We love Right wing, Left wing, chicken wings, no wings and turkeys too :)   The sound you hear is not turkey shoot We capture streetwhispers and blog them for you.

You have read thousands of books of knowledge

But have you ever read your soul?

You visit temples, mosques and churches

But have you visited the depths of your heart?

You go around fighting against Satan

But have you ever tried fighting against yourself?

Bulleh Shah
17th Century Poet

December 31st, 2004 Last day of life for some and last day of year for some as hope is toasted
The ball shall fall in Times Square as lovers, friends and strangers will toast the New Year. The custom of New Year was first started in Babylon about 4000 BC. About 2000 BC the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon ( the first visible crescent) after Vernal Equinox or first day of spring. The beginning of New Year on the first day of spring seemed to be logical. Time to plant new crops and have hope. The Babylonians celebrated their New Year for 11 days. Roman emperors tampered with the dates till Julius Cesar decided to set it as January 1st.  Before this turns into a lesson in history, Babylon is located on the east bank of the Euphrates, about 50km south of Baghdad. The city that we occupy today and where a lot of blood has been spilt. What would be the resolution of the modern day Babylonians and Iraqis in particular and the world in general be? Some will dream of freedom as others would plan about control and subjugation, yet hope is evident in both scenarios. One side of hope, is a whiff of  fresh blossom laden wind and for some it will be the smell of gunpowder and power.

December 22nd, 2004 New York to Appleton
What a change of pace from the busy life of New York city to Appleton, Wisconsin. Geesh the place is all frozen its like the polar bears habitat of  America but the cold weather is really compensated by the warmth and sweetness of Appleton 150 thousand inhabitants which makes you feel in a tropical paradise. Well if ever in Appleton don't forget to buy Wilmar Chocolates. One of the best you will ever have. Forget about the chocolates and the polar bears lets talk about security, we mean airline security and if we felt any more secure and safe then we did before 9/11. There was more motion at the airport, by that we mean over staffed security staff doing not much but slowing down the process and also the security check steps that are implemented just don't make much sense either, logically or from a security point of view. We shall write a detail review on that once our Xmas journey is over and we are back in the big apple to celebrate and welcome 2005

December 21st, 2004 Biggest Financial scandal after Enron about to happen - Social Security
You have seen nothing when it comes to financial/accounting scandal. If the privatization of Social Security happens that will out rank and out shine Enron at the cost of millions and millions of American having lost all their nest egg. Alan Blinder, former Vice Chair, Federal Reserve said, ": Have you heard the one about the government bonds that weren't? Very ominous words.

December 20th, 2004  Social Security
If the state cannot provide a higher rate of return on Social Security, how does the Government expect a simple minded person who knows nothing about investments and finances to get a higher rate of return by investing individually? Wall Street brokers are notorious for giving faulty investment advice. Many a savvy investors have lost their shirts in the stock market. This current change in social security reeks of nothing but deception and demagoguery and hoodwinking the people out of the hard earned money and retirement nest egg. Any senator or congress member who votes for this should be voted out office. Because of the way the economy is being handled. Today Americans will have to work longer to be able to afford the comforts of retirement. Today in his press conference even President Bush was not even clear headed about explaining Social Security.

December 16th, 2004 - " ... can you come home dad"
CNN was interviewing a soldier in Iraq ... CNN was able to have a double satellite link so that the soldier could hear his wife and kids and say hello to them. The four year toddler with her head buried in her shoulders, not looking at the camera, said, " hello daddy .. can you home now". SW cannot add anything more then what the little girl said. She summed it up all. The TV commentators were left swallowing the lump in their throats along with their viewers. Bring home the fathers, mothers and sons and brothers whose blood is being soaked into the Arabian sand for no reason.

December 14th, 2004 - Unemployment eradicated, - Terrorists defeated? Indecency the New War
Such shame while countless people are struggling to keep the food on their table and will be spending dismal Christmas as more and more companies will be laying off workers, as a result of mergers or outsourcing. Osama is still at large and the body count rises with the tick of the clock. But who cares because indecency is an issue larger than unemployment, healthcare and terrorism. After having seen Janet Jackson right breast on primetime, our lives have been altered. God forbid we were able to see both her chocolate brown nipples, we would had been petrified into stone effigies. What happens if by chance we see Madonna's cherry colored nipples .... did someone yell Jesus Christ ...on the street.  No wonder the Aztecs prohibited females from consuming chocolate. It was considered an aphrodisiac and could damage the moral fiber of the Aztec culture.

For heavens sake it was only a breast not medusa's head that we saw. Whom are we kidding? Are we trying to kid ourselves or applying a band aid on our own consciences by bleeping some words and scenes from the appropriately called boob tube. Streets echo with the brazen vulgar language that spews out of the lips of our youth. National statistics for children having their first sexual experience is 11 years. It is sad that the power of Janet's boob set all this in motion. Could we defeat the insurgents in Iraq by plastering Janet's wardrobe malfunction pictures all over Iraq and Afghanistan? At least the Taliban's would be afraid to come out least they get a glimpse of the potent nipple staring them in the eyes. Surely we shall save American lives under the cover of boobs. {SW knows this is a bizarre logic but the street is upset}.

Guess the war on terrorism can wait, and we can stay healthy unemployed as long as our minds and eyes are purged of sexuality and sexual words. Even AOL has joined the 'loca' march. Try using the word fuck, or intercourse in a chat room and your account is bound to be frozen, what AOL calls violation of TOS [terms of service]. Its ok to send soldiers in harms way without bullet proof armor as long as the FCC can control our morals. After all the flow of free news from the war front is controlled by embedding reporters. Who cares about the morality of war? Soldiers do not need armor protection but certainly they need protection from Janet Jackson's boobs or foul language which are more potent. Why are we so scared of sex and sexuality? Is it the Taliban syndrome afflicting us? Will burqas be the next craze on the fashion catwalks .. meow. Its OK to flash ads on TV about Viagra, Cialis and other sexual performance drugs. How do you explain erectile dysfunction to a seven year old kid. Yet its alright to teach them about sex in school?

December 13th, 2004 - Outsourcing - Daily Mirror
LandsEnd is an American company, that provides courteous and A plus customer service. One does not have to wait on the phone, punching stupid numbers to be able to connect to a live person. In the spirit of the Holidays and to support the local economy, we strongly suggest buy at Landsend. they will tell you upfront if asked that not all their products are  made in the US. Those of you not familiar with this company give it a try and then compare it with other companies, who not only are outsourcing the manufacturing part but customer service too To name a few Dell, HP, Microsoft and others. Guess they think that we Americans cannot speak English good enough, for an American to provide customer service. Landsend has an all American in America customer service.

We as consumers are lazy and not assertive, yet are quick to complain but take no action. Have y'all consumers forgotten that customer is king. We strongly recommend to stop giving your business to companies that are outsourcing your livelihood to other countries. In the end you suffer regardless but while suffering why not send the message to all those companies that outsource by not giving them your dollars. By wisely spending your dollars you will abate your suffering in the long run. When corporate bottom lines suffer, they will bring those jobs back home regardless. Take a chance and speak with your dollars for your voices and protests are falling on deaf ears of corporations and politicians. There could be no better time to make your statement and be heard, but during the holiday season, when corporate executives are panting like vultures for their bonuses based on the number of items you as consumers shall purchase and beef up their bottom lines. Give yourself the gift and your fellow country people by not spending your money on products not made in the US. God bless USA

December 4th, 2004 - Princess - Marine Love Story Ends
Jason Johnson ( ex Marine) and his Princess bride Meriam Al-Khalifa filed for divorce against the backdrop of Las Vegas. A TV movie was made about their life. Was it the glitter of Las Vegas or was the relationship doomed from the start? Was it the challenge and thrill of plucking a princess for the marine and the romantic thrill of eloping with her prince? Was it a thrill ride for the princess? We shall never know. Heartbroken ex-marine is a valet parking attendant in Las Vegas. Marine - Princess love story ends with more questions for the readers. Was the princess tired of living on a valet salary, was she a spoilt royal brat? Will she go back and if she does will she survive her own culture from which she fled? From what appears the ex-marine's love seemed to be true and deeper then the princess. Read the story as reported in the Review Journal <more>.

December 2nd, 2004 - Unmanned Drones to patrol New York City skies
Having unmanned drones patrolling Manhattan skies ... is it a invasion of privacy or a false sense of security? New Yorkers who are free spirits are frowning upon the idea. After all they overwhelming voted for Kerry. Are we in a war zone to have our privacy invaded in this manner?

November 30th, 2004  HE IS WOUNDED ... HIT HIM  CNN will not show you this video... why?

Images that our media refuses to show yet the world can see them. Are we trying to insulate our people from the truth about ugly atrocities being committed in Iraq by our boys and weapons? Check out the links and footage. French TV screens images of US helicopter crew killing Iraqis  The images here are ... "more obscene than the worst images we have been shown of the torture of prisoners of war in Abu Ghraib prison" as per article on AR Report Action site. What do you think the world thinks of us when they have access to the images of war and human misery and we don't? Are we Ostriches with our heads in the sand or can we call it free speech, when our media reports selectively? Embedding of reporters with the troops is nothing but PSYOPS babble to gauge enemy's reaction and dissemination of misinformation and take the high moral ground. Networks with embedded reporters with troops have lost their objectivity, for now the media is nothing  but stooges or a PR forum for jingoism. No wonder there are blogs and free lance journalists out there reporting on the war the way it is happening like Robert Fisk. However international media has managed to report the war fairly including Al-Jazeera. Check out  "Some of the Weasel words about the war in Iraq." that are frequently used by Generals, politicians and official spokespersons, and what they really imply.              Back to top

November 29th, 2004 CNN and media's lack of responsibility - Ambassador Bridge
Thanksgiving being over, and tryptophan in the turkey has finally worn off and we are alert again. Frankly Chinese food sounded delicious after having stuffed ourselves on Turkey for the last few days. Travel season starting along with Shopping season one is amazed at the lack of caution the media exercises in talking about certain stories which are crucial to national security. What was CNN thinking when they gave the details last night about the big hole in security at the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit (Michigan) and Windsor (Ontario) where cargo is checked after it has crossed the bridge. Any deviant sitting somewhere in the world with dishonorable intentions of hurting US, is now more informed about this loop hole. CNN basically did the homework for them. Congratulations CNN for being so reckless, while some poor tourist will be arrested while taking a picture of the bridge on grounds of security, yet The Detroit News has details about the bridge with some raw drawings. Unbelievable!

Also if you are traveling give your self enough time to check in and if you as a female are patted around your breasts with open palms and not the back of palms you have the right to complain. Most travelers are not lodging complaints  due to lack of time. So give yourself the extra time to file a complaint in the face of such outrageous practices at some airports.

November 25th, 2004 HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL and the turkeys that escaped ...
263 Million turkeys will be killed this year to satisfy our appetite for turkey meat. Certainly its not a thanks giving for the turkey's but a large scale massacre for the poor birds.  Abraham Lincoln must have hated turkeys when he declared Thanksgiving a National holiday. We know your turkeys will turn out dry as would ours, that is why we burry them with cranberry jelly. Bless the turkey's who gave up their life to land in on our dinner table, what selfless birds :). Back to top

November 24th, 2004 Invade! Occupy! Defeat! Repeat!  By: Amir Butler -  Australia
A point of view from Australia about the war in Iraq. Amazing the media does not report .....

History, it is said, repeats: first as tragedy, then as farce. As events unfold in Fallujah and the Iraqi occupation continues its awful course, parallels emerge with another failed occupation of the country some 100 years earlier. 

Almost everything-from the invasion, the imposition of provisional government, the violent insurrection, to the aerial bombardment of towns-represents a tragic rerun of the British occupation of Iraq in the early 20th century. 

Like the US invasion, the British invasion began, in 1917, with the promise of "liberation". In his "Proclamation to the People of Baghdad", General Stanley Maude promised the Iraqi people that after 26 generations had "suffered under strange tyrants", the armies of the British Empire "do not come into your cities and lands as conquerors or enemies, but as liberators."

British troops entering Baghdad - 1917	British soldiers listen to a sermon from the Chaplin before the war - Kuwait 2003

It was, of course, a lie. The intent was not to "liberate" the Arabs from Turkish Ottoman rule, but to occupy oil-rich Mesopotamia; a fact made clear when, on April 28th, 1920, the League of Nations awarded Britain a mandate over Iraq, thus legitimizing the occupation.

The British appointed Sir Percy Cox and his assistant, Gertrude Bell as the colonial administers of Iraq. Demonstrating the same self-delusion that characterizes contemporary discussion on Iraq, Bell wrote that soon the "uncivilized tribes" of Iraq would come to love and adore the British Empire and its ways. The Iraqi people, Bell wrote, "want us to control their affairs and they want Sir Percy as high commissioner". 

The blinding hubris was shattered when, in July 1920, the Iraqi people revolted. The resistance was, like today, largely religiously-inspired. In a letter dated August 21, 1921, Bell complained of a "a tall black bearded alim (cleric) with a sinister expression. We tried to arrest him early in August but failed. He escaped from Baghdad and moved about the country like a flame of war, rousing the tribes." His name was Sayyid Muhammad al-Sadr and it is his descendent Muqtadar al-Sadr who likewise vexes the occupiers. 

Faced with a growing problem of anti-colonial violence in what it is today called the Sunni Triangle, the British called for Lt. Col. Gerald Leachman, a specialist in putting down native uprisings in the far flung corners of the Empire. His methods were effective but brutal, having said, "the only way to deal with the tribes is wholesale slaughter." 

It was, however, Leachman who got slaughtered; shot dead by a Sunni cleric named Sheikh Dhari. The killing of Leachman made Dhari a folk hero and sparked an uprising that would leave 10,000 Iraqis and 1,000 British soldiers dead in its wake. Today, Sheikh Harith al-Dhari, the descendent of Leachman's killer, heads the Association of Islamic Scholars-the organization widely regarded as the 'public face' of the Sunni insurgency and the leader of Iraq's Sunni community. 

Winston Churchill, Minister of the Colonies, ordered the use of poison-gas and fierce aerial bombardment to stop the uprising. Thousands of men, women and children were killed, whilst Churchill charged his critics as men who "don't think clearly" and that he had no issue "using poisoned gas against uncivilized tribes". Arthur "Bomber" Harris, the British air-force hero, oversaw the bombing campaign, gloating in his diary, "the Arab and the Kurd now know what real bombing means in casualties and damage. Within 45 minutes a full-size village can be practically wiped out and a third of the inhabitants killed or injured by four or five machines." One of those villages is today a town called Fallujah. 

In similar fashion to the installation of Iyyad Allawi in Iraq and Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan, Britain installed the hitherto unknown "Prince" Faisal as King. In 1930, Faisal signed a "treaty" that provided a pretence of independence but ensured that Britain retained control with an ongoing military presence and continued management of Iraqi oil production. 

The Iraqi people rebelled against the British-backed Faisal dynasty in 1930, 1941, 1948, and 1956. In 1958, a military coup finally overthrew the King and his Prime Minister. 

After sacking the British embassy, the people gathered at the statue of General Stanley Maude, their "liberator", that dominated the grounds. Finally free of British occupation, they toppled the statue and smashed it into pieces. 

Although the flag emblazoned on the bombs has changed, today's occupation tracks the British experience with eerie accuracy-right down to the places and family-names that define the insurgency. As the uprising spreads and gains support, the United States and her allies will learn the same lesson of history that the British Empire learned: a people cannot be occupied indefinitely. As for the rest of us, we can learn that the only thing that is ever learnt from history is that nothing is ever learnt from history.

The views expressed here are entirely those of the author and were not heard on the street either. Streetwhispers does not pay for any comments or opinions that we make available for our readers. Neither does SW suppress any opinion that readers would like to share.    Back to top

November 23rd - 2004 Greenspan, duh yes man ... unfortunately now
Will Greenspan speak out on matters closest to his heart or stay mute while the economy and unemployment numbers do somersaults. Since thanks giving is near ... what are we thankful for? ...... the mugwumps did not make a difference in the elections .... there are 59 million bible beating voters.

For the unemployed its a time to be thankful to be alive or is it a state of being half slain?  Now if the turkey escapes your table then its a real thanks giving Turkey day, otherwise its a national turkey massacre day when turkeys will be dehumanized by being stuffed by various stuffing's through their rear ends. Well its a double stuffing day. First the turkey gets stuffed then we stuff ourselves.  At Streetwhispers we are divided some of us eat the traditional chicken and some gobble the traditional turkey as if there is no tomorrow. Whatever your preference stay safe and have a lovely thanks giving day there are a millions things to be thankful about. There is that old saying, "I cried I had no shoes till I saw a man who had no feet". Peace and joy to all.

November 19th - 2004  Stagflation and Inflation The economy sucks and you are screwed
Regardless of what politicians are telling you. The economy sucks. We are way past inflation.  As Bush signed and increased the debt limit to 500 billion and Greenspan stating, the nations was heading towards inflation? …. two independent events yet tied together. Were his comments politically motivated? Nothing has changed since November or even October 2004, Bush would have lost the elections if Greenspan was honest with the American people who pay his salary and had put aside partisan politics, and warned that we were headed towards inflation.

The only way to control inflation according to Greenpan is to control debt. During election campaigns Bush pounded the podium, looking the nation in the eyes and assuring that employment was up and the economy had taken a turn for the better with employment increasing. How can debt be controlled while GOP is so involved in war far beyond our borders and shorelines? The war was a result of lies, deception, and demagoguery. The warrior princess was not myopic in her advice to Bush but ideologically blind. Sad that Condi could become the next Secretary of State. Even though Powell wanted to stay on, now it seems he was no longer welcome to stay for the next four years.

While Greenspan warns about inflation he is still understating facts and preventing the markets from reacting. God forbid he said we were way beyond inflation …. will The Wall Street go wild like October of 1987.  Had Greenspan forgotten his remarks about inflation and deflation that he made in July of 2004? Chairman Greenspan we are past inflation we are getting bogged down in stagflation and you don’t have the moral courage to say the word stagflation.

Also important is to review Greenspan's record, which is outstanding, and he has served under both Republicans and Democrats with outstanding results. Does that mean Greenspan was pressured politically to hold off his views till after the elections? It’s no secret that Greenspan is a Republican and he was paying his dues by staying quiet till after the Presidential election of 2004.

The Street does not think Greenspan is incompetent and did not see inflation and stagflation hitting us [US], but is a victim of partisan party politics. Will his legacy be damaged by staying quiet, we hope not but his reluctance to express his opinion in a timely manner will certainly  leave a bad taste in the hearts and minds of those who take a moment to fathom what a difference it would had made, if Mr. Greenspan had spoken up a few months earlier.

  Make up your own mind and decide for yourself. Definitions of inflation, deflation and stagflation

Inflation - a period of slow economic growth and high unemployment (stagnation) while prices rise (inflation).

Stagflation - Sluggish economic growth coupled with a high rate of inflation and unemployment.

Deflation - A persistent decrease in the level of consumer prices or a persistent increase in the purchasing power of money because of a reduction in available currency and credit.

The major cause of inflation is the irresponsible growth of money supply. Which could come by making credit available and lowering of interest rates to abysmal levels in the hope putting breaks on inflation. Inflation is a cause then an effect  [too much credit, high prices in the simplest of definition]

Inflation amongst other reasons is caused by bad Monetary policy. Too much money was created in relation to the expansion of the economy. In a word lots of money chasing few products. There are other causes of inflation. Are our congressmen/woman going to do something about stagflation? Are politicians playing recklessly with the lives of simple-minded people? To wrap this up we borrow an election slogan, “Who suffers when someone tells a lie” and makes a policy decision based on a lie?  Back to top

November 16th - 2004 Did Rice give Bush bad advice? Warrior princess appointed Sec of State
Bush nominates Rice as Secretary of State. While nominating her Bush said,  “During the last four years I’ve relied on her counsel, benefited from her great experience and appreciated her sound and steady judgment".Current administration has created a mess in the world, we are hated more all over the world then we ever have been in the annals of our own history. If our current international predicament is a result of foreign policy, then Rice has guided Bush in the wrong direction. Brace yourself we are going to have another bumpy four years. The world is shocked by our foreign policy, our violation of human rights, the only people who are failing to see hear or heed is {US}. Hawks are circling like vultures as the moderates resign from the current administration in droves. Our foreign policy has won us more enemies then friends. We fail to understand the realities of the world, its people and cultures while imposing our realities. There is that old saying that oil and water don't mix but we are adding blood to it too. Blood and oil will they mix and make a healthy profit baseline? Will the so called, "warrior princess" lead us down a road full of blood, tears, death and oil along with Cheeney and Bush.

God forbid Patriot act II is passed then who will dare to speak and at what cost? Are we slowly destroying the democratic moorings of our nation? Hope our lives don't turn into the posters that we captured on the streets of New York city. The knife on the posters says speak truth.  Yesterday the war crime committed by a US soldier by killing a unarmed wounded insurgent in a mosque. The insurgent/freedom fighter was accused of feigning death. Was that a violation of the Geneva convention? If we are the citizens of a global community, why are we exempt and afraid from being indicted by the world court? Embedding journalist in war is muffling free speech and hiding war crimes. At the end of the day the atrocities being committed in Iraq may far outweigh those in Vietnam.

If the Democrats approve the nomination of Condi Rice then they are equally complicit and come 2008 elections they shall loose their moral high ground when criticizing the failures of the present administration.  On September 27th, 2004 Howard Dean was asked, " why the democrats were blaming the President for war in Iraq when they were equally involved in empowering the president in the house and senate to go to war." Dean never addressed the question the way it should had been. Politicians hear the people who sent you to the senate and congress, regardless of party affiliation.

November 15th - 2004 - Elections over Ashcroft gone, Powell resigns .. Rice hmm...?
The November 2004 elections over, the changes in the Bush cabinet happening. As Powel submits his resignation, so they say or was he pushed out, for Powell and Condi never saw eye to eye. Sad as it is that Powell lost the opportunity to be the first Black president of USA by aligning with Bush. With Powell leaving I think his son aught to be removed from his position too.  Our networks have turned into those of Iran on grounds of morality.  The word on the street is that Condi should leave too, for her expertise resides in cold war Russian politics, or she should be sent back to the ivory towers of academia. Would Condoleezza Rice be able to understand the politics of the Middle East. So far she has lacked understanding of the Middle East region and its politics.

Fallujah is being pounded day in day out, but could the city be cleared cleaned of insurgents? Time would tell but its doubtful the calm achieved is of a permanent nature. Is the Geneva convention being ignored while the fight for Fallujah continues. A marine shot dead a wounded unarmed Iraqi who had been wounded a day before and left unarmed and bleeding to die by another  marine. It was murder in cold blood as some would say. How many of such cases are not being reported is anyone's guess?

Palestinians still mourn the death of Yasser Arafat and as the power struggle continues amongst the Palestinians for a leader. Gilad Atzmon an Israeli living in London is one of the few Israeli's who had something positive to say about Yasser Arafat.  " It is clear that this man, this brave man, this hero, the biggest 20th century freedom fighter, went through a hell of a time.".

Mr. Atzmon said, "Let me make it clear, I am not an Israeli. I was born in Israel, for the first 22 years of my life I thought of myself as an Israeli. But when I realized what Israel was all about, I stopped regarding myself as an Israeli. I demand not to be seen as one. I am a Hebrew-speaking Palestinian". [Read his interview]

What a dynamic world we live in where love and hate are so common, with hate on the  march... what ever happened to love and tolerance?     Back to top

November 12th - 2004. Yasser Arafat buried in Ramallah - His legacy shall forever live on.
Yasser Arafat [born Mohammed Abdel-Raouf Arafat As Qudwa al-Hussaeini] finally laid to rest as a ocean of Palestinians could not wait to touch his coffin. His enemies rejoiced in the streets of Israel, while his followers grieved. We doubt all Israeli rejoiced for there are countless Israeli and Palestinians that care about each other. New York Post reflects the vilest of its journalism by printing the following headline. ‘The Arafat Lady Sings’ with picture of Suha Arafat his wife in tears. This lack of journalistic irresponsibility and lack of sensitivity by the editors of New York Post, it is a shame to spend 25 cents on a paper that preaches hatred instead of reporting events. Media has become so irresponsible that it breads hatred and preaches intolerance.

Journalism is to report but not to put spins on events, which have unfortunately become the norm. Steve DunLeavy shows no regard for human life and his vile hatred and obfuscating reality is clear when Dunleavy writes, "To see Arafat, whose hands were so deeply soaked in blood that it must have seeped into his bones, exiled in Ramallah is its own form of vengeance"  The only firebrand fool is no other then Steve DunLeavy.

The media has depicted bias historically a bias while reporting the news about the Israel Palestinian conflict. Michael Hoffman and Moshe Lieberman in their book, [The Israeli Holocaust Against the Palestinians] writes.. 'American official history and official media tend to report Israeli attacks on Palestinian usually only once, and then often sparingly, sometimes omitting key elements. But there is never any annual remembrance of Palestinian victims of particularly savage and indiscriminate Israeli attacks, such as the 20,000 civilians slaughtered by the Israeli air force in Beirut, Lebanon in  1982, on orders of Ariel Sharon, culminating in massive terror bombing of the city center in August of that year. Neither is the 1948 massacre at Deir Yassin remembered or the 1994 mass murder of forty Arab worshippers by Baruch Goldstein at a mosque in Hebron. All that Arab blood is mighty cheap as it washes down the memory hole of Western history and media; too cheap to recall, even as the recollection of Jewish victimhood has been show how accorded eternal status. "The media's role in making this massive operation of  (Israeli) terrorism acceptable has, of course, been extremely important ... Relevant elements of bias include: (1) suppressing Sharon's historic record as a terrorist commander; (2) giving hugely disproportionate weight Israeli as compared to Palestinian suffering; (3) maintaining the traditional pattern of making the Palestinian attacks appear unprovoked and not retaliatory, the Israelis always retaliating..." (Edwards S. Herman, Ariel Sharon, from Sabra-Shatila to Jenin, Z Magazine, June 2002, p.33)." '

Enough said. Both sides have to respects each other and their realities. No life is cheap, Israeli or Palestinians. They are struggling to be two nations cut from the same fabric .. sigh.  Back to top

November 11th - 2004 - Yasser Arafat's eyes close forever. [ August 1929 - November 2004 ]
Yasser Arafat dies today in a military hospital at Percy de Clamart near Paris  of unknown causes at the age of 75. His dream of a free Palestinian homeland never realized in his lifetime. While Jews rejoice around the world, Palestinians and Muslims mourn his passing. May his soul rest in peace. One day when history is written fairly and objectively, Arafat will be included amongst the great generals and freedom fighters. He was also known as Abu Ammar. Arafat was the founder of the Chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organization and President of the Palestinian National Authority. He was winner of the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize, which was shared with him by Rabin.

Think, in this batter'd Caravanserai
Whose Portals are alternate Night and Day,
How Sultan after Sultan with his Pomp
Abode his destined Hour, and went his way

-- Omar Khayyam

November 8th - 2004 Election is over and we are apologizing to the world
Have we gone nuts that we are en masse ad-nauseum apologizing to the world on electing President Bush. 2004 elections presents us as insane Yankees who like to hide behind the word sorry for our actions. Isn't Democracy all about the voice of majority. Stop complaining. However this label is hilarious. Who says free speech is being muzzled ;)

November 4th - 2004  Jeb Bush, Hillary Clinton for President 2008
You may hear denial when politicians talk to the press about their to run for the 2008 presidents race, but domains under their names have already been registered, such as clinton2008.com, clinton.com, bush2008.com, jeb.com. That does not necessarily mean that these internet domains have been registered by Hillary and Jeb Bush or by some proxy, but certainly is a sign of what to expect in the future presidential race.

Certainly there will be other players in the next presidential race. Even though Senator Schummer suggests Hillary as the next contender. While Hillary knows her way around the white house her ethics and principles need to be questioned. She has made statement on international matters and then gone to reverse her stand. Even though she is now considered a liberal from the Northeast how will she fare with the rest of the voters in America. In the 2004 elections neither Hillary nor Bill help Kerry bag Arkansas. Were the Clintons hoping for Kerry's loss, so that it made it possible for Hillary to run. Had Kerry won and won two consecutive terms, she would had been out of the race. Also is the Democratic party lost today without a patriarch to guide it. Who is the leader of the party?

Jeb Bush will run in 2008, but  unfortunately he will be judged on W. Bush's record, since people will view it as dynastic politics. Edwards may run or may drop out after the bad news about his wife's breast cancer today. But its too early to say at this time. Do not overlook Rudy Juliani ex mayor of New York city. Would he want to challenge Jeb Bush in 2008 or would he accept the position of Attorney General in president George W Bush's presidency. If Juliani turns down the presidents offer then we could with some degree of intelligent certainty project that Juliani's eyes are set on the Presidency. What are the changes should the street expect in President Bush's second term?

November 3rd - 2004 Finally  verdict is out - Bush wins - Kerry concedes - Ohio seals fate
Finally the bickering and finger pointing is over. The next four years all politicians aught to put aside there differences and work towards the good of the people and world peace at large.

Today we saw a flicker of John Kerry soul in his concession speech. Would John Edwards run again in 2008? Edwards failed to even deliver his own state. George W Bush being reelected has a very hard task ahead of him as he begins another four years in the White House. Bush will most likely work towards building his legacy to be remembered by. Would Iraq define his Presidency or overshadow it. Could the economy and job creation be tamed?

Now that the election fever is over people will be focused on jobs economy and safety of their loved ones in Iraq. To date 1122 dead in Iraq and  8030 wounded. It is not too early to be looking at the 2008 election. President Bush has only three more years to get it right, because in the fourth year election fever starts and the report card is out.

We would like to get some whispers from Europe on this election. Are we a more faith based society today then we were five years ago? Is there a global religious power struggle going on in which we are involved and is defining our politics? One needs to pay close attention to the cabinet changes that will be made.