Posts Made By: Tom Rodstrom

Good Afternoon Michael,

> Well, let's see: "Communist Media Bias" then "Jewish Media Conspiracy" then "Liberal Media Bias." Pretty popular theme in the good old USA. Guess which group in society has consistently been placed in the cross-hairs?

It appears that you are troubled by some historical issues which you feel targeted one group unfairly. If you do, bring them out and lets discuss them. I may learn something from your perspective.

As far as bias in the media is concerned, I am working on current issues. Before I can hope to make a point about the causes of bias in the media, I must point out why I think there is bias. Without demonstrating that there is bias, it is not possible to find what is causing it.

Why don't you stick around and finish what you started? Be an advocate for your convictions.

1. Pakistan is the KEY to our efforts to fight terrorism. Without help from Pakistan, our efforts in Afghanistan would be nearly impossible.

2. Pakistan is locked in a Hindu - Moslem struggle with India that has been going on for ages.

3. Pakistan is currently controlled by a military strong man, but his support of the US is not popular with a large number of his countrymen. He is vulnerable.

4. India and Pakistan are both nuclear powers and have been on the brink of a nuclear war that would kill millions.

5. There is a delicate balance between the military powers of the two countries.

Now, with our troops already over-extended with our war in Iraq:

1. What moron would approve an arms and technology sale to India that would significantly change the balance of power away from our critical ally, Pakistan? … George W. Bush.

2. What ally of the US that gets 3 million in aid each year would sell the technology, which we provided them, to India? … Israel.

3. For a few shekels, what country would try to sell this same technology to China, the one major country that opposes democracy? … Israel.

With allies like that we don't need enemies. With leaders like that, our enemies don't need strategies.

http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?c=&ei=UTF-8&p=sharon+india&b=21&ysr=104
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=Phalcon&ei=UTF-8&fr=fp-top
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/row/phalcon.htm

I don't have much hope for mainstream Democratic contenders, but I think this guy can beat Bush.

http://www.draftwesleyclark.com/

According to the Associated Press:

New Terror Laws Used Vs. Common Criminals

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20030914/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/anti_terror_laws&e=3

I don't support crime or criminals, but just as many feared, Ashcroft's Justice Department is using the new anti-terrorism as broadly as possible to prosecute crimes that have nothing to do with terrorism. According to the article: "They say they want the Patriot Act to fight terrorism, then, within six months, they are teaching their people how to use it on ordinary citizens."

In North Carolina, you'd better not pass gas. They have a new law that defines chemical weapons of mass destruction as "any substance that is designed or has the capability to cause death or serious injury" and contains toxic chemicals. Methane is a poisonous gas that can kill in the right concentrations.

Janet Reno was scary, but Ashcroft is a real threat.

James

You've perfected the science of presenting the blog instead of the facts.

ON EDIT: Oops, I missed the point on this one, ignore the rest.

You've lost it completely. What have you been smoking?

Yet another worthless page, long on rhetoric and short on fact.

My neighbor across the street has skin cancer.

He is a hard working, middle class, American that has worked hard all his life. He had one bout with skin cancer a few years ago and could not get health insurance after that. He bounced back and now has his own small landscaping company. He works 10 - 12 hours a day 6 days a week to build the business.

A while back I noticed a large, ugly mole on his forehead. He didn't want to talk about it. He waited weeks as it grew. He was worried about losing everything if he did have cancer. Finally, he went to the VA hospital as his last resort. It turns out that he did have cancer.

Last Wednesday he went in for an operation. The cancer had spread into the bone. He spent 6 hours on the operating table under LOCAL ANESTHESIA listening to the scraping and watching the blood. There wasn't enough funding for an anesthesiologist. I don't think his chances are very good. If he had insurance and was looked at immediately, his chances would be much better.

I saw him in his front yard early Thursday morning, giving his workers instructions on what needed to be done in his absence. He had a bandage that covered his whole forehead and most of his nose. When I talked to him, his biggest concern was for his wife and her future, not himself.

I guess he is just collateral damage in a country that cannot find a way to guaranty it's citizens the most basic services. I would like to see more from America.

The world in not fair and Dean Esmay gets it. So do a lot of people.

The point and logic of your original post is hard for me to to follow and judging from Jacques post, I am not the only one.

This is a very interesting article that points out the deep cultural differences between Iraq and the west.

> Iraqi Family Ties Complicate American Efforts for Change

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/nyt/20030928/ts_nyt/iraqifamilytiescomplicateamericaneffortsforchange&e=3

> Cousin marriage was once the norm throughout the world, but it became taboo in Europe after a long campaign by the Roman Catholic Church. Theologians like St. Augustine and St. Thomas argued that the practice promoted family loyalties at the expense of universal love and social harmony. Eliminating it was seen as a way to reduce clan warfare and promote loyalty to larger social institutions like the church.

> The practice became rare in the West, especially after evidence emerged of genetic risks to offspring, but it has persisted in some places, notably the Middle East, which is exceptional because of both the high prevalence and the restrictive form it takes. In other societies, a woman typically weds a cousin outside her social group, like a maternal cousin living in a clan led by a different patriarch. But in Iraq the ideal is for the woman to remain within the clan by marrying the son of her father's brother, as Iqbal did.