New Orleans: Two Trillion for War, Pennies for New Orleans

In a "Guardian" article, Joseph Stiglitz, a Columbia University Professor who won the Nobel proze for eaconomics in 2001, says the real cost of the Iraq war is likely to be between one and two trillion dollars, up to 10 times more than previously expected. Included are lifetime disability and healthcare for injured soldiers, as well as the impact on the American economy. The GOOD news is that Halliburton will continue to do well.

Meanwhile back outside the Bush ranch, click here for the Madsen Report, without regular telephones, the residents of New Orleans are living in a "cell phone hell". Dr/ James Kent Treadway, a well-known pediatrician in the Uptown district, committed suicide in his damaged house on November 16. His story is not unique.

Be Sure Brain Is Engaged Before ...

China's Undercuts the United States
On December 15, China National Petroleum Corp decided to fight their largest customer (the USA, in whose army I served as Advisory Team Leader and Intelligence Operations Officer, for the few remaining major oil resources in this rapidly shrinking world. At 35 billion barrels, AT LEAST twice the amount in the North Sea, and perhaps THREE TIMES MORE, the medieval government of Kazakhstan, lost in a time warp of their own making, shares many human rights values with the mad dictators of China.

Bottom Line: They are going to control the oil, without which we are ultimately destined to become a third rate world power, and probably descend into the dark ages, unless our plans to attack Iran are successful, and that is very doubtful, even when we nuke them, which seems to be our current plan.

Where there is no vision, the people perish!

On April 30, the New York Daily News commented that, "except for the final body count, the war in Iraq is over. We lost." Our soldiers sacrificed life and limb, so that "Ahmed Chalabi, who while on the CIA payroll, fed us that BS about WMD, could get richer as the new oil minister of Iraq."

A few days ago, the most powerful hurricane in many years has devastated a large American city more completely than a major terrorist stike could possibly have done, and the Bush regime approach in providing help has been weak to non-existent, and FEMA, whose sole purpose is to respond to such a crisis, has been entirely indecisive and ineffective.

This very appropriate picture is courtesy of a German web site "gegen Bush", or "against Bush", at http://lustich.de/lustich/specials_gegenbushbilder-specials-2.html
Beware that some adult material is linked to that site, so minors should NOT visit.

Slow death for Iraqis and our Army

Guardsman Gerard Darren Matthew has tested positive for uranium contamination, but five weeks later, he was told by officials in Fort Dix, that there was no record of any urine specimen from him. Because of his exposure to depleted uranium, his baby girl Victoria Claudette, born June 29, is missing three fingers, and most of her right hand. There had been no history of birth defects in either his, or his wife's family. Matthew still has constant migraine headaches, blurred vision, blackouts, and a burning sensation whenever he urinates.

Ammunition manufactured with depleted uranium emits toxic gases, when passing through a gun barrel. There is no apparent or logical reason for the use of depleted uranium ammunition, unless it is the convenient disposal of a toxic substance. It's slight advantage in armor penetration is a very poor reason for the certain contamination of our soldiers' internal organs.

I was in charge of the tank gunnery range 45 in Grafenwoehr, Germany in 1966, and can vouch that the standard armor pentrating ammuniion, even then, was more than adequate.

Deceiving Ourselves is Not New

Does the Bush Administration Want Nuclear War?

The August 1 issue of Pat Buchanan's "The American Conservative" states: "In Washington it is hardly a secret that the same people who brought you Iraq are prepared to do the same for Iran. The Pentagon, acting under instructions from Vice President Dick Cheney's office, has tasked the United States Strategic Command (STRATCOM)with drawing up contingency plans to be employed in response to another 9/11-type terrorist attack on the United States. The plan includes a large scale air assault on Iran employing both conventional and tactical NUCLEAR weapons.

Our administration has finally gone COMPLETELY insane!

The Big Battle

As we celebrate our 4th of July in the United States, let us reach out to those whom some of our idiotic leaders call our enemy, though they have not fired a single shot against anyone in the continental United States. A few years ago, Johnny Cash performed this song, which makes us realize the bonds of humanity, which unite all nationalities, races, and creeds, and expose the idiocy of war:

The Big Battle: An anti-war song by Johnny Cash. (Available as an MP-3 on the web)

I think, sir, the battle is over, and the young soldier laid down his gun.
I'm tired of running for cover, I'm certain the battle is done.
For, see overe there, where we fought them. it's quiet, for they've all gone away.
All left is the dead and the dying, the blue lying long side the grey.

So you think the battle is over, and you even lay down your gun.
You carelessly rise from your cover, for you think the battle is done.
Now boy hit the dirt, listen to me, for I'm still the one in command,
get flat on the ground here beside me, and lay your heart to the sand:

Can you hear the deafening rumble, can you feel the trembling ground?
It's not just the horses and wagons, that make such a deafening sound.
For every shot fired has an echo and every man killed wanted life.
There lies your friend Jim McKinney. Can you take the news to his wife?