Topic #14. Why no attacks since 9/11 ... is it the efforts of U.S. Homeland Security and the Bush Administration?

The reason is simple — they don't need to do it again. The WTC attack was so successful that they managed to induce the Bushies to invade a country that had nothing to do with it, break our military in a pointless war and spend ourselves into bankruptcy chasing Iraqis who weren't terrorists to begin with, but now are. We've ruined our reputation, made our enemies multiply and lost our allies. What more could Bin Laden ask for? He could retire now as the most totally successful terrorist in history.

Besides, if he attacked us again, we might just invade some country like New Zealand looking for WMDs. That would be inconvenient, because with air fares so high, it would be too expensive for the terrorists to get there to kill our troops. BTW, that last little bit was what we call sarcasm — I felt I needed to point that out for some of the room-temperature IQ guys whose blog postings I've read on this site (especially those who wish they could vote for Bush a third time).

— Steven Jackson
Danbury, CT

Someday, thinking Americans will recognize that we were lucky to have a great president in office when 9/11 happened. There will come a time when historians will recognize George W. Bush for the great president that he has been. Thanks God we didn't have a pantywaist like Al Gore or John Kerry running things during this crucial period.

— Jim B
A Patriot

Because George W. Bush has done a great job protecting us from terrorism. He may have, on occasion, stepped a bit over the line as far as the Constitution goes, but there are more important things in the world than adhering to the letter of the law. Sometimes, you have to violate the rights of a few people to protect the rights and safety of the majority.

— James
California

I find it hard to believe that anything the incompetent Bush administration did has protected us. Maybe it's just that the terrorists haven't tried very hard. After all, they don't really need to ... our stupid president reacted to 9/11 by putting our troops in harm's way in Iraq, where the terrorists can get at them easily. Why should they try to sneak into the U.S. and kill Americans when there are plenty of them in Iraq to kill. Bush has already killed more Americans in Iraq than the terrorists killed on Sept. 11th, so I guess they've managed to be pretty successful. Don't forget, the terrorists blew up the WTC once before (during the Clinton administration), and then were pretty patient about coming back to finish the job. If you want to give Bush credit for protecting us since 9/11, then you have to equally grateful to Bill Clinton for "protecting" us for the rest of his administration. After all, it wasn't until Bush was in office a year that they attacked again ... so who's fault was that? I'm not saying this makes sense, just that it makes as much sense as the horsecrap that "James" guy posted on the subject.

— Richard
Stamford, CT

I think it is a combination of things:

1. Despite Katrina and others mishaps, the Homeland Security Department is not as incompetent as radical leftists and libertarians want it to be. Now that it is funded a little better, the same agencies that were once separate are working together a little better.

2. Liberals really hate this one, but the Bush administration may be right that the CIA's "aggressive interrogations" probably do yield some good intelligence information. This is a real moral quandary, but the idea that torture, like terrorism, is ineffective is simply not true. Both torture and terrorism are unfortunately effective at least part of the time.

3. I have stolen this from Bill Maher: Terrorists strike once every few years, like baseball players.

4. We are lucky that al-Qaida, unlike Hamas, are drama queens. They like big, spectacular attacks and won't settle for pizza parlors or shopping malls.

5. They have been content at least for now, to attack outside the U.S. — London, Madrid, Baghdad, Morocco, Indonesia, etc.

6. Despite the sniping over Iraq, the U.S. and France especially, have shared intelligence well. This proves that even the French and even the Bush Administration are capable of enlightened self-interest.

7. Notice that I did not make the argument that, by fighting them in Iraq and Afghanistan, we don't have to fight them here. We may have to stay in Iraq and Afghanistan to at least defeat them there, but, yes, they can walk and chew gum at the same time

8. Despite all of this, Homeland Security is still not funded well enough. Michael Chertoff is an incompetent douche, and inevitably there will be another al-Qaida attack of some kind. Perhaps they will settle for a lower-level, less-dramatic attack. Liberals will claim it is because we are in Iraq and it's Israel's fault. Conservatives will claim it is because we are talking about leaving Iraq and somehow blame gay marriage. A few serious people, like Joe Lieberman, John McCain, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and, surprisingly, Larry Cudlow, will try to get everybody's focus back on al-Qaida. The bad guys who started this whole thing. Period! Remember? And we will get more of the same.

Now I have to get back to work so I can get my beer money.

— Alex Simon
Fairfield, CT

Topic #13. The Bush Impeachment ... Yes or no?

George W. Bush is a heroic president and a godly man. It may take a few years to realize it but eventually the history books will show that he knew what was the right thing to do about terrorism, taxes and the liberal mindset that was out to ruin our country. 

— James Hunter
California

Are you out of you f___in' mind!??! W is the stupidest man ever to sit in the office of the president. I can't think of a single thing he did right. He spent the surplus, got us into a war we're losing, ruined our reputation in the world, stocked the Supreme Court with right-wing religious nuts and was as corrupt as any president since Warren Harding. I'm starting to get nostalgic for Nixon.

I only wish those spineless bastards in Congress would impeach him. But I guess no amount of being a lying sack of shit is enough to get him in the dock where he belongs. 

— Voice of Reason
Speaking From Sanity

Topic #12. Intelligence Design ... Science or superstition?

If you even have to ask the question, you're not as smart as you think you are. And from what I've seen of your Website, you think you're pretty smart. 

— Donald Felder
You figure it out

ID is just another way for stupid, crazy fundamentalist wackos to sneak their godforsaken nonsense into the school curriculum. If they like theocracy so much they should go live in Iran. As I understand it, one of the places where intelligent design has really caught on is in the Muslim world, where they haven't had a scientific advance since they invented algebra back in the Dark Ages. If we let them teach a pseudoscience like ID, pretty soon we'll be having classes in Creationism, and our math classes will be telling kids that pi is equal exactly three, like the Catholics believed for centuries.

Mixing science and religion is never a good idea. In fact mixing religion with anything is a bad idea. Keep it in the churches where it belongs, and that way the rest of us (those with brains) can avoid it. 

— Stuart Z.
Not Superstitious

Science thinks it knows it all. But the big bang and evolution may tell you how, but they'll never tell you why. Science can't answer the big metaphysical questions ... only God can. That's why the Bible has lasted for the past 5,000 years. 

— Joe
Intelligently Designed in Arizona

Topic #11. The War on Christmas ... Real or a figment of Fox News' imagination?

Secularists like you probably think there's no such thing as Christian bashing, but it's real and the war on Christmas is just one more example. It started with taking prayer out of the schools and you ACLU types won't be happy until you've banned any mention of God anywhere. This will be a much worse country when God no longer looks with favor on it.

— Marsha
On the road to Jesus

God will not be mocked. Try sticking finger eye in a light socket, and you'll get a shock. Same thing with taking Christ out of Christmas, which is sticking your finger in God's eye. You atheists want to ruin anything that's good about this country, but your punishment is coming.

— Jeff
Toledo

As far as this whole Xmas, Kwanzaa, Hannukkah business ... Why can't we all just get along?

— Rod King
Out here in the heartland

This is just right-wing demagogues like Bill O'Reilly stirring up ratings. Christmas has always been a secular holiday. It's not Jesus' birthday, it's the Roman Saturnalia, you boobs. It's always been a pagan holiday, and now it's just mainly for shopping and having a few drinks with friends ... which is nice.

— Netjob
In the ether

If you read your Bible and thought about it, you'd realize you shouldn't be celebrating Christmas at all. Or Easter or your birthday or any of the other non-Christian things you celebrate. If you really wanted salvation, you'd get it from the one place it's coming from — your local Kingdom Hall.

— Peter S.
A Jehovah's Witness

Jehovah's Witless is more like it. The only thing you can get at your local Kingdom Hall is bored. A bunch of holy rollers that are just as bad as the rest of you fundamentalist nutjobs. Why don't you just go all out and become a Scientologist and celebrate L. Ron Hubbard's birthday. Declare it a national holiday and then bitch and moan when other people don't want to sing Scientology carols.

— Mickey D.
A Pagan

Topic #10. George W. Bush ... This century's George Washington or idiot boy?

Phrases like "Too bad the French don't have a word for 'Entrepreneur'";

"I know how hard it is to put food on your family";

"After standing on the stage, after the debates, I made it very plain, we will not have an all-volunteer army. And yet, this week — we will have an all-volunteer army!"
Too bad all the Service people don't want to be re-upped for a mandatory FOURTH tour of duty!

"I own a timber company? That's news to me. Need some wood?"
 — President Bush, during the second presidential debate

Shit like this really scares me ...

Am I Unpatriotic?

Love your Blog, Mark

— Steve MacLeod
Southbury, Connecticut

W is the greatest president this country has seen since Reagan. When he's won the war on terror, defeated the secularists and put the gays in jail where they belong, people will recognize him for the hero he is.

— Steve
None of your business

Look deep into Bush's eyes — there's nothing there. No wonder he's a born-again Christian. Like most born-again Christians, he's a moron. He believes in Creationism and Intelligent Design, but I can't look at the fact that he was re-elected and believe there's any intelligence at all in the universe. At least Dick Cheney has some semblance of intellect behind his eyes ... it's pure evil, of course, but at least he looks like he could read a book without pictures in it.

— Mel
Chicago

Topic #9. Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ" ... Violent anti-Semitism or spiritual milestone?

Mel Gibson is a Jew-hating, gay-bashing, right-wing religious fanatic. He's great-looking, but kinda stupid ... like a dumb blonde with a big budget. Good for you for taking a swipe at him. Everyone's just too afraid of born-again Christian nuts. It's good to come to a site where someone knows something about the Bible that didn't come out of a fundamentalist Sunday school lesson. And did you ever read anything about Gibson's father? ... no wonder Mel's such a whackjob!

— Carrie S.
NYC

By the way, haven't you realized the Bible can't be anti-Semitic because Jesus is a Jew? Are you an moron? God love the Jews, and someday they too will accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.

— Steve
Still none of your business

Your opinion on The Passion is just what I'd expect from someone like you. Just remember there'll come a time when every knee will bend to the Lord Jesus Christ and you'll be begging him to give you the same punishment he received, rather than what God has in store for you in Hell.

— Steve
None of your business

Topic #8. Michael Jackson ... Victimized black man or pervert getting his just desserts?

Anybody that creepy deserves to be in jail. I'd arrest him just for what he's done to his face.

— Mickey
Missouri

White people hate it when a black guy's successful. What are you people so afraid of?

— Nichelle
No address given

Every time a black guy makes a big pile of cash, you guys get pissed off. I'd be afraid to get rich because there are some people in this country just too jealous for that.

— Stanley
Up Yours

Come on, he's practically admitted he's a pederast in print. Any guy who thinks it's cute to sleep with little boys should be locked up where the big boys can play with him. See how sweet he thinks it is when some big brother named LeRon comes to visit him in his cell and tells him it would be nice if they had milk and cookies together under the sheets. Somebody'll be tossing someone's salad.

— Phil
Connecticut

Topic #7. The Ten Commandments monument in Alabama ... Violation of church/state separation?

The 10 Commandments are the basis of our entire civilization. Only an atheistic heathen would deny that. No sane person with any sense or any morals could disagree with any part of any of them, so why shouldn't they be prominently displayed in an Alabama courthouse. In fact, they should be prominently displayed everywhere. What harm could it do? And who would be offended — just plain common sense.

— Allen S.
No Address Given

Get off it, Allen S. What's the S stand for? Have ever even read them? The first half is bullshit about the Sabbath, and graven images and taking the Lord's name in vain. It has nothing to do with real life, just a lot of ancient superstitions. You Christians don't even believe in half that stuff anyway — "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." How the hell does that square with "No one comes to the father except by me" (John something or other)? You guys believe in more than one God (three maybe ... the trinity isn't it?), and then you make a big deal out the 10 Commandments after you break the very first one. Gimme a break.

— Mickey
NYC, Hellhole of Liberalism

Topic #6. Fox News Channel ... Is it "Fair and Balanced" or are is it just GOP TV?

You say:

The Fox News Channel recently lost a law suit in which it tried to prevent liberal satirist Al Franken from using its trademarked slogan "fair and balanced" in the title of his new book about right-wing liars in the media.

WRONG. Fox dropped the suit when they realized it was giving the little worm too much free and unwarranted publicity.

Franken accused Fox's owners of being anti-free speech, and made the much more damning accusation that they also lack a sense of irony.

Based on what?

Is Fox conservatively biased or does it tell it like it is?

NOBODY tells it like it is, and if they did ... how the hell would WE know?!

Conservative columnist Tucker Carlson (the Republican voice on "Crossfire") enraged some of his fellow right-wingers when he wrote that the only reason Fox uses the phrase "fair and balanced" is to "piss off the Democrats." Was he being honest or just being too cute for his own good?

I believe that could very likely be true.  LOL

Is Bill O'Reilly really an "independent" and is "The Factor" really a "no-spin zone," or is he just Rush Limbaugh with a bit more education and the pretext of fairness?

O'Reilly is an ass, with a political philosophy that is all over the spectrum. He probably is an independent since his views don't fit into either party philosophy 100%. Which is fine. He is free to hold opposing views on issues simultaneously. Reveals what a whackjob he is, and that's fine too.

— Brian Castles
No Address Given

I think I am tired of being a Democrat.

After seeing Al Franken make a total ass of himself with regards to the Britt Hume episode, I have decided that I am going to become an independent. All of the dignity is lost in this party.

John Kennedy must be rolling in his grave at the level we have sunk to.

If no one on the our side condemns his actions then we need to take a strong look at who is leading the DNC. What will be next a gangster rapper to promote our agenda?

Let's show some class.

— Jim Hall
No Address Given

Topic #5. The WMDs ... Did Bush just make them up?

Leave it to a lefty like you to come up with the idea that our president just lied to us as a pretext to start a war. You must really hate this country. Just because we just suffered thru eight years with a liar in the White House is no reason to think this is continuing. The weapons will be found, Saddam will be killed, Osama will be killed, and you lefties will all have to eat crow!

— Cam B.
No Address Given

Good for you!!!! It's about time someone said what a lot of us are thinking. That guy has been getting away with murder. I saw a bumper sticker the other day that sums it up — "When Clinton lied, Hillary cried. When W. lied, people died." I don't actually believe Hillary gave a shit when Bill had his hog hummed, but Americans are dying everyday in Iraq because that ex-alcoholic fratboy wanted to show his old man he knew how to win a war.

— Netsurfer
Somewhere on the "Left Coast"

Topic #4. Legalizing Marijuana ... Should we give up on the war on drugs?

If we legalised drugs — all drugs — we could clean up the whole industry and wipe out huge sections of criminal activity. When you think about how much crime is linked to drugs — prostitution, burglary, muggings, theft, organised crime etc etc, the list is endless — we could clean up society in one fell swoop with a system of licensing. After all, if people want to blow their minds, who am I to stop them?

— Claire
Kent, U.K.

In a website full of stupid ideas this is one of the stupidest. Why don't you just concede we can't control ourselves and everything we want to do, from murder to gay sex to witchcraft, should be legal? You seem to think that because a degenerate like you can buy drugs — and you seem like just the type who uses lots of drugs — everyone should be given free access and we should just throw up our hands and give up. Do you think that's what God wants us to do? Maybe, instead of giving into our baser instincts, we could give Jesus a try. We could stop the drug plague if people would just read the Bible and follow its precepts. Although, I think you're already lost.

— Mandy
Norwalk, CT

Topic #3. The French: ... Should we invade them on the way home from Iraq for giving us a hard time in the United Nations?

I think not. France has every right as a member of the U.N. to disagree with our decision to invade Iraq. I say turn our guns on Hollywood, a group of individuals that; based on the mis-treatment (and maybe it wasn't) they received in the 50s by Communist-paranoid Senators, believe they can say anything they want at "The Oscars," a television show that loses more credibility every year, and think people will listen. The real dichotomy of the situation occurred when, not even an hour after the slanderous speech against our President, the whole lot of them gave a standing ovation for Roman Polanski. A man who makes Bill Clinton's sex life look like that of a Buddhist monk. And who has inspired such notorious verbiage as: "The Los Angeles district attorney's office would arrest him in a nanosecond if he set foot in this country." Polanski was accused of boozing, drugging and forcibly raping a 13-year-old girl in 1977 before fleeing the country while he was out on bail pending sentencing.

A quarter century later, he lives a luxurious life in Europe. He probably thinks there's no reason to put himself through the humiliation of returning to America.

Yes, these are the people who deserve to be bombed or banned from our planet.  The French are known for their vivacious sex lives and philandering with mistresses, but not raping 13-year olds.  And when they do, they are executed publicly, not allowed to leave the country and receive awards of recognition from people who are encouraged to speak their minds about political issues at a party that should be about rewarding talented people for their accomplishments. I don't believe the Academy's founding fathers had any more intention of this behavior than our country's did of allowing such individuals to escape prosecution through Judicial Prudence. The System loses again, and the partying drunks that we call "The Hollywood Elite" have the last laugh. They need to realize that just because they are popular amongst the American people, we do not, in most cases, agree with their political views. And we watch award shows to see if their opinion of talent agrees with ours not political rhetoric that we can hear delivered with as much class from the homeless. Or Al Sharpton for that matter.

— Kevin
New Milford, Connecticut

Topic #2. Greatest Person of the Second Half of the 20th Century: ... Who had more influence on the course of events ... for good or for evil ... of anyone in the years 1950–1999 ... I vote for Gorbachev, who did more than anyone else to end the cold war ... Make your choice.

Well, I suppose a case could be made for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but he may be a bit too regional (USA) for the "greatest" of the second half of the 20th century. Nelson Mandela probably deserves brief consideration, but he had no real sustain. Our old friend Osama surely needs serious consideration according to your criteria. He was responsible for horrible and far-reaching deeds prior to the turn of the millennium. However, since the effects of those acts were not really felt until the 21st century, maybe he has to wait for the first half of that century poll. Oprah Winfrey? Princess Di? No, wait, Princess Di's best friend Mother Teresa. All the religious arguments aside she actually, single-handedly, made a real difference in the lives of many people. Not that anyone with a dime in their pocket would care about the people she was helping. Oh no, let's go for the guy with that goofy map on his bald forehead. He tears down a crummy wall and you want to make him the hero of the world. Now, had it been the Great Wall of China he tore down that would have been one hell of a great feat. Speaking of China, remember that guy who stood in front of the tank (was it in Tiananmen Square?). He deserves at least one vote.

— The Hammer
Fairfield, Connecticut

I agree with the Webmaster — Gorbachev could have called in tanks and he didn't. He could have kept the Cold War going indefinitely, but he chose not to. He did the right thing, he let the Soviet Union fall, and it fell without bloodshed, so he's got to be the giant of my lifetime. He should've gotten the Nobel Peace Prize (or maybe he did, I don't remember).

— Josh
Springfield, Mass.

Wrong! Gorbachev had no choice but to end the Cold War 'cause we forced him to. He would have gone broke trying to keep up with us because democracy rocks, capitalism rocks and communism sucks. There's only one man even in the race for greatest man in the second half of the 20th century, the greatest president in my lifetime — Ronald Reagan!

— Steven
Somewhere in the Midwest

Topic #1. Rap: ... no melody, no harmony ...one rap pretty much the same as the next — only the words can change, since there's no tune or harmonic structure ... shouted poetry, but really lousy poetry you wouldn't read if it were printed on a page ... Eminem is reputed to be talented, but what exactly is his talent? He plays no instrument, composes no music, doesn't sing, doesn't dance ... with the recognition of rap as a primitivist art form, we may finally have hit the bottom of the cultural barrel, both musically and intellectually. What do you think?

Damn straight I want to reply. Why start or stop with any of those guys. Remember a guy named Kurt Cobain. Music? Please. When the generation that made any of those guys famous dies out, so will their music. Now if you want to talk musical genius and poetry that rhymes with depth and dignity, just take and have a listen to a fellow who goes by the name Bob Dylan. Now that's music. Funny, though, my parents think it's crap.

— The Hammer
Fairfield, Connecticut

Well, considering I have to listen to Eminem constantly as the mother of a teenage son, my goodwill to that young man is wearing thin. Poetry? Please ...! Now, if you want poetry, look no further than Luther Vandross ...

— Claire Bellot
United Kingdom

It appears from reading your commentary that you are a lot farther right than you care to believe.  The rantings about Eminem sound absurdly familiar to the commentary made about Elvis Presley in the early 60's.  Understand, of course, that I am not saying Elvis was untalented or that Eminem is more talented, especially voice-wise. Because as you point out the rappers generally are shouting out poetry.  But to condemn the poetry because it rhymes or sounds inane to you is the same is our predecessors trying to ban Rock-N-Roll in the 50's as Satanic and mind-numbing.  When you look at it artistically, they did the same thing.  They are white men that have brought a black culture to teenage Americans.  To decide if that art form is music by comparing your intellect to theirs is Fascist in nature.  Were you burning Vanilla Ice records with Nancy Reagan 20 years ago?  I didn't see her on your list of people not to listen too.  But I think she still listens to Rush once in awhile. 

I am not saying that I am a huge fan of RAP, however, some artists I do enjoy and as with anything NEW it requires developing a taste for and deciding good from bad. Not all art created during the Renaissance was good. But where would sculptures be today had critics picked out the bad art and condemned the entire movement? My intent is merely to answer your question "Can someone tell me why I'm WRONG about this?" The wrong you commit is black-balling an art style because you don't "get" it.  As far as artistic genius, again this is in the minds of the people who enjoy rap music. Again comparing Slim to the King, people in the press tend to call those that can transgress one culture into another's mindset genius. This being said, Elvis merely copied black artists that could not get playtime on white radio. At least Em is creating poetry that he believes in and deals with real issues facing today's society. Abusive parents, single-mother families, drug abuse etc. If that's what you call rock-bottom than you no doubt have not heard gangsta music or the cerebral offerings of Brittany Spears. Don't forget it was Blondie who tried to sell white people on rap 25 years ago. But if you want to try to understand it, I would recommend listening to the "words" of En Vogue rap queens "Free Your Mind and the Rest Will Follow." There are no wrong artists, the only ones who can be judged as wrong, in my America, are those that repress others, like the Moral Majority types that you appear to also disagree with. Comprende?

— Kevin
New Milford, Connecticut

I hate to go off on a rant here, but you hit the nail on the head with your rap about rap. What crap (I love to rhyme too). How can you even tell who's good at it and who isn't? Why is Eminem good and Vanilla Ice suck? Neither of them has an ounce of talent, so what makes one any better than the other? And those gangster types ... sometimes they just repeat the same line over and over again, like that stuff wasn't boring enough already. How brain-dead do you have to be to listen to this stuff? No wonder teenagers like it ... do you remember how goddamn stupid you were when you were a teenager? But what's the excuse for adults — are they just trying to convince their kids they're still cool? What's next — music without music or words. Maybe when the morons get tired of rap, they'll start listening to guys grunt the same syllable over and over in front of a drum machine ... wholly crap, I better keep my mouth shut, or someone from the "hip-hop culture" will start doing it, kids'll start buying it and pathetic adults will start telling us how the grunter is some sort of primitive, minimalist genius.

— Rob T.
Australia

I read your question. My only thought is that young people are easily influenced, and often won't grow out of it. That is why people ANY AGE like that stupid music. My theory is some people just go by the sound and can't even understand the words to it at all. To me, music is just sound. A vibration of air is what makes noise — that is also how you can burst someone's ear drums.

Foolishly, some people just like the music because their friends do. They are too afraid to admit that they hate it and through trying to be accepted by others they like that garbage. I'm sure you have watched "Married with Children" before. It made a joke of rap. Sounds crap. But then, when Al watches the film clips he just makes these silly body movements and Peggy asks him what he is doing. That is all I can remember.

— K. Jenkins
Canberra, Australia

you sound like the typical old suburban white guy racist elitist english major with lots of college education about dead white men and no soul who wants to talk about hip-hop culture but has no understanding of any culture beyond his own bland white toast yuppie scum northeastern U.S. caucasian beliefs who can't hide his contempt for the african-american artforms because he's too much of a tightass preppie snob with no dance in his feet no soul in his loins and no brains in his white boy head ... and that's my rap and it didn't even rhyme!

— Rollo.
L.A.

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