Reg: I read that and came to a conclusion. Mr. Boortz should be locked in a cage and dispatched with the next carnival that comes through town as part of their traveling freak show. It is certainly hard to tell if he is human...
Marc: Funny how the "freak" is syndicated in over 125 markets while Al Franken and his Air America cohorts are having trouble even getting off the ground. [Link]
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HERE COMES THE NEXT BATCH OF PHOTOS
Boortz: Not one story about locals befriending American troops. Not one story about the growing Iraqi economy, commerce in Baghdad's shopping districts, new home construction, new schools, new electric service, satellite television receivers sprouting like mushrooms ... not one story.
Reg: First he's already said he doesn't read the Post so he doesn't know if there have been any such stories but then he asserts (I guess if you believe it hard enough it's true) that there has not been one as if it were fact.
Marc: I dunno if there was either, but can you post one up Reg?
Reg: Someone pays this clown to write? Second, only an American conservative nutcase that draws a paycheck from some media outlet could claim that "satellite television receivers sprouting like mushrooms" is a story worth reporting and has more weight than all the other nonsense taking place in Iraq.
Marc: It's newsworthy because now Iraq has access to information they've never had before. It was a goal to bring freedom to Iraq and that is just one example of it.
Reg: Plus...ahh...in case this dipshit forgot this is a country that has been bombed and starved for over a dozen years thanks to sanctions we put in place. Just was subject to our "Shock & Awe" treatment and Saddam wasn't spending big on infrastructure so of course there's new construction, you'd have to improve electric supply to facilitate this (plus we need to get electric to our troops) so it's sort of important that we begin work in these areas. People have to shop...or we'd be starving them no? I have no doubt these things have taken place but when a country has been so abused for so many years...by it's own leader and the sanctions imposed by other nations...well it's common sense to know you'd see some improvement in these areas.
Marc: So why aren't they seeing any of it? Are we to automatically assume as you do that it is taking place? Or is it because it's positive and boring and not shocking or horrifying - therefore not newsworthy?
Boortz: Ahhhh ... but then there's the story about prison abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison. Today the Post releases yet another batch of photos from the prison. It's as if the Post's editors are demanding that the presses not roll until new pictures are prepared for the front page.
Reg: So the post is now stopping the presses until they get new photos? Someone pays this guy for these fantasies?
Marc: Re-read it Reg: "...it's as if..."
Boortz: OK ... we get it! Some American soldiers abused --- not tortured, abused --- Iraqi prisoners in Abu Ghraib.
Reg: I love this part. Oh how sweet it would be to send Mr. Boortz to some Syrian prison where armed Syrian guards could treat him to the "abuse" these Iraqis suffered and then question him afterwards about if he felt the treatment was torture or just "abuse." This man is scum of the highest order. Maybe we could leave him in the Syrian prison and tell him "Well, if you were being tortured perhaps there would be something we could do...but since this is only abuse...well...we just can't get you out. Sorry, bye bye. Let us know if they escalate things beyond the beating, electrocution, sexual humiliation, covering you in fecal matter, and rape. If they kill you we'll be sure to come back and do something but only if you didn't die of abuse."
Marc: I wasn't hearing screams of outrage from the left when Saddam was the one doing the torturing, and killing (not just abusing). But if, God forbid, an American soldier does it it's automatically "Rummy" and Bush's fault and they must be held accountable. Somehow that argument just doesn't hold water.
Boortz: Those American soldiers are being punished. One has already been sentenced to a year in jail and is receiving a bad conduct discharge. Other trials are pending. The system is working. What is the purpose of continuously hammering this story day after day after day?
Reg: Kind of nice how he forgets that this was run by Military Intel guys and the CIA and how Rummy and Bush signed off on it. It's the guys that gave the orders they should be going after not the ignorant patsy reservists at the bottom of the food chain in this thing.
Marc: Can you show me proof that those soldiers were explicitly told by Bush and Rummy to do what they did? I'll reserve judgement against them until then.
Reg: Why is it a story? It's a big story because we've had Bushco hiding behind the idea that they are these great humanitarians since they could find no WMD's
Marc: umm...the terrorists over there just set up a roadside bomb with enough Sarin gas in it to kill 60,000 people. That's what I'd call WMD.
Reg: and it's a story because the American people should have access to this info so they can decide if they want guys like Rummy and Cheney, and Bush that approve these tactics representing them. I for one, do not.
Marc: It's ok with me if you don't Reg, but according to Google's Zeitgeist [link], people are far more interested in the Berg story than the prison scandal story and that was exactly Neal's point. You wouldn't have guessed it by watching the news though.
Boortz: Oh ... we all know what the purpose is. This is a story that hurts George Bush. This is a story that diminishes public support for the Iraqi front of the war on terror. This is a story that comforts those who despise America ... and George Bush.
Reg: So, now anyone that does not support torture, rape and murder despises America? What a fucking joke this guy is! Yeah, right it's all about getting Bush. I suppose the liberal media was running the show at that prison. It was the liberal media that asked all these soldiers to pose for photos and smile and give the thumbs up. Yeah, that's why so many of the photos are the same with smiling soldiers giving the thumbs up...it's because the liberal media went there to pose them. What a fucking pile of bullshit this guy is spewing.
Marc: So you're saying that constant airing of prison abuse photos is somehow necessary and/or productive? If so, why aren't you demanding more information about the Berg story too? Oh wait, I forgot...that was Bush and Rummy's fault too wasn't it? Nevermind.
Boortz: If the story could hurt Bush, like the prison abuse situation, ram it down the reader's throat every single day until it completely runs out of steam. The goal here is to defeat Bush, not to give a fair and objective look at what is going on in our war on terror."...
Reg: Nice how he ignores that the prison abuse story is ongoing because there is an investigation going on,
Marc: Yeah, well there's a war going on too you know. I for one would like to hear a little more about how that apparently insignificant aspect of the whole affair over there is going as well.
Reg: our entire government is on fire about it including Republicans, and more photos and video will keep appearing because the fucking idiots took so many.
Marc: once again, how is it productive to keep jamming them down our throats day in and day out? It doesn't change a thing. It just keeps people talking about it.
Reg: Too bad there's only one Berg video huh? They could have at least shot it multiple camera so we had several angles of it. Hey but fuck...hopefully they will capture and behead another American soon so we have something else to show to help Bushco...or maybe the terrorist can blow up some more shit on our soil so Bush can use it in his campaign ads...I mean one more big bombing with a few thousand dead Americans would be just what the doctor ordered for ol' Bushco huh! Then the "War President" could cut in images of the American flag and talk about how he knows where he wants to lead this country over the images of death and destruction. So we remember!
Marc: one more time Reg, in an attempt to reel you back in from that bizzare tangent, the point is that the prison abuse scandal reporting has gone WAAAAAY overboard by comparison. It really is as simple as that.
Boortz:..."We have a class of people in this country, call them liberals, progressives, Democrats, socialists, elitists, intellectuals ... call them what you like -- but we have a class of people in this country who harbor such an intense hatred for George Bush, economic liberty, capitalism, the American culture and American political strength that they will sacrifice the safety and liberty of future generations of Americans just to see America disgraced in the Middle East and George Bush pushed out of the White House in November.
Reg: The guy that seems to be filled with hate is Mr. Boortz...he's calling all his fellow Americans that disagree with Bushco policy traitors. Same old song...if you disagree it means you hate America, you hate George Bush, and you're on the side of terrorism. Nice. He's a good little soldier this Mr. Boortz...got that whole "You're either with us or against us" crap down cold. What a bullshit artist he is.
Marc: No, his point here is that the constant barrage of prison abuse photos doesn't help anyone but the ememy and that that Americans who would promote that aren't doing America's effort in Iraq any favors. We know it happened. Fine, let them investigate and prosecute. But can the rest of us just move on please?
Boortz:It's tragic enough that we have to be fighting yet another World War at this time in our history. It's even more tragic that we seem to have so many Americans who are actively pulling for the other side"
Reg: That right Boortz...slander those that oppose your views...it's what your fearless leader would want right? So, according to Boortz all Americans that don't blindly follow Bush and support his war, his way, are with the terrorists. Nice...so when will Boortz say start suggesting that they begin bombing any and all states that may fall to the Democrats in November? I mean shit they've got the ol' red and blue map...seems Boortz is pushing for civil war in this country. Red states vs blue states this time...hey we only lost some 600,000 in the first civil war right...
Marc: One last time. Why would someone support doing something that helps no one but the enemy Reg? Boortz doesn't care if you support his views or not he just wants to know how seeing one more photo in the Washington Post is going to make George and Donald (or whoever's responsible) anymore guilty anyway?
Reg: again I have to ask...someone pays this guy to right this shit?
Marc: um yep. A whole bunch of people.
