It Pays To Be A Capitalist

Have you heard the news about Merill-Lynch? They just reported that they lost $8 billion because of their involvement with the subprime market. Because of their losses, the CEO has resigned. His package is worth $160 million. Yes, you heard it right! he walks away from Merill-Lynch with $160 million. His decisions lost the company $8 billion! And he is rewarded with a huge separation package? Am I the only one that sees a problem there?

Let us look at it this way--say I was a foreman on an assembly line and my decision cost the company $1 million--I would be fired and loss of benefits. Where is equality in that? The worker is screwed for a mistake and a CEO is rewarded. Sorry, that is unacceptable and the sooner the worker realize just how bad he is screwed the sooner he will find a new way.

NUKES--The Clean Energy

STOP IT! There is nothing about nuke energy that is clean. While some minor case can be made about the emissions thing, but what about the by-product? What is to be done with all the plutonium by-product?

The nuke thing is being pushed by the same people that are bringing you global warming. They are not concerned with the world around them, just the continuation of their profits. For you see wind and solar power cannot bring them the obscene profits they could make on nukes. So, they will sell the ignorant public on the need for nukes as a way of controlling emission and thusly help eliminate the global warming thing.

It was a lie in the past. It is a lie now! Educate yourself! you have the power to stop this insanity, but you have to want to stop it. I fear that the American people are too lazy to act and the nuke people will get their way.

Nuke power is NOT as safe as they will lead you to believe. Get the facts! Then act to protect the environment, after all it has pretty good to you.

DO SOMETHING!

I do not know if you realize just how much money was made off of the vid game Halo3. Millions upon millions! That is a bit scary when a game made more money than movies did for the first week.

IMO, there should be a law that states that once a person turns 21 the game control should be put down and you read a BOOK!

The mental midgets that are now inhabiting the world are a scary lot. One day they will be leading the country and the world. Think about it!

CHUQ

Refugees? Are They?

The recent fires in S. Calif have created a "refugee" problem in the region. About 1 million people have been displaced because of the fires. The news outlets have spent 5 days of 24/7 coverage of wood burning. Sorry guys, I know what a fire looks like. Yes, yes, yes..it is a terrible thing, but unfortunately the world will go forward with San Diego intact or not.

Sorry, but what about the millions of Iraqi refugees that are trying to make a life in the middle of death and destruction? Why do you, the media, just mention these people in passing, for the most part? Or how about those pesky refugees in Darfur? Recall those people?

The world continues and after 5 days of total immersion in the Calif fires, I have had enough! The world is not a kind place! But there is more to it than the fires in the affluent sections of S. Calif. Could we move beyond this story?

A CHUQ-ian Rant

Is it just me or did the whole world stop to watch California burn? Sorry, to suck the air out of the situation, but California burns every year! OK, this one is a little more severe than in the past, but it is a yearly thing.

Asking questions like: How does it feel to lose everything? Is just a bit condescending. Showing pics of the flames is another really moronic thing. A flame is a flame is a........

Please let the world return to f*cking itself up. The media is treating this like any other disaster, they have talking to everyone from a home owner to a guy that saw it on TV while delivering a pizza. MOVE THE F*CK ON!

Are They Serious?

I ask the question of the GOP candidates. So, are they serious about being the leader of the country? IMO, they are not! Or they just do not have a workable plan and they will play it by ear if they are elected.

I will bet you would like to know why I say that?

Alrighty then, what is their plan, any plan for the economy? What is there plan on any of the major issues, for that matter? If you spend enough time analyzing their stands you would find there are no actually stands just a endless stream of bovine fecal matter. They have no agenda, other than to be elected by brain dead conservatives.

The last Repub debate, seldom did any of them talk about Iraq or spending or Katrina cleanup; they did however talk volumes on Clinton. They spent a bunch of their time attacking her stands and avoided anything that would remotely sound like a plan on their part.

IMO, they are trying to unite a fractured party, the GOP, and could care less about the real issues that face normal Americans daily. If anyone votes for a person who has NO real plan, then I question your sanity. Because only a brain dead, in-bred lump of moronic sh*t could find anything likable in the GOP!

That is it! Like it or not!

CHUQ

The Iowa Caucus

This is my take on the importance of the Iowa Caucus. Polls! Polls! Polls! There is you answer. For instance, let say Huckabee wins Iowa--the media will immediately make him one of the front runners and that will spill over to the rest of the process. He will remain a front runner even if he does not another primary or caucus for a month.

Basically, the media will tell the people who to vote for in their process. The media makes or breaks the ones they want to. Paul gets lots of web play but he is still pretty much ignored by the media. The same with Kucinich and Biden. The media has zeroed in on who they want to be the nominees and they will play that for all it is worth.

Iowa has 1% of the population of the USA, but yet the day after their caucus, they will be saying who the leaders are. One of the country's most conservative and white states and the media is gonna let them dictate.

If American mental midgets would get off their lame ass and do their decsions, the country would be a better place. Laziness is no excuse for letting someone decide your candidate for you. YOU people are truly sheep.

Anger is slipping into my diatribe, I will close with that said!

CHUQ

An Arms Race

Yesterday, Sec. Gates said in a news conference that if Iran was allowed to get nukes it would start an arms race in the region. I listened and I listened and I thought what a complete idiotic statement. Why?

By all accounts, whether accurate or the normal Washington lies, Iran is supplying arms to Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and others. To counter that the US is selling weapon systems to Saudi, Jordan, Egypt and others. Thinking........thinking.........But that is not an arms race? What constitutes an arms race?

From a purely capitalist perspective, why would all that be bad? I mean some of the US biggest corporations are dealing in death, so why would they NOT want an arms race--profits would climb and after all, that is the point of an arms race--more PROFIT.

American people listen to this sh*t and say that we cannot allow a new Middle East arms race--WAKE IT UP! It has been going on since we invaded and occupied Iraq. Russia is getting involved, China will get involved, hell they may already be involved--and if so, where is this NOT an arms race?

I realize that most Americans could care less; they are more worried about which gas guzzling SUV to but next time, but I suggest that they wake up and they may not lose anyone in their family to the rages of war. Because of their non-caring attitude, the US is closer to an all out war than anytime since WWII.

Never mind--when you teach a pig to dance, you waste your time and piss off the pig!


CHUQ

The Surge Mentality

We went into Iraq for....(you choose whichever excuse you prefer)...to get al-Qaeda and it has been reported that they are on the run, so that would mean that we won, right? Oh hell no, it was never about winning, but that is another post later.

We formed alliances with some of the Sunni tribes in the fight for Anbar province. It was fortuitous for the US, but the tribes were wanting to rid themselves of AQ and the US was just a necessary tolerance. The idea is being expanded to areas around Baghdad with the hopes it will have a similar outcome. (Sorry I am smiling).

Shi'a power brokers in the South are feeling threatened. They are afraid the US is building more militias, in a country that is over run with them. The there is the Kurds, they are concerned that the US is build a group that will threaten their control of the North. And possibly turn their anger towards the Kurds. And then there is the concern by lots of people that AQ was going to infiltrate these groups and resurface stronger than ever.

The US is doing nothing more than creating more militias that will be at each others throats soon. Basra has Shi'a on Shi'a violence, the Sunni tribes are suspicious of each other and that will degrade into Sunni on Sunni violence. If that goes well they will turn on the opposition or the Kurds. Violence is gonna be a reality not a fantasy.

The US is accomplishing one thing, they will turn Iraq into another Afghanistan. We are creating warlords and such. Each one will be controlling a little piece of Iraq. And we have seen just how stable Afghanistan has been in the past. Iraq has something to look forward to in the future.

Nothing the US can do to change the inevitability of the violence to come, they can however pat themselves on the back to bring about this change and the violence that is to come.

CHUQ

Body Counts

Have you noticed that in the news the US is now reporting American deaths in Iraq as combat and non-combat. Why? Dead is dead! What purpose does this serve? It could be a way to show that combat is down in Iraq and that the troops can start coming home. In other words, use it as an excuse to a final pullout of the country.

But my thinking to my way of thinking, if it is a combat zone, which Iraq is, then all deaths are combat related. No matter if it is an IED, or a suicide, the participation in the war has lead to the death.

This sounds like the Bush Administration trying to cook the stats, or in other words put a political spin on them. Could it be that his new Vet plan will not pay as much for a non-combat death as it would for a combat related? This comes out when the Admin comes forth with a new vet plan to help those wounded and killed in war. Is it a coincidence? NO! there are no coincidences in politics. Everything is done for a reason.

Shortly their reason will be clear.

The PKK--Terrorists to the Turks

The Kurdish Workers Party is a terrorist organization, the UN sees them so, the US sees them so, the world sees them so; so if the world is at war with terrorists, why are they allowed to operate in north Iraq? Just wondering.

Why has the US not gone after them in the past? Was there a deal cut years ago at the time of the invasion? Why are they allowed to operate against an ally, at least for now?

Because of the vote to call the death of Armenians in 1915 genocide, the Turks are massed at the Iraqi border waiting for orders to cross. They wait to see if the proposal passes the House. Let us say it passes, and Turkey enters Northern Iraq, what will be the US response? If they are going after a group of terrorists how can the US object? That is the excuse we used to enter Iraq.

This is all so confusing! If the PKK is a terrorists organization, why has the US allowed it to operate in a zone of their influence? Does that mean that the US picks and chooses who is to be held up as a terrorist organization? Is the US being hypocritical?

Questions.....questions....and very few reliable answers. I will be watching this situation, there is more here than meets the eye.

Economics Of War

I recall back in the day when Kerry was running for President he made a faux pas by saying that the poor kids go to war and rich ones go to college. Remember that? I recall the outrage of the Bush admin and handlers that he would say such a thing and used it heavily during the campaign.

But guess what? He was RIGHT! If you cannot see it then maybe you need to get out more. The bonuses for enlistment are going up and up because they are not getting enough recruits. Economic incentives are the only way that they can meet their recruiting goals. Why is that? First, not many want to die, but when you need money for whatever, the military is like an open bank account.

So with that said, one could also say that economics plays a heavy role in the recruitment of prospects. If Kerry was so damn wrong, why do they keep using cash to entice people to their death? Why are the low to middle class schools more targeted than the schools of the wealthy?

By the way, Kerry was RIGHT and you need to wake up to the facts.

CHUQ

A Six Hour UAW Strike

All I can say is WTF?

What did the Union give up? What did the automaker give up?

So far not much is being said about the contract. Only that the Union will once again take on the VEBA from the auto maker. What did they accomplish in 6 hours?

Chrysler has a glut of vehicles that are unsold. About the only harm the strike could have done was to the new "Caravan" which is made in Canada, but depends on parts from the US. Its debut would have been pushed back and would have cost the company money. I would say that this was a prime motivator, if there was one.

The early reports are that it will be similar to the GM contract, which, IMO, was as worthless as the paper they signed. The worker got screwed yet again and the Chrysler worker can look for a similar screwing.

The strike was gonna effect 45,000+ people and yet CNN lead story was that of a school shooting in Ohio. That was a terrible thing but it would be better if it was handled by a local affiliate, since its impact was on a limited area and the strike covered a considerable larger area.

Sorry, I digress! The Union is doing the automakers a favor, all in the name of the worker. It s not working in the interest of the worker it was about money and profit, not about the conditions of the worker.

A Sick Society

For many year I have watched this society, the American one, that is, go from sad to SICK! Many many things have contributed to this but there are a few that have made this society the sad cancer that it is today.

First there was boxing, a noble sport, but it morphed into wrestling, with the blood and the smack talk. And now we have the ultimate fighting championship, the UFC, which combined the science of fighting with the blood and smack talk. With the morphing going on in about 50 years this will all morph into a form of gladiatorial games with all the blood, the fighting, but with weapons added and fighting to the death. Maybe that is the answer to capital punishment, the death penalty. Turn it into an entertainment.

How about reality TV? Now he is a mindless endeavor and something that the American people can grasp. It is simple, it is mind dulling and it is a piece of crap. That alone will make it a success with the American people. Apparently, the big draw for these mindless shows is the fact that somebody will be embarrassed and humiliated. And that is entertainment, at least for the mindless.

Now we come to my fav, eating competitions. Americans have turned the necessity of food consumption into a "sport". Gluttony is a sin, I thought, but then that does not matter when it involves competition, only when you want to dictate morality. That is what I like about Christians, they can choose which sins they need to avoid. Americans are getting fatter, some say. Is it any wonder? When eating like a pig is entertainment, I would say that pretty much sums it up.

The American society needs a good flush and rid itself of the turds. It needs to start over and there is a possibility it could get it right this time.

CHUQ

Disgraced Runner

I am sure since everyone and their brother is a sports freak, has heard about Marion Jones. She has admitted to using 'roids . She has handed over her 3 golf medals and 2 bronze to the Olympic people and her name will be taken out of the book and the medals will be awarded to the also rans. She will also be required to pay back $100,000 in bonuses.

WAIT! WAIT! Pay back $100,000 in bonuses? I thought that the Olympics were for AMATEUR athletes? Did I miss yet another memo? When did we start paying the competitors? was that not an argument of why the Russians won so many medals, was they were really pro athletes?

Are all our Olympic athletes paid? Where does this end?

Drugs And Terror

It seems the Bush admin is finding new ways to spend the taxpayers money. For years the dismal failure that is the War on Drugs has bled cash from the treasury and what has it accomplished? Not much, Batman.

I have been listening to the newest slogan, Drugs fund terrorism. The poppies in Afghanistan are the funds the Taliban use to fund their terror attacks and then there is al Qaeda. First of all, the Taliban are fighting an invasion force just like they did the USSR. Second, al Qaeda gets its funds from countries like Saudi Arabia and others in the region. Then it is not the poppies that funds al Qaeda; it is OIL! You know the stuff that is used to make the gas you waste everyday?

The Taliban is a homegrown resistance that is fighting for their country. OK, they aligned themselves with al Qaeda, but I mean they would have done that with anyone who was fighting against the invasion. They are a strict brutal group, but their concern is the country not the punishing of all "infidels".

Now they are talking about spray the poppy fields with chemicals, as a way to stop the opium production. Any of you people ever hear of Agent orange? I was a chemical used in Vietnam during that war as a defoliant. It killed miles upon miles of vegetation and as an added side effect it caused a cancer like disease if you were exposed to it. Oh yeah, many Americans are and were being treated for their exposure to the chemical.

And now they will try it again. I guess enough time has gone by that few will recall the damage it did to Vietnam. Plus you will be eliminating the income of many Afghanis who have been growing and selling their product for hundreds of years. So to say that it is funding terror is just plain stupid. The farmers do not give a crap what they do with it as long as they buy it. On another hand, what will this chemical do to the environment? They may be effecting more than the poppy fields.

People need to stop condemning the farmers! They are trying to care for their families. Ok let us say, the government pays them to grow, say turnips instead of poppies. and good plan? NO! They will make $250 a year with turnips or they could make $1500 a year with poppies. Which would you grow?

The Bush machine is just trying to put a simple face on a complex issue. It is drugs fault there is terrorism, not the fact that the US policies suck!

CHUQ

We Have Ways Of Making You Talk!

Much has been written and much has been said and reported and......on and on. Gitmo comes to mind. Allegations have been flying for years of outright torture of detainees. All have been denied by the admin and its spokespeople. Congress has even go so far as to pass some legislation on the subject. But so far, no one has been allowed into Gitmo, at least a total access to the prison to confirm or deny the allegations.

Last week, a couple of secret memos surfaced which everyone is denying. It seems these memos to interrogators authorized "hard" questioning to include such techniques as simulated drowning, use of frigid temps, sleep deprivation, head slapping and on and one. Of course, immediately the spin masters hit the road to quell any protest that could be growing. They said, Perino first, that the US does not torture and that it was, "safe, legal, necessary and saved American lives". That sounds more like a confirmation than a denial , IMO. And then the President had his shot at the memos and he basically stayed on page with his explanations, but he did add his little smirk that he is so famous for.

I ask what about physical hardship while interrogating and what part of it is safe and humane? That is an easy question to answer, NOTHING about torture is safe and legal and especially not humane.

Ever here of the address, P.O. Box 1142? It was a POW camp in Virginia during WWII, where high profile Nazis were sent for intel purposes. These guys DID NOT...let me say that again...they DID NOT use physical interrogation, they instead talked with them, played cards with them, listened to their conversations; in other words they were treated with dignity and respect and because of this they found out about the V1 and V2 rockets and no one had to be injured to do it.

Bush has said, "this government does not torture people"! Would that be the same government that convinced the American people of the Iraqi WMDs? Mr. Bush said the interrogation methods had been “fully disclosed to appropriate members of Congress.” And would those be the same ones that are rubber stamping his entire presidency? Please someone give me good answers to these questions.

Nothing about the Bush plan to gather intel is a humane plan. It is just like all his other policies, strong arm, cowboy and too aggressive. When you take a person's humanity then you are no better than the bastards that did the same in the past. In the past I have been a non-supporter of holding the pres and the boyz responsible for stuff that happens in war. But now, if the memos are true and accurate, these pigs should be brought up on charges of violation of human rights. PERIOD!

CHUQ

SCHIP Compromise

Last week the Congress passed the SCHIP and sent it to the Pres and he vetoed it. Now it is kicked back and the Congress will try to override the veto. But wait! The Pres has said that a compromise needs to be found. That was very conciliatory of him, right? NOT! He is playing for time. If they go into negotiations then there will not be a vote to override anytime soon. He is playing his cards close to his chest, for the Congress may not have the votes to override. So Bush is thinking that negotiations for a compromise will give him time to make sure that the Repubs that have been rubber stamping him for 7 years will continue to do so.

After check around the Dems may go for this, if they feel they do not have the votes for the override. If that happens all is lost! The kids that would have health care will be kicked to the curb in the name of a compromise.

I say call the a/hole's bluff and go for it! Since everyone believes that the children are our future, then why risk screwing the future? All in the name of compromise.

CHUQ

Americans Against The War

Americans are losing confidence in the US and its war in Iraq. A recent ABC poll found that Americans by 54% want the troops home and there are similar results for Pres job in Iraq, etc. And then people were asked about Iran and 50% of the people said they would support military action against Iran.

Am I missing something? They disapprove of the war in Iraq but would approve of military action against Iran. I got nothing here. This is just stupid and illustrates just how stupid and uninformed the American people really are.

What would they think any action, militarily toward Iran would produce? A win? Not hardly! Another "quagmire" is the best that could be accomplished. You know kinda like the one in Iraq that they do not approve of in recent polls. I am confused!

I am guessing that the nuke idea has been sold to them and this is where they are coming from. It worked for George I and his Iraq war. He went before Congress and produced "evidence" that Saddam was building nukes. Back in that day, I found it humorous because a poll taken a bout a week before his evidence, showed that the American people would support a war in Iraq to stop nuke development by Saddam. Coincidence? Not in politics! There is no such thing as coincidence. Does the nuke thing, now sound familiar?

Sorry, but I refuse to believe anything these ass clowns say in Washington. I think we are beingduped into supporting an aggressive policy. And yet we smile and go on with our little lives and give these guys all the opportunities to screw over the people. I am sooooo proud of the American people; I'm all chiked up!

CHUQ

OH Blackwater!

Catfish are jumping......Oh Blackwater--geez sorry Doobie Bros come to mind.

Blackwater is having problems in Iraq for an attack and the deaths of at less 11 civilians. The security firm is contracted to guard US officials when they travel about the country of Iraq. They are really good at their jobs.

But why would someone want to sign on for this type of gig? The US military trains these people as special forces, Marines, etc. But why would they want to work for this type of organization? let's see, five times the pay, better and more reliable equipment, not held responsible for anything they may do in Iraq and they still get to play war. A dream job if you are an ex-special forces.

There is a solution to this problem! Draft Blackwater into the Secret Service as bodyguards for dignitaries and see how fast the crap will end. they would then be held responsible for their actions as Americans, as international reps and service people.

The billionaire owner of Blackwater would then be an underpaid public servant. This would end all bullsh*t.

NOTE: Blackwater has a 100% success rate. Not hard to do when you kill everyone close by, then they will not be able to carry out an attack, if indeed that was their intention.


CHUQ

Clinton Looks More Like The "Gal"

A new Washington Post poll shows that Clinton is at 53% approval and Obama is at 20%. All his positioning in the papers and in interviews, etc, is not helping him at all. His positions are not popular. Clinton is looking more and more like the nominee, someone had better challenge her and soon. If not they can go home and play golf.

Yes, it will depend on how the first couple of primaries and caucuses go, but right now she looks unbeatable. Someone needs to get the motor started, time is short and the longer they let her continue to make points in the polls, the harder it will be to catch or pass her.

Clinton is running a great campaign. She is an establishment candidate and she is sounding like a people candidate. A real good sell job by her and her staff. Regardless of her chest thumping about domestic policies, she is still an "old school" politician and as such will have the support of business and political machines. None of which means the people will get anything new when she becomes Pres.

I want to see just how these other "candidates" handle the news of her popularity. If they stay silent she will win. If they attack in the media, she will win. Their only hope is to face her down and attack her policies in an open forum, face to face. If they cannot bring themselves to do so, then I suggest they give Tiger a call and go play 18.

CHUQ

Obama And The Future

He has none! Unless he finally decides to grow some cajones and take on Clinton face to face. He sounds good in speeches, interviews, sound bytes, but when he is face to face with the other candidates he appears sheepish and all. Dems are losing it, they are not stepping up and illustrating that they have what it takes to undo what Bush has done. He and Clinton are doing well raising money, but what good is that if you are not willing to be an individual. This whole thing of not wanting to isolate voters is turning these people into wimps. Clinton will get the nomination unless someone grows some nuts and shows that they are the best alternative.

Obama needs to show some backbone, before it is too late. If Clinton wins Iowa, NH and SC the whole process may be over and then he can go sit it out for another 4 yrs.

The time is now and now would be a good time to take those stupid gloves off and start hitting the broad with all he has. It is not working all this he said she said crap in the papers, face to face and let it fly. Even if he loses he will win! He will appear to be the only candidate that has guts and is willing to go after what he wants. He will be a winner and the people will remember his guts and fortitude; it will pay off in the future.

Obama! Please give the people something to look forward to; we are having enough of the crap as usual stuff. Help us! Please!

CHUQ

A New Immigration Test

The new test will take effect soon. All immigrants will have to pass this new test to become a citizen. What do you think about this, Professor? Well, I have mixed thoughts on this subject. I can see where the old test was a bit simple and a trivia test and i can also see why you would want a new test to get the new citizens involved in the process. My only question is, was this done as a slap at Hispanics? Or was this done to help cull perspective citizens? Both sides of this have excellent position when debating the situation. Kudoos!

OK, I have thought on this and I see that it could be a good thing. Why? Think about it! If the immigrants have to become more in tune with the political process they could become better at electing real representatives than we Americans. They could be better politically educated. I see that as an excellent thing if it occurs.

Come on, let's be real here. Americans are getting dumber by the generation. Look at this way Americans demand safer cars, they demand sexual predators be whacked, they demand ......they demand. But when it comes to representatives they demand really nothing more than a party affiliation. Where is the intelligence in that?

I taught a class on geography and out of 20 freshman college students 2 could find Afghanistan on a map, 0 could find Vietnam. In Middle school the students think that WWII was the US and Germany against the USSR. Apparently we are more concerned on who prays in school or who does the pledge or ........whatever, that all else is just aggravation to the teachers. If these are indications of "No Child Left Behind", then I say make the immigrants smarter and more politically savvy. Then white people will really have something to bitch about, but guess what? They are stupid and it will catch them off guard.

CHUQ

Horrible Human Rights Abuses

I watched the Sunday talk shows, yes, I am a news geek, and heard time and time again from Congressional reps that were the guests, say that the situation in Myanmar was nothing short of horrible human rights abuses.

I though about this for most of Sunday and thought I would reply. The day that the Burmese government cracked down on the protesters 9 people were killed in the streets. Some say that is a low figure but for now, it is the official figure. Then if this is a human rights abuse, what of the 11 Palestinians killed on the same day? Civilians Palestinian deaths have nothing more to do with the situation in the region than being alive and living in the wrong place. why is this not a human rights abuse? Or at least why is not spotlighted as such by Congressional leaders?

Now there is an excellent question? You want a short simple answer? To do? AIPAC! The Israeli lobby in Washington. They control the opinions of a bunch of the so-called reps and senators. You will seldom hear any criticism of Israel by your elected leaders. Why? They get way too much money to buck the hand that feeds their lust for money. So Palestinians continue to die and that is their price for being born Palestinian. Sad that Americans do not check their leaders out. If they did they would puke at the influence weilded by some lobbyists.

CHUQ