The Greanville Journal

BY CAMILLO “MAC” BICA

Judging by the intensity of the debate that plagued much of the 2004 presidential election, the divisiveness of the Vietnam war has not been resolved. If anything it has festered, inflamed by similar concerns and questions regarding the legality, morality, purpose, and necessity of the war in Iraq. The continued polemic about a war some thirty years gone and the debate regarding the withdrawal or escalation of American troops in Iraq seem to be symptoms of the public’s bewilderment and confusion regarding the realities of war and a consequence of the myth perpetuated by political leaders pursuant to their goals of hegemony, neocolonialism, and empire.

Understanding the truth about war is not just a matter of ensuring historical accuracy. It is crucial to members of the military, veterans, and the families of those injured or killed struggling to heal from their experiences of combat and of loss. Essential to addressing these emergent psychological and emotional needs is an ability to distinguish fantasy from reality, truth from mythology. [Read more →]

Tags: Obstinate History, Imperial Policy by Greanville
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the Love that Binds Us

BY CAMILLO MAC BICA
Echoes of a distant but impossible to forget war…

We talk often of military service in war as a civic and patriotic duty. But as the realities of combat and of the battlefield become apparent, patriotic sentiments, political ideologies, and mythologies fade quickly beneath the screams of the unbearable pain of the mutilated and the dying. Ultimately, warriors fight, kill, and accept injury and death, neither for god nor for country, but from a personal code of honor, loyalty, commitment, and accountability to one’s comrades.

“He didn’t have to go to Iraq. He chose to go. He wanted to be with his brothers.” These are the words of the clearly distraught and heartbroken mother of Thomas, a marine recently killed in Iraq, describing her son’s fatal decision to extend his enlistment in order to deploy with his unit. Of course, his family tried to convince him otherwise, but Thomas was adamant that “abandoning” his comrades as they headed into harm’s way was not an option. [Read more →]

Tags: Obstinate History, Imperial Policy by Greanville
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Chris Matthews, inside or outside the Beltway, one of the most accomplished asskissers in recent memory.

ANNALS OF MEDIA WHOREDOM
BY JAMISON FOSER
Dateline: June 1, 2007 - Media Matters
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The media whores are ganging up on Edwards because they don’t like his stirring up the pot of “class warfare” in America…

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Imagine how the media would react if a multimillionaire, East Coast, big-city, thrice-married presidential candidate who was a progressive Democrat said his most recent music purchase was opera, his favorite fitness activity, golf, and added that he doesn’t drive — he navigates.

Or if a progressive Democratic candidate who had launched his political career by marrying into a wealthy and politically connected family, then promptly running for Congress, revealed that he has pet turtles named “Cuff” and “Link.”

Or if a progressive Democratic candidate who was the son of a governor, who has a net worth of around $200 million, whose own campaign staff was concerned he is seen as not tough enough and that his hair looks too perfect … imagine if such a candidate said that if he weren’t running for office, he’d probably be chief executive of an auto company and whose staff boasted that the difference between him and the president is “intelligence.” [Read more →]

Tags: The Contemptible Media, Establishment Whores, Mediocrats by Greanville
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BY JEFF COHEN
Dateline: Friday 01 June 2007
CYRANO’S JOURNAL OpEds

Give me a break about John Edwards’s pricey haircut, mansion, lecture fees, and the rest. The focus on these topics tells us two things about corporate media: One, we’ve long known - that they elevate personal stuff above issues; the other is now becoming clear - that they have a special animosity towards Edwards. Is it hypocritical for the former senator to base a presidential campaign on alleviating poverty while building himself a sprawling mansion? Perhaps. But isn’t that preferable to all the millionaire candidates who neither talk about nor care about the poor?

Elite media seem more comfortable with millionaire politicians who identify with their class - and half of all US senators are millionaires.

Trust me when I say I don’t know many millionaires. Of course, I don’t know many presidential candidates either (except my friend Dennis Kucinich, whose net worth in 2004 was reported to be below $32,000). But I’m growing quite suspicious about the media barrage against Edwards, who got his wealth as a trial lawyer suing hospitals and corporations. Among “top-tier” presidential candidates, Edwards is alone in convincingly criticizing corporate-drafted trade treaties, and talking about workers’ rights and the poor and higher taxes on the rich. He’s the candidate who set up a university research center on poverty. Of the front-runners in presidential polls, he’s pushing the hardest to withdraw from Iraq, and pushing the hardest on Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to follow suit. [Read more →]

Tags: CJO'S OpEds, The Contemptible Media by Greanville
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