A Progressive on the Prairie

Unlike what many Bushies would have you believe, being against what we're doing in Irag does not mean you don't care for the men and women sent to fight it. Here's a cool care package concept that also has suggestions for other items of use: Books For Soldiers.
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As a quick follow up to the last note, Paul Krugman's got it right. Unfortunately, I fear he is right that "it's about to get worse."

Have been quite impressed with his op-ed columns over the last year. Bought his book yesterday and am looking forward to reading it this weekend.
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Bush and crew continue to pervert 9-11 and use it as a springboard to decimate civil liberties in this country. The day before Bush seeks Patriot Act II. Look what he and Ashcroft have done for us already. (Via TalkLeft.) And if this airline color coding doesn't have Big Brother written all over it. (Via Eschaton.)

You would think a patriot in a democracy would want to keep it from turning into a totalitarian state. Evidently the Bushies have a different view.
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Just the few minutes I heard of Rumsfeld's speech at the National Press Club today says a lot about this guy. After protestors yelling the Bush foreign policy is built on lies were removed, his response was basically we invaded Iraq so the Iraqi people could enjoy free press and rights like the protestors. Gee, Rumsy, I think the protestors were talking about the lies you and your boss were telling the American people before the invasion: WMD, Iraq's "ties" to al-Queda and the red herring of Iraq somehow being tied to 9-11. If you keep saying the past was different than it actually was, I guess you can change it.

As usual, Rumsfeld uses his unique way of speaking to mask a lot of frightening things and what to me border on fabrications. One thing struck me, though. He said "regimes without checks and balances are prone to grave miscalculations." Unfortunately, our political system lacked serious checks and balances because of the insistence after 9-11 and before invading Iraq that anything but agreeing with the President was unpatriotic. While people are slowly coming to their senses, grave miscalculations have already occurred: the Patriot Act and the invasion of Iraq. Yeah, just a couple little boo-boos there.
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Opus, the original king of cartoon penguins, is coming back. Of course, since it's still running Mary Worth and Gasoline Alley, I imagine the chances of the Argus actually running the new strip are slim to none. And although I can't wait to see Opus again, I certainly won't be deserting Sparky, the penguin who tells it like it is.
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With the anniversary of 9-11 tomorrow, we have been and will continue to be deluged with efforts to justify what we have done since then by invoking images and memories of that horrible day. Unfortunately, as a forthcoming book points out, the road from there to here is one paved with lies.

Of all the lies this administration has told its people, one false promise resonated most deeply with frightened Americans – the promise that a war with Iraq would make us safer.

And since I'm on the topic, here's the best idea I've seen for remembering 9-11: commit an act of kindness.
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They woke me up. Not since Nixon (and, yes, I do remember Reagan) has there been an administration that caused me so much anger and fear for what it is doing to us. Living in the Northern Great Plains, however, I am surrounded by those who believe patriotism is spelled Republican and means following blindly. Enough. I add my voice to the clutter of political commentary, hoping that there are other such souls out there on the prairie.

I'll start with two links that are indicative of my thoughts. One is from the mainstream of American media (free subscription required). The other about as far to the other side of the political spectrum. Thanks to Fr. Lazarus for the second link.
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