Emblems of agressive masculinity, gladiators were thought to be overpowerlingly sexually potent and attractive to women.... Stripped of the social and cultural paraphernalia that give identity and status to most men, the gladiator is naked, defined only by his weapon. He is all sword.
The drive for resources is occurring in a world where alliances are shifting among major oil-producing and consuming nations. A kind of post-Cold War global lineup against perceived American hegemony seems to be in the earliest stages of formation, possibly including Brazil, China, India, Iran, Russia and Venezuela. Russian President Putin's riposte to an American strategy of building up its military presence in some of the former SSRs of the old Soviet Union has been to ally the Russian and Iranian oil industries, organize large-scale joint war games with the Chinese military, and work towards the goal of opening up the shortest, cheapest, and potentially most lucrative new oil route of all, southwards out of the Caspian Sea area to Iran. In the meantime, the European Union is now negotiating to drop its ban on arms shipments to China (much to the publicly expressed chagrin of the Pentagon). Russia has also offered a stake in its recently nationalized Yukos, (a leading, pro-Western Russian oil company forced into bankruptcy by the Putin government) to China.
In a one-superpower world, this is pretty brazen behavior by all concerned, but it is symptomatic of a growing perception of the United States as a declining, overstretched giant, albeit one with the capacity to strike out lethally if wounded. American military and economic dominance may still be the central fact of world affairs, but the limits of this primacy are becoming ever more evident -- something reflected in the dollar's precipitous descent on foreign exchange markets. It all makes for a very challenging backdrop to the rest of 2005. Keep an eye out. Perhaps this will indeed be the year when longstanding problems for the United States finally do boil over, but don't expect Washington to accept the dispersal of its economic and military power lightly.
WASHINGTON, DC—In a surprise press conference Monday, President Bush said he will not rest until the warehouse where the Ark of the Covenant, the vessel holding the original Ten Commandments, is located. "Nazis stole the Ark in 1936, but it was recovered by a single patriot, who braved gunfire, rolling boulders, and venomous snakes," Bush said, addressing the White House press corps. "Sadly, due to bureaucratic rigmarole, this powerful, historic relic was misplaced in a warehouse. Mark my words: We will find that warehouse." Bush added that, after they are strengthened by the power of the Ark, U.S. forces will seek out and destroy the sinister Temple of Doom.
Les relations ambiguës de Bush avec les journalistes
George W. Bush n'a pas une grande passion pour les journaux et les journalistes. Il se vante de ne lire que les titres et il ne perd pas son temps en conférences de presse. Il est l'un des présidents qui en ont donné le moins, même si depuis sa réélection il multiplie les entretiens.
Lors d'une conférence le 26 janvier, un journaliste s'est fait remarquer en demandant au président comment il pouvait travailler avec des démocrates qui "étaient déconnectés de la réalité".
La question n'a pas effrayé M. Bush, mais des bloggeurs de gauche ont disséqué le curriculum vitae de l'auteur, Jeff Gannon, qui a été contraint de démissionner du site Internet qui l'employait : TalonNews.com. Ce site est l'émanation d'un groupe Gopusa, dont la "mission" est de "répandre le message conservateur dans toute l'Amérique".
Media matters for America et d'autres blogs ont montré que ses articles étaient de la copie de rapports du Parti républicain, que Jeff Gannon n'était pas son vrai nom et qu'il avait été lié à des sites pornographiques.
[...]
Mais la tension et l'incompréhension entre les journalistes et le gouvernement Bush restent vives. Un journaliste du Washington Post avait été chargé de la délicate mission de relater la série de bals organisés pour l'investiture du président, le 20 janvier. Au cœur de l'action, il téléphone au journal pour dicter ses premières impressions, quand une femme se jette sur lui pour lui arracher son portable.
Le malheureux avait commis une faute : il était sorti de l'espace réservé aux journalistes. Au-delà de cette limite, ceux-ci devaient être escortés, "du buffet à la salle de danse et même aux toilettes". Il raconte qu'une personne avec laquelle il parlait s'est figée quand elle a vu qu'il était "accompagné". On ne sait pas si Jeff Gannon, qui a fait de la publicité pour un site d'escort boys, était au bal "accompagné".
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'The campaign came, and in American public life, I mean – whether it be foreign policy, or domestic policy, often, you kind of shut down when the campaign comes.' George W. Bush, interview with ITAR-TASS, 18/02/05
Enthusiasm (from Gr. enthousiasmos possession by a god) originally means inspiration by a divine afflatus or by the presence of a god.
So in the end, why does this matter? Why does it matter that Jeff Gannon may have been a gay hooker named James Guckert with a $20,000 defaulted court judgment against him? So he somehow got a job lobbing softball questions to the White House. Big deal. If he was already a prostitute, why not be one in the White House briefing room as well?
This is the Conservative Republican Bush White House we're talking about. It's looking increasingly like they made a decision to allow a hooker to ask the President of the United States questions. They made a decision to give a man with an alias and no journalistic experience access to the West Wing of the White House on a 'daily basis.' They reportedly made a decision to give him - one of only six - access to documents, or information in those documents, that exposed a clandestine CIA operative. Say what you will about Monika Lewinsky - a tasteless episode, 'inappropriate,' whatever. Monika wasn't a gay prostitute running around the West Wing. What kind of leadership would let prostitutes roam the halls of the West Wing? What kind of war-time leadership can't find the same information that took bloggers only days to find?
None of this is by accident.
Someone had to make a decision to let all this happen. Who? Someone committed a crime in exposing Valerie Plame and now it appears a gay hooker may be right in the middle of all of it? Who?
Ultimately, it is the hypocrisy that is such a challenge to grasp in this story. This is the same White House that ran for office on a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. While they are surrounded by gay hookers? While they use a gay hooker to write articles for their gay hating political base? While they use a gay hooker to destroy a political enemy? Not to mention the hypocrisy of a 'reporter' who chooses to publish article after article defending the ant-gay religious-right point of view on gay civil rights issue.
Who in the White House is at the center of all of this? Who allowed this to go on in the People's House? Who committed the crime of exposing Valerie Plame? Jeff Gannon has the answers to these questions, and boy we know he loves to talk.
Each day, the United States must borrow billions of dollars from abroad to finance its enormous budget and trade deficits. Without a steady stream of huge loans, the country would face rising interest rates, higher inflation, a dropping dollar and slower economic growth. The lenders want to see less of a gap between what the government collects in taxes and what it spends, because a lower budget deficit always eases a trade deficit. A lower trade deficit also implies a stronger dollar. And a stronger dollar would reassure foreign investors that dollar-based assets remain their best choice.
The provision in the REAL ID Act would expand this waiver beyond environmental law to include all laws. It would thus place the D[epartment of] H[omeland] S[ecurity] Secretary above all federal laws, environmental or otherwise...
Wackiness: 46/100
Rationality: 44/100
Constructiveness: 76/100
Leadership: 52/100
You are a SECF--Sober Emotional Constructive Follower. This makes you a Hippie.
You are passionate about your causes and steadfast in your commitments. Once you've made up your mind, no one can convince you otherwise. Your politics are left-leaning, and your lifestyle choices decidedly temperate and chaste.
You do tremendous work when focused, but usually you operate somewhat distracted. You blow hot and cold, and while you normally endeavor on the side of goodness and truth, you have a massive mean streak which is not to be taken lightly. You don't get mad, you get even.
Please don't get even with this web site.
Of the 91978 people who have taken this quiz since tracking began (8/17/2004), 10.4 % are this type.
In Omaha on Friday, a divorced single mother named Mary Mornin tells the president, 'I have one child, Robbie, who is mentally challenged, and I have two daughters.'
'Fantastic,' the president exclaims, and he tells her she has 'the hardest job in America, being a single mom.'
Later, the 57-year old Mornin tells Bush that she works three jobs, which the president deems 'uniquely American' and 'fantastic.' He asks her if she gets any sleep.
Tens of thousands of gay and lesbian couples who live in New York City are one step closer to walking down the aisle—with a marriage license in their hands.
Today, a New York trial judge handed down an unprecedented ruling that says the state must grant gay and lesbian couples the right to marriage. The court's decision, stemming from a case filed by Lambda Legal, a national LGBT civil rights organization, on behalf of five plaintiff couples, says that the state's constitution guarantees gay men and lesbians the same basic freedoms available to straight couples.
