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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels September 21, 2004 Consider the draft with Bush Bush for four more? New Draft? Got Kids? Jodi Yap Talent Four more years brings agenda There was a whole tribe of 800-pound gorillas (figuratively speaking) in the Bush agenda for his next four years that somehow went unnoticed at their convention. It is infinitely more radical and secretive than the public realizes. First, his re-election will mean that America is officially behind his unilateralist, pre-emptive strike foreign policy and all of his ultra-right wing, fundamentalist, religiosity-driven domestic policies. In the Bush agenda Iraq is only the first step in the larger war to democratize the whole Middle East. But beyond that, although still mostly under wraps, is his "grand strategy" for U.S. global domination. The evidence is found in a document entitled "Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategies, Forces And Resources For A New Century," written in September 2000 and signed off by Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz and others. On the domestic side there will be a realization of the conservative's dream of rolling back all government activism to the point that the federal government will do little more than maintain national and domestic security. For conservatives, if the latter requires a police state, so be it. The reality is so extreme that most people will not believe it. Conservatives will get their laissez faire economic system in which there will be no government "interference" with corporate policies to collude to avoid price competition, to bilk consumers, weaken labor unions, loot pension funds or lower costs by polluting the environment. Public lands will largely be available for commercial development. Harry L. Cook Ashland GOP Convention shows true colors Mother taught me: "If you can't talk well of others, don't talk at all!" But the GOP convention taught: "Talk ugly, sling mud, and indulge in vile character assassination!" My eyes opened. And I saw three people for who they really are. First, draft-dodger Dick "Halliburton" Cheney, "glad" he used foul obscenities in public. He is a model for America's youth? Next, I saw bland, lovely Laura, dutifully praising her man. And I thought: "I'll take Theresa - mature woman of substance. Wise to the world and national issues. A woman of stature." Then I saw the gall - the sheer gall of that other draft-dodger, George Bush hiding behind his shred-war-hero Kerry hatchetmen. This rush-to-war-as-first-resort president has blood on his hands, thousands, (ours and theirs) needlessly dead. Tens of thousands maimed for life. Billions spent, billions yet to be spent on this Iraq madness, 90 percent of the cost on U.S. taxpayers. (You have two "of age" daughters, George. Send them over there.) With no V.P. crutch, George, beware the coming debates. Kerry "The Articulate" will run rings around you. "President" Kerry will undo your many failures, such as: 1. The deficit. We're drowning! 2. Veteran's income slashed. 3. "No child ... ?" Thousands left behind. 4. Your cozy corporations run this country. 5. Our prestige abroad? Pfft! Gone. 6. Your royal nose thumbed at our Founding Fathers' "separation of church and state" imperative. 7. Health care still a disaster. 8. Faith-based? Whose faith? Kerry is superbly fit as commander-in-chief, say top brass experts. With the 9/11 commission, he will beef-up Bush's half-baked "terrorist protection" efforts. Kerry will demand justice, not just for the Bush fat-cat darlings, but for all - for you, for me, for middle-America. He's got it right. Justice for all. Nancy L. Fox Port Leyden, NY Talent resident on leave Protesters tell the true story I was astounded at the negativity and downright nastiness so obvious at the Republican convention. The outright lies from speakers there had me dumbfounded. There were too many to count, but one from Arnold Schwarzenegger was the wackiest. He actually said that George W. Bush "inherited" a recession. Huh? And Zell Miller's spiteful tirade was utterly scary. When Bush first appeared on a big screen instead of in person, it was not without alarm that it occurred to me that George Orwell's 1984 vision has nearly become reality. The Democratic convention, on the other hand, was filled with optimism, decorum, and confidence. Now. How many protesters were there at the Democratic convention? Several. How many at the Republican convention? Thousands! The message is clear. Americans will no longer listen to the lies upon lies, while more of us continue to fall into poverty, die in an unjustified war, watch our civil liberties erode, suffer from ignorance due to poor schools, or lose living-wage work to corporations outsourcing our jobs overseas. Bush and Cheney and their supporters think if they keep repeating the lies enough times, we'll simply stop questioning it. But the truth remains: We do not love Big Brother. Janis Hunt Johnson Ashland DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams