The comedy isn't that funny any more...

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

For a while, Stewart, Colbert and Maher had me howling.

I thought that the end of madness was near.

Now, with the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, I cry.

The deaths, the waste, the lies.

The frightening beauty of the golden light from the bombing of Baghdad strikes so deaply that it makes my heart skip a beat today.

I think back to the fear I felt when george gave Saddam and his sons 48 hours to "get out of town." I remember thinking, "Jesus, we have a madman in charge."

And he's still in charge and he's talking about Iran now.

Christ. This man and his government scares the shit out of me today. I truly am afraid for my daughter's future.

[rwheeler31]

1. We are trying to save our country.

Will it work in this privitized global economy?

[charlyvi]

2. When he said of OBL, "wanted dead or alive" I freaked.

I thought, oh my god, we've got Roy Rogers for president at a very serious moment in our nation's history. Like a cartoon western. At that moment, I knew we were fucked.

[spacelady]

3. I think I have PSTD - I may post on this as well - the thing is that my

family lives near Mobile & between Ivan & Katrina & B* Lies & hearing about war death & injustice & on & on I am feeling very clinically TIRED. I have never been so capable of sleeping my life away, is anyone else just TIRED? I don't mean sick of all the crap, I just mean SO TIRED I CANNOT FUNCTION.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

4. I'm in Alabama as well. Hang tough.

We have to.

[EFerrari]

8. We all have PTSD. That's the government policy, to traumatize

us into submission.

But, fuck them. We collectively know a LOT about PTSD.

Check the Mental Health forum and know, you are not alone.

You really aren't, you know.

:)

[spacelady]

10. Thank you both for it does seem lonely at times, but also I wonder

if ignorance is bliss. I mean, if I just quit reading the paper & DU & went out to work on the house or yard & just ignored what is going on like my mom & brothers & what not. OH HELL, I can't stand to let imbeciles & evil-doers take over when I know there is a better way. You can see the conundrum & quality of life issues, but I really do not have it so bad, just too tired to pop.

[EFerrari]

12. Ignorance will not prevent your triggers from bugging you.

There are some really good resources out there.

Use them.

:hug:

[spacelady]

15. Thanks. You are fighting the good fight - I have followed the past year

I know some of what has transpired & you are an inspiration.

I always see your name as different than what it is, if you know what I mean, just one of those optical illusions.

[anitar1]

17. Hang in, you are not alone. sometimes it helps to just take a break

from it. We know there are outrages everyday and one could go bonkers trying to keep up with it all. It seems to me personally, that we have lived under the darkest cloud. since the 2000 selection. The cloud has grown to gigantic proportions. I feel as if I am unable to laugh much anymore , and the tired feeling creeps in. All is gloom and doom. But then I take a break and come back for more. Just have to hang on.Thank God for DU. It saves my sanity.

[Clara T]

5. We are at a tipping point

Iraq: A victim of international terrorism
By Ghali Hassan
Online Journal Contributing Writer

Mar 17, 2006, 12:46

‘Terrorism is the calculated use of violence or threat of violence to attain goals that are political, religious, or ideological in nature. This is done through intimidation, coercion, or instilling fear’ <1>.

‘Terrorism is the use, or threat, of action which is violent, damaging or disrupting, and is intended to influence the government or intimidate the public and is for purpose of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause,’ Britain Terrorism Act 2000.


One of the common myths about the US war against the Iraqi people is that the US and its Western allies are on a “mission” to help the Iraqis in their aspiration for “democracy” and “freedom.” However, a brief analysis of the crimes committed against the Iraqi people in the last 15 years shows that the main aim of the US and its allies is the destruction of Iraq and Iraqi society.

<snip>

According to Michael Mandel, professor of Law at York University in Canada; “If we judge by the standards laid down by the Nuremberg Tribunal that judged the Nazis after World War II, it is the supreme international crime.” <5> The Nazis who committed war crimes, crimes against peace and crimes against humanity were indicted and sentenced to death by hanging. So, in a just world, the perpetrators and promoters of the war on Iraq must be held accountable and stand trial on war crimes, crimes against peace and crimes against humanity. During the three-week massive attacks on a defenceless people, Western leaders proudly announced to their nations that the one-sided mass murder of innocent Iraqi civilians was “morally” justified to spread “freedom” and “democracy.” Once again, Iraq was completely destroyed in barbaric fashion. Iraq’s cultural heritage was deliberately burned or looted. The Iraqi state, including the Iraqi Army and police were disbanded and replaced by occupying forces and imported criminals. The Pentagon and the UN estimate that the US and Britain “used 1,100 to 2,200 tons of bombs made of DU during attacks on Iraq in March and April 2003 -- far more than the 320-800 tons used in the 1991 Gulf War,” reported the Seattle Post-Intelligencer on 04 August 2004. Today, the US continues its war crimes against the Iraqi people with indiscriminate bombing air raids on Iraqi towns and cities, killing innocent women and children and destroying properties in a barbaric and cowardly fashion.

After three years of violent occupation, the living conditions in Iraq have worsened since the invasion. There is no clean water and there is no adequate supply of electricity. Iraq remains a destroyed nation. The health care system is beyond repair and the education system has collapsed. A study conducted by the Norway-based Institute of Applied International Studies, or Fafo, in cooperation with Iraq's Central Office for Statistics and Information Technology, Iraq's Health Ministry, and the UNDP, reveals that acute malnutrition among Iraqi children between the ages of six months and 5 years has increased from 4 percent before the invasion to 7.7 per cent since the US invasion. In other words, despite the 13-year long genocidal sanctions, Iraqi children were living much better (by 3.7 percent) under the regime of Saddam Hussein than under the tyranny of George W. Bush. The study shows that about 400,000 Iraqi children are suffering from 'wasting' and 'emaciation' -- conditions of chronic diarrhoea and protein deficiency.


http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_602.shtml

[EFerrari]

6. My dear friend, terror is the argument for comedy.

Humor is what makes every day possible when we know mad men are running our government.

Hang in.

Beth

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

7. I'll hang, Beth...

but for the last several days, the comedy about the mistakes and idiocy surrounding this war have left me more than dry.

[EFerrari]

9. I know. But this weekend you can revel in our protests.

This will be a good weekend for recharging.

Use it. Enjoy it. Let yourself have it.

The next round will be here soon enough.

You know, for this weekend, I'm going to grap every single encouragment I can. And tuck it away for later. Because I knew, dealing with these guys, there will be a later.

Do this weekend, first.

:hug:

[SammyWinstonJack]

11. I am constantly in a state of depression to the point of debilitation.

And all the pukes had to worry about when Clinton was President is where they would invest their money and where they would get their next great job etc.

[EFerrari]

13. This has been a very, very difficult time.

Thank you so much for being here.

:hug:

:grouphug:

[SammyWinstonJack]

14. DU is my life line and thank you all!

:grouphug:

[The2ndWheel]

20. Yeah, invest it in Mexico

Or in giant media and telecommunications conglomerates.

The 90's were just the fetus of this round of globalization. What is happening today, and what will not only continue to happen but increase in speed, is the logical next step of what Clinton's pretty face was selling during his time.

Oh, to have those glorious days back! When all was good with the world, and we didn't have to care, because a guy with a D before his name was our leader.

[Democrats_win]

16. Under what circumstances would you say this was all worth it?

Obviously, none, but we have no choice right now.

My hope is that the Republican party and it's enablers, the Religious Right and the Greedy Industrialists, will be destroyed and NEVER savage the human race again. If it ends too quickly, they might regroup as they did after McCarthy, Goldwater, Nixon and Bush1.

Let their reign of terror end with a loud roar of joy from every corner of the earth! Everyone will know the truth: BUSH IS EVIL!

[OneBlueSky]

18. it really IS hard to laugh at this shit . . .

I've noticed that I have a hard time laughing at Maher, Stewart, Colbert, or any other comedian these days . . . I certainly appreciate thier rapier wit and incisive comments -- but none of this is at all funny anymore . . .

"this" being the BushCo takeover of the nation -- and their plans to take over the rest of the planet as well . . .

[EFerrari]

19. Really? I think BushCo is hilarious most of the time.

They have no idea that they are failing. That they can't control everything. Hell, Bush can't even stay on a bicycle or chew his food let alone take over the planet. He just doesn't know it.

The effect they have on people is not funny but as human beings, they are very funny. Rumsfeld can't speak English and Cheney has lockjaw. Rice thinks she's married to that racist and Laura is a deadringer for The Joker. It just goes on and on and on. There's not one normal decent person in the lot. What are the chances. You couldn't put together a crew this silly if you got it cast professionally.

[Ufomammut]

21. It's a mechanism

This brought to mind a quote from Chomsky regarding a critique of US propaganda:

"A more plausible interpretation is that the questions raised are so intolerable that even a semblance of seriousness cannot be maintained."