends humanitarian soldiers to help Palestinian civilians at checkpoints, which are meant to make it easier for Israel to stop terrorists. The purity of arms, a section in the IDF doctrine, said:

The IDF serviceman will use force of arms only for the purpose of subduing the enemy to the necessary extent and will limit his use of force so as to prevent unnecessary harm to human life and limb, dignity and property.
The IDF servicemen's purity of arms is their self-control in use of armed force. They will use their arms only for the purpose of achieving their mission, without inflicting unnecessary injury to human life or limb; dignity or property, of both soldiers and civilians, with special consideration for the defenseless, whether in wartime, or during routine security operations, or in the absence of combat, or times of peace.

The following is the IDF code of conduct:

1. Military action can only be taken against military targets.
2. The use of force must be proportional.
3. Soldiers may only use weaponry they were issued by the IDF.
4. Anyone who surrenders cannot be attacked.
5. Only those who are properly trained can interrogate prisoners.
6. Soldiers must accord dignity and respect to the Palestinian population and those arrested.
7. Soldiers must give appropriate medical care, when conditions allow, to oneself and one's enemy.
8. Pillaging is absolutely and totally illegal.
9. Soldiers must show proper respect for religious and cultural sites and artifacts.
10. Soldiers must protect international aid workers, including their property and vehicles.
11. Soldiers must report all violations of this code.

Israel only targets terrorists. Israel wants peace and security, not more territory. The claim that Israel uses the holocaust as a cover is a claim commonly made by anti-Semites including holocaust deniers. Israel mourns the holocaust because it is the Jewish state,  which was founded to be a haven for the Jewish people [Israel's non-Jewish Arab minority have equal rights to Israeli Jews and more rights than Arabs in the Arabs and Muslims in the Arab [and Muslim] states including Iran and the Palestinian Authority].In fact, the US asked the Israelis to translate its code of conduct for US forces in Iraq. The Israelis did what the Americans asked for.
Alex also said in his article Resist Islamo-fascism Awareness Weak:

He [David Horowitz] is branding the Muslim Student Associations as “the enemy,” and is aiming to stir up hatred and suppression against these students. 

Alex, the Muslim Student Association [MSA] is part of the Muslim Brotherhood-led colition to Islamize America and the rest of the world. The 1991 Muslim Brotherhood memo lists that organization in the ''list of our organizations and the orgnaizations of our friends"  and calls for the following:

The process of settlement is a "Civilization-Jihadist Process" with all the word means. The Ikhwan must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and "sabotaging" its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and God's religion is made victorious over all other religions. Without this level of understanding, we are not up to this challenge and have not prepared ourselves for Jihad yet. It is a Muslim's destiny to perform Jihad and work 
wherever he is and wherever he lands until the final hour comes, and there is no escape from that destiny except for those who chose to slack. But, would the slackers and the Mujahedeen be equal. 

The MSA was founded by the Muslim Brotherhood to Islamize America and the rest of the world and is part of the Muslim Brotherhood-led fascist nazified infiltration of this great nation America.

Ahmad Shama, then-president of the UCLA branch of the MSA, sponsored and spoke at a demonstration that called for the "Death to Israel," and "Death to Jews." MSA members also raised money for Hamas and Hezbollah. The MSA also organized  an event where the ambassador of the then ruling Taliban government was addressing the campus. The MSA, along with the Muslim Student Union, which is also part of the Muslim Brotherhood-led invasion of America, disrupted Daniel Pipes with calls to jihad.

Ahmad Shama also said, “We want to restore Islam to the leadership of society. … The goal … is the reestablishment of the Islamic form of government.” 

MSA and other groups in the radical Islamist Muslim Brotherhood-led invasion of America would pretend to be moderate and would sometimes sound moderate to the non-Islamic world. However, when speaking to the Muslim world, they would publicly state their radical Islamist goals. In fact, the PLO used the same tactic in the "recognition" of Israel's right to exist. When talking to the Arab and Muslim world, they would incite terrorism on and publicly call for Israel's elimination. They would even engage in terrorism with Israel. However, when talking to the west, the PLO would claim to recognize Israel's right to exist, condemn terrorism and call for peace with the Jewish state.

Yet, the "Alex" claims that David Horowitz is just spreading hatred against the MSA. "Alex," MSA is a real fascist Nazified enemy to America and its allies including Israel and to America's values such as freedom and democracy.

 Some people think I'm wasting my time responding to "Alex" and that he's not worth my time. I tell them that many people call "Alex" an investigative journalist. I'm debunking ''Alex'' and his supporters. My goal is to show the world that "Alex" is not an investigative journalist, not an expert on fascism, but a fringe conspiracy theorist who calls his opponents fascist and CIA agents without any evidence. No investigtive journalist would accuse me of calling liberals nazis or saying that I said the left is "a front for Nazis,'' as "Alex" did citing my article "Who are the Real Nazis," which accuses radical Islamists, not liberals, of being nazis. That article did not say that the left is a "front for Nazis." Anyone who reads that article can see that. Yet apparently, "Alex," the investigative journalist, couldn't.

To make things worse, "Alex" has a band named after him called the "Constantines." I'm only here to expose "Alex'' for what he is, a drug addict, who spends time calling his opponents fascists or CIA agents.

On Wednesday, May 7, heavy fighting broke out in the capital of Beirut between government supporters and Hezbollah-led opposition. Explosions were heard throughout the city as both factions fired machine guns, mortars, and rocket-propelled grenades at each other. By Sunday, May 11, fighting had spread to the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli and, according to reports, more than 60 people had already died in the worst sectarian violence in years.

After praying the Regina Caeli with thousands in St. Peter's Square on Sunday, May 11, Pope Benedict entered this high-stakes game, urging the Lebanese in a speech reported on ZENIT and on Africasia, to abandon violence so the nation could be an example of peaceful coexistence for the world. Couching his remarks in diplomatic language, Benedict expressed his hopes for a peaceful Lebanon and said he'd been following the situation “with great concern in recent days, where verbal initiatives have stalled, verbal violence and then armed confrontations followed, with many dead and wounded.”

Referring to deployment of the Lebanese army into Beirut, the Pope said: “Even if in these last hours the tensions have slackened, I believe that it is a duty today to exhort the Lebanese to abandon every argument for aggressive opposition that would cause their country irreparable damage.”

He continued: “Dialogue, mutual understanding and the search for reasonable compromise are the only way to restore to Lebanon its institutions, and to the people, the necessary security for a daily life that is dignified and rich in hope for tomorrow.” However, despite this well-meaning prayerful initiative and a return to troubled calm in the capital, Druze Lebanese, the largest political party in Lebanon's parliament, came under attack in the District of Aley southeast of the Lebanese capital, from Shi'ite Hezbollah fighters later that Sunday afternoon. This prompted growing fears among Christians, Sunni Arabs, and Druze, that Hezbollah militia was attempting to take over the entire country.

“The government, the prime minister [Faud Siniora], and the democratic forces are in grave danger and being attacked by Hezbollah forces. They've taken Beirut. They've burned the newspaper and closed the television,” an un-named Druze source told the Washington Times on Tuesday, May 13. Druze leader, Walid Jumblatt, a ruling bloc member, urged his Druze rival Talal Arsian, allied with the Hezbollah opposition, to place the area under army rule. Making a point reminiscent of Pope Benedict's own earlier that day, Jumblatt said, “Civil peace and halting the destruction are paramount.”

Taking him at his word, the Lebanese army, which had pulled back its troops from Beirut's center, moved into the area, attempting to assert control. However, after five days of intense fighting, a parliamentary vote to elect a new Lebanese president scheduled for Tuesday, May 12, was postponed until June by Speaker Nabih Berri because of the volatility of the situation. On June 10, a twentieth attempt will take place by feuding politicians to pick a new head of state to replace pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud, who quite back in November 2007 at the end of his term with no successor and serious divisions between the Western-backed government and Hezbollah opposition.

For the past 16 months, following a wave of assassinations (see my article, Lebanon: Why is it Important? on Anthonyjsaccosr.townhall.com), the country has been gripped in political stalemate between the ruling coalition and Hezbollah over the make-up of the government. President Bush, scheduled to fly to the Middle East beginning on May 12 to address the Israeli legislature, will discuss the Lebanon crisis as well as other Middle East issues. “It's critical that the international community come together to assist the Lebanese people in their hour of need,” he said. “The international community will not allow the Iranian and Syrian regimes, via their proxies, to return Lebanon to foreign domination and control. I strongly condemn Hezbollah's recent efforts to use violence and intimidation to bend the government and people of Lebanon to their will.”

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Condi Rice weighed in: “Hezbollah fighters should not be in the streets. There is a legitimate government of Lebanon, and we are working with others to support and sustain it.” She lauded Arab League foreign ministers rejection of militia attacks in Lebanon as “clearly illegitimate” and their convening of an emergency meeting in Cairo. Rice said she'd participate in a conference call on the crisis with a dozen other top diplomats from Europe and the Middle East.

These same Arab ministers said after their Cairo talks that they'd send a high-level delegation to Beirut headed by Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa, to attempt an end to the deadlock gripping Lebanon. Their aim was to bring together three opposition leaders - parliament speaker Nabih Berri, Christian leader Michel Aoun, and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah - with present parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri and a former president, Amin Gamayal, father of Pierre Gamayal, who was assassinated in 2006.

According to a BBC News report on May 15, 2008 “the army has emerged as the only factor preventing complete collapse and it is generally agreed that its commander, General Michel Suleiman, should be the next president.”

Benedict's diplomatic move is merely the latest of his attempts to improve the Lebanese murky political situation. In July 2006, Hezbollah had taken over a large refugee camp in Lebanon and set up bases in the southern portion of that country from which it daily launched rocket attacks into Israel. The Lebanese army, aided by a shipment of arms from the United States, reluctantly moved into the refugee camp and drove Hezbollah fighters out, even as Israel sent troops into southern Lebanon to dislodge Hezbollah. Pope Benedict decried both Hezbollah terrorism and Israeli military reactions during his Angelus audience on Sunday, July 16, 2006, saying: “Neither acts nor reprisals - especially when they have such tragic consequences for the civilian population - can be justified.” Earlier, he had expressed his wish that the Middle East could be freed from religious, cultural, historical, and geographical discrimination, so that the region “can finally enjoy peace.”

His efforts have been unappreciated by Muslim hardliners, among them Anjem Choudary, a notorious Muslim extremist apparently backed by exiled British Muslim cleric, Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed, who told a demonstration outside Westminster Cathedral in London on September 18, 2006 that “the Pope must die.” One wonders what it will take before the British crack down on this sort of thing. Inflammatory speech of that sort should not be legal.

The Pope's reply? “May Lebanon, through the intercession of Our Lady of Lebanon, know how to respond with courage to its vocation of being, for the Middle East and the whole world, a sign of the real possibility of constructive and peaceful coexistence among people.”

These questions deserve answers. However these questions are far more complex than they may seem at the outset. The first step to understanding the conflicts in the Middle East is to understand the Middle East. This may not seem profound, but we cannot even begin to understand the conflicts without understanding the underlying issues. These might include (to start with) religion, ethnicity, language, social/economic status, location, historical heritage, culture, and no doubt many other issues besides.

Lets take the case of Iraq. In the north there are Kurds, which represent 20% of Iraq's population. They are primarily defined by their ethnicity and seperate language, whereas the rest of the nation is mostly defined by its religion. Sixty percent of the country is Shiite, which is the second most common sect in Islam. Like the historical Protestant and Catholic conflict, Shiites and Sunnis have a long history of conflict. Iran is the only other large primarily Islamic nation which is predominantly Shiite: hence the Iraqi Shiite -- Iran connection. The remaining 20% of the country is Sunni. Saddam Hussein was a Sunni, and under Saddam the nation was run by Sunnis -- hence one source of angst between Sunnis and Shiites. Sunnis resent the loss of power, and Shiites seem keen on sticking it to their Sunni brethren now that they are in charge. You may have heard of people such as Muqtada Al-Sadr, an important Shiite leader, and now you have some additional insight in understanding why his connections to Iran are such a big deal, and some of why he's so angry. In volatile conflicts, minorities often feel very uncomfortable, and in the game of geopolitics the struggle for supremacy between Shiite and Sunni is a defining one for the Middle East.

Even understanding this much about Iraq makes the news much more understandable -- knowing that Iraq's Shiites have connections to Iran and why clarifies a great deal. To take this further, this is also the reason why Hezbollah in Lebanon receives support from Iran -- Hezbollah is the Shiite action arm in Lebanon, and the primary method for Shiites in Lebanon to make their voice heard as they have little representation despite their majority.

My intent is to answer many of these questions which plague us. What's the big deal with Lebanon? Why is Iraq such a quagmire? What's Iran's problem? What about Turkey and the EU? Which part of the Middle East do we get our oil from and how much?

So if you're interested in learning more, please tell me like my article by clicking "I like it." Then in your comments please post questions and comments to help me know what people are interested in understanding. I will take all these things into account, and do my best to address them fairly.

I read and speak Arabic, and have lived in the Middle East. I am not an expert nor am I Arab, but I can be fairly considered a "specialist" in the field. I feel confident I can help you understand the region better. Perhaps with more information at our fingertips we can better choose good leaders and more effective policies -- this is my agenda.

Either way, as I said, when old warhorse politicians start flooding Washington , it's best to pay attention. Baker isn't the only one to have surfaced in recent times to the eyes of the mainstream press – Henry Kissinger is back as well. I'm doubtful it's for tea and cookies at the White House; you don't get in there without a donation or an idea that will bail you out of trouble. In this case, both men are advising Bush #43 on war – as if he needs help in how to stay in the arena and get more innocent soldiers killed. That's what the Pentagon's budget shortcuts are for – how else can they afford substandard body armor and vulnerable Hummers? “Err…according to the budget, we can't afford any more phosphorus weapons, but we've decided to give you roman candles to light things up instead!” “From bad to worse!” is their standing motto.

The more I watch politicians – formally retired and those who do nothing and act retired – the stranger the thoughts become. I sat there and watched the interview, hearing a passing reference to the “Party of God”, and then it really hit me:

What's the difference between Hezbollah and the Neo-conservative Republicans, who both claim to be the “Party of God”?

I can't tell you how I sunk down into the chair and felt like a world-class idiot for not having spotted that connection sooner. How many other evangelical Christian republicans are in the same boat, floating down the river in Egypt : denial. Are evangelicals naturally blind to such connections? The Bible teaches us God has blinded Israel for a season, so it possible He has blinded evangelicals, too? Rule number one: all things are possible with God.

The question hung in the air like the scent of my mom's cooking . At least with a charcoal dinner, you can open the windows and doors and air out the house, but when that odor is the bad smell of politics, no amount of Lysol air freshener will cover the stench.

Finding myself sentenced to hell, my options are rather limited. I can scream, but no one listens to me anyway. I could throw myself out of a window to my death, but no one's ever died from being flung out a one-story house before. Or I could whip up an article like this.

Hezbollah, Hizb'allah, and Hizbollah – no matter how you spell it, the political platform the group was founded on remains the same: liberation from Israeli occupation in Lebanon . The translation “Hezbollah” is “Party of God”, which is well known amongst most people who have even the most basic knowledge of this terrorist group. Keep in mind the old saying: “One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter” before you pass judgment because it's so easy to blindly brand groups based upon what the State Department wants us to think. Remember, these guys have approximately 3,000 public relations firms carefully conditioning the American public with every single planned word.

I do realize Hezbollah does have an earned history of bloodshed, and I'm not going to go all liberal on you with some sort of tripe like “they are misunderstood and are a product of a bad upbringing in a rough area during war.” Actions are deliberate and chosen, but I will admit there are always going to be pawns used in any movement. I do remember the bombing of the US Marine base in Beirut . Hezbollah also hit the American embassy twice in Beirut – once in April of 1983 and in September of 1984. If you look at their recent activities, they're no darling child in the stunt they pulled by kidnapping Israeli soldiers.

Then again, the United States government has its own flaws in terms of senseless bloodshed. How many times in Iraq and Afghanistan, for example, have there been “Oops!!” strikes, later to be revealed the intelligence used was wrong? Only a few days ago, Pakistani officials bombed a school, based on faulty US intelligence . When blood runs red, it doesn't matter if it's a terrorist strike or an “Oops!” strike – the blood still needs to washed from the scene.

Here lies one difference between the two parties: the United States likes to attack from 30,000 feet, or we get someone else to do it for us – like Israel , when it's convenient. Hizb'allah guerrillas, on the other hand, at least have the stones to suicide bomb you up close and personal. For these guys, it's no “video game”. I'm not advocating either technique as both are reprehensible and revolting.

Then there's the generosity factor. It has been widely reported Hizb'allah has been giving Lebanese survivors $12,000 cash for their destroyed homes . Some critics have said Iran 's footing the bill, while others claim Hizb'allah or their Iranian backers have been busy cranking out counterfeit bills and ripping off the recipients. There's also been numerous stories about how Iran is “stealing” from its own people in order to be viewed as a hero for supporting Hizb'allah and Lebanon .

If you compare this to the United States , it gets rather intriguing. I'm in line for my $12,000, but since I'm not rich, well connected, and receiving a tax break, well…I can wait in the same spot until I drop dead. It's not going to happen. The “little people” of this economy that actually do the work basically got shafted on the income tax reduction , while the wealthy friends of Bush made out extremely well. I used to believe the line, “the wealthy pay more taxes, so they should get more back!”, but the truth is with all their tax shelters and loopholes, they're barely paying anything to begin with. Who hasn't read a story about a large corporation who paid almost nothing in taxes, and then got a tax refund thanks to those escape clauses?

The fact is, this government takes and takes and takes, forgetting they work for us, not us for them! We are looking down two financial disasters in this country, and the mainstream media consistently is looking the other way and playing dumb. Last year there was a twenty-three page report released on a public website with no publicity. Why is this noteworthy? The Federal Reserve released a document that claims the United States is racing towards bankruptcy. I don't know about you, but to me, that's kind of an important thing to mention. The second barrel of the same gun we should be bracing for is a $1.35 TRILLION minimum tax bomb , which will impact approximately 20 million families with increased taxes, and only a few politicians up for re-election have the intestinal fortitude to mention we're heading for this disaster.

If I had to choose between $1.35 trillion in additional taxes, plus a total bankruptcy of this country thanks to piss poor economic policies, or Iran …? I'd have to sit and think about that one for quite awhile. At first blush, I think Iran and Hizb'allah might be cheaper.

The other thought that gets me is at least Hizb'allah is trying to project they care – that means something. Not a lot, but something is better than nothing. If you feel you're not alone and the government, or a slice of it is at least trying to help you stand in the face of hard times, then it's not so bad.

The Bush Administration, however, has been exceptionally generous to their friends already in high places, while kicking the “middle/low class dog” around for fun. The best examples of “caring” I can come up with: the Katrina response, and the change in bankruptcy laws.

Katrina, we've heard ad nausem, was unlike any disaster we've ever experienced, but the cronyism within this administration allowed it to happen because these people make unqualified dog catchers appear to be Nobel laureates. You put stupid people in, you get stupid responses out. It's the GIGO principle at work: “garbage in, garbage out”. At every turn, the federal government was sitting on its hands, inactive, inattentive, and fourteen months later, still exhibiting gross incompetence. They left people stranded, hungry, and desperate. When they got their acts together, they threw cash at the problem to such a degree, the debit card statements on the cards showed purchases of jewelry, pornography, sex change operations, divorce lawyer fees, and trips. Over one billion dollars was wasted on fraudulent claims, but our government's “doing the best it can”. Where do I sign up for my slice of that pie?

The economy under the administration has been atrocious and polls seem to confirm it , while so many talking heads recite reports and try to tell us exactly how “robust” it is . Tell me, please, why so many Americans are out of work and why fifty-four percent of the nation's residents believe the “middle class dream” is impossible to obtain ?

Once your unemployment runs out, you are no longer counted as “unemployed”, so the official figures the government reports are always lower. This has created an unfortunate reality: bankruptcies are up – or, they used to be before Bush made it even harder on decimated families who have lost everything. The new bankruptcy laws are making it very hard on the average American, who has waved their jobs good bye, thanks to President Bush encouraging all our “low paying jobs” to head east. Strange that physicians, surgeons and lawyers are also seeing their jobs heading in that direction, too, since those aren't considered “low paying” positions.

When you outsource the country's ability to earn a living, bankruptcy is your only option. Once your credit is destroyed, there's an alarming trend in this country by employers only making it worse: conditionally hiring and then rescinding the offer. I personally have experienced this phenomenon of bluntly being informed, “…because you can't manage your own finances, you are viewed as irresponsible at best, but you're a higher theft risk, apt to steal to make ends meet.” What a catch-22! No employer will hire me because I'm a “thief”, but I can't clear up my credit issue without income. How did I get in this mess? I am a two-time loser; I watched two jobs sail off to India .

If you look at the price of the filing fees, they have increased at least $200, and in some states, the filing fees have doubled. Most debtors are ordered to pay back a higher percentage, plus enroll in credit counseling courses many cannot afford. If you don't have a job, no way to pay the increased costs to file, and you go in without representation because lawyer fees are untouchable, you put yourself at further disadvantage.

“And answering, Jesus said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.' And he said, ‘Teacher, speak.'”

“'There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. The one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And they having nothing to pay, he freely forgave both. Then which of them do you say will love him most?'”

“And answering, Simon said, ‘I suppose that one to whom he forgave most.'”

“ And He said to him, ‘You have judged rightly.'” (Luke 7:40-43)

I'm far from being a Biblical scholar, but I suspect the bankruptcy laws that favor the companies who have heavily contributed the to “Team Bush” and the GOP seem to go against the spirit of forgiving at least once. This wasn't very “Christian” of you, Mr. President. I would like to know how the Senate and House “Christians” resolve engaging in usury (charging interest and fees), which is expressly prohibited by the Bible. If you're supporting the companies and allowing them to do it, aren't your hands just as dirty as if you had done it yourself? You didn't speak out against it.

I recall “W” himself had at least one failed company that was bailed out . It would've gone under if George H.W. Bush wasn't president at the time and there was serious quid pro quo going on ; everyone but “Shrub” lost money, which is odd. When the ship sinks, usually everyone gets wet. What is good for the goose obviously isn't good for the gander.

I have to give this one to Hizb'allah, too. You may not agree with their platform of anger and violence, but they get style points for not kicking the little guy in the “family jewels” when he's down and out, and they consistently remain more loyal to the people. You certainly cannot say that of the Republicans these days!

Here's another little interesting comparison sure to make your hair hurt. Nasrallah was quoted as saying, “We did not think, even 1 per cent, that the capture would lead to a war at this time and of this magnitude. You ask me, if I had known on July 11 . . . that the operation would lead to such a war, would I do it? I say no, absolutely not.” I think the man was lacking in critical foresight considering past incursions and violations usually lead to a bloody nose and a black eye from Israel, but even in the face of a stupid action, the man actually sounds sorry, which is a rare quality.

When you compare Nasrallah and Bush in the category of “stupid things I should not have done”…oh, there aren't enough trees to kill to write it down. I'll be kind and focus on one: Iraq. How many times has this administration lied to the American public? If you were to measure one lie equals one step on a pedometer, you probably could've walked around the world a few times. Being in power means never having to say you're sorry – or wrong. How many times did we hear, “Saddam has weapons of mass destruction , and he gave aid and comfort to the 9/11 terrorists ”? If I were handing those pack of lies to my Mom, she would've poured gallons of soap in my mouth and used an SOS pad to scrub it clean.

The sad fact is, Bush waited to tell the truth only after years of reporting had proved the administration wrong. He waited until his back was up against the wall – namely, when the Senate Intelligence report came out and told the truth in September.

What's most disturbing is the President tried to squash it until after the midterm elections, in a desperate attempt to hold power in the House and Senate. It's no different that the results of Baker's Iraq Study Group – those recommendations were turned in a month ago, but won't be released until after the elections .

Then if that wasn't embarrassing enough, the National Intelligence Estimate report for 2006 was leaked and confirmed just how right the American public is to be distrusting and angry: all the intelligence agencies unanimously said our presence was not deterring, but increasing terrorist activities. The President came out swinging and screaming, claiming it was taken out of context , and forced to “cherry pick” which pages to release to minimize the damage.

Nasrallah had the stones to admit he was wrong, and admirably, did it right away. He didn't lie, obfuscate, or hide behind anyone or anything. He was upfront about his mistake – which is good sign. There were no special prosecutors, no official inquiries, and no circling of the wagons; he took responsibility.

The Republican Party has repeatedly spent the last five years lying, covering up, and shooting down requests for internal investigations. It's sad to say, but how many scandals are going on right now? There's two possible House Page sex stories, a few stories of infidelity, a few of spousal abuse, one father-daughter FBI raid, and a guilty verdict on at least one tied to Jack Abramoff. Those are the most notable, but here's a current scorecard of all the GOP scandals .

Nasrallah also has something Bush can only dream of: a high confidence rating among the people – not just in Lebanon, but all over the Arab and Muslim world. Osama Q. Public loves this man for standing up and fighting for what they believe is a perceived injustice. President Bush, on the other hand, has been hovering around a disapproval rating of sixty-five percent of the public, and the House and Senate are approximately at an eighty-six percent disapproval rating. Why? For being the worst rubber-stamping, do-nothing, corrupt lap dogs in political history, that's why!

It's a knee jerk reaction by most Americans – we hear Nasrallah speak about “Allah” this and “Allah” that, and we cringe and paint him with the “crazy fundamentalist” brush. We hear Bush talk about going on a “ crusade ”, and the whole world sat up in absolute horror . “He didn't just say that…did he?!” Yup, he did.

For the Republicans to be the “ Party of God ”, the party and the leader must be Christians. Unfortunately, there is too much proof President Bush and the Republicans in Washington are not born again.

You do not swear at reporters , give them the middle finger , or approach their table and call them a “ f*cking son of a b*tch ” in front of their small children and wait a decade to apologize for it. You do not endorse torture , strip America down into a police state by dismantling Constitutionally guaranteed rights, use presidential signing statements to put yourself above the law, or refer to the Constitution as a “ G*d damned piece of paper ”. Your do not advocate using non lethal weapons on American citizens who are exercising their right to protest or have the DHS take down names and pass them on to the Pentagon to be investigated as dissidents and security threats. You do not retroactively enact laws to protect yourself and others from prosecution of potential war crimes. You do not lie , obfuscate , create and infect the general population with propaganda , or cost the taxpayers billions to shamelessly hide secrets and discourage Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits to uncover illegal activities. You do not steamroll policies through that make Americans appear to have no character , especially when the country is fully against you and your measures.

I'm sorry, but based on Republican actions and the doctrine of, “…you will know them by their fruit”, GOP, you are anything BUT the “Party of God”.

• When the preacher wants to kick you out of his church , you are not the “Party of God”.
• When you've got such a strangle hold on pastors they feel patriotically compelled to kick Democratic parishioners out , you are not the “Party of God”.
• When you are backed by “Christian” lobbying groups who will not dare to criticize the Republican Party for increasing funding on abortions and promoting gays to top positions in the administration, then I know you're not the “Party of God”.
• When Christian talk show hosts (do not disclose their political leanings, unduly influencing their audience, and are little better than their televangelist counterparts) go on the warpath and back policies that are blatantly not Christian…tune in the radio station WPOG and hear it announce, “You are not the ‘Party of God'.”
• When Jesus doesn't show up in the White House Christmas displays while Christians are fighting to put “Christ back in ‘Christmas'”, you aren't getting a Christmas card from the “Party of God”.
• When you view Christians as a “voter base” and call it the “ Jesus Card ”, you are not the “Party of God”…or our votes.
• When you use religion to be a divider instead of a way to unite , you are not the “Party of God”.
• When you flunk test one and test two of “Jesus' words versus Bush's words”, you are most certainly not the “Party of God”.
• When theological professors sign a petition to tell you, “Sir, your theological stances and understandings are not sound…actually, bordering on blasphemy”, I could be wrong, but I don't think you're in the “Party of God”.
• When your political base looks at you and says, “ you're no friend of Jesus! ”…big flashing neon sign clue: you're not the “Party of God”.
• When Christians prayed President Bush would be a good and faithful ambassador for Christ, but turned into the most hated man on the planet, enraging and driving away the unsaved by the millions, it's a pretty safe bet you don't hold membership in the “Party of God”.
• “ The bishops of the President's church have repeatedly and unsuccessfully sought a meeting with the President. He is only the second President since Washington who has refused to have a discussion with Methodist bishops. ” When you won't meet with your spiritual covering and feel you are not accountable to him, it's clear someone shredded your “Party of God” card, along with some FOIA requested documents.
• When the Christian Defense Coalition has to sue in order to have the right to display a cross at the 2004 Inaugural Parade , you are not in the “Party of God”.
• When you engage in filthy, raunch, despicable negative ads on TV that children can see at all hours, leaving their parents to explain...I highly doubt the "Party of God" would sink to such classic Satanic behavior.  What you're broadcasting in some races closely borders soft porn.
• When you're not touting "family values", you are cheating on your spouses .  When you're not cheating on your spouses, you're committing domestic abuse and being accused of rape (ironic, since you used the excuse women needed to be freed from Taliban repression, which was plastered all over nearly verbatim by Laura Bush and Lynne Cheney).  When you're tired of those past times, you're having the FBI raid your house .  The Bible says no adulterers and no liars will enter into the kingdom of heaven.  I don't think your continued scandalous behaviors are that of the "Party of God".

Here's a hint for the Republicans: God does not take sides, especially with corrupt folk. Whoever told you God backs you…needs to run to the nearest Bible believing church, slide in on his/her knees at ninety miles an hour, and start confessing and repenting to the point it makes Jack Abramoff look like a saint. The damage you have done to the faith is incalculable, and yet you still have the audacity to point and shake your fingers at Islam and screech and howl about their “fanatics”.

There's one more clear indication the Republicans are not born again: when we come to Christ, we are given a new heart, and we are instructed to put off the "old man". If the words and deeds of this party and its leaders are of the "new man", exactly how evil and corrupt were they before coming to the knowledge of Jesus? I'm horrified just trying to imagine the way they used to be!

Here's a hint for the Republicans: God does not take sides, especially with corrupt folk. Whoever told you God backs you…needs to run to the nearest Bible believing church, slide in on his/her knees at ninety miles an hour, and start confessing and repenting to the point it makes Jack Abramoff look like a saint. The damage you have done to the faith is incalculable, and yet you still have the audacity to point and shake your fingers at Islam and screech and howl about their “fanatics”.

Republicans, it is clear you haven't looked in the mirror in a very long time.  People are supposed to be able to see the light of Christ in us.  When I look at the collective "YOU", all I see is a great Satanic work in progress. 

Other quazen.com articles by this writer can be found here , relijournal.com articles here , and picable.com images here . If you enjoyed this article, consider digging it with others.

Today the Washington Post had a story that I almost passed over: “U.S. Faults Syria, Iran, Hezbollah on Lebanon.” The article delved into to the political morass of what are the remains of the Lebanese political system. In short, Tony Snow whined in a press conference, “It's Syria, Iran, and Hezbollah's fault – they're causing trouble and trying to topple Prime Minister Siniora's democratically elected government!”

The details, as elaborated by the story are simple: through physical threats and mass demonstrations, the outside forces are trying to capitalize on the popularity of Hezbollah – they are demanding thirty percent of all the cabinet seats available in the new “Unity Government”. Turns out that number may seem small, but it has an impact: it will hold enough veto power to block any major decision made by the new government. This could cripple the government and possibly down the road, lead to a new civil war – but admittedly, that's speculation, and I don't wish that on a population who have suffered greatly.

The Bush Administration is now running scared, and who can blame them? By all accounts, they helped to create this mess they now find themselves in . Vice President Cheney was first approached by the Israelis as a test float for a planned invasion, and then met up with several high level Israelis in Colorado just a few days prior to the start of the war. The Bush Administration remained quiet after the attacks began, and then shoved Ambassador John Bolton front and center to shut down the United Nations Security Council, giving Israel time to bomb the democratically elected government they now seem to cherish like an old lost love. The Administration could've stopped the invasion in its tracks by shutting down the Israeli military leaders who were giving Power Point presentations to our military, House and Senate leaders in 2005.

I smell hypocrisy.

Bush is now in big trouble. For anyone paying attention, Lebanon is another massive failure on Bush's hands. By backing Israel, he was giving proxy to them to go after Hezbollah, but Bush and his cabinet once again, didn't think through the aftermath picture. They always seem to put on the rose-colored glasses and sing, “que sera, sera….whatever will be, will be….the future's not ours to see…que sera, sera…” I'm sure Doris Day will be happy to know she's got an musical accompaniment after all these years.

That's the price you pay when the emperor surrounds himself with sycophants, claiming his new clothes are stunning, while Joe Q. Public is wincing in between dry heaves and screaming, “Put that thing up! No one wants to see THAT!” You would think the cold breeze of a impending Democratic landslide would give him a hint as to his real condition!

The Administration, being fronted by Tony Snow, “warns” Hezbollah, Syria and Iran to stay out and not to collapse the “U.S. backed democratically elected government”. I am speechless. When Hezbollah's poised to take over and cause more trouble, all of a sudden the Lebanese government is “backed” by the United States? If I were Lebanese or P.M. Siniora, I would be outraged and screaming, “Where the hell were YOU when we were getting reduced to dust, Mr. President?! You were backing Israel!”

You can't have it both ways, Uncle Sammy. Congratulations (or as they in Arabic) and Mabrook! You bet on the wrong horse once again, and now you're playing the real life version of “Fear Factor” to pay the debt. Way to go!

I'm sure this won't create more deep-rooted animosity or terrorist treats to American sovereignty. It's not as if terrorists could outdo the destruction on this country the present House, Senate, and White House occupants have.

You have to choose sides and stay put, Uncle Sammy. You backed Israel during the campaign, and now the dust has settled, you have jumped sides to back what you allowed to be destroyed. No wonder US foreign policy is hated everywhere…except Washington.

Other quazen.com articles by this writer can be found here , relijournal.com articles here , and picable.com images here . If you enjoyed this article, consider digging it with others.

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

The brown nosers have been nothing but a disaster for the Bush Administration, and the country has been, and will be, paying for their monumental mishaps for a very long time. Our financial stability is non-existent. Our policies have sown seeds of hatred. Our politeness has turned to rude and crude behavior unfitting as the leader of the free world.

How can one argue for and from a moral high ground when arguably the most powerful man in the world entertains himself and others with his “inner musical abilities” ? Can we distance ourselves from political allies whom the President amuses himself by describing them as “not be the prettiest person on the block” ? When you're in trouble and need friends, they're apt to grab your hands and legs and toss you head first into the briar patch. “With friends like this, who needs enemies?”

There are countless hacks that are rewarded with cushy ambassadorships to foreign embassies for raising huge sums of cash for Bush and the Republican National Committee.

“And, of course, there are wealthy interests who keep the party alive financially and who must be rewarded on all possible fronts. This, actually, is the one service Republicans do perform competently. They make damn sure of that.”

Why is it this group of Republicans is exceptionally gifted when it comes to raising and spending cash, but have opted to shred the image of being strong on defense and tight fiscal conservatism?

Since Henry Kissinger has made a “comeback” (according to Bob Woodward's new book, “State of Denial”) I'm reminded of his fabulously accurate (and frighteningly autobiographical) observation: “power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.” The only immediate problem I have in terms of Kissinger are best summed up by a couple of bad country and western songs – “How can I miss you when you won't go away?” and in honor of his name: “Get Your Tongue Out Of My Mouth (Because I'm Kissin' You Goodbye ) ”.

How come we can send an old horse to the glue factory, but we've got to put up with politicians who are well past their expiration dates, getting involved in administrations they're not appointed to. Go out to pasture like a good little glue horse! It's time for someone to file a FOIA on the White House visitor's log and Mr. Kissinger's visits, and find out how many times he's been in giving war advice to President Bush. Anyone else having Forrest Gump flashbacks? “ Stupid is, as stupid does ”?

It's hard to believe Harriet Miers was one of the few crony “show ponies” President Bush's didn't get approved, demonstrating his total lapse of judgment while giving the peasants a royal wave off . He picked a woman with little experience in Constitutional law and reportedly has tort law experience. Did she get into Bush's good graces during the tort reform fights? She has never had the experience of a sitting judge, yet she is being tapped on the shoulder to sit on the most important court. Has she even argued a case in front of the US Supreme Court? Not from what I can see, but in case I've missed something, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. She is unknown among her peers, but what bothered me the most (beyond the cronyism), is that she has no paper trail because according to reports, it was her job to keep clients out of the courtroom. If someone is going to have the opportunity to make new case law, I would prefer it if they had experience on both sides of the bench first.

A good litmus test in this case is to determine how other sitting judges view such controversial nominations . Keep in mind I'm no fan of Judge Bork for one reason: he's consider a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research – AKA, a conservative think tank that makes no apologies regarding their extreme Christian Zionist bias. Otherwise, the man is correct in this case: not even the ultra far Right would consider her qualified to sit on the nation's highest bench.

The President must have absolutely no confidence whatsoever in the ability of his cronies to perform their jobs or else he wouldn't consistently skip the nomination process by appointing people during the recess periods .

One good “quagMier” deserves another (Julie) Meyers . This recess appointment is well connected – the niece of Gen. Richard Meyers, and married to the chief of staff for the homeland security secretary, Michael Chertoff. The job description for the Assistant Secretary for Homeland Security spells out some very specific qualifications:

"Section 442 ( Page 116 STAT. 2193, item #2B ) of Public Law 107-296  , which created the Department of Homeland Security required the assistant secretary responsible for border and transportation security: ‘Shall have a minimum of 5 years professional experience in law enforcement, and a minimum of 5 years of management experience.'”   It seems cronyism has its guardian angel in high places. In a signing ceremony in Scottsdale, Arizona , President Bush signed into law a document that establishes minimum requirements on new hires for FEMA as a measure to protect the American public from “Brownie cronyism” in light of a horrifically botched Hurricane Katrina emergency response. After the fanfare had gone away and the press organizations retired for the night, the infamous “presidental signing statement” slithered silently onto the corkboard for the main stream media to ignore.   Also on that signing day is a terrifying little nugget the President hoped wouldn't be spotted:

The White House also reserved the right to withhold or alter reports of a unit that monitors DHS use of Americans' personal information in background checks, employment screening and air travel, among other things.

Excuse me?! “Withhold or alter”? There are innocent Americans who can't even get off the State Department's terrorist no-fly watch list who get strip searched every time they try to fly, and we're going to trust these government hacks with personal information they can alter or withhold at will? They can't even protect a laptop computer from in office theft, but I digress…

In light the posting requires, not gently suggests but requires the candidate to possess law enforcement experience, this isn't merely for grins and giggles. In the event of a major incident, the qualified candidate needs to understand regulatory rules and make sound judgments based on existing law, not guess based on bureaucratic standard operating procedures. As Michael Brown learned, a disaster is no time to be on a learning curve. The candidate is not running an ice cream shop, but the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency under DHS. To put someone into this position not only eeks of cronyism, but it screams the rule of law is once again under attack. At every turn the Bush Administration has tried to get around laws of this country – recess appointments, signing statements, secret renditions, and illegal tribunals.   “ Sen. George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio) went so far as to tell Myers that her résumé indicates she is not qualified for the job. ”

The Senator was correct, and then he backed down. Why? In the real world I have been passed over in interviews because I did not have all the skills or qualifications as outlined in the requisition order. In Washington D.C. , the less qualified you are, the greater your chances are to be awarded the position. Mediocrity rules…literally!

If you want to talk about the most famous of President Bush's sneak through recess appointments, that dubious honor goes to none other than Ambassador John Bolton . It was like watching the Fourth of July in March; only these guys were aiming the roman candles at each other.

I'd like to say this man parses his words so well it slides by your ears like fine silk, however, when he talks, it reminds me of when Roseanne sung the National Anthem. What scares me is if President Bush's policies are called “cowboy diplomacy”, then Bolton 's strain must be “crony diplomacy”. Granted, the United Nations is considered to be nothing more than a rich playboys' club who do little and enjoy diplomatic immunity from their millions in parking tickets and I'm not letting those do-nothings off the hook, but Bolton is the face of America , which is scary. What ever happened to the concept of “putting your best face forward”?

If John Bolton is exhibiting such stellar performance, then someone's going to have to explain to me why the United Nations employed the use of a “Special Envoy to Darfur ”. This isn't any ordinary hack being tapped and run up the flagpole, this is Boston's “Big Dig” $16 billion dollar hack . I could almost overlook the mammoth cost overruns with Boston's third harbor tunnel…before the three-ton overhead poured concrete tiles started to fall from the ceiling and crush cars driving below. (As much as I'd like to “third rail” this guy since I'm a native of Massachusetts , I'll give him a pass; I can only burn so many people at one sitting.) Who else were they going to ask to stand up? After all, Bolton was busy playing Republican politics instead of helping to alleviate human suffering on a grandiose scale all too familiar on the African continent.

At every turn during the Israeli-Lebanese war this summer, Mr. Bolton shamelessly acted in perfect concert with not only the Bush Administration, but also the Israeli war machine. He actively caused problems in the United Nations, blocking any progress they attempted to make like an eight hundred pound gorilla. In the beginning of the military offensive, Israel made it clear they'd need about a week to bomb Hezbollah strongholds, however, one week turned into thirty four days, with each passing one increasing the estimated timeframe they required. As the shifting sands of Israeli intelligence estimates changed due to incompetence, so did John Bolton's tactics. His job was simple: buy Israel all the time he could to bomb the stuffing out of Lebanon . If you want to consider that “progress”, then perversely I'd have to admit his objects had been satisfied.

In light of his mission accomplished, he recently underwent round two for a permanent nomination to the United Nations , which was scuttled by Senator Lincoln Chafee due to his very tight re-election race, whatever the reason, the Senator has done us quite the favor . Thank you for the pre-election day gift!

Many of Bolton's problems in the Senate hearings stemmed from his effort to drum up a "Cuba has biological weapons" scare. He tried to fire two intelligence officers who had the temerity to disagree with him. Under oath, he denied trying to have the men fired, but seven intelligence officials contradicted him. In a typically intemperate statement, Bolton had dismissed the opinion of the chief bio-weapons analyst at State as that of "a mid-level munchkin."

As Senator Voinovich put it, "I do not believe the United States, at this dangerous time, can afford to have a UN ambassador who does not have Congress's full support.” Does the American public have a say in who represents them on the world stage!? Considering Senator Voinovich has already proven himself susceptible to the snake charming spells of other Bush hacks, why on earth should anyone trust him to do what's in the best interest of this country?

The most disturbing aspect of Bolton 's nomination isn't the recess appointment trick …again… it's the fact he's extremely pro-Zionist at the expense of the American political system . Who's pro-American in this government?! I'm not anti-semitic; I'm frustrated this country is under the damned thumb of Israel while we grant them carte blanche foreign aid unrivaled by any other country.

There are is a large chorus of well-known voices screaming John Bolton is very wrong for the United Nations . They (United Nations diplomats) may be marginalized due to their own playboy attitudes, but it's not Bolton's job to bust heads like a mob enforcer and threaten the world body . His job is to work together for the greater goal of peace and to make the world a better place – in theory, of course. Wherever he is placed, he causes consternation and aggravation (read a few examples here and here and here ). How can one aspire to help when you're too busy bashing the organization you want to be the ambassador to ?

I want an American government that serves American interests in an ethical and fair manner instead of instigating a constant state of war. I want an American government that can figure out how to “play nice” with not only our allies, but with potential threats. I want an American government that doesn't go in search of giving or getting black eyes as a form of entertainment. I want an American government that stops meddling in every other country's political system when our system is broken and begs for serious attention. I want an American government that stops worrying about overseas trends as if its oxygen it desperately needs in order to breathe, and for once, pay attention to the actual social problems here in our own country. I want an American government who shuts the free trade fiasco down and revamps it into fair trade so American businesses can effectively compete and Americans like me are no longer end up in a revolving door of job losses due to cheap outsourced labor and tax breaks.

I want my American government to wake up and stop acting like a four-year old temper tantrum stooge in a wet, soggy diaper. Is this too much to ask?

Want more critical thinking? You can find articles by Suzanne Bald and other authors at Axis of Logic . If you enjoyed this article, consider digging it with others!

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The photo, which shows thicker smoke in sharper contrast compared to a different snapshot that was taken by a different camera at about the same time, has since then been withdrawn by Reuters from its news website (along with the other 919 photos submitted by Mr. Hajj since the conflict began) after its staff had ascertained that the photo had been digitally enhanced (via Photoshop). The news agency, which apologized for the incident, also announced that it would no longer be contracting Mr. Hajj's freelance services in the future. According to Reuters, Hajj, who denies of any willful wrongdoing, insisted that he was only trying to removes the dust marks, and committed mistakes due to less-than-ideal lighting conditions.

While this 'digital tampering' (which the news agency specifically forbids) seems hardly the main issue in this tragic conflict, it has thrown into sharper conflict some of the convenient photo ops that have been 'supervised' by Lebanese and Hezbollah authorities for the international media so far. This practice has been duly noted by some news networks (including CNN), and in fact most reports these days are carefully accompanied by such qualifying statements as "the Hezbollah contends/claims that..." or "according to IDF's claims..."

This is not to say that Israel itself isn't above showing favorable footages to promote its case in the international arena, but noticeable lapses such as these crude attempts at media manipulation aren't exactly helpful to the Lebanese victims either, or for the matter Hezbollah's cause.

Meanwhile, the conflict continues to claim more lives on both sides...

Update: Reuters revealed that another of Mr. hajj's handiwork (dated Aug. 2) has been found to have been likewise 'edited' -- which shows an enhanced picture of an Israeli F-16 jet dropping three flares (instead of just one) in southern Lebanon. as a result, Associated Press (which had used mr hajj's services from 2003 to 2005) announced that it was also reviewing all the photographs that the Lebanese photographer had submitted during that period.

• 600-1000 active fighters (with 3,000 - 5,000 available and 10,000 reservists)
• 10,000 - 15,000 rockets

Katyusha

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• Country of Origin: Was first built by the Soviet Union (beginning of the World War II) (Russia Now) and developed by the Nazis
• Accuracy: Low
• Owned by: Hezbollah, Taliban, and some Iraqi Groups
• Range: 5.4 KM
• Diameter: 88-132 MM

Fajr-3

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• Country of Origin: Iran and later on developed by Hezbollah
• Length: 5.2 Meters
• Range: 25-45 KM (max 45 km)
• Weight: 407 KG
• Owned by: Iran, Hezbollah, other Military Groups in Lebanon, Syria

Fajr 5

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A more developed type of Fajr-3

• Country of Origin: Iran
• Developed by: Hezbollah
• Range: 50-75 KM; 333 mm (4-round)
• Owned by: Iran, Hezbollah, Syria

Zelzal:

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Very effective, accurate, long-ranged!

• Country of Origin: Iran
• Range: 210 KM
• Length: 16 M
• Diameter: 0.61 M
• Weight: 3545 KG
• Owned by: Hezbollah (30 missiles), Iran