Hey, if getting banned is the price for speaking out against gross incompetence, abject stupidity, war profiteering, and the casual disregard for the rule of law - including referring to the document he has sworn "to preserve, protect and defend" as "just a god-damned piece of paper" - then "bring it on". It's just that when I see so many crimes being perpetrated against our great nation, I have to speak up - as Dennis Kucinnich did Monday with his 35 separate articles of impeachment (not that it's actually gonna ever happen). And when I see someone defending, nay, *championing* all things Bush-league, it gets my blood up - something I shouldn't be doing at my age. Life should be pretty good right now: I've got a new grand-daughter, the wife got a big raise, I'm turning away work, we're virtually debt-free, and both Rovers are running well (knock on wood). But then I look around at the damage that this administration has visited upon this great country - and the shit that will be hitting the fan for years to come - I'm very worried for our nation's future - especially the mountain of debt left for our kids and grand-kids to deal with. I don't want today to be considered the "good ol' days of $4 gasoline" by future generations. I marched on Washington in 1970 with a half million other folks to end the Vietnam War; certainly getting banned from D-web is less painful that being beaten and gassed for one's political views on an ill-advised war.
Some of y'all might not know who I am, but there's only one person on this list who has owned a Land-Rover for a longer time (and that's by just a few months); I was one of the founders of the oldest Land Rover club in the Americas, published a quarterly newsletter for a dozen years, and organized some of the largest Rover rallies on the continent. I've written regular, feature articles for several "alternative weeklies" and newspapers, was one of the earliest participants in the grand-daddy of all LRO lists, and with four or so years on the D-web, there's a fair amount of text out there with my by-line on it. All of it is factual and/or historical (and I hope informative, even if you didn't have a dog in that particular fight); I challenge anyone to find something that's not truthful and accurate.
I don't know what most of you might do for a living, but in my line of work, I have to testify in court. A lot. Litigation valuation is my specialty. With hotly-contested cases involving many millions of dollars, I've seen some whoppers told under oath by others. Truth is an absolute defense, so logic, reason, and compelling evidence usually wins. Not always, it seems, which explains how Bush won not once, but twice.
I see a lot of similarities between today's D-web and Bush's reception at the EU summit and his farewell tour across the continent last week. Police all across Europe were gearing up for the expected, massive protests - which simply didn't happen. "Bush fatigue" - there and here- appears to be very much in evidence: people can't even be bothered even to boo any more, as apathy is that great. Fortunately for us, the end of this disastrous administration is in sight. Unfortunately, a recent poll by the London's Daily Telegraph found that more people in France, Germany and Britain view the United States as a 'force for evil' than good in the world. Thanks a lot, Georgie....
And if I get banned, so be it...and thanks for all the fish.
Cheers