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1) poverty- http://www.dsausa.org/pdf/BushFailed.pdf
Just look at the start in 2002 it says 36.4 million people were below the official poverty line in the USA.
With the number of families who are below that line increasing by 9%
Poverty in the Midwest also has increased by 9%
So under Bush you have had an increase in poverty.
2) Civil Rights- http://www.civilrights.org/issues/enforcement/details.cfm?id=22381
Just one example
The Administration's policies are reversing progress for women and girls across the board - their opportunities to succeed in work and in school, their economic security, and their health and reproductive rights," said Nancy Duff Campbell, NWLC Co-President.
So Bush is rolling back civil rights
3) War- well obivously they is the Iraq war which is illegal under international law.
You have found no WMDs which was argued to be the reason for the war, so you have argued that it is a regime change.
Well you cant invade another country and install a new government as it is against the rule of law. So that means that the USA has broken international law.
That was a quick 5 minute check on google and i could of found a hell of a lot more.
Sticking 2 fingers up to the rest of the world will not make the world a safer place, as it happens ........
I think this is the only time I've ever agreed with a headline in a tabloid newspaper.
I'd disagree. I'd say most are insular and woefully ill informed about global politics and the actions of their own government. But this isn't surprising given the state of the US media.
Sour grapes.
Well if you had the sense not to support Bush like most of the rest of the world I am sure you would be feeling a bit bitter than he has won because the man is disaster waiting to happen (even more so than he was first time)
When your enemies place their hopes on the demise of your leader? When they actively support one who defines the term TRAITOR?
Maintaining your leader ain't such a bad idea.
And from the postings in this place, over the past four years that I have been here? There are MANY enemies of the United States in this place who ache for the demise of my nation.
Including the "clandestine" one.
Good fucking luck.
We don't want the demise of your nation, just your neo liberal christian fundamentalist government.
To the citizens of the United States of America :-
In the light of your failure to elect a proper President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective today. Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchial duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories. Except Utah, which she does not fancy. Your new prime minister (The Right Honourable Tony Blair, MP for the 97.85% of you who have until now been unaware that there is a world outside your borders) will appoint a minister for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire will be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
1. You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up "aluminium". Check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'favour' and 'neighbour', skipping the letter 'U' is nothing more than laziness on your part. Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters. You will end your love affair with the letter 'Z' (pronounced 'zed' not 'zee') and the suffix "ize" will be replaced by the suffix "ise". You will learn that the suffix 'burgh is pronounced 'burra' e.g. Edinburgh. You are welcome to respell Pittsburgh as 'Pittsberg' if you can't cope with correct pronunciation. Generally, you should raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. Look up "vocabulary". Using the same twenty seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "like" and "you know" is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. Look up "interspersed". There will be no more 'bleeps' in the Jerry Springer show. If you're not old enough to cope with bad language then you shouldn't have chat shows. When you learn to develop your vocabulary then you won't have to use bad language as often.
2. There is no such thing as "US English". We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of "-ize".
3. You should learn to distinguish the English and Australian accents. It really isn't that hard. English accents are not limited to Cockney, upper-class twit or Mancunian (Daphne in Frasier). You will also have to learn how to understand regional accents – Scottish dramas such as "Taggart" will no longer be broadcast with subtitles. While we're talking about regions, you must learn that there is no such place as Devonshire in England. The name of the county is "Devon". If you persist in calling it Devonshire, all American States will become "shires" e.g. Texasshire, Floridashire, Louisianashire.
4. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as the good guys. Hollywood will be required to cast English actors to play English characters. British sit-coms such as "Men Behaving Badly" or "Red Dwarf" will not be re-cast and watered down for a wishy-washy American audience who can't cope with the humour of occasional political incorrectness.
5. You should relearn your original national anthem, "God Save The Queen", but only after fully carrying out task 1. We would not want you to get confused and give up half way through.
6. You should stop playing American "football". There is only one kind of football. What you refer to as American "football" is not a very good game. The 2.15% of you who are aware that there is a world outside your borders may have noticed that no one else plays "American" football. You will no longer be allowed to play it, and should instead play proper football. Initially, it would be best if you played with the girls. It is a difficult game. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which is similar to American "football", but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like nancies). We are hoping to get together at least a US rugby sevens side by 2005. You should stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the 'World Series' for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.15% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. Instead of baseball, you will be allowed to play a girls' game called "rounders" which is baseball without fancy team strip, oversized gloves, collector cards or hotdogs.
7. You should declare war on Quebec and France, using nuclear weapons if they give you any merde. The 97.85% of you who were not aware that there is a world outside your borders should count yourselves lucky. The Russians have never been the bad guys. "Merde" is French for "5hit". You will no longer be allowed to own or carry guns. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous in public than a vegetable peeler. Because we don't believe you are sensible enough to handle potentially dangerous items, you will require a permit if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
8. July 4th is no longer a public holiday. November 2th will be a new national holiday, but only in England. It will be called "Indecisive Day".
9. All American cars are hereby banned. They are cr*p and it is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean. All road intersections will be replaced with roundabouts. You will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
10. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips. Fries aren't even French, they are Belgian though 97.85% of you (including the guy who discovered fries while in Europe) are not aware of a country called Belgium. Those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called "crisps". Real chips are thick cut and fried in animal fat. The traditional accompaniment to chips is beer which should be served warm and flat. Waitresses will be trained to be more aggressive with customers.
11. As a sign of penance 5 grams of sea salt per cup will be added to all tea made within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, this quantity to be doubled for tea made within the city of Boston itself.
12. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all, it is lager. From November 1st only proper British Bitter will be referred to as "beer", and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as "Lager".
The substances formerly known as "American Beer" will henceforth be referred to as "Near-Frozen Knat's Urine", with the exception of the product of the American Budweiser company whose product will be referred to as "Weak Near-Frozen Knat's Urine". This will allow true Budweiser (as manufactured for the last 1000 years in Pilsen, Czech Republic) to be sold without risk of confusion.
13. From December 1st the UK will harmonise petrol (or "Gasoline" as you will be permitted to keep calling it until April 1st 2005) prices with the former USA. The UK will harmonise its prices to those of the former USA and the Former USA will, in return, adopt UK petrol prices (roughly $6/US gallon - get used to it).
14. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults. If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you're not grown up enough to handle a gun.
15. Please tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us crazy.
Tax collectors from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all revenues due (backdated to 1776).
Thank you for your cooperation.
Any fucking time, sweetheart.
Just remember.
Your arrogant shit did not work at Lexington or Concord. And we still have all of those "evil guns" that terrify you so, that you attempted to steal from us, way back then.
Want to lead the first wave? We will have a "Welcome Wagon" waiting for you, personally...
It's a joke letter you twat. :yeees:
A "twat" would be one who finds humor in it.
But then, SOME of us comprehend the reality of war, having been there.
Have you?
Erm, SOME of you comprehend the reality of war so well that you keep attacking other countries.......
twat!
I'm still waiting for your answer.
You don't have one do you?
Or is it that you in fact don't care one iota that more than a thousand of your fellow soldiers have been killed in a war waged under false pretenses so far as it is a Republican President who started it?
An undeniable collateral consequence of defending one's nation, or acting in its interest, is that those doing the "dirty work" are exposed to mortal peril; I accepted that possible consequence when I served, and I accept the possible/eventual consequence for those who now serve. I respect their service/sacrifice, as I would have hoped that mine had been appreciated, outside of those who had been rooting for Communist expansionism/terrorism, in the 60's and 70's...
"Unnecessary"?
I can think of a dozen justifiable reasons for being in Iraq, and it has NOTHING to do with "oil", "capitalistic expansion", or any other buzz words that you ascribe to the "neo-con" agenda... "neo-con" being used in your vernacular as some epithet on the same base level as "n*gger"...
However...
I am CERTAINLY not going to present those easily considered theorums in front of an audience comprised of radical Islamic cheerleaders, such as yourself.
Wow, powerful stuff. So if we're not with you then we're against you?
"None so blind, as them who refuse to see..."
Do you remember the "immediate threat"?
Do you remember the WMDs?
Do you remember the links to 'terrorism'?
Do you remember the links to 9/11?
All of which were claimed by your lying, murdering, cheating president.
So yes, the war was unnecessary and every single US death has only served to further the interests of Halliburton, Exxon, Lockheed Martin and the likes.
Go ask the families of the dead if their loved ones signed up to defend and protect their nation, or to line the pockets of the Republican Elite.
Thanatos can't possibly mean saving the US from bin Laden's lot, seeing as they let his family go hours after Sept 11.
you have NO IDEA what you have done for us. i hope someday you will go to iraq (when the fighting stops-and it will) to see the hope and joy you have brought to us.
god willing.
I'm glad you feel liberated. But you will surely understand people's concerns about the whole Iraq fiasco when we hear reports of attacks by Iraqis (the ones actually living in Iraq btw) on British and American troops?
We don't actually care what you think over there. do us a favor please. kick out tony blair and take your troops home. then you can stop whining about us and about iraq.
And it actually saddens me that you don't care what the rest of the world thinks of American foreign policy.
Like so many people here, the al-Hayalis have all but forgotten what normal life is like. One factor permeates every moment - the lack of security, and the very real fear of kidnappings, suicide bombings and gunfights. Much of Iraq is now in effect a killing ground, and Baghdad is one of its most violent parts.
While the American military bomb Fallujah and Ramadi, the insurgents have brought the war to the capital. The Americans, the British, their client Iraqi government and other foreigners mostly stay inside the barricaded Green Zone on the banks of the Tigris, the most heavily protected area in the country. Even that is no guarantee of safety, as two recent suicide bombings inside the zone show.
But ordinary Iraqis - people like the al-Hayalis - have no such protection. As well as being caught up in an increasingly savage war, they have to cope with a society disintegrating around them. There has been a surge in robberies, rapes, carjackings and abductions; unemployment is rising steeply as companies and international institutions flee the violence; and the cost of living continues to rocket. There are daily power cuts and petrol queues lasting for hours, in a land which has one of the biggest oil reserves in the world.
Nadia, 39, and Mohammed, 40, and their children Abdullah, seven, and Dahlia, five, are the type of middle-class, educated family who should be the driving force in what the war, according to George Bush and Tony Blair, was supposed to create in Iraq - a vibrant civic society in a stable, secular democracy.
Both are fluent in English, and Nadia speaks French. Both have lived abroad, Mohammed in the US and Nadia, who was born in Montpellier, in France and, briefly, in London. The couple earn about $500 (£270) a month each, he as an official with the aid organisation Merlin, she as a teacher. These are good salaries for Iraq. Nadia is a talented artist, specialising in painting on silk. In a different time, her work could be exhibited.
The family lives in a four-bedroom house in al-Jamiyah, a prosperous neighbourhood. It's worth more than $250,000 in the current property-price boom. Mohammed had the home built on a plot of land given him by his parents. The house has most of the amenities seen in middle-class British homes: it is well equipped, the children play games on a computer, and there's a four-wheel-drive family car. But the al-Hayalis say it is almost impossible to save money. Prices have risen steeply since the war, including food. Lamb, which used to be the equivalent of $1 a kilogram, is now almost $4. The prices of many vegetables have doubled.
The couple were at first divided about the war. Nadia, whose uncle, Isham Ashawi, was the Iraqi ambassador to Britain before going into exile because of his opposition to Saddam Hussein, thought it was worth the pain to create a new, free Iraq. "It was a real opportunity to break out of the life under the regime - the lack of freedom and creativity - even if the reasons given, like the weapons of mass destruction, were bogus," Nadia says.
"But it started to go so wrong so early. When I saw the looting after Baghdad fell, and American soldiers standing by and watching, I realised what we might be letting ourselves in for. Since then, they have mishandled almost everything. And the main thing for us is that they have totally failed to provide any sort of security."
Mohammed always had little doubt that it would end this way. "Wars are a terribly dangerous way to try to change a society. Apart from the human cost, when you introduce violence in that scale it is very difficult to stop that continuing. OK, under the regime the middle classes and the intelligentsia felt restricted. But where is the freedom now? We can't even travel in the streets without the fear of being attacked or kidnapped. A few people have done very well out of the occupation, but for the vast majority, it is now much worse."
The biggest fear is of kidnapping. The snatching of foreigners, such as Ken Bigley and Margaret Hassan, makes the headlines, but most victims are ordinary Iraqis. And they do not have to be particularly wealthy. "I know a man whose daughter was kidnapped. The gang asked for $10,000. The father said he could not get it; all he had was $1,500, and he would just have to spend that on his little girl's funeral. The gang decided to settle for the $1,500," Mohammed says.
"We don't have a four-wheel-drive out of vanity. There is a practical reason; one can get out of dangerous situations by barging past cars trying to ambush you, or driving over pavements. There was a gun attack on a police post right in front as I was driving, and we got out by doing a U-turn and driving over the kerb."
The lawlessness is all around. A neighbour's home was ransacked by armed men who stormed it at night. Another was carjacked in his drive by two teenagers carrying Kalashnikovs. "And this is in our own road," Nadia says. "There are parts of the city that we simply don't go to now. You have attacks in daylight on American patrols and police cars. You don't know if the car next to you has explosives in it. There are friends and family we haven't seen for months."
Even everyday activities such as shopping have to be planned with safety in mind. The family only goes to supermarkets in certain adjoining areas. Nadia doesn't go to the bank on her own, as so many people have been robbed after drawing money.
The city's parks and open spaces have no children playing in them. The al-Hayalis have a small yard at the house, but Abdullah and Dahlia are not allowed out even there. "I want to make sure there always people with them," Nadia says. "At school, they have teachers. But when I am busy around the house I cannot afford to have them out of sight outside. I know this is not the way we grew up, not the way children grow up in other countries, but what can we do?"
After dropping the children at school, the al-Hayalis go to their separate ways to work. Working for an international NGO (non-governmental organisation), Mohammed gets a daily security report. He calls Nadia with the details. She passes them on to other staff where she works, at the Baghdad International School.
The school, founded in 1984, once had 850 pupils; children of foreign diplomats and businessmen as well as Iraqis, many on scholarship schemes from poorer areas. It is affiliated to a number of international educational bodies and prepares pupils for foreign examinations, including GCSEs. After the war, it was looted and burnt. The director, Nisreen Awqati, saw what was happening and asked some US troops for help. One replied: "I am sorry, ma'am, but we have no orders to get involved."
The school is in borrowed premises while it searches for funds for a new building, new equipment and staff. One would have thought that this institution - secular, co-educational, a route to further education abroad - would get support from outside agencies. But appeals to the Americans, and to the British Embassy and the British Council, have brought sympathy but little else.
The temporary location cannot be publicised; that would bring unwelcome attention. The few pupils still being taught there (including the children of Iraqis who have returned since the war) are mainly from well-to-do families, and would be targets for abduction. Another concern is that a mixed school such as this may draw the wrath of Muslim fundamentalists. Baghdad University was threatened last week with bomb attacks unless it started segregating men and women.
Among the Japanese vases, Rajasthani prints and Nadia's paintings that adorn the family living-room is a holstered pistol on top of a cupboard. "It is the kind of thing one has in one's house nowadays, I am afraid," Mohammed says. "But, frankly, I don't even know if it works. I am not particularly in favour of guns."
Nadia and Mohammed's parents were academics who studied abroad and gave their children a liberal upbringing. Unlike most people in this society, even among the middle classes, theirs is not an arranged marriage. The couple have known each other since high school. "Our parents were Hunting Club members because the club reserved some places for academics, not because they were rich or had any kind of political influence," Mohammed says. "We are members as well, although the club has changed. They have expanded the membership; you have a lot of people who have made money since the war, especially through contracts, and they like showing off. It is the new Iraq."
The al-Hayalis often think of leaving. The fragility of their lives has been accentuated by visits abroad; Mohammed has been to Jordan and Syria on business, and Nadia went to an education conference in Japan.
"This is our country, and we would like to stay," Mohammed says. "We have to believe that things will get better, and I think they will. But, in the meantime, we are living in fear. We really are. I did not know what that phrase meant before, but I do now."
©2004 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd. All rights reserved http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=576275