Art Small: Rebuilding Iraq From The Roof Down
[This is the text of the flyer that you can pass out at your Fahrenheit 9/11 screenings or house parties. Scroll down for more information.]
Almost every school child has read Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels
and delighted in the sense of the ridiculous found in the descriptions
of the Lilliputian pigmies and the Brobdingnag giants. But only a few
today read the sections of that great classic in which the Royal
Academy of Lagado is described. The scholars of that academy, although
blind, mix colors for painters by feel and smell. They work to
propagate a breed of naked sheep. They build houses by beginning at the
roof and only later work down to the foundations.
It’s a
pity few read about the Academy of Lagado because today such scholars
still continue their work, not between the pages of an 18th century
classic but in the corridors of power in Washington, D.C. There they
serve as the trusted advisors of the Bush administration and chart the
future of Iraq.
How else can one explain the continuous series of disastrous mistakes the Bush administration has made in Iraq?
The
common characteristic of the scholars of the Academy of Lagado was
their inability to exercise any common sense. They tried to force the
world to conform to their notions of what should be. They refused to
adapt to reality and to how the world and human nature actually worked.
When they failed, as they always did, they did not adjust; they worked
harder and failed again.
Sound
familiar? The political scholars within the Bush administration are
still convinced there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and with
time they will be uncovered. They are still convinced that the people
of Iraq will come to welcome them as liberators rather than as
conquerors. They are still convinced that with a little patience, a
liberal democracy will flourish in the land between the Tigris and
Euphrates.
It would take pages to spell out the litany of their mistaken beliefs. They have been wrong so repeatedly.
Yet they hold their convictions so blindly they will risk lives and the lives of others, to prove their doctrines true.
Like
Swift’s scholars -- who tried for years to extract sun-beams from
cucumbers – they appear not to be learning from past mistakes, or
reacting to the world as it is.
Edmund
Burke, the great British statesman who supported the American
Revolution, observed that democracies do not come into being according
to abstract ideas of right. Rather, the people must desire freedom and
have an abiding respect for the rule of law. Government must originate
directly from the people. It cannot be transmitted to them. Sadly,
these conditions do not exist in Iraq and, despite the blind desires of
the Bush administration’s academy scholars, are unlikely to spring into
existence in my lifetime.”
Arthur A. Small
Democratic Candidate for U.S. Senate
Des Moines Register Guest Opinion, 5/28/04
Reprinted with permission.
Learn more about Art Small here.
Art Small does not accept special interest money. You can contribute to the Art Small For U.S. Senate campaign here.
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Friday, June 25
Art Small: Rebuilding Iraq From The Roof Down
by
Linda Thieman
on Fri 25 Jun 2004 05:41 PM CDT
A New Low in Iowa Politics: Republicans Cook The Books
by
Linda Thieman
on Fri 25 Jun 2004 10:17 AM CDT
A New Low in Iowa Politics: Republicans Cook The Books
Blog for Iowa has obtained a copy of a memorandum that was sent out to Democratic Senators and Candidates by Senate Democratic Leader Mike Gronstal. It has to do with a Republican misinformation campaign, an attempt to skew facts about the Iowa election of 2002. MEMORANDUM To: Democratic Senators and Candidates From: Senate Democratic Leader Mike Gronstal Date: June 23, 2004 Re: A new low in Iowa politics It has come to my attention that a legislative candidates’ “biographical book” being distributed by the Iowa Republican Party contains several factual errors. The bottom line is that results from previous elections contained in this official briefing book are skewed to make it appear that several key districts are more competitive than they are. Because of the quality of our candidates and the hard work that many of you are doing across the state in our effort to regain control of the Iowa Senate this November, Republicans have stooped to not telling the truth by “cooking the numbers.” Here are just a few examples: The Republicans’ "cooked numbers" SD 8 Vilsack loses with 46.6% in 2002 SD 10 Vilsack loses with 47.3% in 2002 SD 38 Vilsack loses with 47.5% in 2002 SD 12 Vilsack wins with 53.0% in 2002 SD 4 Vilsack wins with 53.4% in 2002 SD 22 Vilsack wins with 53.5% in 2002 SD 48 Vilsack wins with 50.5%in 2002 The Real Truth (Source: Secretary of State’s website) SD 8 Vilsack actually wins with 53.1% SD 10 Vilsack actually wins with 51.4% SD 38 Vilsack actually wins with 49.3% SD 12 Vilsack actually wins with 55.9% SD 4 Vilsack actually wins with 54.2% SD 22 Vilsack actually wins with 54.5% SD 48 Vilsack actually wins with 51.9% You can see in black and white what we’ve known for a long time: Republicans are desperate to hang onto the Iowa Senate. We all know that many State Senate races are won by just 1 or 2 percentage points. That’s why these inaccurate numbers are so significant. Here’s why the Republicans are “cooking their books”: 1) They can pass this information off to donors in an attempt to raise money in races that donors may not be interested in based on the results. 2) They are lying to their own candidates to boost morale. 3) The “cooked” election figures will make it easier to “spin” the news media. The good news is that we have the best candidates, the issues, and, yes, the real numbers on our side. Let’s keep working toward victory in November! The Iowa Secretary of State’s website – www.sos.state.ia.us – is a reliable source for official election results.
Michael Moore Will Star in MoveOn Town Hall Meetings June 28th
by
Linda Thieman
on Fri 25 Jun 2004 05:07 AM CDT
Michael Moore Will Star in MoveOn Town Hall Meetings June 28th
DIRECTOR TO AID IN POST-FAHRENHEIT 9/11 GRASS ROOTS MOBILIZATION Filmgoers to Michael Moore's new film Fahrenheit 9/11 will be doing more than supporting the box office when the film opens this weekend. Turning movie-going into grassroots mobilization, MoveOn PAC is organizing hundreds of house parties across the nation, brought together by a virtual town hall meeting with Moore on Monday, June 28th. This weekend, at theaters nationwide, MoveOn's 2.2 million members will be inviting audiences who have seen Fahrenheit 9/11 to turn their anger into action and attend neighborhood house parties to learn more about how they can participate locally in efforts to defeat George Bush. The "Turn Up the Heat" virtual town hall meeting will feature director Michael Moore via teleconference and the Internet. Moore will answer questions about the film and share more about grassroots efforts to win back the White House. "Michael Moore is a hero to many, for saying things no one else will say. MoveOn members are thrilled to hear him speak about the film, and to take action to ensure that movie audiences turn their outrage into action," said Adam Ruben, national field director for MoveOn PAC. MoveOn PAC last week sent an alert to its 2.2 million members asking them to pledge to see Michael Moore's new film on its opening weekend and bring their friends, relatives and neighbors. So far, over 110,000 members have signed up to see the film during its opening weekend. The intent is to counter right-wing efforts to stymie distribution of the film. MoveOn volunteers will be handing out leaflets to people exiting the theater, inviting them to join house parties in their neighborhoods. To find a "House Party" or Town Hall Meeting near you, visit: http://www.moveonpac.org/f911/ According to CNN.com (ick), Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" broke single-day records at the two New York City theaters where it played. Iowa residents: If you're going to have a Fahrenheit 9/11 house party or if you're going to go see the film this weekend, take along this great flyer. It's a fascinating opinion piece that progressive Democrat Art Small, who is running for the U.S. Senate, wrote for the Des Moines Register about the "continuous series of disastrous mistakes the Bush administration has made in Iraq." Download the flyer here. It's two sided, and each piece of paper creates 3 flyers. |
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