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-- Something I thought was kind of funny: Celebrities vs. Bush
Something I thought was kind of funny: Celebrities vs. Bush
Someone forwarded this to me and I don't know if it's 100% accurate but I just thought it was a funny way to look at things:
The Hollywood group is at it again. Holding anti-war rallies, screaming about the Bush Administration, running ads in major newspapers, defaming the President and his Cabinet every chance they get, to anyone and everyone who will listen. They publicly defile them and call them names like "stupid," "morons," and "idiots." Jessica Lange went so far as to tell a crowd in Spain that she hates President Bush and is embarrassed to be an American.
So, just how ignorant are these people who are running the country? Let's look at the biographies of these "stupid," "ignorant," "moronic" leaders, and then at the celebrities who are castigating them:
President George W. Bush: Received a Bachelors Degree from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He served as an F-102 pilot for the Texas Air National Guard. He began his career in the oil and gas business in Midland in 1975 and worked in the energy industry until 1986. He was elected Governor on November 8, 1994, with 53.5 percent of the vote. In a historic reelection victory, he became the first Texas Governor to be elected to consecutive four-year terms on November 3, 1998, winning 68.6 percent of the vote. In 1998 Governor Bush won 49 percent of the Hispanic vote, 27 percent of the African-American vote, 27 percent of Democrats and 65 percent of women. He won more Texas counties, 240 of 254, than any modern Republican other that Richard Nixon in 1972 and is the first Republican gubernatorial candidate to win the heavily Hispanic and Democratic border counties of El Paso, Cameron and Hidalgo.
Vice President Dick Cheney earned a B.A. in 1965 and a M.A. in 1966, both in political science. Two years later, he won an American Political Science Association congressional fellowship. One of Vice President Cheney's primary duties is to share with individuals, members of Congress and foreign leaders, President Bush's vision to strengthen our economy, secure our homeland and win the War on Terrorism. In his official role as President of the Senate, Vice President Cheney regularly goes to Capitol Hill to meet with Senators and members of the House of Representatives to work on the Administration's legislative goals. In his travels as Vice President, he has seen first hand the great demands the war on terrorism is placing on the men and women of our military, and he is proud of the tremendous job they are doing for the United States of America.
Secretary of State Colin Powell was educated in the New York City public schools, graduating from the City College of New York (CCNY), where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in geology. He also participated in ROTC at CCNY and received a commission as an Army second lieutenant upon graduation in June 1958. His further academic achievements include a Master of Business Administration Degree from George Washington University. Secretary Powell is the recipient of numerous U.S. and foreign military awards and decorations. Secretary Powell's civilian awards include two Presidential Medals of Freedom, the President's Citizens Medal, the Congressional Gold Medal, the Secretary of State Distinguished Service Medal, and the Secretary of Energy Distinguished Service Medal. Several schools and other institutions have been named in his honor and he holds honorary degrees from universities and colleges across the country.
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld: attended Princeton University on Scholarship (AB, 1954) and served in the U.S. Navy (1954-57) as a Naval aviator; Congressional Assistant to Rep. Robert Griffin (R-MI), 1957-59; U.S. Representative, Illinois, 1962-69; Assistant to the President, Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, Director of the Cost of Living Council, 1969-74; U.S. Ambassador to NATO, 1973-74; head of Presidential Transition Team, 1974; Assistant to the President, Director of White House Office of Operations, White House Chief of Staff, 1974-77; Secretary of Defense, 1975-77.
Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge was raised in a working class family in veterans' public housing in Erie. He earned a scholarship to Harvard, graduating with honors in 1967. After his first year at The Dickinson School of Law, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served as an infantry staff sergeant in Vietnam, earning the Bronze Star for Valor. After returning to Pennsylvania, he earned his Law Degree and was in private practice before becoming Assistant District Attorney in Erie County. He was elected to Congress in 1982. He was the first enlisted Vietnam combat veteran elected to the U.S. House, and was overwhelmingly reelected six times.
National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice earned her Bachelor's Degree in Political Science, Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Denver in 1974; her Master's from the University of Notre Dame in 1975; and her Ph.D. from the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver in 1981. (Note: Rice enrolled at the University of Denver at the age of 15, graduating at 19 with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science (Cum Laude). She earned a Master's Degree at the University of Notre Dame and a Doctorate from the University of Denver's Graduate School of International Studies. Both of her advanced degrees are also in Political Science.)
She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from Morehouse College in 1991, the University of Alabama in 1994, and the University of Notre Dame in 1995. At Stanford, she has been a member of the Center for International Security and Arms Control, a Senior Fellow of the Institute for International Studies, and a Fellow (by courtesy) of the Hoover Institution. Her books include Germany Unified and Europe Transformed (1995) with Philip Zelikow, The Gorbachev Era (1986) with Alexander Dallin, and Uncertain Allegiance: The Soviet Union and the Czechoslovak Army (1984). She also has written numerous articles on Soviet and East European foreign and defense policy, and has addressed audiences in settings ranging from the U.S. Ambassador's Residence in Moscow to the Commonwealth Club to the 1992 and 2000 Republican National Conventions. From 1989 through March 1991, the period of German reunification and the final days of the Soviet Union, she served in the Bush Administration as Director, and then Senior Director, of Soviet and East European Affairs in the National Security Council, and a Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. In 1986, while an international affairs fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations, she served as Special Assistant to the Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 1997, she served on the Federal Advisory Committee on Gender -- Integrated Training in the Military. She was a member of the boards of directors for the Chevron Corporation, the Charles Schwab Corporation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the University of Notre Dame, the International Advisory Council of J.P. Morgan and the San Francisco Symphony Board of Governors. She was a Founding Board member of the Center for a New Generation, an educational support fund for schools in East Palo Alto and East Menlo Park, California and was Vice President of the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula. In addition, her past board service has encompassed such organizations as Transamerica Corporation, Hewlett Packard, the Carnegie Corporation, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Rand Corporation, the National Council for Soviet and East European Studies, the Mid-Peninsula Urban Coalition and KQED, public broadcasting for San Francisco. Born November 14, 1954 in Birmingham, Alabama, she earned her bachelor's degree in political science, cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Denver in 1974; her Master's from the University of Notre Dame in 1975; and her Ph.D. from the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver in 1981. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from Morehouse College in 1991, the University of Alabama in 1994, and the University of Notre Dame in 1995. She resides in Washington, D.C.
So who are these celebrities? What is their education? What is their experience in affairs of State or in National Security? While I will defend to the death their right to express their opinions, I think that if they are going to call into question the intelligence of our leaders, we should also have all the facts on their educations and background:
Barbra Streisand: Completed high school
Career: Singing and acting
Cher: Dropped out of school in 9th grade.
Career: Singing and acting
Martin Sheen: Flunked exam to enter University of Dayton.
Career: Acting
Jessica Lange: Dropped out college mid-freshman year.
Career: Acting
Alec Baldwin: Dropped out of George Washington U. after scandal
Career: Acting
Julia Roberts: Completed high school
Career: Acting
Sean Penn: Completed High school
Career: Acting
Susan Sarandon: Degree in Drama from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
Career: Acting
Ed Asner: Completed High school
Career: Acting
George Clooney: Dropped out of University of Kentucky
Career: Acting
Michael Moore: Dropped out first year University of Michigan.
Career: Movie Director
Sarah Jessica Parker: Completed High School
Career: Acting
Jennifer Anniston: Completed High School
Career: Acting
Mike Farrell: Completed High school
Career: Acting
Janeane Garofelo: Dropped out of College.
Career: Stand up comedienne
Larry Hagman: Attended Bard College for one year.
Career: Acting
While comparing the education and experience of these two groups, we should also remember that President Bush and his cabinet are briefed daily, even hourly, on the War on Terror and threats to our security. They are privy to information gathered around the world concerning the Middle East, the threats to America, the intentions of terrorists and terrorist-supporting governments. They are in constant communication with the CIA, the FBI, Interpol, NATO, The United Nations, our own military, and that of our allies around the world. We cannot simply believe that we have full knowledge of the threats because we watch CNN!! We cannot believe that we are in any way as informed as our leaders.
These celebrities have no intelligence-gathering agents, no fact-finding groups, no insight into the minds of those who would destroy our country. They only have a deep seated hatred for all things Republican. By nature, and no one knows quite why, the Hollywood elitists detest Conservative views and anything that supports or uplifts the United States of America. The silence was deafening from the Left when Bill Clinton bombed a pharmaceutical factory outside of Khartoum, or when he attacked the Bosnian Serbs in 1995 and 1999. He bombed Serbia itself to get Slobodan Milosevic out of Kosovo, and not a single peace rally was held. When our Rangers were ambushed in Somalia and 18 young American lives were lost, not a peep was heard from Hollywood. Yet now, after our nation has been attacked on its own soil, after 3,000 Americans were killed by freedom-hating terrorists while going about their routine lives, they want to hold rallies against the war. Why the change? Because an honest, God-fearing Republican sits in the White House.
Another irony is that in 1987, when Ronald Reagan was in office, the Hollywood group aligned themselves with disarmament groups like SANE, FREEZE and PEACE ACTION, urging our own government to disarm and freeze the manufacturing of any further nuclear weapons, in order to promote world peace. It is curious that now, even after we have heard all the evidence that Saddam Hussein has chemical, biological and is very close to obtaining nuclear weapons, their is no cry from this group for HIM to disarm. They believe we should leave him alone in his quest for these weapons of mass destruction, even though it is certain that these deadly weapons will eventually be used against us in our own cities.
So why the hype out of Hollywood? Could these celebrities believe that since they draw such astronomical salaries, they are entitled to also determine the course of our Nation? That they can make viable decisions concerning war and peace? Did Michael Moore have the backing of the Nation when he recently thanked France, on our behalf, for being a "good enough friend to tell us we were wrong"? I know for certain he was not speaking for me. Does Sean Penn fancy himself a Diplomat, in going to Iraq when we are just weeks away from war? Does he believe that his High School Diploma gives him the knowledge (and the right) to go to a country that is controlled by a maniacal dictator, and speak on behalf of the American people? Or is it the fact that he pulls in more money per year than the average American worker will see in a lifetime? Does his bank account give him clout?
The ultimate irony is that many of these celebrities have made a shambles of their own lives, with drug abuse, alcoholism, numerous marriages and divorces, scrapes with the law, publicized temper tantrums, etc. How dare they pretend to know what is best for an entire nation! What is even more bizarre is how many people in this country will listen and accept their views, simply because they liked them in a certain movie, or have fond memories of an old television sitcom!
It is time for us, as citizens of the United States, to educate ourselves about the world around us. If future generations are going to enjoy the freedoms that our forefathers bequeathed us, if they are ever to know peace in their own country and their world, to live without fear of terrorism striking in their own cities, we must assure that this nation remains strong. We must make certain that those who would destroy us are made aware of the severe consequences that will befall them.
Yes, it is a wonderful dream to sit down with dictators and terrorists and join hands, singing Cumbaya and talking of world peace. But it is not real. We did not stop Adolf Hitler from taking over the entire continent of Europe by simply talking to him. We sent our best and brightest, with the strength and determination that this Country is known for, and defeated the Nazi regime. President John F. Kennedy did not stop the Soviet ships from unloading their nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1962 with mere words. He stopped them with action, and threat of immediate war if the ships did not turn around. We did not end the Cold War with conferences. It ended with the strong belief of President Ronald Reagan... PEACE through STRENGTH.
Re: Something I thought was kind of funny: Celebrities vs. Bush
| quote: |
| Originally posted by occrider President George W. Bush: Received a Bachelors Degree from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. |
| quote: |
| He served as an F-102 pilot for the Texas Air National Guard. |
| quote: |
| He began his career in the oil and gas business in Midland in 1975 and worked in the energy industry until 1986. |
| quote: |
| So who are these celebrities? What is their education? What is their experience in affairs of State or in National Security? While I will defend to the death their right to express their opinions, I think that if they are going to call into question the intelligence of our leaders, we should also have all the facts on their educations and background |
| quote: |
| While comparing the education and experience of these two groups, we should also remember that President Bush and his cabinet are briefed daily, even hourly, on the War on Terror and threats to our security. They are privy to information gathered around the world concerning the Middle East, the threats to America, the intentions of terrorists and terrorist-supporting governments. They are in constant communication with the CIA, the FBI, Interpol, NATO, The United Nations, our own military, and that of our allies around the world. We cannot simply believe that we have full knowledge of the threats because we watch CNN!! We cannot believe that we are in any way as informed as our leaders. |
| quote: |
| These celebrities have no intelligence-gathering agents, no fact-finding groups, no insight into the minds of those who would destroy our country. They only have a deep seated hatred for all things Republican. ... |
| quote: |
| The ultimate irony is that many of these celebrities have made a shambles of their own lives, with drug abuse, alcoholism, numerous marriages and divorces, scrapes with the law, publicized temper tantrums, etc. How dare they pretend to know what is best for an entire nation! |
| quote: |
| What is even more bizarre is how many people in this country will listen and accept their views, simply because they liked them in a certain movie, or have fond memories of an old television sitcom! |
| quote: |
| It is time for us, as citizens of the United States, to educate ourselves about the world around us. If future generations are going to enjoy the freedoms that our forefathers bequeathed us, if they are ever to know peace in their own country and their world, to live without fear of terrorism striking in their own cities, we must assure that this nation remains strong. We must make certain that those who would destroy us are made aware of the severe consequences that will befall them. |
| quote: |
| Yes, it is a wonderful dream to sit down with dictators and terrorists and join hands, singing Cumbaya and talking of world peace. But it is not real. We did not stop Adolf Hitler from taking over the entire continent of Europe by simply talking to him. We sent our best and brightest, with the strength and determination that this Country is known for, and defeated the Nazi regime. President John F. Kennedy did not stop the Soviet ships from unloading their nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1962 with mere words. He stopped them with action, and threat of immediate war if the ships did not turn around. We did not end the Cold War with conferences. It ended with the strong belief of President Ronald Reagan... PEACE through STRENGTH. |
The CIA is part of the American government you know ... and the NSA surely gets CIA briefing reports.
Well I looked up this Vincent Cannistraro guy and as it turns out, he left the CIA in 1990. And, even if he was getting top secret, classified information from the CIA after his retirement (which would be highly illegal) it's highly dubious that he is STILL receiving this highly classified information 13 years after leaving the CIA.
Secondly I found this second interview that he gave in February:
Former CIA intelligence head speaks on Iraq
The World Today - Thursday, February 6, 2003 12:05
ELEANOR HALL: Well, the Secretary of State's speech relied heavily on material gathered by international intelligence agencies, including Australia's.
Ironically, while the Bush Administration wants this speech to galvanise the international community to go to war against Iraq, its own intelligence agency doesn't see war as the best way of insuring that the world is made safe from Saddam Hussein.
Indeed, last year the CIA chief warned the President that attacking Iraq could lead to catastrophe by provoking Saddam Hussein to use any weapons of mass destruction he had.
Nevertheless, intelligence photos and phone intercepts in particular were the most compelling parts of Colin Powell's presentation today.
So how solid is this evidence?
One person well placed to judge is the former head of the CIA's counter-terrorism unit, Vincent Cannistraro, who's also a former director of intelligence for the National Security Council.
Mr Cannistraro spoke to me a short time ago from his home in Virginia.
VINCENT CANNISTRARO: I was impressed. I think it was a compelling speech. Taken in totality, I think the speech makes a persuasive case that Saddam's engaged in concealing a program of weapons of mass destruction.
I think you could probably nitpick individual pieces of it, and there was certainly no one incident that would prove to be a smoking gun. But I think as taken as a, as a whole, it's a pretty clear pattern of deception by Saddam.
ELEANOR HALL: What was the most convincing evidence?
VINCENT CANNISTRARO: Well, there, there were a couple of pieces. I think the audiotape in which a conversation between two Republican Guard officials takes place and one talks about nerve agents. That certainly was a startling piece of evidence.
That, and the overhead photography of a chemical decontamination plant. That was also verified by a human source on the ground. When you had both a technical collection and human source collection reporting on the same ground event, I think that made it a very conclusive case.
ELEANOR HALL: Now Iraq says that these photos and phone intercepts could have been doctored. From what you know of this sort of technology, is that possible?
Well, I suppose one could doctor anything. It would take a great deal of trouble to do it. But you expect the, the Iraqis to, to say that the evidence that has been presented has been doctored. So I think it's a very improbable event that information like that could be doctored.
What you could do is you can take a overhead photography of, of a particular site and interpret it maybe differently. But I think on balance, I was certainly persuaded that that was authentic information and that it made the case.
ELEANOR HALL: Now there were satellite photos also apparently showing weapons being moved. How convincing were these, given that Mr Powell was saying that the missiles were in the lorries. Do the photos actually show that?
VINCENT CANNISTRARO: Well, to a photo interpreter, it does show that. But to the lay person, it doesn't.
For example, a vehicle that is described as a chemical decontamination vehicle. How would you know that? How, what's the difference between that and a regular truck?
Well, to an analyst that has the experience of watching chemical programs, or biological programs in other countries, say, say Iran and North Korea, that's instantly recognisable.
ELEANOR HALL: Now, the, the evidence on nuclear capability, how solid did you think that was?
VINCENT CANNISTRARO: I think that was probably less solid than, than the information about the chemical and biological programs. Because that, that requires some interpretation. Now the fact that the aluminium tools were anodised and probably were of a much higher grade than were needed for, for, for rockets or artillery is indicative case.
But it doesn't prove the case. You still don't have any radioactive material. You still don't have a centrifuge.
ELEANOR HALL: And I guess the Al Qaeda information, the message of course was undermined by the leaked UK intelligence which stated that Iraq doesn't have a connection to Al Qaeda. But did Colin Powell build a convincing case at all on the links?
VINCENT CANNISTRARO: I think it was a more circumstantial case, that part of the speech about the Al Qaeda links. I think also, by the way, some information that would have substantiated those links was retracted from the speech because there was a foreign intelligence service that provided the information that was concerned that it would weaken a criminal case that they have pending.
ELEANOR HALL: Now the Secretary of State says that he can't reveal everything he knows. You say there is some Al Qaeda information that he hasn't revealed. Is he likely to know a lot more that would build a case for war? Or is a lot of it bluff?
VINCENT CANNISTRARO: No, I think they do know a lot more, but again, this was a process of negotiation with intelligence services around the world that contributed intelligence to the speech. So in some cases, they weren't able to do that because of the sensitivity.
One case, for example, the Foreign Service apparently has a human source on the ground in Baghdad. If the information from that source were included in the presentation that source would, would be at, at risk.
ELEANOR HALL: Now the phone intercepts of the Iraqi Republican Guards that you mentioned, how tough a decision would it have been to release that information, knowing that it would then reveal to the Iraqis that the US could listen in on these conversations?
VINCENT CANNISTRARO: Yeah, I think that probably was a very close case and there was a lot of argument I think inside the Administration on whether to actually release that audiotape.
ELEANOR HALL: Well, now, it seems that you're certain that the Secretary of State made the case or backed up the case that was made by Hans Blix about Iraq deceiving weapons inspectors, but do you think that he's actually proved that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction?
VINCENT CANNISTRARO: Well, I think what he has shown is that there's a pattern of concealment, a pattern of deception. I don't think he has proven that the weapons on mass destruction exist and that they're being hidden, just that Saddam is attempting to conceal something, programs and material, from the weapons inspectors themselves.
He then goes on to say that it isn't enough information yet to go to war but here's your own source saying that the CIA evidence demonstrates there is a pattern of deception by Saddam, saying that there is likely additional information not revealed, and essentially that the CIA probably believes Saddam has WODs. But at any rate, I do disagree that this guy has the most up to date information and is even capable of describing the atmosphere of the CIA when the last time he was a part of it was 2 administrations ago.
Anyway here's the rest of the interview:
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/s778261.htm
I'm very skeptical and hesistant to trust your source since it's an article written with very few sources, it doesn't give very much background information as to who the people it quotes are, and it doesn't seem to be very impartial. I would be more believing if it had better documentation.
i guess then in a way its almost a blessing to humanity as a whole that the economy isn't doing so well - because that adversely affects Bush's chances of getting re-elected, and that mite just prevent the next world war
Re: Re: Unilateralism = our plans come true, and the world will pay
| quote: |
| Originally posted by Vesa At least, the Hollywood movie stars had common sense to think about the real moods of the Iraqi civilians. That kind of common sense is easy to lose when a politician spends his entire life first at the university and then at political institutes. |
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