Bush, to his credit, recited three whole paragraphs of innocuous platitudes before he got to his first major distortion, to wit: "We will not pass along our problems to other Congresses, to other presidents and other generations."

But evading responsibility and passing along problems to future generations is exactly what his speech was about.

Following in the footsteps of the sainted Ronald Reagan, Bush outlined a hodgepodge of schemes that depend almost 100 percent on borrowed money. [...]

The conservative mantra these days alternates between "self-reliance" and "taking responsibility for one's actions." However, forcing your children or grandchildren to foot the bill for your extravagances appears to demonstrate neither quality. Still, every time Bush said "tax cut" or "spend" in his speech last week, the entire Republican contingent stood and cheered.

...from an article whose conclusion is actually rather chilling: "Lilly white lies" by Harley Sorensen.

Oh, and after you have read that, here are some allegations of war crimes:

According to eyewitnesses, U.S. Special Forces supervised--some say orchestrated--the systematic murder of more than 3,000 captured Taliban soldiers in November 2001. That charge is the centerpiece of a documentary film, "Afghan Massacre: The Convoy of Death," expected to be released in the United States within the next few weeks.

Indeed, "Massacre" has already been shown on German television and to several European parliaments. The United Nations has promised an investigation. But thanks to a virtual media blackout, few Americans are aware that, on the eve of another war, their nation's reputation as a bastion of human rights is rapidly dissipating.

But to get away from Depressing, Inc for a moment, the Online Gadfly asks, "Is it just my wishful imagination, or are we beginning to see the tentative beginnings of an effective, and eventually irresistible movement toward a restoration of our democracy?"

(I love love love the Online Gadfly, 'cause, damn, look at them brains, but he is usually not very quotable-- he's not a meme-slinger-- yet he seems to have made an exception for this article. So go read it.)

There's been a procedural change concerning a private road-owner's right to attempt to obstruct environmental protection of federal lands: "The new rules shift the decisionmaking to the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management. They also broaden the right to make a claim from actual owners to any "interested party," and grant an unlimited time to file. Thus, what used to be a public proceeding on a court docket will become an administrative matter."

Also: FOIA Smackdown

More complaints about America's Iraq versus North Korea policies, but this time by someone who has not forgotten about Venezuela: "Iraq blinds Bush to world picture" by Paul G. Buchanan

This is a week old, but I think I never posted it, and I love the subtitle: "Powell says U.S. set to go it alone: America reserves the right to attack Iraq without global support, secretary of State says, while trying to smooth over rift with Europe".

For giggles: "The interpretation of this legal layperson is that someone associated with the Bush administration, on behalf of the Bush administration, committed a federal crime," says Bruce Ticker, calling for impeachment proceedings.

And here's an article about the true price of this war, asking such questions as, "Some reports indicate that there are other people living in Iraq besides Saddam Hussein. How many would be worth killing in order to get rid of Hussein? How many is too many? Does this also apply to those who have no weapons of mass destruction in their homes?" and "When will the Afghan invasion be over? How can we tell?"

Ronald "Red Ink" Reagan (source)

(Wow, I posted a lot today. And I may even post something about my actual life. But if you're going to skip all-but-one of my posts today, the one I most hope you will read is the first)

( Which Lord of the Rings engrish subtitle are you? )

Note: All of the below was written back in August and never posted (IIRC). But today I referred to the chocolate essay, which, it turns out, is on my hard drive at work, not here, so instead I present to you...

( True Coffee Clerk Tales )

Yes, it's true: I was a bean counter's assistant.

I don't usually post much, or even anything at all, about my life on this journal, but today I'm going to make a huge exception. Why? Just feel like it, I guess. Probably won't do a personal entry this long again for months and months, like not until the next time I drink coffee.

( The [My Company] Purchaser Radio Show - Episode One: Three Vendors and a Deejay )

( Dinner with the VP )