Bush claims economic victory
Fueled by barely-good economic news, President Bush is touting his tax-cuts-for-the-rich economic plan as the reason for it. However, the evidence he uses is something that he had no control over:

"As consumer spending rises, manufacturers are seeing more new orders for their goods," Bush said. "Low interest rates mean businesses have better balance sheets, and families have saved billions of dollars by refinancing their homes. These are the signs of a reviving economy."

Excuse me, Mr. Bush, if it weren't for low interest rates, and the lowered monthy payments and cash-out refinances that have put more money in the hands of home-owners, this economy would probably have been in a depression. And as we all know, Alan Greenspan and the Federal Reserve determines interest rates. The refinance boom has allowed more people to have more money in their pockets, and it has also created many jobs in the mortgage business (as well as keeping title companies, escrow companies, and appraisers busy). However, this has absolutely nothing to do with the tax cut. In fact, the tax cut is most likely the major reason for the recent rise in interest rates.

"The Jobs and Growth Act I signed in May ensures that workers enjoy more of the benefits of their work through more take-home pay," he said. "Tax relief was based on the conviction that workers are entitled to keep more of their hard-earned wages. That belief, after all, is why America celebrates Labor Day and not tax day."

That's a good idea and great if the middle class has jobs. However, the percentage cut to the middle class really has not put a significant enough amount of money in their pockets to fuel spending. If anything, the extra spending has come from Americans taking equity out of their homes. And I don't believe there's been any significant improvment in the unemployment rates, either.

I don't want a bad economy, and I don't wish that the President's "economic recovery plan" doesn't work. But I do wish that the President would level with us, and that he would seek sound economic advice, instead of having his cabinet stacked with yes-men. The Administration's own studies showed that this tax-cut package would not help the economy, so they fudged the numbers and went on ahead with it anyways. Will you please learn some basic economic principles, Mr. President?

 
Here's something from the wall street journal's opinon page. Its an opinon piece writen by a supposed Iraqi ex-patriot poet living in London. This guy is such an Amerian apologist its sick! I wonder how old he is? But anyhow here clips of what he says read the full article in the link above.
"Let me confess something: I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Saddam Hussein's statue toppled in Baghdad...
"Hello Awad," my sister said, her voice trembling. "The nightmare is over. We are free. Do you realize? We are free!"...
In the meantime Jacques Chirac, Vladimir Putin, Kofi Annan and others have no authority to speak on behalf of my people."
Mr. Nasir is an Iraqi poet, until recently exiled in London.

 
Ok my worry come true, the longer the war last eventually everyone is gonna have to take a side! Syria is starting to take sides here and article about it. We know Turkey want to get involved they are now negociating how far south there toops can go into Kurdish/Iraq for the timid Kurdistan for the bold. And we know that Iran part the axis of evil has already fired at U.S. and British troops. Thats not even mentioning how the unipolar world is now a mulitpolar world. And you know what that means more bad shit happening everywhere. I guess we need to do this every 50 years or so to re-readjust from the mess up way alpha countries treat beta countries in other words how the U.S. Britan Spain France Germany China messed everyone else up and charged them for it and now will occupy them for it.

 
Heres a cool article on how South Korea is handeling the Iraqi crisis and yes I'm Korean. I personally dont like U.S.'s handeling of the Korean Penninsula but of course nobody in asian want the conutries to unite and if you dont know why think hard! Japan why wouldnt they want a united Korea, China why wouldnt they want a united Korea and why are there U.S. troops in Korea think about it and why is the U.S. the principel negotiator in whats essentially an Asian/Korean problem? The Phillipines looks farther away from Northern Asia now dosent it.

 
U.S. troops hat it in Iraq, thats no joke! Wouldnt you be pissed if you where lied to? Solidgers are already fragging or the act of killing your superiour officer. Yes its a real term from Vietnam opps thats a bad word now isnt it! Read more here! heres a bit of the article By Andrew North "Quite a few of the troops have said to me that this isn't what they were expecting ... They are frustrated that their political masters gave the American public the impression that it would be easier than it's turned out to be ... They don't want to admit they can't deal with it, but I think there is definitely a sense that it is not the kind of fighting that they were really trained for."

 
Check this article finally someone said it! "What was striking about the past week's coverage was, paradoxically, how often the latest equipment made the live war less immediate than it was on the old-fashioned photographic film shot in Vietnam ... Instead, the broadcast news channels spend the bulk of the day oohing and aahing about military hardware or serving as very expensive communications systems for soldiers to talk to their families back home ("Hi mom! I'm OK!")." By Meghan O'Rourke VIVA LA PROPOGANDA!!!

 
So does anyone rember in durring Desert Storm how the U.S. government was claiming the Patriot missile was intercepting all those Scuds and it all turned out to be a lie? If you dont read this article, it poses a frightening question for us today, are the new Patriots missles really working? The article dosent really answer the question but dam how should we know?

 
I didn't know Weight Watchers was around circa 1974 but they where and here are some of there funky recepies w/ pics like "Fluffy Mackerel Pudding" thanks to K-Love for the link!

 
If there's a company out there who's not affraid to use illegal means to advance there finantial goals its sony. Here an article on how Sony hired Twainese gang "Bamboo Union" to stop cd piracy. I wonder if DJ Krush approves? Well I know sony has done some other shady stuff in the past like hire informants to monitor environmental groups that might threaten sony's intrests and of course coporate spies must exist even though I havent heard much about it. Anyhow what a job man think about it you get payed by sony under the table to mess people up, isnt life wierd!

 
So Its day 4 or 5 of the Iraq war now and I really havent posted much or actually anything about it yet. I've been in a state of shock and awh a bit myself I guess. I dont really think I need to say innocent lives should be killed and I dont think I need to say Saddam is evil because of course both are true and not mutually exclusive, thats just the retoric of the everyday. What I want to say is history is harder to make than I thought. Right now I can see very different histories that might come into play, is this the war for the liberation of Iraq? Is this the war that marks an independent Kurdistan? Is this a cultural war if so is it east vs west or money vs poverty? Is this about a people? Is this the second war for 21st century colonies? Is this the war to hide the fall of the middle class in America? I'm sure its elements of all of this but the issues that will be discussed in the comming days I think is the war. What about international levels of mass distruction? Isnt the United Nations a good way to try to reduce arms through out the world, have we lost that oppertunity for ever? Why are democracies taking the lead in action? I dont really know all the answers of course but i'm just so filled with lots of little thoughts I'm still trying to gather them up. And I'm pissed cuz I havent been able to go to any teach-ins to kinda hear what the left intellegencia has to say other than the extreem and the fringe. Partially my fault because i'm not lookin really hard. And I'm conflicted because if you ask any Iraqie immigrant they will tell you they are all for the war but is that because they are all ex-pats liveing in the U.S. now or what? Anyways there is alot of suff I havent even discussed yet. I'll try to get to it. But i'm very pensive about this war, I'm usually opposed to any American intervention to regional conflicts. I'm worried that the United Nations is gonna get the shaft on the issues of refugee aid and on rebuilding Iraq. I'm deeply concerned that the rift we might be creating now could bit us back in the end on two fronts, in the middle east itself and with a strong europe. But of course that years to come from now but i'm calling it now. Anyways I hope that you the reader is having a good day and i'll talk to ya late.

 
Its about time for me to start bloggin again (Ernie). I have to get things rollin. I know these are just complaints but I've been reduced to a land line connection and with work and school Its hard for me to breath as well as blogg. But truth be told I miss the world of the internet or as i like to call it the world of freaks who cant just chill. But thats neither here not there. So I will try to blogg more thats my promise and I'll try to give you that insitefull e (double meaning) commentary on world events you love so much. So go asianegg, live your full potential and hay if you like what i have to say email me, especially if your female and in southern california.