This is the summer of Bush’s discontent. The more he tries to project that everything is just A-OK, the more ridiculous he looks. His bike ride with members of the press on his beloved ranch in Crawford, in which he said he had thought about Cindy Sheehan’s request to see him but that now “it’s also important for me to go… return to article
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Reader Comments (24)Page 1 of 1 pagesMs. Douglas -
While I appreciate the content of your message let me humbly suggest some improvements -
-Commas are passive. You should construct in active. I don’t think I’ve read an article that has this much passive construction in years.
-Run-on sentences are not exactly the hallmark of pros. “His bike ride with members of the press on his beloved ranch in Crawford, in which he said he had thought about Cindy Sheehan’s request to see him but that now “it’s also important for me to go on with my life,” has moved alongside Tom Cruise’s sofa-jumping as one of the summer’s more embarrassing public moments.”.
“but that now”?! Second grade english Ms. Douglas. You are intelligent and devoted. But please, let’s at least write at the collegiate level.
Sincerely, MOR
ps- “The post-post-9/11 media milieu has been fueled by, but has also helped bring about these shifts.” Hee-Hee. It’s funny ‘cause you wrote it.
Posted by MiddleRoad on Aug 25, 2005 at 2:34 PM I’m sorry if I seem overtly critical. I am finding myself to be increasingly conservative (in the mold of Dennis Miller) but I will always read left-wing publications like yours to help me define my views (only an idiot doesn’t expose himself to all sides of every issue- besides, my girlfriend makes me).
But in the last month you have published-
-A bizarre caricature of a big-titted Hawaiian (well, don’t get me wrong, she was hot)
-Stated that Iranians were Arab
-Stated that weapons proliferation in the Middle East was a good idea
-Stated that Wi-Fi access was a racist issue (as opposed to an economic one)
etc. etc.I’m certainly no genius (that is probably obvious to all). But your paper was even ragged on at Myopic the other day (note to all non-Chicagoans - that is our Bucktown book store hang out).
I’m just saying - if it’s true that my High School weekly had a greater distribution than ITT - fogget about it.
Posted by MiddleRoad on Aug 25, 2005 at 3:08 PM well done brian28. Perfect idiocy. ITT readership keeps on giving.
Posted by MiddleRoad on Aug 25, 2005 at 4:31 PM MiddleRoad, some of your criticisms of ITT are just based on the fact that you disagree with their opinions, not that what they siad was patently false. Take the issue of weapons proliferation in Iran. You seem to say that because ITT ran an article that suggested it might be a good idea that Iran have nukes, they are wrong. Well, what ITT did was run an OPINION, that you just happen to disagree with, because YOUR opinion is different. That does not make ITT objectively “wrong.” At any rate, there is no indication that Iran is seeking a nuclear weapon at this point, and even if they were, there is not a whole lot the U.S. government can do about it, what with Iran being a strong military power in the region and the U.S. being too bogged down in Iraq to start another offensive military engagement without the need for a draft.
Back to the article. I just wanted to comment on the aircraft carrier incident in May 2003. Clearly that was the beginning of election 2004 propoganda. However, subsequent incidents in Iraq made showing that footage look VERY bad for Bush. What Douglas does not mention is that Bush’s little dress-up stint kept the Abraham Lincoln out at sea for an extra day, at a cost of $3.3. million to U.S. taxpayers. So much for fiscally responsible. The American people subsidized right-wing propoganda. How does that rub you MiddleRoad? Finally, even worse was that Bush kept weary servicemen and women away from their families for an extra day just to make himslef look macho. It doesn’t get much lower than that.
Posted by Liberal on Aug 25, 2005 at 5:32 PM Perhaps ITT should publish IP addresses to cut down on fraud? If I’m going to post I don’t put up a one sentence diatribe (like the 3rd poster who used my name).
Liberal - Yes, my “opinion” was that advocating spreading nuclear weapons around the middle east is idiotic, sophomoric, retarded, and anti-semitic. ITT can advocate whatever they want. I just happen to want to espouse peace and disarmament when I can.
And by the way dude, “Iran isn’t seeking a nuclear weapon”? Do you know how to read papers?
Posted by MiddleRoad on Aug 25, 2005 at 8:07 PM MiddleRoad…dude…it looks like Liberal does read the paper and caught this:
Washington Post - No Proof Found of Iran Arms Program
Uranium Traced to Pakistani Equipment
by Dafna Linzer
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/22/AR20050822014 447.html
Looks like you didn’t.
Posted by Todd on Aug 25, 2005 at 8:24 PM Todd-
Looks like I need to eat crow! Thank you for your post. I am so sorry everybody! Goodness I feel like an idiot.Great investigative work man. You solved that issue straight up son.
MOR
ps- seriously Todd, don’t be a wanker. You can be a proud liberal (many of my friends are), that is fine, but don’t be an idiot.
Posted by MiddleRoad on Aug 25, 2005 at 8:29 PM MiddleRoad-
I checked the ip addresses for all the posts under your name and they’re all the same, 67.162.37.132. We require registration to prevent people from posting under other people’s names. Has anyone been using your computer without your knowledge?
Thanks for posting,
Seamus Holman, ITT Webmaster
Posted by seamus on Aug 25, 2005 at 10:07 PM Hmm…for some reason when I copy/pasted that in it lost a slash between the ‘/08’ and the ‘8/22/AR2005082201447.html’.
One more time…for those that would actually like to have the facts anyway.
Washington Post - No Proof Found of Iran Arms Program
Uranium Traced to Pakistani Equipment
by Dafna Linzer
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/ 8/22/AR2005082201447.html
Posted by Todd on Aug 25, 2005 at 10:27 PM Ugh, that was worse. Just insert the slash in the URL of the original post and you’re there. Sorry y’all…
Posted by Todd on Aug 25, 2005 at 10:28 PM When I first began posting here, you could respond directly to a person when you ran a mouse over their posted name. Seems that feature has been removed. How unfortunate. I would much prefer to debate the article than malign the person writing it or the person commenting on the article.
As for the article, no news here, the spin has made all of us, including democratic leaders very dizzy.
Time to get off the ride, gain our equilibrium and talk about issues that matter to us.
Mine are bankruptcy issues, medicaid seizures and the ever rising theocracy movement in this country.
See you all at the demo next month!
Posted by robin on Aug 26, 2005 at 8:49 AM It is very interesting to me that on many websites such as this one, where you are allowed to comment, many have one or two people who respond as Middleroad has. He/she doesn’t debate the facts or the issues…he/she is just sarcastic and abrasive with no real contribution to the conversation. Is that because it is Bush way and some have adopted it? Or is it because those who have been Bush supporters are finally the President for what he truly is…lacking any merit whatsoever? They are running scared and reacting the best way they know.
Posted by tsswriter on Aug 26, 2005 at 3:05 PM I’m no Lou Dobbs lover, but the portrayal of his stances is highly inaccurate.
Dobbs has been expressing his displeasure with outsourcing for many years. He has skewered corporate greed for 4 or 5 years at least. Did you miss his graphics he was running nightly with a tally of corporate criminals not charged with crimes? It was categorized with “days since Enron bankruptcy” and then “charged with crimes” with a distinct audio BING when that tally again showed zero. That graphic went on for many months.
During the wave of corporate crimes and banckruptcies ocurring in 2001, 2002 he spoke nightly of these things.
He was pro-war, I don’t disagree, which is when I tuned him out. But on the issues of corporate greed and worker concerns he has had the same stance all along, pre 9/11 and post 9/11. I haven’t caught his act in quite awhile, if you are indeed accurate that he is now critical of Bush on Iraq, I probably should check him out again.
Posted by Jon B on Aug 26, 2005 at 4:21 PM On further checking of Lou Dobbs, he has written about 20 articles for US News & World Report over the last three years.
The above article states, “Dobbs is no fool—he has grasped the post-post-9/11 media milieu and appears to be cobbling together a conservative populism that blends right wing cultural values with an anti-corporate and, increasingly, anti-Bush stance.”
Not one of those collection of articles in USNWP gleaned from the titles involved cultural values. They were about finance, economics, foreign policy. Has he in fact stated his stance on abortion or gay marriage for instance? I’ve never heard him give any opinions about these subjects, although I don’t watch his show that much. Can you direct me to any quotes where he does so?
His book was called “Exporting America” the subject was outsourcing. This subject is not really conservative populism as it resonates with labor unions, Ralph Nader, and many on the left. And I’m not even really sure he is anti-corporate, but rather anti-corruption within the corporate world.
I see him as more as a proponent of ethical responsibility in corporations and government, that resonates with a broad public. He certainly seems passionate about the disconnect of corporate leaders and their corruption and astronomical pay rates at a time that sees the average worker losing ground with reduced pay and benefits, through layoffs and exporting of jobs. I believe he sees this as I do, an unethical way of doing business. And I know from watching his show back in 2001 and 2002 that he has had this stance all along.
On his pro-war stance, I’m willing to give him as I have with other Americans a break. I believe many people got caught up in a sense of hate after 9/11. A sense that something must be done. And certainly a lack of alternative voices within the mainstream media wasn’t going to help change those feelings despite the small amounts of information that showed some of the lies. Maybe Dobbs is coming around to what many other Americans are as well doing, realizing that Iraq was a big mistake.
I won’t disagree with much of the rest of the article. But Dobbs is not the one you might have highlighted from the media.
On a side note, I’m the only one that has actually posted about the article in any manner. All previous posts were essentially just a bunch of name calling. There must be a way to address this problem.
Posted by Jon B on Aug 26, 2005 at 8:25 PM tsswriter you are correct in your observations. For an interesting comparison see Ramjet and Natalie here.
http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2298/
Then another look at Natalie here.
http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2291/
As you will see Lt Colonel Helbig is outed and even trips in admitting it. Rabbit thinks MOR is either the same agent or maybe a different one using the same style.
If it is you Colonel, good one. This character is more convincing than Natalie, guess the dress doesn’t fit so well afetr all. The style is sort of different from the other two but not enough, still think it’s you.
MiddleRoad Roger Hell-BIG Ramjet Natalie, whoa.
Posted by Rabbitvoz on Aug 29, 2005 at 3:41 AM is it just me,or has anyone else noticed that this administration is behaving very much like the Black Knight from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”?
“Your arms cut off!”
“No it isn’t!”
“Well what’s that,then?”
“It’s just a flesh wound.”
Posted by wwoods on Aug 29, 2005 at 1:03 PM I got cut off for some reason.Crappy issued computer!
It’s as if the Republicans belive that admitting to making a mistake,will allow criticism of every decision they make.In light of their policies,that is well merited.
I’ve said it before.The more I read of Orwell,and the more I look at this administration,the more worried I become.Even worse will be how the Robert Novaks twenty years hence will try to spin this administration’s record.
Oh,something else.The seat Bush sat in when he did the carrier landing off San Diego is called the"DTA seat”—Don’t Touch Anything.
Posted by wwoods on Aug 29, 2005 at 1:10 PM Thanks wwoods. Love the Black Knight analogy.
The hubris and inability to admit mistakes or apologise is common to the arse licker John Howard as well, and Bliar. These seem to be pre-recs for our leaders at this time.
They are definately on their stumps now though.
You have to see the desperation of their shill on this site. Check out the clown as he scuttles about now the light is being shined on him.http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2298/
Posted by Rabbitvoz on Aug 30, 2005 at 1:26 AM middleroad, a few things:
pedantry has its place, but not in a forum regarding ideas. leeway can be given as long as the writer knows what s/he is talking about and realizes some rules are being broken. yes, ms. douglas has some run-on sentences and grammatical insufficiencies while brian needs to learn to spell the word ‘idiot’ correctly.
nevertheless, if you don’t like liberal thought and you obviously disagree wholeheartedly with it, then why do you come here and why do you contribute? don’t give us the excuse that your girlfriend won’t give you any if you don’t read ITT.besides, conservatives are supposed to be take charge kind of guys, macho just like g. bush & his escapades aboard the uss abe lincoln. demand that your gf read the national review or listen to rush limbaugh. have her get with the program, for heaven’s sake!
i’m surprised that there even any bookstores in bucktown considering the total yuppie, suburban conformism that has completely engulfed the neighborhood as well as most every part of the north side of chicago. when roughly 1/2 of this city consists of starbucks and the other of burrito and taco hangouts, it’s a wonder ITT is given shelf space at any venue.
it’s true, middleroad; as tsswriter states, you’re not trying to contribute anything informative or worthy here. you’re merely going for the groin by trying to best everyone with your caustic wit and arrogant hubris. go kiss mr. bush’s behind, live in your overpriced loft condo, enjoy your double mocha latte and leave thinking people alone to wrestle with the monumental issues most americans refuse to deal with!
how’s my grammar? no comment, please.
peace!
m.b.
Posted by emmbee on Sep 2, 2005 at 5:03 PM To Susan J Douglas - Yes, it IS, isn’t it… I compared Bush’s “predicament” to the Labour “winter of discontent” in Britain in 1978-9! (On another blog.) It brought down the Callaghan government and ensured that that party didn’t get elected for almost another twenty years!
Katrina + Cindy… Here’s hoping!!
Posted by Liz on Sep 3, 2005 at 3:46 AM wwoods Rabbit is sneaking back in the backdoor to warn you about strange things on this site. Rabbit is actually been edited out some places and blocked from site.
Get’s really creepy here:
http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2310/
Then go check out the DU thread where at least they might have had some excuse, but then why not here? or on ‘exiting Iraq” thread? Still Rabbit and his other computer and e-mail all locked out. This is Rabbits indomitable Ghost.
Whooo. Come back to haunt what is either a false site or a compromised site. Whooo! Rattle, Rattle of chains.
Posted by GhostRabbit on Sep 3, 2005 at 3:22 PM Rabbit takes back the meanness, ITT is showing they good guys. Sorry to be dramatic, but things looked grim for a bit.
Posted by GhostRabbit on Sep 5, 2005 at 12:39 PM wwoods
Instead of Orwell check out Thomas Hobbes’ “Leviathon”. He is the philosophical God on Earth for the neo-cons who are actually running this government.
Posted by marine220 on Sep 5, 2005 at 6:48 PM Page 1 of 1 pages -
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