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Related Articles: - The Godly Must Be Crazy "Many Christian fundamentalists feel that concern for the future of our planet is irrelevant, because it has no future. They believe we are living in the End Time, when the son of God will return, the righteous will enter heaven, and sinners will be condemned to eternal hellfire. They may also believe, along with millions of other Christian fundamentalists, that environmental destruction is not only to be disregarded but actually welcomed -- even hastened -- as a sign of the coming Apocalypse." (read more) -George Bush and the Rise of Christian Fascism "Thirdly: since the world is passing away the environment is not of great importance. There is no need to worry about issues of sustainability because the world is in its final countdown. Part of the unconcern towards global warming and other ecological crisis is the religious belief that we aren't going to be around in 100 years. We're in the end times now. Every moment is merely preparation for eternity." "There is a disconnect between one's inner experience of God's loving grace and embodying that experience outwardly through one's politics. This leads to a discounting of following Jesus in a lifestyle of nonviolence, economic justice and compassion." (read more) -Bush the Christian "Nonetheless, these 'Christians' know, and the prospect of a Middle Eastern conflagration moves forward their ultimate goal, to reign with Christ during the thousand years of His earthly rule when He comes again. (Elliott Abrams, director of Middle East policy for Bush’s National Security Council, actually gave a briefing to evangelical preachers at the White House, reassuring them that their vision of Armageddon harmonized perfectly with Bush’s Middle East policy). While it is hardly 'optimistic,' apocalyptic language nonetheless identifies the believer with the future, which is good, although, like Marx, he recognizes that, in the immediate future, in view of Armageddon, things will get a lot worse before they get any better." "This assertion authorizes an attack on any person or country or community that is merely suspect of harboring ill will against the 'good,' because, of course, they are part of 'the axis of evil.' No longer does the invader have to wait for an outright 'causus belli,' as Christian Just War theory and traditional civilized norms of action require." (read more) - Deficit Analysis and Bush Differ "Deficits have soared under Mr. Bush, who took office when the budget had a surplus of more than $150 billion and is now presiding over the second record deficit in a row." (read more) - Divided America: The Bush factor "Fewer than 10% of Democrats approve of his performance, polls suggest. More than 85% of Republicans do. Experts predict that America's famously low voter turnout will be unusually high this year partly because people on both sides feel so passionately about Mr Bush himself." (read more) - Thousands protest against Bush "Tens of thousands of people have protested in London against President Bush and the war on Iraq." (read more) - Protests against Bush in Ottawa "Thousands of protesters tested U.S. President W. George Bush's security bubble last night, toppling metal barricades and going nose-to-nose with riot police while the president attended a dinner inside the Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Que." (read more) - Iran, Syria to form 'united front' "Regardless of one's political persuasion, we can all agree that Iran and Syria's announcement of the formation of an alliance explicitly to stand united against the US is a negative development." (read more) - Is America a Rogue State? "Never before in history has the world been so united against the U.S. The U.N. refused to support this war; world public opinion was overwhelmingly against it; even America was largely unconvinced of the case for war. "Preventative" war is not a strategy for defense: it's a thinly veiled excuse for conquest." (read more - PDF) - Study puts civilian toll in Iraq at over 100,000 "More than 100,000 civilians have probably died as direct or indirect consequences of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, according to a study by a research team at Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore." (read more) - Worldwide terrorism-related deaths on the rise "As speakers at the GOP convention trumpet Bush administration successes in the war on terrorism, an NBC News analysis of Islamic terrorism since Sept. 11, 2001, shows that attacks are on the rise worldwide — dramatically." (read more) - U.S. quietly building up nuclear arsenal of WMD "Even as the United States leans on North Korea and Iran to renounce any nuclear objectives, peace activists say it has stepped up spending on its own arsenal, including investments in a new generation of longer lasting and sturdier “bunker buster” weapons. The “quiet effort” involves a relatively modest budget of $9 million for engineers at the nation’s three nuclear weapons laboratories—Los Alamos, Livermore and Sandia. Its goal is to produce new warhead prototypes in the next decade." (read more) - Pat Robertson says Bush told
him there would be no casualties in Iraq war "Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson says he warned President Bush before U.S. troops invaded Iraq that the United States would sustain casualties but that Bush responded, 'Oh, no, we're not going to have any casualties.'" (read more) - Pat Robertson: God tells me
it's Bush in a blowout "The Lord has just blessed him," Robertson said of Bush. "I mean, he could make terrible mistakes and comes out of it. It doesn't make any difference what he does, good or bad, God picks him up because he's a man of prayer and God's blessing him." (read more) - The world backs Kerry
against Bush in US election: global polls "George W. Bush's policies have stirred up deep global resentment and the world would much prefer John Kerry to be the next US president, research by leading global newspapers published Friday showed." (read more) - GOP-funded registration drive accused of deception "He quit after two hours. 'They said if you bring back a bunch of Democratic cards, you'll be fired,' Banse contends. 'At that point, I said, "Whoa. Something's wrong here."'" (read more) - Despite Bush Flip-Flops,
Kerry Gets Label "One of this year's candidates for president, to hear his opposition tell it, has a long history of policy reversals and rhetorical about-faces -- a zigzag trail that proves his willingness to massage positions and even switch sides when politically convenient." (read more) -Nader/Camejo Challenge
Electronic Voting Results in New Hampshire "The seller of the machines, the Diebold Corporation, is a supplier of money to one of the major party candidates, George W. Bush. The CEO and top officers of Diebold are major contributors to the Bush campaign." (read more) - Falling US dollar could lead to global economic disaster, UN reports says "Economic experts say President Bush seems to be counting on the US dollar's falling value worldwide to make the nation's goods cheaper and, therefore, lead to a boost in the American economy. But a United Nations report says that strategy is risky. Unless the US government cuts spending and starts saving, the UN says, the falling American dollar will likely lead the world market to an 'abrupt and globally damaging correction.'" (read more) - Are politicians planning to bring back the draft? "Will there be a new call-up? Rumors that Washington wants to reinstitute the draft have been circulating for months--ever since the Pentagon last year quietly floated a call to fill dozens of local draft board positions. But now, the floundering occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan may be giving a renewed sense of urgency to the White House’s draft plans." (read more) |
George W. Bush &
the End of the
World (with over a hundred links and references compiled over the course of the following four months) The recent reelection of President George W. Bush in the U.S. has left ripples the world over. We are living in historic times and many of us are aware of that fact. Some of us, however, disagree on what legacy will be left by another four years of President Bush. Based upon the last four years and the rise in power of neo-Conservatism, some people fear that the reelection of Bush means global warfare and the end of the world. Do I believe that Bush will bring about the end of the world? No, but he'll certainly try. The First Four Years
The Environment Over the last four years, every environmental standard set during the Clinton administration and many of his predecessors was abolished under the Bush administration. Scientists from around the world have continued to warn this administration about the dangers of global warming, but the president and his staff have repeatedly tried to deny the urgency of any such environmental changes. Bush's "Clear Skies Initiative" leads to massive increases in pollution (see links on right). And, in an effort to be "pro-business," coal burning clean air standards have been put into the hands of the plants themselves, meaning that they don't have to (or plan to) clean up. Mercury in the air from these plants has already found its way into most bodies of water where it converted into methylmercury by water bacteria and finds its way into fish. Scientists say that the only thing worse to have in your body than methylmercury is plutonium. Mercury levels have already been linked to the dramatic rise in autism. In fact, a vaccine manufacturer used mercury as a preservative in its vaccines, leading to countless cases of autism and permanent brain damage in children. Outraged parents wanted the company to take legal responsibility, so, after the head of that company was put on the homeland security panel, a legal immunity clause for the company was placed into the "Homeland Security Bill." The president and his Neo-Conservative administration have also taken animals popular to fur hunters off the endangered species list and cut back on nature preserves, something that was unthinkable before this administration. Scientists overwhelmingly agree that this president has the worst environmental record of any president in history. The Economy The last four years has seen an almost unbelievable turn around from a record surplus left after the moderate Clinton administration to a record deficit, which continues to grow larger. The national debt has ballooned to nearly eight trillion dollars, as the president and his administration continue to spend money that America does not have. The dollar has already fallen to a record low abroad. And, at home, the poor have increased in numbers while already wealthy Americans as well as companies that heavily support the president have received countless tax breaks and grown even wealthier. At the same time, the middle class has continued to shrink. Morality Following September 11th, 2001, the US underwent a "religious revival," which gave the president at least a fair chance at winning reelection. Bush voters, such as my parents, site "morality" as the major factor in their support of the president. However, unless the definition of morality is hypocrisy, then Bush and his administration are far from moral. The "Conservative Christian" movement has pushed a kind of selective and relative "morality." For example, George W. Bush himself talks about creating a "culture of life," yet executed a record number of people in his state of Texas as governor as well as perpetuated violence that has cost the world hundreds of thousands of lives. He talks about being a "good steward" of the earth, yet his environmental policies clearly disagree with that assessment. He claims not only to be a "born again Christian" but also to have a moral authority that is directing his agenda. Yet, it's clear that the authority is not Christ himself. After all, Jesus taught helping the poor, lectured the wealthy about giving up their treasures for treasures in heaven, promoted understanding and tolerance and taught freedom from fear, not more fear. And, unlike the president, Jesus practiced every word that he preached. Foreign Affairs Whether intentionally or not, the president has successfully divided this nation and its allies and united its enemies. Bush and his administration have engaged in a reckless foreign policy that is most clear in Iraq, where over a thousand Americans have died and over a hundred thousand Iraqis have died, but is also clear in the rest of the world, where terrorism continues to increase dramatically. As the president said on August 5, 2004, “Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.” Meanwhile, country after country has stepped up production of nuclear weapons. In a show of moral hypocrisy, the "rogue nation" of the US has condemned those nations while funding an effort to build up our own nuclear arsenal (which we say will be used for "peace"--ironically also what Iran says about its weapon programs). One country that has grown more dangerous under Bush's rule is North Korea. Interestingly enough, North Korean leader Kim Jung Il has many similarities to US president George W. Bush. Both men are immature, reckless and unpredictable, which makes them both very dangerous. They don't consider consequences or take responsibility for their actions. Pat Robertson, who still believes that the president can do no wrong because he is chosen by God, said that he tried to warn the president before the Iraq war that it was going to be "messy." He also said that the president didn't believe that there would be any causalities and we have already seen that the president either refuses to admit mistakes or honestly doesn't believe that he's made any. Like a stubborn child (though, admittedly an insult to children everywhere), the president refused to humble himself and ask for help from the UN, even beg if he must. Early on his presidency, his refusal to offer a simple apology to China almost created an international disaster. He has too much pride, one of the most destructive sins listed in the Bible. After all, if you're on a mission from God, how can you be wrong? Like it or not, the United States has a profound impact on the rest of the world. We saw this with Russia's Vladimir Putin. After seeing what the Bush administration was able to get away with in the name of "terrorism," Putin seems set on becoming the new Czar of Russia. It's reminiscent of a quote by Bush in 2000: ""If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier...just as long as I'm the dictator..." In a fashion similar to the rise of the Conservative Nazi party, Neo-Conservatives have some to power through fear. Much of the friction in the world is because the rest of the world is going forward, but the US is going back. And now Putin wants to go back too. Bush has divided not only the country, but also the world. He has made war and encouraged violence by encouraging American arrogance, which breads global resentment. Joey notes that patriotism may be the cause of more wars than religion. "I mean, holding one's country in such high regard tends to dismiss other countries and makes the people care less about other countries and more about themselves. That's why Conservatives have always been more patriotic to their country. They're saying that the needs of their country far outweigh the needs of the world. And, so, naturally there's going to be friction with other countries and that friction leads to some sort of conflict, oven big disagreements and sometimes war. Or, mainly that's the big thing that leads to fighting or battles or disagreements or misunderstandings--not being able to see other people's perspectives." The
Election
I wrote this of my experience on voting day (Tuesday November 2nd, 2004, shortly before 5pm): I was nervous and started sweating while I was
inside the voting room. The line wasn't too long. The whole thing only took
about an hour. Almost all of that was standing in line, as the touch screen
voting was easy and straightforward. I came prepared with who and what to
vote for. I had reviewed the propositions and measures. There were a few that
I could not form a solid opinion on because the wording was unclear or each
side claimed that the other was lying. I voted Democrat straight across the
board. Both Joey and I felt an initial inclination to click Bush, perhaps
simply because his name appeared at the top of the list. Still, Joey
instinctively mentions Bush's name first. He points out that "Bush"
is simpler to say than "Kerry" and we've known Bush longer and are
more familiar with him. It's still unclear who will win. Joey says that,
"I felt that if I didn't vote that Bush would win and if I did vote,
Kerry would win. I feel like it has something to do with me." We've spent more time in traffic than at the
polls. The car is starting to overheat. Some people have had to wait for
three or four hours. Joey says, "But what's a few hours compared to four
years of something you have to live with?" We were the only people under 30 at the polling place, except for one of the poll workers. Joey says, "What does it take to get them [people our age] to come out?" The man behind us in line was telling me that, back when he first voted, people weren’t even allowed to vote until they were twenty-one. He said that he was happy to see young people voting, even though the rest of the long line appeared to be middle aged people, probably parents. President Bush ran a successful campaign on the idea that, while you may disagree with his views, at least you know where he stands. He may want to destroy the world, but at least you know about it and that makes it ok. Democrats could have countered with by running an ad with a quote by bush like, “Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we," with a simple line from Kerry in the end saying, "This is why I'm running for president." If the Democrats would have portrayed President Bush as incompetent, Bush would have lost the election. Yet, they didn't because they ran too ethical of a campaign, unlike the Republicans. Led by Karl Rove, Bush's reelection campaign successfully portrayed his opponent John Kerry as a "flip flopper." The media, which loves to sensationalize news, played right into Rove's hands. In fact, John Kerry's clear and foreboding warning before casting his vote to give the president authority to go to war as a last resort was never shown on television, thus creating the illusion that Kerry did not have a consistent position. Still, with all the lies and deceit before, during and after the election, Conservative Republicans were still forced to do at least a little cheating. Perhaps the US is not as dumb as the world believes. Republicans in Ohio invalidated Democratic registration forms because they were "not printed on heavy enough paper." In Las Vegas, democratic registration forms were found in the trash due to the "voter outreach" being hired by the GOP. The list goes on and on. During the election, the exit polls showed Kerry winning, meaning that either millions of Americans who voted for Bush lied to the exit pollsters or the election was rigged. Interesting enough, cases of computerized voting malfunctions have thus far shown that every case gave votes to Bush or took them from Kerry, but never did the reverse. It's interesting because the manufacturers of the machines used by approximately one third of voters were big contributors to the Bush campaign. Unfortunately, any major Conservative attack on the democratic voting process would most likely not be discovered until the 2006 election or later, possibly much later. Could such a vast conspiracy even be possible? Well, as improbable as it may be, I still wouldn't put such a devious plot past this group of people. The Next Four Years And Beyond The Environment And Faith The film The Day After Tomorrow was recently released on DVD. It depicts a fumbling president looking to his vice president to know what to do and a Cheney-esc vice president who says things like, "Dr. Hall, our economy is every bit as fragile as the environment. Perhaps you should keep that in mind before making sensationalist claims.” Although the radical climate changes occur in the movie far faster than anyone is realistically predicting, the dramatic environmental changes are far too realistic. And, just as with the real presidential administration, scientists keep warning them but they refuse to listen or even admit the problem exists. Not even global weather disasters seemed to wake them up in the film, which is worrisome for us in the real world. I would love for The Day After Tomorrow to be required viewing for the president and his staff, but the president doesn't even read the newspaper or watch the news. Yet, as ignorant as they may be to global warming and pollution, an apocalyptic future is exactly what this president and his followers believe is coming quite soon. An overwhelming majority of modern "Christian Conservatives" believe that we are in the end times. The book of Revelation from the Bible speaks of a violent, apocalyptic time period immediately before the return of Christ. It even speaks of a third of the earth being burned with fire. These same people don't care about the environment, despite it being God's creation and our duty to care for it. You see, if the end is near, why bother ensuring the environment or the health of future generations? Thus their twisted logic allows them to turn Christian principal on its head and care instead about the economy and the acquisition of wealth and immediate gratification. They only see the present, not the future economic and environmental impacts of their actions. That is why the president is such a perfect representation of this philosophy. And, for his Conservative allies, their Conservative greed meets "Christian" judgment and they see no conflict of interest. After all, if God's going to burn this "sin cursed" earth anyway, why not give Him a hand and make a profit while you're at it? Yet, before people, like myself, argue that they are abusing the Word of God, we need to understand why these people want the world to end so badly. As Joey says, "They don't want to see gays walking down the street. They say, 'Oh, hell. God, come down here and destroy this world.' Just like when I was a Conservative I wanted the world to end." These people see a lot of "sin" all around them in the world and they want to pass judgment on it so badly that it frustrates them. Though, "judge not lest ye be judged." They also feel tempted by these things they see all around them, but they have to remain afraid, ashamed and always in control. And, once they die, they'll go to paradise and won't have to deal with the things of this world. Yet, this attempt at denying reality and not dealing with consequences only leads to more problems. To not care about others, even when the future of society is at stake, is ignorant, reckless and just plain dangerous to this country and the world. Let's say that I am a farmer who depends on my crops for food. I'm convinced that the end is near, so I don't bother planting any crops this year. In time, I starve. In essence, I fulfilled my own prophecy by believing that I am destined to it. Let us not put the health and future of this world at stake by destroying the environment because of an ill-formed belief. There have been many times throughout history that people have believed that the end was near. For example, during the Middle Ages, wars, natural disasters, famine, the Black Death (Bubonic Plague) and Catholic teaching lead to end-time anxieties. Even earlier, this quote was found on an Assyrian tablet dating back to 2800 BC: "The Earth is degenerating today. Bribery and corruption abound. Children no longer obey their parents, every man wants to write a book, and it is evident that the end of the world is fast approaching." Many of those left to die in Pompeii believed that they were living the end of the world and surely many thought that the end times were at hand when the early Catholic Church was persecuting people before the Reformation or torturing them during the Inquisition. The Economy For years, countless well known elites from Christian teacher Jack Van Impe to the authors of the Left Behind series have taught that the Antichrist will be the leader of the European Union and eventually the world. Many "Christian Conservatives" have taken these teachings to heart. Ironically, they are again fulfilling their own prophecy by strengthening the power of the EU. Countries that were reluctant to join the EU have reconsidered during the Bush administration. In fact, countries are now flooding the EU with requests for membership. The EU and the euro is Europe's best hope for economic independence from the US. Yet, with the dollar already far weaker than the euro, many economists are predicting economic disaster, not just for the US but also for the still very dependent global economy that continues to invest in the dollar. As this country continues to borrow to cover its spending, a huge trade deficit is emerging between the US and the countries that we continue to borrow from. China’s economy is growing at a record rate and it is only a matter of time before China stops investing in the US dollar and our deeply indebted economy falls. Yet, in sticking with the mantra of not considering consequences, we are leaving future and even present generations of Americans a debt that none of us can pay. With the congress constantly asking for a spending increase in already record deficits, it's clear that destroying the economy is at the heart of the president's plan to bring about the end of the world. He has even proposed "flattening" the tax code, which some speculate will lead to the final extinction of the teetering middle class. And, with rampant consumerism about to reach its disastrous conclusion, Joey estimates that the US economy has, at most, ten years left. The question is whether or not the rest of the world will be able to gain economic independence before the US economy completely collapses. Morality and Foreign Policy With Americans and Iraqis dying daily in Iraq and other nations like Iran just asking to be invaded, there has been a lot of talk of a draft. Although Joey foresees the president pulling the troops out of Iraq (and the impending civil war in that country), he actually hopes for a draft. "Maybe then the young people will finally put down their Playstation 2 controllers and start caring about what's happening." As for us, we'll make a break for Canada (before it freezes over). Bush has become a recruiting tool for terrorists. They easily see that stereotypical "American arrogance." A "war on terror(ism)," like a war on poverty, can have no foreseeable end. We are two worldviews colliding. Although those around the president have been careful to make sure that Bush distinguishes his "war on terror" from a war on Islam, "Christian" teachers have boldly made the connection. People from Pat Robertson to Jerry Falwell see this as a holy war between Christians and Muslims. And, they're not alone in their beliefs, both in America and abroad. The Middle East already sees this as a holy war and America has clearly allied itself with their enemy, Israel. The problem with a holy war is that people are willing to kill and die for their beliefs. One method used during the election by the GOP to rally the Conservative "Christian" base was to send out mailings creating a false sense of fear that Liberals want to outlaw Christianity and the Bible. These same crafty Conservatives frequently bring up Hitler as the epitome of evil. Yet, Hitler and the Nazis were not going around persecuting Christians for their faith. Throughout history, "Christians" are the ones who have done the persecuting. Many Conservative "Christians," from Bush to Joey's father want a dictatorship, yet, when faced with a dictatorship abroad, hate it. It's the same reason that they hate Hitler and Muslims. They're so similar. They are Conservative fundamentalists and the hatred comes from self-hatred. That's why mothers and daughters or fathers and sons fight more than mothers and sons or fathers and daughters; they're too similar. For example, in the Middle East it's against the law to have sex outside of marriage and homosexual sex warrants the death penalty. That sounds like the direction some in the South and Midwest would like to move us in. Analyzing what drives these religious extremists to create global warfare, we see many root causes. In many cases, due to genetics, diet, and upbringing, many Conservatives are naturally violent and aggressive. However, another more subtle cause is the shame instilled by these religions. They promote shame of body, thoughts, etc. Creating a strong sense of guilt over something that one has no control over leads to self-hatred, which leads to hatred of others and creates frustration, anger, hostility and a whole host of problems that we are now witnessing. Ironically, this also leads to overcompensation, by believing that one’s religion is superior to all others to the point of being the one true religion. Since humans are innately prideful (which is why shame must be hammered in unnaturally), another aspect of religious Conservatives is the fact that they place their beliefs on such a high pedestal that even human life is below it. Conservatives, like both Joey’s father and mine, don’t want to accept “handouts” and are against anyone else accepting them either. Yet, we Americans have shown that we are dangerous with our religious pride and zealotry. We came to America and easily conquered the Native Americans because they wanted peace and we came well armed. We then went to Africa to acquire what we saw as “subhuman” slaves from tribes that wanted peace. We see America as “the greatest nation on the face of the earth” and the rest of the world beneath us, envying us. This inability to understand our enemies will cost us dearly because this time our “enemy” doesn’t want peace. They’re just like many of us. They want the world to end. Conclusion Despite the president calling his reelection a “mandate,” America is still deeply divided over George W. Bush. He is the most divisive president in the history of this country and his impact will undoubtedly run long and deep. The world, on the other hand, is not quite so divided over our president. Most of the world is against him, which seems to suit him and United (“red”) States just fine. There are a few out there that do support him, such as Osama Bin Ladin, who tactfully released a tape just before the election to help rile up Bush’s base and ensure that Bush, his biggest recruiting tool, remains in power to revive the extremist views in the Conservative Muslim community. So, will the rest of the world as well as parts of the US that voted against the president stand by while Bush starts World War III? Will Democrats roll over again, as they did with the passing of the Patriot Act? Will the world stand by while people now die from the dramatic climate changes effecting the Northern Hemisphere? Simply put, will the Bush led Neo-Conservative movement succeed in bringing about the end of the world? Most likely, no. The rest of the world obviously has too much at stake in the world’s downfall. Currently, America’s strength is our military, but our weakness is our economy. The value of the dollar continues to fall and, with a major health care crisis on the horizon, it’s only a matter of time before the US economy fails. Additionally, the deep rifts and divisions created by this president cannot easily be mended and will most likely grow, tearing this nation apart. There has already been some talk in states like California and New York of succession. So, what Bush will do instead is lay the foundation for the fall of America. The world will still be there. The real question is, will we be part of that world? Previous | My Thoughts | Topics | Next Also see: - Field & Stream: Don't Eat That Fish - American Economy Threatened by Historic Deficit - “Global Day of Protest” Condemns U.S. Occupation of Iraq - Voting Fraud in the 2004 Presidential Election - Voting machine error multiplied Bush votes by 1000% - Will the Antichrist come out of the European Union? - U.S. death toll in Iraq passes 1,000 - War Helps Recruit Terrorists, Hill Told - Shocking Rise in Children Being Diagnosed with Autism - Judge: Bush Administration Violated Endangered Species Act - Turkey Shoot - How Bush made enemies of our allies. -END-OF-THE-WORLD PREDICTIONS: SECULAR PREDICTIONS vs CHRISTIAN PROPHECY |
-Road Map in the Back Seat? "President Bush had told him this: 'God told me to strike at al Qaeda and I struck them, and then he instructed me to strike at Saddam [Hussein], which I did, and now I am determined to solve the problem in the Middle East. If you help me I will act, and if not, the elections will come and I will have to focus on them.'" (read more) -Crimes Against Nature "Today, one out of every six American women has so much mercury in her womb that her children are at risk for a grim inventory of diseases, including autism, blindness, mental retardation and heart, liver and kidney disease. My own levels of mercury are so high -- I had them tested recently -- that a woman with the same levels would have a child with cognitive impairment. The Clinton administration had classified mercury as a hazardous pollutant under the Clean Air Act, which triggered a requirement that those utilities remove 90 percent of the mercury within three and a half years. It would have cost less than 1 percent of plant revenue, and the great thing about it is that it works; we now know that when the utilities stop discharging mercury, that the fish downstream clean up almost immediately. But this is an industry that gave all that money, over $100 million, to the president. A few months ago, the Bush administration announced that it was scrapping the Clinton-era regulations and substituting instead regulations that were written by utility lawyers, from the law firm of Latham and Watkins. Under the new rules, the utilities will effectively never have to clean up their mercury. And the chief lobbyist for Latham and Watkins was Jeffrey Holmstead, who is now the head of the air division of EPA. This is an example of how corporations have infiltrated our government and are dismantling it in order to privatize the commons." MJ.com: “What consequences do you see for the environment if Bush is re-elected?” RFK: “I can’t imagine! What he’s done already would have been unimaginable five years ago. He is the number-one threat to the global environment. And the disastrous impacts of this administration don’t just go to the environment, but also to our democracy. My book is really not just about the environment, but more about the excess of corporate power and the corrosive impacts of excessive corporate power on our democracy.” (read more) -Is Christianity anti-Environmental? "As Christians, we should be doing everything Jesus commanded, including taking care of our families and all the resources He has given to us. Personally, our family recycles glass and plastic and we try not to waste energy (turn off lights, close doors, etc.). I want my three boys to be able to enjoy nature the way God created it." (read more) -"The Act contains a provision that exempts vaccine companies from responsibility for any damages inflicted by thimerosal, the mercury preservative in vaccines. This provision will preempt existing class-action lawsuits against Eli Lilly and Co., which charge that mercury in vaccines is responsible for the onset of childhood autism. No one is admitting to the authorship of this liability exemption, but President Bush coincidentally appointed Sidney Taurel, the CEO of Eli Lilly and Co. to his Homeland Security Council in June 2002. Bush's Budget Director, Mitchell Daniels, is also a former top executive with Eli Lilly." (links: 1, 2, 3) - Facts About the Bush Administration Plan to Weaken the Clean Air Act – The Sierra Club “In his 2003 State of the Union address, President Bush touted a plan that mandates a 70 percent cut in air pollution from power plants over the next 15 years. But why is the Administration bragging about a plan that will actually result in more pollution than if we simply enforced the existing Clean Air Act? Who stands to benefit from placing communities at risk, particularly children and the elderly who are significantly threatened by air pollution?” “Mercury is a dangerous toxin that threatens people and wildlife as a pollutant from coal-fired power plants. The EPA estimates that enforcement of existing toxic air pollution protections in the Clean Air Act will limit mercury pollution to 5 tons per year by 2008. The Bush Administration’s plan weakens the limit to 26 tons per year by 2010 – allowing 520 percent more mercury pollution. A new EPA report discusses the ways pregnant women pass mercury on to their babies, causing mental retardation, but why did the Administration sit on the report for more than nine months and only release it after journalists exposed their findings?” (read more) - Dirty Skies: The Bush Administration's Air Pollution Plan -- NDRC “As air pollution continues to harm Americans' health, the Bush administration is pushing its misnamed 'Clear Skies' initiative, which would gut existing health protections and do nothing to curb global warming.” (read more) -Clear Skies? “President Bush's critics have watched with mounting frustration as his administration has compiled one of the worst environmental records in recent history without paying any real political price. One reason may be that the issues at stake are too regional, like forest fires or salmon recovery, or too remote, like global warming. But the administration itself may now have witlessly altered this dynamic with its reckless and insupportable decision to eviscerate a central provision of the Clean Air Act and allow power plants, refineries and other industrial sites to spew millions of tons of unhealthy pollutants into the air.” (read more) - NDRC: Bush Administration Errs on Kyoto Global Warming Agreement "Opposing the international climate treaty the Unites States signed in 1997, President Bush and members of his administration have made misleading and erroneous comments." (read more) - Environmentalists Force Bush
Administration To Admit Failure on Global Warming - Administration Refuses
Groups' Legal Efforts For National Standards to Protect Human Health and
Environment “Today the Bush Administration's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was forced to admit its continued failure to take action to reduce the impacts of global warming. Responding to a lawsuit filed by three environmental organizations, the Bush Administration is expected today to officially announce it will do nothing to protect Americans from global warming pollution caused largely by greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles. In an abrupt about-face from earlier agency statements, EPA now claims that it lacks the necessary authority to regulate such heat-trapping emissions, leaving American communities at risk from global warming impacts.” (read more) - Scientists warn Bush on global warming "Temperatures are, in fact, rising," the panel warned. "Greenhouse gases are accumulating in the earth's atmosphere as a result of human activities, causing surface air temperatures and subsurface ocean temperatures to rise," the report said. It warned that "national policy decisions made now and in the longer-term future will influence the extent of any damage suffered by vulnerable human populations and ecosystems later in this century". (read more) - Mercury Rising "You've probably heard about the benefits of eating fish, ranging from heart health to wrinkle-free skin. But before you dive in for this high protein, omega-3 fatty acid-rich food, there a few things to know about a particular mineral that may also swim with the sea's bounty." (read more) - Next on Hit List: Endangered Species "The Bush administration announced new regulations Wednesday to expedite forest thinning projects by easing requirements under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Bush officials say the new rules will not reduce the level of protection for endangered species, but conservationists believe the decision reflects a far reaching White House policy to undermine and roll back protections for imperiled plants and animals." (read more) |
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· "So I don't know where he is. You know, I just don't spend that much time on him, Kelly, to be honest with you."