agitprop version 2.0

Governor Photo-Op

For those of you unaware, wildfires have burned over 17,000 acres here in Southern California. Mrs. Prop was watching KCAL 9 News (a local news station for the Los Angeles area) when they cut away to an outdoor press conference with Governor Schwarzenegger. She taped the press conference which allowed me to provide you this dispatch.

In classic Arnold photo-op style, he was standing at a podium in front of two firetrucks and was flanked by about 15 to 20 firefighters. He completed his short schpeel about the progress our firefighters were making and then opened the forum up to questions.   

The first reporter asked the Gropenfuhrer why he had vetoed four bills which would have provided firefighters with extra funding, new streamlined procedures, new helicopters and safety equipment. Arnold brushed off the question saying "I don't think we should bring politics into this" and also added that he is a big friend of the firefighters because he actually played a firefighter in one of his lame movies.

The next reporter challenged Arnold's response by noting that the firefighters standing behind the Governor were ordered to do so--thus politics must play a role. The men behind Arnold all looked like props; some of them even smiled and nodded when the Governor spoke. Arnold has a long history of photo-ops--the pothole incident in particular.

Firefighters have been some of the Governor's loudest critics, along with teachers and nurses, ever since he tried to privatize their pension system. I was pleasantly surprised to see bold reporters assault Arnold with some tough questions. If that were Bush in the hot seat he probably would have peed his pants and plummeted into a one-minute long stutter.

(Thanks to Mrs. Prop for recording the news conference)

Right-Wing Talking Points Uncovered

Thanks to some research by The Kenosha Kid, Operation Yellow Elephant has uncovered exclusive right-wing talking points against the "Chickenhawk" argument. As you may have guessed it, right-wingers consider themselves freedom fighters in the "War Of Ideas", not chickenhawks who voice support for a war in which they refuse to serve. This list comes from Reagan Youth, also known as Young America Foundation:

1. We are engaged in a war of ideas on college campuses that is essential to winning the war on terror. This is also very important since hateful professors are spewing anti-American rhetoric at the students every day and students rarely hear all sides of the argument.

2. The Vietnam war was lost because there weren't enough people on the homefront telling the truth and supporting the war...

3. Where were these leftists when Clinton was sending our troops to Kosovo, Somalia, and Haiti? They weren't signing up then. Also, why aren't they serving in various UN peacekeeping missions worldwide, according to their logic?

4. The troops in our programs tell us it is so important to continue the battle of ideas on campuses and to support the men overseas through programs like what we did with Freedom Alliance to send needed supplies and thank you notes over there during the conference.

5. We are the ones fighting for the right to serve in ROTC on campuses. The same leftists who criticize us for not joining the military are stripping willing and able college students at Yale, Harvard, Emory, Stanford, etc from their rights to serve their country.

6. The majority of Americans do not serve in the military, so the Left is essentially disenfranchising them from contributing their voice to the debate.

7. The logic is flawed that only people who are involved in something can voice an opinion about it. For example – the public voices its opinion about a wide range of government programs even though most people are not in the government, and people speak about welfare but not many are actually on it or administering it.

Or to summarize--Liberals caused the U.S. to lose in Vietnam, critics of the Bush administration are anti-American, and last but not least, it's all Clinton's fault.

Zieg heil, bitches.

Why We Must Kill Hugo Chavez

Lally Weymouth of Newsweek Newspeak interviewed the Venezuelan president earlier this week. The interview is rather short yet insightful:

Why did you call the United States a terrorist state?
The country is one thing; we have lovely relations with the people—like in the Bronx [where Chavez paid a visit]. We have economic relations. We have a company [Citgo] that refines daily 800,000 barrels of oil... We have 14,000 gas stations in this country. We have sent major-league baseball players here. But the media is trying to make the American people see me as an enemy. What I said is that this U.S. administration—the current government—is a terrorist administration, not all U.S. governments.

Here's a nice loaded question:

Experts in Washington claim you are encouraging radical groups throughout Latin America, that you're helping the FARC in Colombia; Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua; Shafik Handal and the FMLN in El Salvador, and Evo Morales and the MAS in Bolivia. Are you?
Shafik is a great friend. We are together in this same revolutionary effort, of course. Daniel Ortega is a close friend, and I think he will be a candidate in the next election. Evo Morales is my friend, another great guy and an Indian leader. Do you want me to support the extreme right wing? I am a revolutionary. Latin America today is going to the left and not to the right.

According to Newspeak, you are a radical if you want to chart a course independent from U.S. hegemony and you believe that government should lift up all citizens, not just the oligarchs who've ruled your country for the past 200 years. If you are a left-wing party then you are radical. If you are a right-wing party then you are champions of democracy and freedom. It's as simple as that! The groups mentioned above by Newspeak are no more radical than the Bush regime is reactionary.

The truth is that Latin America is gradually embracing the left--policies that benefit their own people as opposed to private multinational conglomerates. No wonder Cold War dinosaur Ronald Dumsfeld has sent U.S. troops to Paraguay. What are they up to? Will the death squads be called Pat Robertson holy justice brigades?

Say what you want about Hugo Chavez but at least he was elected by a vast majority of his country unlike Emporer Nero Bush who stole the first election and then won the second election by scaring everyone to death.

hugo chavez venezuela

Friday Random Ten: Everybody's Talking 'Bout Fascism

No captions today. My head's still a bit fuzzy from the 32 oz. bottles of Regal Cerveza de El Salvador last night. All I'd say is that except for the Hot Hot Heat track which is from 2003, all these songs remind me of high school. 

1. Monkey Wrench - Foo Fighters
2. Ride The Cliche - Stone Temple Pilots
3. Autosuggestion - Joy Division
4. Changes - David Bowie
5. Dear Prudence - The Beatles
6. Trenchtown Rock - Sublime
7. Talk With Me, Dance With Me - Hot Hot Heat
8. Give Peace A Chance - John Lennon
9. Car Bomb Derby (comedy routine) - Bill Hicks
10. The Battle of Evermore - Led Zeppelin

Other keepers of the Random Ten flame:

Roxanne gets down with Shakira and invites Jonah to play.  Tattered Coat takes the Low road.  Lauren also takes a trip back high school and Tom has a fixation on the number 99.

random ten

Bring In 'Da Noise, Bring In 'Da Crunk

Time to commence Operation ACLU Annihilation:

NEW YORK (AP) - Pictures of detainee abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison must be released despite government claims that they could damage America's image, a federal judge ruled Thursday. U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein said terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan have proven they "do not need pretexts for their barbarism.'' The American Civil Liberties Union sought the release of 87 photographs and four videotapes as part of an October 2003 lawsuit demanding information on the treatment of detainees in U.S. custody and the transfer of prisoners to countries known to use torture. The ACLU contends that prisoner abuse is systemic.

It appears that Operation ACLU Annihilation is already underway over at Little Green Fascists. Check out some of the un-edited comments from LGF:

someone take the ACLU -out

The trrorists from the ACLU win. And they'd be the first ones executed if they really got their wishes.

An utter travesty of justice. I hope conservatives destroy the ACLU with this blatant example of their willingness to venture into the anti-American to smear a Republican.
I don't have anything else to say.

Since the wingnuts have trouble typing correctly and communicating effectively, I have decided to summarize their views with this quick and easy set of talking points:

• The ACLU is engaging in partisan attacks against a Republican administration which promoted torture as official policy.
• The ACLU hates America because they want to hold government accountable--the very government which ignored reports of torture and abuse.
• The ACLU champions evil values such as civil liberties and freedom from government oppression, therefore they are anti-American.
• Right-wing "patriots" champion real American values such as obedience to authority, one-party dictatorial rule, torture, extraordinary rendition and pre-emptive war.
• The government protects Americans by torturing innocent brown people.
• Just pretend it's all okay.
• We are safer.
• Trust me.

More on torture from The Heretik and The Tattered Coat.

afghanistan pentagon iraq war on terror impeach bush abu ghraib guantanamo

All The News That's Fit To Ooze

   

In the real word:

WASHINGTON - Shadowed by scandal, House Republicans face an uncertain new era after a day of upheaval that left Majority Leader Tom DeLay under indictment and forced to surrender his powerful post. "What we do here is more important than who we are," Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt (news, bio, voting record) said Wednesday after the rank and file named him as DeLay's replacement, at least for the time being. "We have an agenda to move forward here."

The last time I checked, I didn't see conspiracy, corruption, illegal campaign financing, stock fraud, and outing undercover agents as part of the Republican's Contract With America. Maybe I better re-read it.

tag: tom delay

**Press Release**

In my quest to chart new horizons in the blogosphere and expand the boundaries of this website I have decided to transform this blog into a group effort. As from this day forward AGITPROP is now a group blog.

I would personally like to welcome Blogenfreude as our first new contributor to AGITPROP. Please give him a warm welcome. He resides in New York. His East Coast perspective will be a nice compliment to my West Coast views.

Okay. That's it for introductions. I'll leave the rest to him.

Crank Addicts For Christ

In March 2005, Ashley Smith was held hostage in her apartment by Brian Nichols. Smith told police and reporters that she persuaded Nichols to surrender by reading him passages from the spiritual best seller "The Purpose-Driven Life." Smith immediately became a media sensation and hit up the cable talk-show circuit. She recounted how Jesus had saved her from possible rape and murder at the hands of Nichols. It turns out that what got her through the ordeal was not Jesus, but rather Crystal Meth:

In the memoir, "Unlikely Angel: The Untold Story of the Atlanta Hostage Hero," Ms. Smith recalls that Brian Nichols, who has been charged in the death of three people shot at the Fulton County Courthouse and a fourth killed elsewhere in Atlanta soon before her kidnapping, asked her if she had any marijuana. She answered no but said she did have some "ice," or crystal meth.

Marijuana is like so last century man. Meth is totally in now . . .

. . "Suddenly, looking down at my drug pouch," she says, "I realized that I would rather have died in my apartment than have done those drugs with Brian Nichols. If the cops were going to bust in here and find me dead, they were not going to find drugs in me when they did the autopsy. I was not going to die tonight and stand before God, having done a bunch of ice up my nose."

I don't think God would be happy if you arrived at the gates of heaven high on crank. After seeing your dilated pupils and your relentless twitching he would have sent you to purgatory for about 200 years. Wise choice Ashley.

Tom Delay Indicted!

Sweet Jebus I can't believe my eyes! The locusts are coming and seas are turning red. Take cover. I'm raising the Rapture Alert level!

                                              

Houston Chronicle:

A Travis County grand jury today indicted U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Sugar Land on a single count of felony criminal conspiracy involving an exchange of money that made corporate cash available to Republican Texas House candidates in 2002. The indictment alleges that DeLay conspired with two of his political associates, John Colyandro of Austin and Jim Ellis of Virginia, to convert $190,000 in corporate money into individual campaign contributions through a transfer of funds using the Republican National Committee.

DeLay's Statement:

I have notified the speaker that I will temporarily step aside from my position as majority leader pursuant to rules of the House Republican Conference and the actions of the Travis County district attorney today." — House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas.

You'll be able to find The Hammer getting hammered at a local D.C. Saloon. Oh you didn't know? He looooves the sauce. Here's video proof of Hot Tub Tom (a.k.a. Drunkie McPuke Shoes) drunk off his ass at a June Republican fund-raiser.

What's So Friendly About 'Friendly Fire'?

Move over Cindy Sheehan. The Pentagon (and their cadre of right-wing chickenhawk yellow elephant lackeys) has a new family to demonize and slander--the Tillman family. Why? Because they want to know why their dead son was used as a pawn in a Pentagon propaganda exercise.

Pat Tillman died in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. The army knew that Tillman died from "friendly fire" yet General John Abizaid awarded Tillman the Silver Star and the Purple Heart on the basis of a citation report that said that Tillman was killed by enemy forces. This report contained a detailed account of the alleged battle (which the Army knew had never taken place). Five weeks after his memorial service on May 3, 2004 the Tillman family was told that their son was actually killed by "friendly fire".

I wonder what prompted the Pentagon to lie about Tillman's death and turn him into an uber-American hero? What negative damning story that surfaced in late April 2004 did the Pentagon want to divert attention from? Hmm.

Tillman became the poster child for military heroism in the middle of Bush's 2004 campaign. He was used as a propaganda tool just like Private Jessica Lynch was in 2003.  According to The Chronic, Pat Tillman's family wants to know why testimony from fellow soldiers was changed and why the military lied about the "friendly-fire" aspect of his death:

Mary Tillman says that’s how Pat would have wanted to be remembered, as an individual, not as a stock figure or political prop. But she also believes “Pat was a real hero, not what they used him as.” For the moment, all that is left are the memories and the thick binders spread across Mary Tillman’s dining room table in San Jose. As she waits for the Pentagon investigators to finish their new probe, she wonders whether they will ask the hard questions. Like other family members, “I just want accountability,” she said. “I want answers.”

I am deeply suspicious about the circumstances of this story. Blogger Newsguy goes so far as to ask Was Pat Tillman Victim of a Fragging Incident? During the Vietnam War, fragging referred to "the assassination of an officer by his own troops, usually by means of a grenade." Maybe the army intentionally disposed of Tillman because he disliked President Bush and was a Noam Chomsky fan:

The Chronicle also revealed that interviews “show a side of Pat Tillman not widely known -- a fiercely independent thinker who enlisted, fought, and died in service to his country yet was critical of President Bush and opposed the war in Iraq, where he served a tour of duty. He was an avid reader whose interests ranged from history books on World War II and Winston Churchill to works of leftist Noam Chomsky, a favorite author.”. . .

A colleague who served with Tillman for more than a year in Iraq and Afghanistan, said: “We were outside of (a city in southern Iraq) watching as bombs were dropping on the town. ... We were talking. And Pat said, 'You know, this war is so f— illegal.' And we all said, 'Yeah.' That's who he was. He totally was against Bush.”

How dare Tillman question the wisdom of Dear Leader's decision to invade Iraq! Only a pro-terrorist communist sympathizer would do such a thing! In all seriousness I do believe Pat Tillman is a real hero. He gave up his football career to join the Army Rangers not to invade Iraq but to hunt down Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan. Treason doesn't come close to describing the Pentagon's deceitful actions to cover up the truth behind his death.

Stay tuned for more updates on this story. I assume the plot will thicken in the days and weeks to come.

tags: afghanistan pentagon iraq war on terror impeach bush pat tillman