Defending the Right's Right to be Wrong.

Not sure where you get your "facts"... much is right, the rest are "right".

I sort of understand where you are coming from... your views have been galvanized years ago, through much truth and reason. I'm not sure i can say the same for today... in fact much of what you stand for is precisely what I stand for... with a few exceptions... but what gets me, is that what you "say" you stand for and what you actually support... are often in stark contrast... were it not for some clever semantics and marketing on the part of your neo-conservative leadership. I really don't understand how this came to be.

I also don't understand the propensity for violence that seems to run deep in your and the others you forwards' comments. I don't think anyone- myself included is thinking of slitting our throats... that is just silly and juvenile. But why the hostility? What's with the macho, muscle-flexing, bar-fight mentality? We are after all a civil nation... We have the ability, for now, to agree and disagree.... and according to the Constitution, we are supposed to be free to do that.

Because I choose to question authority... not tow the line, I'm unpatriotic? You better rethink your own geographic location. There are other countries better suited for ignorance and closed-minded acceptance of what is being fed you from your "friends" in the government. Me, I choose to research what is really written in the "kinder, gentler" laws this administration has shafted... er drafted.

I think it is treason to deliberately mislead a nation for something other than it's own best interest. I think it is larson to manipulate laws to help immunize corporations from governance and jurisdiction. I think it is deplorable to manipulate public opinion to support unjust actions against anyone... another country, a person or a corporation. I think it is vile that a man in our nation's highest office deliberately withholds information that brings light to his actions... for if he truly was without sin or error... would not his record exonerate?

So what do we REALLY know... the "islamic terrorists" you are so scared of - represent a miniscule fraction of the people we are terrorizing- in the name of freedom-... just as the number of pedophile priests in the catholic church do not represent the entire roman catholic religion... but to you... anyone wearing a cross, or attending mass on sunday... is the enemy. That does not make sense.

Many AlQieda members and other extremists are evil and need to be brought to justice... but killing 100's of thousands of innocent iraqi, Afghani, islamic and muslim people might make you feel good- but it is wrong, and evil- and the world knows it... but through our twisted information dissemination system here, good people like you are led to believe the contrary. Yes, 40 yrs. ago the media went into vietnam and showed the truth about war. Today, the embedded journalists are not free to report anything-duh. You think the military minds who watched and learned from vietnam would actually let that happen again? We have a "reality TV show called "kill the towel-heads" being played out before us.... and now that the war isn't going so well... the nightly news is not covering is nearly as much... only what they have to show - like the successful suicide attacks that are killing Iraqi citizens... and our brave soldiers... in harm's way.

But why are they in harm's way? You know the answer? Cuz Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, the sanctions were working to keep Saddam in check, and the peoples of Iraq and Afghanistan were - for the most part, not interested in the US... just in their day-to-day existence. That is until some corporations began having trouble exploiting the resources from those nations... began to have trouble with Taliban leaders who rose to power in a turmoil that was created when America and Russia began to use people... mid-eastern people, as pawns to their power struggle. We supplied weapons and information to the Afghanis to help them win against the Soviet Union... then we abandoned them to starvation, civil unrest and the hardships of the aftermath of a 25yr war... from the chaos arose an extremist faction who's religious underpinnings helped to give hope to a broken people. (kinda like the right-wing religous folks helped GW regain his post) Meanwhile US corporations like Halliburton and Bechtel .... were trying to create a massive natural gas pipeline across afghanistan... when the radical Taliban leadership booted them from their country because they refused to agree to a fair and equitable price for removing Afghanistan's natural resources. Now with new "freely-elected" leadership, Halliburton is once again in full production. But alas... a pipeline is very hard to defend... and easy to sabotage... so we have to remove the threat to preserve our (US corporations who make huge profits) "right" to their resources... so we decide its better to kill off lots of folks... in the hopes of getting a few "terrorists".... but we can't have the silly press reporting this... and incorrectly presenting "our" side of the story... so we'll embed them and monitor their access to information-and truth. No nothing wrong with that right?

And then to give lip-service to some rhetoric that we need to preserve the institute of marriage... an institution that is so flawed and worthless as now more than half of American marriages in the past 30 years have ended in divorce... oh yeah, don't let some queer people who truly love each other join in a recognized union... far better to promote false affection, spousal abuse, disrupted family units and deadbeat dads.... that make alot of sense.

Oh and don't get me started on abortion.... we can perform late-term abortions on adult human beings - our men and women in uniform-and the innocent civilians.... in the name of war. But don't let a woman decide what is right for her own life. We can have insurance subsidize penis stiffening drugs to encourage procreation... no actually to promote fornication.... but let's not allow the sale or subsidy of birth control pills!!! so now its even a sin to think about having sex if your a woman... but atta boy get your lil willie all stiff and happy for the good-ole boys???? Come-on.... you buy into this too????

Patriot Act.... 971 pages... printed on a sunday night to be given out monday morning before a holiday recess that began the following day.... forced to make a vote before the recess. Sure Dave.... nothing wrong with that. Have you bothered to read it since you are so quick to defend it? I have read portions of it that are reprehensible... and I'm up-in-arms... so who's the one being led?

Do you think all these laws about Clear Sky, and Leave No Child and Homeland Security are actually about what they are named? Now we're gonna give freedom to all the immigrant workers...who do jobs we Americans won't do.... did he actually say that??? won't do... or we refuse to pay anyone enough to live on it... but an undocumented immigrant who doesn't pay tax on the paultry wage can fare better than the poverty of his/her home country... so what did he accomplish with that "great" idea.... now our southern borders are worse than ever with aliens hoping to become citizens, because they'll work at mcdonalds... oh AND we can begin to tax these new citizens. Who cares that the cost of border security has risen and the ability to defend against transgression hasn't. Another great Idea from that Great Republican Team?

Oh and then lets tackle senseless arbitration... we can't have people suing corporations, doctors, or insurance companies without cause! Which I agree- but watch how they word it.... its gonna be much better to be a big corporation when their version gets passed. Not good if you really are hurt by a really bad situation... oh- but thats okay isn't it?

And next on the plate Social Security... sure- it used to be illegal to rob from the coffers of Social Security... however the Republicans have been doing it..."leveraging the principal" since 2000... what a great idea... give the money to the people and allow them to spend it through regulated channels... to invest in their future! Of course there will have to be fees and service charges for the private companies who will be required to handle such an undertaking.... and gee, if the money isn't invested wisely, it may not pay off with the rosey figures this administration has estimated (and we all know how good this administration is about figures??? WMDs?, Iraqi support for our troops? economic recovery?)- so lets believe them that they got these figures right too! After all its just our future- or rather MY future... because the law is cleverly written to make it very clear that the aging population that you are a member of Dave, is clearly not effected - for your vote.

Can you see what a joke it is you are really defending?

And about the ballots.... nice you read up on milwaukee's process... nice that your info blog capitalizes on trinkets of truth that you can expound on to me.... but truth be told... the extra ballots were requested to insure that all voters had a chance to participate in the political process... and the extra ballots insured there would be enough on-hand if requested by people... we had thousands who voted in advance- I was one. I also was one who stood at the polls and watched as the republican poll watchers pushed the ethical limits of privacy as far as they could... I helped to have one belligerent well-dressed republican insurgent removed from one of my precincts for failure to follow rules and causing a scene. But I'll bet that didn't make your "information site" did it? And Wisconsin, as it turns out, wasn't the linchpin to decide the election- Ohio was... and there, the tactics were much worse...and documented. But you won't see that on your news either would you?

Ohio Sec of State Ken Blackwell- head of the re-elect Bush campaign... presides over the vote tally in Ohio.... can you say conflict of interest? Blackwell has all but locked down the the poll registers to stop citizens from revieing the votes... Exit Polls showed stark contradictions to what the "machines" had tallied.... in the Ukrane, exit polls helped to reveal corruption.... here in America- it was just a mistake.... but in Ohio the two companies who supplied vote machines... both staunch Bush supporters... with the help of Blackwell and other RNC legislators in ohio... pushed to have voter machines with no paper trail... no way to validate the vote.... Diebold and ES&S are the largest suppliers of ATM and video Slot machines... both of which have fully operational paper validation systems in place- and arguably both of which have settled many a dispute on folks bank statements and jackpot winnings.... But you're probably right... no tampering could have happened in Ohio. There as little at stake there... not as much as someone getting an incorrect balance on their bank statement! It was just the presidency of the United States at stake- no big deal- right?

You see, its not that I'm anti-American- though its easy for someone to make you think that- I'm anti-corruption of America... and ya know, I think, under all your passionate posturing and rhetoric, you are too. I think you have become an innocent bystander in this intense information society we have developed. You are honest and righteous, I believe you mean well in your intentions and are forceful in your need to stand by your beliefs. And I applaud you for all that.

I'm just sorry so many have been caught up in the deception and corruption dynamic that our society has evolved into. Through little fault of their own, the players at the table of power have manipulated them into thinking you are rightly defending freedom and justice, when in actuality, you are helping them to mislead, disenfranchise and render you unable to regain the powers necessary to harness their all- consuming need for power, control and money.... least of all money... because whoever has the power, controls the money.... even if they give it to us to "control" our destiny- like with Social Security. Its all advertising and marketing. Say one thing, and do another... package it with what they think you want to hear... and do what they want... and trust you won't have time or interest to scrutinize.

Oh and last year I transferred interest of my puter company to my partner and walked away from the business... and the government doesn't support folks who owned a company that don't profit from the transfer of ownership... so I couldn't even get unemployment... not a nickel of government help. I am making ends meet through my own means. I'm living a modest lifestyle and finding new meaning to the difference between "wants" and "needs"... and you know.... I've never felt better!

Walking away from the power-business world was the most difficult thing to do.... but it is so gratifying to know that i no longer help advertising agencies manipulate folks like you into promoting what they want- and actually making you think it was your idea.

But in the end, we all have to live with one another... and its okay that you think one way and I another.... and its my responsibility to try to make a difference... you've been through hard times... deceived by a woman and taken advantage of... I'm just looking out for you.... don't like to see that happen to anyone... especially from their own government.

Its not hate that I'm espousing, its love. Love for my country and what it truly stands for. Love for what freedom and democracy really represent, love for our republic and a true free-market economy- not ruled by multi-national corporations who's power extends beyond any nation's laws or jurisdiction. A country who proudly demonstrates what is good and right in the world.

happy new year

Charlie Koenen
American