If you didn’t understand those two points, you need to head off to civics class.

But you’re right… they don’t hate us because of Bush or Clinton. They don’t hate us because we’re the King on the Hill at the moment. They hate us because of what our culture threatens to do to their insular world.

The world hates us for LOTS of reasons…the LEAST of which is Bush!

And in some ways…they have a RIGHT to hate us:

We are the biggest producers of porn. This is one reason why Muslim extremists have no problem calling our secular ways an “evil influence upon our way of life”.

We are the biggest polluters in the world. Some countries are so poor, their citizens don’t even have electricity…and we need Hoover Dam JUST to keep the flashing neon lights going in Vegas.

We are the most violent country outside of the Middle East. Just take a look at all of our school shootings: from Colombine to that Amish school in Pennsylvania.

We are the FATTEST country in the world. While some nations have poverty so high, that their peoples are in constant starvation…our children are getting type-2 diabetes from eating Big Macs at every meal and from playing Xbox all day long!

We are the most hypocritical nation in the world. We claim to be supporters of equal rights and fairness for everyone…and we gays are being denied even the right to marry our spouses.

There are LOTS of reasons to hate us…but do you want to know something?

There are LOTS MORE people in the world that LOVE us and our freedoms.

Why do you think that they keep coming to our country for new opportunities of a better life, day after day?

Unlike our exchange on the other thread, I do understand that this probably was a poor choice of topic for discussion on my part.

Jack Abramoff – Pled Guilty – Sentenced to Minimum of 5 Years, 10 Months

He is now scheduled to report to prison on November 15th, 2006.

Claude Allen- Arrested for Theft – Pled Guilty

Allen was arrested March 9th, 2006 for a scam in which he ‘returned’ items he had never originally paid for. He is said to have refunded a total of $5,000 worth of merchandise (such as a home stereo system and a photo printer) over 25 visits in stores such as Target and Hecht’s.

Allen pled guilty on August 4th to one count of misdemeanor theft. He was ordered to pay $850 and given one month of probation.

Richard A. Berglund – Pled Guilty – Sentencing Scheduled for January 18

In March of 2005, Berglund received $7,000 from Mitchell Wade, the MZM CEO and briber of former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-CA).

Berglund has agreed to cooperate with the expanding probe that began with investigation into Cunningham. He will be sentenced on January 18, 2007, and may receive up to a year in prison.

Gus Boulis Murder Trio – Indicted – Hearing Scheduled for September 14

Gus Boulis, the man who sold SunCruz to Adam Kidan and Jack Abramoff, was gunned down on February 6th, 2001. Three men were subsequently indicted September 23rd, 2005 for the murder: James ‘Pudgy’ Fiorillo, Anthony ‘Little Tony’ Ferrari and Anthony ‘Big Tony’ Moscatiello. They were charged with Murder in the First Degree, Conspiracy to Murder in the First Degree, and Soliticing Murder in the First Degree (Fiorillo doesn’t face the soliticing charge).

All three defendants are seeking to be released on bond before trial. There was a Bond Hearing on March 24th. That same day Broward Circuit Judge Michael Kaplan granted a defense request to subpoena Abramoff and Kidan to give sworn statements in the case. An in camera hearing has been scheduled for September 14th.Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for all three.

Ed Buckham – Named by Prosecutors as Unindicted Coconspirator

Ed Buckham, one-time chief of staff to Tom DeLay and later Chairman of the lobbying firm Alexander Strategy Group, appeared in Tony Rudy’s guilty plea as “Lobbyist B.”

John Colyandro – Indicted – Trial Pending Appeals Decision

John Colyandro was Executive Director of Tom DeLay’s PAC Texans for a Republican Majority. He, along with Jim Ellis, was indicted for Money Laundering in 2004 alleging an illegal money swap with the Republican National State Elections Committee, an arm of the Republican National Committee.

Colyandro faces a possible sentence of up to 99 years in prison for money laundering (a first-degree felony). The unlawful contribution charge (a third-degree felony) has 13 counts, each carrying between 2 and 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Duke Cunningham – Pled Guilty – Sentenced to 8 years, 4 months incarceration

Tom DeLay – Indicted – Trial Pending Appeals Decision

Brian J. Doyle – Pleads No Contest – Sentencing Set for November 17

Brian Doyle, the deputy press secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, was arrested on April 4th, 2006 and pleaded no contest on September 19, 2006 to seven counts of use of a computer to seduce a child and sixteen counts of transmitting harmful material to a minor. He will be sentenced on November 17 and faces up to five years in prison.

Jim Ellis – Indicted – Trial Pending Appeals Decision

Jim Ellis was Executive Director of DeLay’s PAC Americans for a Republican Majority. He, along with John Colyandro, was indicted for Money Laundering in 2004 alleging an illegal money swap with the Republican National State Elections Committee, an arm of the Republican National Committee.

Ellis faces a possible sentence of up to 99 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $10,000 for money laundering (a first degree felony).

Vernon Jackson – Pled Guilty – Sentenced to Seven Years, Three Months in Prison

Vernon Jackson, the chief executive of iGate Inc., pleaded guilty on May 3rd, 2006 to bribing an unnamed congressman, whom documents identify as Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana.

On September 8th, a Judge sentenced Jackson to seven years and three months in a federal prison, though his continuing cooperation with the federal investigators may lead to a shorter term.

William Jefferson – Under Investigation

Representative William Jefferson (D-LA) is being investigated for bribery, wire fraud, bribery of a foreign official and conspiracy to bribe foreign officials, according to a May 21, 2006 FBI affidavit.

Adam Kidan – Pled Guilty – Sentenced to 5 Years, 10 Months

Adam Kidan was Jack Abramoff’s partner in the SunCruz deal. Kidan has been ordered to report to prison on October 2nd, 2006.

Brent M. Pfeffer – Pled Guilty – Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison

Brett Pfeffer, a former aide to Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA), pled guilty January 10th, 2006 to two counts: Conspiracy to Commit Bribery of a Public Official and Aiding and Abetting the Bribery of a Public Official. Rep. Jefferson is the public official.

Warren RoBold – Indicted – Trial Pending Appeals Decision

Warren RoBold was a fundraiser for Tom DeLay’s PACs (TRMPAC and ARMPAC) and was indicted in 2004 for taking illegal corporate money for TRMPAC – nine counts of Unlawful Acceptance of a Political Contribution from a Corporation.RoBold is charged with nine separate third-degree felonies, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Tony Rudy – Pled Guilty – Status Conference Scheduled for October 2

Tony Rudy pled guilty March 31st, 2006 to one count of Conspiracy. He was a former aide to Tom DeLay, a colleague of Jack Abramoff’s and then a lobbyist at Alexander Strategy Group. He was named (“Staffer A”) as a coconspirator in Abramoff’s plea

Rudy’s status conference was initially set for July 11th, 2006, but has been postponed until October 2nd so he can cooperate further with federal prosecutors.

Michael Scanlon – Pled Guilty – Status Conference Scheduled for December 8

On November 21st, 2005, Michael Scanlon, Jack Abramoff’s partner in the Indian fraud and bribery schemes, pled guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the United States.A status conference is scheduled for December 8th, 2006.Scanlon faces five years in prison, $250,000 in fines, and the restitution of $19.7 million in tribal funds.

Roger Stillwell – Pled Guilty – Sentencing Set for December 18

Roger Stillwell, a desk officer for the Mariana Islands at the Department of the Interior with links to former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, pled guilty on August 11th to filing a financial disclosure form that falsely stated that “he did not receive reportable gifts from a prohibited source” according to the court document.

He is due to be sentenced December 18th before Magistrate Judge Alan Kay and faces up to a year in prison.

Neil Volz – Pled Guilty – Status Conference Scheduled for November 2

Neil Volz, a former aide to Bob Ney and member of Team Abramoff, was named (“Staffer B”) as a coconspirator in Abramoff’s plea.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/grandolddocket.php

“She posted a picture of the president, scrawled “Kill Bush” across the top and drew a dagger stabbing his outstretched hand… such threats are a federal offense… [so] she was questioned for about 15 minutes.”

kdogg, do GET REAL. It’s called “Agents doing their job.”

The government agents described in this article are thugs, pure and simple: http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/teen-questioned-over-bush-threats-on/20061014060009990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

if the question is why does the left hate – you might find the article in Friday’s opinionjournal by peggy noonan interesting

The Sounds of Silencing
Why do Americans on the left think only they have the right to dissent?

http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110009078

her mastery of the language and insight into human nature combine to make some inspiring and uplifting writing – and she never uses the word libtard (that is new to me – and sloop is groovin on it), but makes some good points backed up with contempory examples

Synova: I’m not a liberal or a Democrat by any means; I describe myself as an “anti-statist” but I think it would be fair to characterize me as a particularly rabid libertarian.

“the neo-cons are scary so I can see the point of the 2nd Amendment these days.”

Truth is, this isn’t far off the mark. I have always been unequivocally in favor of private citizens owning guns. But I do mean what I said, which is that the possibility of us actually exercising our 2nd Amendment rights seems less remote to me than it did in the past… still pretty remote, to be sure.

It would be absurd to blame creeping statism on Bush or any one person or party — they’re all in it together. But I do think that certain lines have been crossed during the Bush administrations in the increase of state power… they’ve mostly been crossed before in the history of the US, and the government later retreated back across those lines. Hopefully that will happen again.

Like Michael, I was blown away at the connect the dots in Frank Rich’s The Greatest Story Ever Sold. Rich shows, how politics, most specifically the desire to secure a lock by one party on the government, mixed with incuriosity,……

DADT was Clinton’s baby, of course. The “Republican gospel” for gays in the military is more to the tune of “privacy is an issue in billeting” and a belief that the presence of homosexuals is an unnecessary hassle and distraction and potential threat to unit cohesion. Not a single bit of that has anything to do with how suited to armed resistance are gays.

I’ve even seen drag queens packing heat here in Houston. One memorable Halloween, one gal went to a club on Pacific Street, opened his purse and promptly handed over his Smith & Wesson to the bouncer in compliance with Texas law requiring no handguns in any establishment serving alcohol.

Want to eliminate hate crimes? LEARN TO SHOOT A GUN.

Gotta luv it!!

Regards,
Peter H.

Simply put, men and women are not usually housed together in the armed forces, except under extreme conditions, because of the strong potential for sexual tension and the varying views of the individuals involved, all of which diminish a unit’s cohesion and efficiency. The military is not an office or a typical workspace, where people are together for eight hours a day and then can go do as they wish in privacy; you live, sleep, and train with your fellow soldiers 24/7, and that is taken into account when the military does personnel management.

On a lot of levels, I have no problem with DADT. It’s annoying, but it’s a realistic and pragmatic policy. In the future, I anticipate that it will become an obsolete one, just as keeping women out of the armed forces did, but we’re still not there yet.

To the rest of your statement, I’m sorry that you feel that way, but I’m simply not comfortable saying, “Yes, I’d shoot a cop” without throwing in when and why. It is a major thing to shoot anyone, period, and especially someone who is in a position of authority.

If you read some of the letters of the Revolutionary period, you will find that very few people took up arms against the British without the same type of trepidation that you find here. It’s not natural or normal to rebel against the established order, and anyone who doesn’t do so reluctantly, in my opinion, is very dangerous.

But don’t ever assume that because I have a limp wrist, I can’t shoot straight — or pull the trigger.

I myself am a staunch defender of the Second Amendment and a gun owner — and, if I felt that necessity justified it, would be willing to use them against government agents.

But the chance of that situation happening is somewhere to the left of my becoming pregnant — not impossible, but outside the realm of current probability.

Kdogg’s not saying anything different — and frankly, you seem to be going after him out of pure contrariness.

I find it… interesting… this rhetoric of the impending take-over, be it the impending theocracy of the Handmaid’s Tale, which so many people found profound and frightening, or some notion that Bush will somehow retain power past 2008. Just in general terms, you know. I don’t think that very many people really believe that, it’s more like a fun fantasy like enjoying Mad Max or something.

The real battles are small ones. Like freedom of thought. Freedom to raise your children according to your own ideology, even if strange. The threat is in making it so people can be forced to conform to what is right, because the idea of what is right may change in the future.

The math is right, your opinion is uninformed, and further reflection by you will be for naught. VdaK had it right in #53.

I think not only are the GayLeftBorg blinders keeping you from seeing the truth, that pedestal you’ve built for yourself keeps your head in the clouds. The simplest truth is one that you’ve run fastest and fartherest away from today… the intolerance practiced by you and your GayLeftBorg brothers-n-crime –literally canabalizing our fellow gays in order to score partisan points with your Masters on the Democrat Plantation– far exceeds anything posited on this log in a long, long time.

Like others here have advised: you need to take a short walk on the DailyKos or BlogActive or MyDD and you’ll come face2face with vile hatred of the most base, irrational kind. Disloyal, unpatriotic puppets.

Like Dan points out: the GayLeftBorg keeps its harshest, strongest, most caustic bile to throw upon fellow gays who differ with the Borg’s mindset.

Run from the truth A-nonie1. It suits you fine so far in your life.