Who profits from war?

I think it's safe to say that president Bush thinks he is in the right. I wonder how he feels about his family's position, a position that allowed him to fail at all aspects of life, until he decided to run for public office. Read How Bush's grandfather helped Hitler's rise to power, and even if you haven't put together the pieces on George Bush Senior's business, you'll see a little of what supports Bush family power.

The cost of war

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed." President Dwight D. Eisenhower April 16, 1953

If you are interested in the cost of our actions in Iraq, visit http://www.costofwar.com/


Now even though you wouldn't like me when I'm angry, I can feel the inner economist in me getting out.

Spending on education, housing, welfare and foreign aid (non-military) never approaches defense spending. This has been true for a long time... way before jet fighters and tanks. Banks lend money because they get to mark up their assets (which they are lending, not selling) by over 300%. Governments spend the money on defense because it's the only thing we let them do. Businesses move into the defense market because it's the easiest way to make money disappear. Incidentally, we defended ourselves perfectly fine before the income tax.

Many a Libertarian and Republican would argue that the sole purpose of government is to defend from abroad and police within. They have latched onto the deep instinctual need for these services to justify their importance.
You could think of them as demagogues, leading the public by emotion. Concern, generosity and love come and go. Some people never feel them, while most citizens feel them fleetingly and fake it the rest of the time. Fear is always there and it always generates emotional responses.

Americans need to latch onto the one common desire amongst us. Greed. The only justification for supporting the government financially is domestic. If you don't think Americans should have free health care, free schools, or any free lunches, then stop paying taxes. If you think America should be well defended, buy a gun and defend it. Our nations' bankers stand behind the president as he sells us their loan. You don't have to say yes.

Foundations of Empire

I just had to spread this bit of sublime truth. Thank you Something Awful!

Substantial reward for an explanation of why car racing is patriotic.

No one wants to sit next to Bush

Everyone secure your beverage! He's got that sparkle in his eye.

The New York Times Can Suck An Egg

Surprise, surprise, violence in Iraq. The headline mentions, "scores dead." The New York Times, is just one of many newspapers that doesn't know an important story from stock quote.
Of course, in due news wire fashion, they are to include all the relevant facts:
"After the attack, [...] onlookers scaled the burning armored vehicle. Helicopters that flew in to protect the Bradley were then fired on from the ground and fired back, the military said in a statement, adding that the aircraft then destroyed the armored vehicle as well."
No mention of the onlookers who were on the vehicle. The Times even goes as far as to spread the military's pathetic excuses, saying that the helicopters,
"fired upon the anti-Iraqi forces and the Bradley, preventing the loss of sensitive equipment and weapons."
I, the layman, would have thought the way to avoid loss would be to recover the weapons. The human race has lost a great many loved ones. Turns out, we could have avoided all of that if we shot rockets at everything. Like the video game baddies who fall in a hailstorm of bullets and disintegrate, Bradley Armored Vehicles are designed to regenerate back at the base when exploded.

The people who print these stories are worse than branding execs who put, "may cause anal leakage" in small print on snack food packaging. When a spokesperson gives such an outrageously blind statement, it's any free speaker's duty to pull the ostrich's head out of the sand. If only these news spinning techniques existed back in the good war:
"Yesterday, our armed forces lost control of 2 Milton-Bradley^tm Nuclear devices over Japan. The president ordered the detonation of the devices, preventing the loss of the sensitive weapons. A popsticle stick house in Hiroshima was destroyed."

Mr. X becomes X-Squared!

Following a recent nuclear accident, 200 miles from Tokyo, I awoke this morning to discover that I have developed superpowers. The full extent of these powers is not yet known, however, many of my new abilities bear a resemblance to 'the force'. Scientologists advise me that my DNA may have mutated, no longer producing melanin, but hella-nin, which is hella-stronger. Another possibility is that my DNA was completely eradicated by the radiation, leaving my body free from the limits of humanity. In light of these new powers, Mr. X has been forced to create yet another alter-ego, Mr. X², who fights more directly for justice.

Domain Wars!

The previously isolated domain name, Spacewar.com, recently acquired Terrawar.com, in a bid to establish a new internet news empire. The domain has divided its vanquished foe into several puppet channels with names such as Military Space, Cyberwars, Missle News and Rayguns. Mr. X calls on journalists to expose this event for what it is, a bid for world domination... from space!

Despite their devious nature, the domain hosts some important space and war related information, as seen in this recent article; Stressed Israeli soldiers to be treated with cannabis

My Scene Sluts

To preface this entry, the word 'slut' is generally considered to be misogynistic, condemning women for behavior typically accepted among men. However, insofar as the term is helpful in describing an attitude towards promiscuity, Mr. X has found it helpful to use the term.

What kind of person identifies with the word, in spite of it's generally negative connotation? We checked Froogle for "slutty clothes" to see if the self-proclaimed slut has any distinctive apparel. The top link, frighteningly, was for My Scene Barbie Doll, Noree, selling at Amazon. Displayed on the page, are descriptions of the My Scene brand as trendy and fashionable. Numerous customers have left comments specifically denying the dolls' slutty nature, despite any explicit accusations of such, save for the link from Froogle.

Our conclusion on this linguistic matter; while the word 'slut' may be receeding from our common lexicon, the adjective, 'slutty' has become synonymous with trendy and fashionable. To quote a customer, "[trashy] clothes - this is the style today people-get with the times."