I've been trying to figure out why the majority of folks who claim the Republican Party as their own are overwhelmingly Christians. Each of the 8 or so GOP presidential candidates had to run the religious gauntlet on FoxNew's first debate in order to continue forward. Huckabee is 'the Christian candidate.' Romney's 'christianity' is still in doubt.
Here's the important question: is the cart pulling the elephant or vice versa? Rather, is one attracted to the GOP because it embodies the teachings of Jesus? Or, is the Christian snagged by the GOP because they are such believers? Ah, there's the question that begs an answer.
Those of us who have been paying attention to this process have posted many articles and news stories during this administration that point out the evil policies and practices of the Bush administration, from preemptive war to torture to lies. Additionally, we have shed light on generous tax breaks for corporations as well as carte blanche for the military- all at the expense of the low and middle class citizens. We have pointed out the trampling of the Constitution as the Bush administration has become an imperial presidency, blatantly ignoring Congress, issuing many executive orders, thwarting the legislative duties of Congress.
The many GOP politicians and loyalists who have been arrested, tried, and jailed is a long list, including Duke Cunningham, Scooter Libby and Jack Abrahamoff. Lies and cover-up have plagued this administration like no other in modern American history.
It is not the shining city upon the hill. Rather, it is a dark, corrupt and deceitful embodiment of all that is wrong with politics. There is no doubt about that.
Therefore, the attraction, the draw of the GOP is hardly because it is Christian-esque. Rather, its policies and practices are closer to the Devil himself.
So, then, why are there so many Christians in the GOP? I have a theory, not supported by masses of data, but rather only by some data, yet enough to convince me of this: the GOP snags many Christians into its tent BECAUSE they are such believers. Let me restate this: because so many Christians [most specifically, evangelical and fundamentalist Christians] BELIEVE, they are easy targets of the GOP.
It's akin to those elderly folks in our society who are easily scammed by telemarketers: they are such a trusting group of people that they can be easily talked into most anything that the marketer is selling. Elderly Catholic women are especially vulnerable to begging letters from 'missions.' My dear mother received many each day from all over the world. I still receive some of her mail although she has been dead for 7 years.
Easily duped. A brain that is easily molded, easily propagandized, ready for 'the message.' My theory contends that the brains of these Christians have, over the years, accepted a whole truckload of beliefs fed to them by their church and, as a result, are ripe for more faith. The GOP has found them. They did not find the GOP.
Have you encountered those who we may describe as bible-thumpers? They are characterized by a belief that every last word of that book is pure truth, even though much of it stretches the imagination of even the most creative story tellers. Their belief is so great tht they cam even believe the ugly massacres and murders of the innocent, entire villages were being wiped out by God's message. Even the cattle and the vineyards and trees did not survive. If this is believed, it is an easy pathway to politics.
These believers are a sponge, willing to soak up whatever the charlatan has to offer. Enter the politician, the master shyster. The GOP is the master of propaganda as evidenced by its most adept, Karl Rove. How does the GOP snag the Christian? Clearlt, not by its policy of preemptive war and building up a mighty military machine. Not by promoting corporate interests over the interests of the citizens. Not by cutting back on programs for the poor and downcast. No, all of this is overlooked, hidden, out of sight. Rather, the lure, the hook, the bait is abortion. Period.
My mother was blindsided by abortion; lots of elderly Catholics are as well. Democrats are cast as baby killers and that is the end of the discussion. Case closed, sale made.
Last evening on PBS's NOW program, host David Branchicio visited several families in the Chicago area who are facing foreclosure of their homes. [video] One family was packing up during the interview as their house was on the auction block. The husband had run up many medical bills and was now out of work, his illness causing him not to be effective. The mother's job could not pay the mortgage and they were in foreclosure. "May I ask you how you voted in the last election?" asked Bancachio. "George Bush,"they answered, "we are Republicans, because we're Christians and don't believe in abortion."
Bamboozled by the GOP. Victims of hucksters. The lives of a family of five ruined because they 'believed' that the GOP and the policies of the Bush administration were 'Christian.' Folks so brainwashed that they would sacrifice their economic livelihood, their entire way of life, for an illusionary belief that the GOP best represented the teachings of Jesus Christ. By the way, the family intends to vote for Huckabee in Tuesday's primary.
All but one of the people in the Chicago area on this program voted for George Bush in 2000 and 2004. Although one might forgive the 2000 vote, clearly there was a massive amount of evidence of the lies of this administration as well as evidence of unequal economic priorities, give-aways to corporate and military interests at the expense of the middle class citizen before the 2004 election. Yet, they voted for more of the same and that is exactly what they got.
Now they are willing to do it all again. Brainwashing apparently is long-lasting- so hopes the Republican Party.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Friday, February 1, 2008
You Probably Missed It: The Best Expose' of the Bush Cover-up, Lies and Incompetence
After watching tonight's episode of Bill Moyer's Journal, my wife said to me, "I'll bet most of our friends missed this program." She was probably right..Nine PM on a Friday night on PBS is not a hot place to be. But they missed the most outstanding expose' of the lies, deception, and fraud of the Bush Administration I have ever seen in one 45 minute segment.
All Americans ought to be forced to read the transcript before they enter the polling place this November so that they do not make the same mistake for the 3rd time in a row and, as a result, trample the Constitution even more.
Rep. Henry Waxman [D CA] presented case after case of Bush appointees who appeared before his House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Characters like Condi Rice and Blackwater's Erik Prince were shown bobbing and weaving through the questions asked of them. Others outright lied to the committee. One resigned shortly after his lies.
The Bush Administration was shown to be what most of us who have been paying attention to it already knew: it is the most secretive and deceptive administration since Nixon, and much more dangerous. Here are some of the outrageous dealings that Waxman reported:
•Outsourcing of tax dollars to private contractors has been in the hundreds of millions of dollars with little or no accountability.
• The State Department cannot account for $18 billion it 'gave' to the Maliki government in Baghdad.
• Blackwater has sucked hundreds of millions of dollars from the Treasury to do work that is essentially U.S. Army work.
• A secret no-bid contract was given to a Kuwaiti contracting firm to build the U.S. embassy in Baghdad has cost the tax payers of America nearly a billion dollars; slave laborers were kidnapped to work on this building.
• The top deputy of Karl Rove gave a Power point political presentation to the General Services Administration on ways the GSA could help elect more Republicans to Congress; the subpoenaed chair of that department couldn't recall being at that meeting.
• Howard "Cookie" Krongard, The State Department's Inspector General, reported nothing wrong with the Blackwater operations in Iraq despite many claims of wrongdoing; it was uncovered during testimony that his brother sat on the Board of Blackwater, something he lied about.
At the end of the interview with Waxman, Moyers asked this question: "What do you want to know from Condoleezza Rice?"
REP. HENRY WAXMAN: Well, I want a lot from Condoleezza Rice. I want to know, as secretary of state, that she's supervising the money that's being spent by the Department of State in Iraq. That she's making sure that we're not supporting a government that can't rally its own people because it's so corrupt. The second thing, and most important thing I want to know from Condoleezza Rice, is what did she know about the false claim of Saddam Hussein having potential nuclear weapons? And did she participate in a conspiracy with people in this administration the lie to the American people to get us into a war? She's the one, I think, along with the president, has to be held accountable. Because she was the one who was supposed to work with the president to be sure he had the right information, and had the truth before those decisions were made.
You ought to read the entire transcript and send it to 10 of your friends.
All Americans ought to be forced to read the transcript before they enter the polling place this November so that they do not make the same mistake for the 3rd time in a row and, as a result, trample the Constitution even more.
Rep. Henry Waxman [D CA] presented case after case of Bush appointees who appeared before his House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Characters like Condi Rice and Blackwater's Erik Prince were shown bobbing and weaving through the questions asked of them. Others outright lied to the committee. One resigned shortly after his lies.
The Bush Administration was shown to be what most of us who have been paying attention to it already knew: it is the most secretive and deceptive administration since Nixon, and much more dangerous. Here are some of the outrageous dealings that Waxman reported:
•Outsourcing of tax dollars to private contractors has been in the hundreds of millions of dollars with little or no accountability.
• The State Department cannot account for $18 billion it 'gave' to the Maliki government in Baghdad.
• Blackwater has sucked hundreds of millions of dollars from the Treasury to do work that is essentially U.S. Army work.
• A secret no-bid contract was given to a Kuwaiti contracting firm to build the U.S. embassy in Baghdad has cost the tax payers of America nearly a billion dollars; slave laborers were kidnapped to work on this building.
• The top deputy of Karl Rove gave a Power point political presentation to the General Services Administration on ways the GSA could help elect more Republicans to Congress; the subpoenaed chair of that department couldn't recall being at that meeting.
• Howard "Cookie" Krongard, The State Department's Inspector General, reported nothing wrong with the Blackwater operations in Iraq despite many claims of wrongdoing; it was uncovered during testimony that his brother sat on the Board of Blackwater, something he lied about.
At the end of the interview with Waxman, Moyers asked this question: "What do you want to know from Condoleezza Rice?"
REP. HENRY WAXMAN: Well, I want a lot from Condoleezza Rice. I want to know, as secretary of state, that she's supervising the money that's being spent by the Department of State in Iraq. That she's making sure that we're not supporting a government that can't rally its own people because it's so corrupt. The second thing, and most important thing I want to know from Condoleezza Rice, is what did she know about the false claim of Saddam Hussein having potential nuclear weapons? And did she participate in a conspiracy with people in this administration the lie to the American people to get us into a war? She's the one, I think, along with the president, has to be held accountable. Because she was the one who was supposed to work with the president to be sure he had the right information, and had the truth before those decisions were made.
You ought to read the entire transcript and send it to 10 of your friends.
New Nanotechnology Creates Better, Cheaper LED Lights
NewScientist reports an important break-through in LED lighting. The use of a thin layer of nanocrystals inside the bulbs creates an eye-pleasing white color and is 5 times more efficient than compact fluorescent bulbs. The implications for this technology are especially important in helping control the carbon footprint from coal-fired electricity.
Speaking of the coal industry, I've noticed an increasing number of TV ads lately touting 'clean' coal technology. How the oxidation of carbon acquires the term, 'clean' is a deception for the less knowledgeable citizen who will think they refer to CO2 emissions.
Hooray for the scientists working hard throughout the world. At least we can count on them to remain one giant step ahead of the money bastards.
The Phillip Zelikow Connection
That PDB in early September 2001 that languished on the dusty desk of George W. whilst he was deservedly enjoying his month-long vacation at the ranch has raised its ugly head once again. The PDB about bin Laden wanting to attack America. That one.
The plot thickens, although the stew is already quite full of bits and pieces that seemingly don't want to congeal. Buzzflash has a commentary about Phillip Zelikow. They say that Zelikow was,chosen to be the executive director of the 9/11 Commission, but he was actually one of the key people who set up the flawed national security apparatus under Condoleezza Rice.
Hmm. Red flags anybody?
Buzzflash continues:
According to ABC News, when "9/11 Commission co-chairs Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton hired former Condoleezza Rice aide Philip Zelikow to be executive director, Zelikow failed to tell them about his role helping Rice set up President George W. Bush's National Security Council in early 2001 -- and that he was 'instrumental' in demoting Richard Clarke, the one-time White House counterterrorism czar who was fixated on the threat from Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda."
Interestingly, the Wikipedia entry for Zelikow, it says:
In 2002 Zelikow made remarks interpreted as alleging that the United States entered the Iraq War to protect Israel, when he said:
"Why would Iraq attack America or use nuclear weapons against us? I'll tell you what I think the real threat (is) and actually has been since 1990 -- it's the threat against Israel,"
"And this is the threat that dare not speak its name, because the Europeans don't care deeply about that threat, I will tell you frankly. And the American government doesn't want to lean too hard on it rhetorically, because it is not a popular sell."
"Why would Iraq attack America or use nuclear weapons against us? I'll tell you what I think the real threat (is) and actually has been since 1990 -- it's the threat against Israel,"
"And this is the threat that dare not speak its name, because the Europeans don't care deeply about that threat, I will tell you frankly. And the American government doesn't want to lean too hard on it rhetorically, because it is not a popular sell."
A good detective would have lots of notes in his book right now and is heading back to the office to connect them together.
US army suicides set for new high
What a terrible legacy of George W. Bush. The BBC says:
Suicide rates among US soldiers are heading for a record high, army data released on Thursday shows. Eighty-nine suicides were confirmed in 2007, and if 32 suspected suicides are also confirmed, the total will rise above the 2006 figure of 102.
The man has single-handedly broken the Army. Add the 4,000 dead troops and the 30,000 maimed and permanently injured and it is a ghoulish story of a small man suffering with megalomania. The ne'erdowell failed businessman and alcoholic playboy was given the golden keys to a mighty military and he opened that door and played with the toys like a 7-year-old.
The die-hard, believing right-wingers think that his War on Iraq was just fine, closing their eyes to the ugly story, praising him for 'protecting America.' What fools. How can they remain so totally out of touch with reality? Is it because he's 'one of them?'
When I hear the next dopey right-winger still spinning the story that 'Clinton broke the military' I may have to spit in his face.
Suicide rates among US soldiers are heading for a record high, army data released on Thursday shows. Eighty-nine suicides were confirmed in 2007, and if 32 suspected suicides are also confirmed, the total will rise above the 2006 figure of 102.
The man has single-handedly broken the Army. Add the 4,000 dead troops and the 30,000 maimed and permanently injured and it is a ghoulish story of a small man suffering with megalomania. The ne'erdowell failed businessman and alcoholic playboy was given the golden keys to a mighty military and he opened that door and played with the toys like a 7-year-old.
The die-hard, believing right-wingers think that his War on Iraq was just fine, closing their eyes to the ugly story, praising him for 'protecting America.' What fools. How can they remain so totally out of touch with reality? Is it because he's 'one of them?'
When I hear the next dopey right-winger still spinning the story that 'Clinton broke the military' I may have to spit in his face.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Bill Clinton's Kazakhstan Money
Today, the New York Times reports that Bill Clinton flew
to Kazakhstan in 2005 on a private jet of Candadian financier
who wanted to achieve a mining contract for extensive amounts
or recently discovered uranium. The two men met with the
President of Kazakhstan, who has quashed any political dissent
in that country; he is an absolutist. The Canadian achieves the
contract. In return, the Canadian makes a $31.3 Million donation to the
Bill Clinton charitable foundation. Info just made public in December,
2007. The initial Clinton response is that there is no connection
between the trip and the donation........Go to NYT and read the entire
feature.........
to Kazakhstan in 2005 on a private jet of Candadian financier
who wanted to achieve a mining contract for extensive amounts
or recently discovered uranium. The two men met with the
President of Kazakhstan, who has quashed any political dissent
in that country; he is an absolutist. The Canadian achieves the
contract. In return, the Canadian makes a $31.3 Million donation to the
Bill Clinton charitable foundation. Info just made public in December,
2007. The initial Clinton response is that there is no connection
between the trip and the donation........Go to NYT and read the entire
feature.........
"Mom, the Anti-Christ is here to see you!"
David Horsey, political cartoonist for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer drew this marvelous snipped of truth.I worry greatly [as regular visitors to this blog know] that religion and religious values are unduly influencing our political leaders. It is as if we, as a nation, are becoming more and more like those so-called 'islamofascists' that the right-wing loves to deride. Oddly, our right-wing and the Muslim right-wing don't seem to notice that they both preach from the same pulpit.
Mike Huckabee is but the most overt example of this mix of religion and politics, but it can be seen in each of the GOP candidates, save Ron Paul. Paul has become the laughing stock of the Republican Party for telling the truth; they seemingly are not interested in his, The Emperor Has No Clothes, story.
I find it sadly pathetic that most Republicans I listen to deny the basic tenets of the Gospel of Jesus while claiming to be 'believers.' His social agenda does not fit with theirs at all. 'Love one another' has an asterisk:
*except those who we deem as not worthy of our love and care. Like "illegal immigrants, gays, welfare cheats, and those too lazy to get a job."
Yet most embrace war as the answer to international tension. Most embrace cutting social programs while handing out billions to the Pentagon. Most love the death penalty and mandatory sentencing guidelines of criminals. They love tax cuts, believing in borrowing from future generations for their own financial welfare. Jesus would vomit at all of this.
Two days ago my wife [and two dozen other recipients]received an email from a Christian Republican called, The Bird Feeder. It begins innocuously enough about hanging a bird feeder to watch the birds come and feed. Then, the story becomes dark [pun intended]:
Within a week we had hundreds of birds taking advantage of the continuous flow of free and easily accessible food. But then the birds started building nests in the boards of the patio, above the table, and next to the barbecue. Then came the poop. It was everywhere: on the patio tile, the chairs, the table ... everywhere Then some of the bird turned mean. They would dive bomb me and try to peck me even though I had fed them out of my own pocket.And others birds were boisterous and loud. They sat on the feeder and squawked and screamed at all hours of the day and night and demanded that I fill it when it got low on food.After a while, I couldn't even sit on my own back porch anymore. So I took down the bird feeder and in three days the birds were gone. I cleaned up their mess and took down the many nests they had built all over the patio. Soon, the back yard was like it used to be ... quiet, serene and no one demanding their rights to a free meal.
Surely you can imagine the connection between these 'birds' and those 'other people.' Yet, you really don't have to imagine the connection at all because the email makes the connection for you:
Now let's see ....
Our government gives out free food, subsidized housing, free medical care, and free education and allows anyone born here to be an automatic citizen. Then the illegals came by the tens of thousands. Suddenly our taxes went up to pay for free services; small apartments are housing 5 families; you have to wait 6 hours to be seen by an emergency room doctor; your child's 2nd grade class is behind other schools because over half the class doesn't speak English.
Corn Flakes now come in a bilingual box; I have to 'press one' to hear my bank talk to me in English, and people waving flags other than 'Old Glory' are squawking and screaming in the streets, demanding more rights and free liberties.
Maybe it's time for the government to take down the bird feeder.
Jesus would approve, no doubt, because, after all, he was quite the social conservative, wasn't he?
Groucho and Chico Marx and The Privatization of Social Security
[A guest editorial from EngineerofKnowledge]
I remember years ago Dick Caveat interviewed Groucho Marx on the Dick Caveat show. Groucho was telling the story of his brother, Chico, and himself. Before their break into the movies, they had a very successful career in Vaudeville and later shows on Broadway. Groucho went on to say how every dollar that Chico got paid from the shows, he would just party it away and would be broke within a week’s time. Groucho on the other hand would save a portion of his pay each week in the bank or invest in the stock market money towards his retirement. Groucho finally took over Chico’s finances and money and started to save a portion towards Chico’s retirement. He had to make Chico put money aside explaining that he needed to save towards his retirement. Even though he really wanted to party away the money he made each week, Chico finally reluctantly allowed Groucho to set aside some of his pay check to be saved and invested.
Then came the stock market crash of 1929 which bankrupted most of the banks in the country. Groucho had lost everything including the money he had made Chico put aside. Groucho was feeling depressed and like a failure. He not only lost his money but his brother’s money also. After the news reached Chico and just how bad it was, he went to visit his brother, Groucho. There was Groucho sitting there feeling lower than low and Chico came and sat down next to him. Chico broke the silence by saying, “Ok, so you’re broke and I’m broke…..Who had more fun?”
Groucho had to laugh because Chico obviously had the most fun, but more importantly Chico was telling him that it was fine and even though they were in their mid 30’s they would just pick up and start again.
Now for the big historical picture. Chico and Groucho were not the only ones who had lost every bit of their retirement savings with the bank failures and market crash. Many people of retirement age had lost everything and had nothing to fall back on. Many were too old to start over and could not even work anymore. This is when Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Social Security System to provide for this demographic aged segment of society.
Now in the State Of the Union Address from George W. Bush last week, he was back on the “Privatizing Social Security” drone again. In reality, Bush wants to return the system the way it was back in the 1920’s. We are again looking at bank buyouts to keep them from going bankrupt; real estate market has crashed because of deregulated / unregulated banking policy systems. Everyone should remember Bush’s 2000 campaign statements like, “Industries can regulate themselves. Get government out of industries business so they can get down to doing business.” Well now the world stock markets are being brought down because of the real estate crash and defaults. Stock brokers have invested in risky and now crashing stocks because they were nothing more than a shell game in the first place. Let us not forget the “Junk Bonds” of a few years ago. The Social Security was set up as the safety net and buffer to these conditions.
Those of the Bush administration have their eternal medical, dental plans in place for them. They also have a secure retirement paid for them and family for life. Any citizen should ask that they have the same benefits for them also. If it is good enough for them, then it’s also good enough for me. At best don’t proactively jeopardize what I have been promised for the last 35 years of my working life with your “Privatizing Scheme.” This is just too much wealth lying around that will be too tempting for someone not to try to get their financial hands on. Why do I suspect that if looked into this one a little deeper, it probably benefits one of his campaign contributors and yes, may even make it easy for those parties to raid and rob what the baby boomer working class has set aside for their old age?
I remember years ago Dick Caveat interviewed Groucho Marx on the Dick Caveat show. Groucho was telling the story of his brother, Chico, and himself. Before their break into the movies, they had a very successful career in Vaudeville and later shows on Broadway. Groucho went on to say how every dollar that Chico got paid from the shows, he would just party it away and would be broke within a week’s time. Groucho on the other hand would save a portion of his pay each week in the bank or invest in the stock market money towards his retirement. Groucho finally took over Chico’s finances and money and started to save a portion towards Chico’s retirement. He had to make Chico put money aside explaining that he needed to save towards his retirement. Even though he really wanted to party away the money he made each week, Chico finally reluctantly allowed Groucho to set aside some of his pay check to be saved and invested.
Then came the stock market crash of 1929 which bankrupted most of the banks in the country. Groucho had lost everything including the money he had made Chico put aside. Groucho was feeling depressed and like a failure. He not only lost his money but his brother’s money also. After the news reached Chico and just how bad it was, he went to visit his brother, Groucho. There was Groucho sitting there feeling lower than low and Chico came and sat down next to him. Chico broke the silence by saying, “Ok, so you’re broke and I’m broke…..Who had more fun?”
Groucho had to laugh because Chico obviously had the most fun, but more importantly Chico was telling him that it was fine and even though they were in their mid 30’s they would just pick up and start again.
Now for the big historical picture. Chico and Groucho were not the only ones who had lost every bit of their retirement savings with the bank failures and market crash. Many people of retirement age had lost everything and had nothing to fall back on. Many were too old to start over and could not even work anymore. This is when Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Social Security System to provide for this demographic aged segment of society.
Now in the State Of the Union Address from George W. Bush last week, he was back on the “Privatizing Social Security” drone again. In reality, Bush wants to return the system the way it was back in the 1920’s. We are again looking at bank buyouts to keep them from going bankrupt; real estate market has crashed because of deregulated / unregulated banking policy systems. Everyone should remember Bush’s 2000 campaign statements like, “Industries can regulate themselves. Get government out of industries business so they can get down to doing business.” Well now the world stock markets are being brought down because of the real estate crash and defaults. Stock brokers have invested in risky and now crashing stocks because they were nothing more than a shell game in the first place. Let us not forget the “Junk Bonds” of a few years ago. The Social Security was set up as the safety net and buffer to these conditions.
Those of the Bush administration have their eternal medical, dental plans in place for them. They also have a secure retirement paid for them and family for life. Any citizen should ask that they have the same benefits for them also. If it is good enough for them, then it’s also good enough for me. At best don’t proactively jeopardize what I have been promised for the last 35 years of my working life with your “Privatizing Scheme.” This is just too much wealth lying around that will be too tempting for someone not to try to get their financial hands on. Why do I suspect that if looked into this one a little deeper, it probably benefits one of his campaign contributors and yes, may even make it easy for those parties to raid and rob what the baby boomer working class has set aside for their old age?
The Kiss of Judas
David Cook writes:
"The day must come when the president and all the war-makers must stoop upon the ground, with the knees of their pin-striped suits dirty in the mud, and beg for forgiveness, blessing and healing, cursing themselves for ever thinking they had the authority to grant this upon others."
Exactly.
To understand more about 'the kiss' read his short article.
"The day must come when the president and all the war-makers must stoop upon the ground, with the knees of their pin-striped suits dirty in the mud, and beg for forgiveness, blessing and healing, cursing themselves for ever thinking they had the authority to grant this upon others."
Exactly.
To understand more about 'the kiss' read his short article.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Bush's "retardation of science research"
We who have been paying attention already knew it, but here's the latest on the Bush-whacked Department of Science:
In his final State of the Union address, President George W. Bush devoted several lines to science and technology topics. He called for research and funding to reduce oil dependency and reverse the growth of greenhouse gases.
But several scientists around the country aren't buying what they see as rhetoric not backed by funding. And they are frustrated by what they view as the White House's morality-based politics that they say ignores scientific evidence, distorts facts and leads to outright censorship of reports and scientists.
In email interviews this week with 21 researchers in various fields of study, LiveScience and SPACE.com found widespread criticism for Bush's "retardation of research," as one scientist put it, that threatens to knock the country out of its global leadership role in science and technology.
"Science has been seriously undermined by the censorship and alteration of testimony and news releases," said Kevin Trenberth, a climate scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. "Science and facts are not a factor in decisions, and ideology dominates."
--------------------------------
Ideological science is hogwash at best serving the right-wing Christians who twice put him in the White House. After all, science facts might just undermine much of what is written in the Bible, the so-called word of God. Were any of it proved not to be true, many of these Christians would have little to base their faith on.
How much damage can one man create in 7 years is being answered day after sorry day. The economy, the military, the image, trustworthiness and now science have all taken a tumble under this president. The next occupant of the White House will spend all four years of their term attempting to right the wrongs, undo the ideology, and fix what he broke.
What a tremendous undertaking that will be: a clean-up presidency.
In his final State of the Union address, President George W. Bush devoted several lines to science and technology topics. He called for research and funding to reduce oil dependency and reverse the growth of greenhouse gases.
But several scientists around the country aren't buying what they see as rhetoric not backed by funding. And they are frustrated by what they view as the White House's morality-based politics that they say ignores scientific evidence, distorts facts and leads to outright censorship of reports and scientists.
In email interviews this week with 21 researchers in various fields of study, LiveScience and SPACE.com found widespread criticism for Bush's "retardation of research," as one scientist put it, that threatens to knock the country out of its global leadership role in science and technology.
"Science has been seriously undermined by the censorship and alteration of testimony and news releases," said Kevin Trenberth, a climate scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. "Science and facts are not a factor in decisions, and ideology dominates."
--------------------------------
Ideological science is hogwash at best serving the right-wing Christians who twice put him in the White House. After all, science facts might just undermine much of what is written in the Bible, the so-called word of God. Were any of it proved not to be true, many of these Christians would have little to base their faith on.
How much damage can one man create in 7 years is being answered day after sorry day. The economy, the military, the image, trustworthiness and now science have all taken a tumble under this president. The next occupant of the White House will spend all four years of their term attempting to right the wrongs, undo the ideology, and fix what he broke.
What a tremendous undertaking that will be: a clean-up presidency.
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