The Runcible Blog

Tuesday, April 1st, 2003

Too Freaky to ignore

This story is just silly:

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.

"I have committed to pray for you, your family, your staff and our troops during this time of uncertainty and tumult. May God's peace be your guide," says the pledge, according to a journalist embedded with coalition forces.

The pamphlet, produced by a group called In Touch Ministries, offers a daily prayer to be made for the US president, a born-again Christian who likes to invoke his God in speeches.

Sunday's is "Pray that the President and his advisers will seek God and his wisdom daily and not rely on their own understanding".

Monday's reads "Pray that the President and his advisers will be strong and courageous to do what is right regardless of critics".

Next week they'll be serving the special Koolaid to the troops....

posted at 23:40 April 1, 2003 by Dave St.Germain - 0 comments

No Fooling Today

There's not a whole lot going on in my life recently besides the ol' rat race and banging on computers, but here are some stories of interest:

  • The Wall Of Shame should be required viewing for anyone who believes this war is for the benefit of the Iraqi people.
  • Light-weight media critic Howard Kurtz mentions some of the negative aspects of "embedded" journalists. You'd have to be really naive if you believe that the U.S military doesn't see "embedding" as a propaganda opportunity. Check out this older article about Cheney's "management" of the press during the first Gulf War.
  • A graphic account of the battle in Nasiriya:
    Down the road, a little girl, no older than five and dressed in a pretty orange and gold dress, lay dead in a ditch next to the body of a man who may have been her father. Half his head was missing. ...
    and a quote from one of America's "finest":
    "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."
  • FOX's "fair and balanced" coverage of the anti-war demonstration in NYC:

    Fox News had its own response to the demonstrators. The news ticker rimming Fox's headquarters on Sixth Avenue wasn't carrying war updates as the protest began. Instead, it poked fun at the demonstrators, chiding them.

    "War protester auditions here today ... thanks for coming!" read one message. "Who won your right to show up here today?" another questioned. "Protesters or soldiers?"

    Said a third: "How do you keep a war protester in suspense? Ignore them."

    Still another read: "Attention protesters: the Michael Moore Fan Club meets Thursday at a phone booth at Sixth Avenue and 50th Street" - a reference to the film maker who denounced the war while accepting an Oscar on Sunday night for his documentary "Bowling for Columbine."

  • In other news, David Frum, writer of the infamous "axis of evil" speech, Bush cheerleader, and former CANADIAN citizen (up until 2000, I believe), is whining about "unpatriotic conservatives". With friends like Frum, who needs enemies?
  • Finally, a serious and important domestic issue -- detaining citizens without being charged with a crime. Mike Hawash, American citizen and Intel engineer, is being held in solitary confinement, with little to no access to an attorney and without being charged with a crime. This is wrong, and dare I say it: unamerican. These illegal arrests must be stopped. The government can not be given free reign to detain or spy on law-abiding citizens. If Hawash has committed a crime, he should be charged as such and given a fair trial. There are far too many people in our government who seem to be reading 1984 as a handbook for doing business (one of these days I'll finish reading that book...hopefully sometime before fiction becomes reality).

    • posted at 21:57 April 1, 2003 by Dave St.Germain - 0 comments

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