Tuesday, April 1, 2003

SF Chronicle Suspends Henry Norr, Long-Time Technology Reporter In a letter dated 27-March-2003 (you need to scroll down to find it), Henry Norr, a long-time reporter in the Personal Technology section, relates how he was suspended without pay for protesting the war in Iraq. It's an example of how our media organizations have become owned by large corporations that are highly conservative, and suppress viewpoints other than their own. Certainly I have been stunned at the bias of American journalistic organizations "covering" the war, including Dan Rather who seem to be doing nothing more than reading Dumbya's press releases off his teleprompter... 9:39:10 AM

Bush reportedly shielded from dire forecast President Bush's aides did not forcefully present him with dissenting views from CIA and State and Defense Department officials who warned that U.S.-led forces could face stiff resistance in Iraq, according to three senior administration officials. Instead, Bush embraced predictions of top administration hawks, beginning with Vice President Dick Cheney, who predicted Iraqis would joyously greet coalition troops as liberators and that the entire conflict might be over in a matter of weeks, the officials said. [blogdex] This is the beginning of the shift of blame off of Dumbya and onto staff, to keep his approval rating high. Expect this to continue, with the blame becoming more specific, and more highly-placed, until it works. And it will work... 9:02:41 AM

The battle between Donald Rumsfeld and the Pentagon As the ground campaign against Saddam Hussein faltered last week, with attenuated supply lines and a lack of immediate reinforcements, there was anger in the Pentagon. Several senior war planners complained to me in interviews that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and his inner circle of civilian advisers had insisted on micromanaging the war’s operational details. Rumsfeld’s team took over crucial aspects of the day-to-day logistical planning--traditionally, an area in which the uniformed military excels--and Rumsfeld repeatedly overruled the senior Pentagon planners on the Joint Staff, the operating arm of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “He thought he knew better,” one senior planner said. “He was the decision-maker at every turn.” [Daypop Top 40] Is anyone else reminded of Robert McNamara and Vietnam...? 8:41:16 AM

Acid flashbacks to Vietnam We're shocked that the enemy forces don't observe the rules of war. We're shocked that it's hard to tell civilians from combatants, and friends from foes. Adversaries use guerrilla tactics; they are irregulars; they take advantage of the hostile local weather and terrain; they refuse to stay in uniform. Golly, as our secretary of war likes to say, it's unfair. Why is all this a surprise again? I know our hawks avoided serving in Vietnam, but didn't they, like, read about it? [Daypop Top 40] Dumbya and Rumsfeld pushed their ideology over the facts, and it's literally killing our troops. Oh, yeah, that's right, they dodged the draft on their generation's war. They don't actually care what it's like for the troops, except as it relates to PR and approval ratings... 8:30:52 AM

US soldiers in Iraq asked to pray for Bush They may be the ones facing danger on the battlefield, but US soldiers in Iraq are being asked to pray for President George W Bush. Thousands of marines have been given a pamphlet called "A Christian's Duty," a mini prayer book which includes a tear-out section to be mailed to the White House pledging the soldier who sends it in has been praying for Bush. [Daypop Top 40] So much for separation of church and state... 8:27:56 AM

US Marines turn fire on civilians at the bridge of death Martin's distress was in contrast to the bitter satisfaction of some of his fellow marines as they surveyed the scene. "The Iraqis are sick people and we are the chemotherapy," said Corporal Ryan Dupre. "I am starting to hate this country. Wait till I get hold of a friggin' Iraqi. No, I won't get hold of one. I'll just kill him." [Daypop Top 40] 8:25:23 AM

© Copyright 2003 Michael Alderete.