BuzzFlash Mailbag for October 7, 2009

BUZZFLASH MAILBAG

[Editor's note: We received a lot of letters commenting on the new redesign of the front page. Some loved it, others didn't. We invite your comments and feedback on the new redesign.]

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Subject: The New Look

I love it! What a pleasant surprise, when my morning ritual of turning on BuzzFlash first and seeing your very well done new page. At first, I thought I was on a wrong site, but it quickly became recognizable for your excellent links. It's very easy to read and navigate; even better than before.

Everett English
Salton City, CA

Subject: New Site Sucks

The white type on the gray or other color background is VERY HARD to read. I used to be able to glance down the page to scan for something to read, but now have to WORK VERY HARD to determine what articles are there. BuzzFlash has been my home page for years, now it is TOTALLY USELESS.

Dale Stephens
Iowa

Subject: BuzzFlash's New Look

Congratulations on your new look -- very spiffy! How come there aren't three columns, though? Is that a limitation of the new format, or did you just decide it looks better that way? In any case, good on you!

Jon Krampner
Los Angeles, CA

Subject: New design: one step forward, five steps back

You got rid of the three-column layout so I no longer have to scroll down and up and down again to check for new articles inserted into random columns. Yay!

Visited links no longer change colour. So I cannot quickly and easily determine what articles I have already read. Years ago, truthout made a similar change and I stopped going there. Unless you quickly beat your web designer with a cluebat into doing something that is usable rather than something that your designer things looks artistic, I shall stop visiting here, too. Your site is now too much hard work.

Paul
England

Subject: New Look

The website is now unreadable. Not all of us are 25 years old, you know.

missfitz
Los Angeles, CA

Subject: New format

I have only one utterance to make about your new format, YUK!

Gray background? YUK!

Can't tell if I clicked on a link before or not? YUK!

What was wrong with the old format besides nothing?

FIXING THINGS THAT AREN'T BROKEN? YUK!!!

Kevin
Ojai, CA

Subject: New Format

I do not care for it. It is much harder to read the headlines/article titles.

Thurlstan
Wisconsin

Subject: The New Format

Too much wasted space. Not user friendly.

If this is what you are spending reader's money on.... it's a waste. No more contributions from me.

ERW
Houston

Subject: More "Boots on IEDs" in Afghanistan

When republicans support something, it almost goes without saying that it is wrong for America. There's something just completely wrong with the idea that more "boots on the ground" is what's needed in Afghanistan. The Pentagon and its generals got it wrong in Iraq and seem intent on repeating the same set of errors in this new center of conflict. More ground forces will just make it easier for the opposing forces. Our soldiers can't speak the local language, don't have adequate training to act as a police force for local communities and only serve to further the cause of the opposition when they attempt to do so. It gives every appearance of being an occupying army - which plays right into the strategic plans of the opposition. Our forces should be largely unseen on the ground but felt mightily from the air when the situation calls for it. This type of support for Afghan forces is sustainable, heavy allied casualties on the ground is not. We should have large, well defended bases isolated from urban populations where Afghan forces can be trained with Air Force assets on alert 24/7 to support ground forces as needed. If strategic remote outposts are required, and it seems likely that they're needed, then air support should be available within minutes - not five hours as was reported for this latest deadly incident.

General McKrystal seems exactly the wrong man for the job and President Obama/Secretary Gates should replace him at the earliest opportunity. If we're to prevail then we must effectively counter the tactics of the opposition - not try to overwhelm them with ground forces. If we want to help the Afghans then we should push for a run-off election and not stubbornly support the corrupt government of President Karzai. Instead of giving the President gratuitous advice from London, McKrystal should be investigating what went wrong when an American outpost was nearly over-run and eight soldiers lost their lives in a 12 hour fire fight. Why was Army Aviation first on the scene instead of the U.S. Air Force with fighter jets and precision munitions? Somebody is not doing their job there - and I don't think its President Obama.

I do and have always agreed with the President that his is a war of necessity. We have to stay in Afghanistan and we have to prevail. To do this our presence their has to be sustainable over a long period of time. That in turn means that we have to acknowledge that we don't have unlimited resources to get the job done in a way that the American public can support. Large numbers of casualties on our side are just simply not acceptable. Nor can we act or look like an occupying army. In addition we need to every last contractor with a weapon out of the country (taking their G-strings with them) and replace them with the United States Marine Corp as has traditionally been the case. We need professional soldiers guarding our embassies - not licentious bozos.

A smaller force will critically allow us to give these soldiers the down time that they so very much deserve.

God Bless Vice President Biden for being a voice of reason in all this insanity. I'd also very much like to hear from Rep. John Murtha and other seasoned voices within government on this issue. Our President is seeking the very best counsel available to him and he's entitled to get it. The alternative is having the "can't do a damn thing" big mouth republicans continue to send other peoples sons and daughters to their deaths in yet another conflict that is doomed to failure - just like they did in Iraq.

Tim Mooring
San Francisco, CA

Subject: imprecatory prayers!?

Hi, Buzz!!

As a Christian believer, I am increasingly disturbed by right-wing so-called "Christians" who have gone public with their "imprecatory" prayers: praying for misfortune to fall on those they disapprove of.

Christians should not be praying such prayers EVER, much less bragging about them in public! Jesus told us to pray FOR our enemies, not against them. Some people haven't been reading their Bibles.

Way to bring the name of the Lord Jesus Christ into disrepute, you wingers! I'm sure all the people you're cursing in your prayers will instantly convert to your way of thinking! And I'm sure none of you will find an unpleasant surprise waiting for you at Judgment Day....

Jane Hawes
Edmond, OK (red-state Democrat)

Subject: Making Republicans Pay for Iraq & Our Wrecked Economy

To listen to them today you'd think that none of it ever happened. It's all President Obama's doing now. They did their job - "Mission Accomplished" - as their Great Leader got himself all decked out in a military flight suit to say. They may have washed their hands of both the failed war in Iraq and the failed economy here in the United States, but they haven't done a very good job at that either. Those sweaty, jelly fish palms can't be cleansed of the thousands of American lives and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi deaths that they're directly responsible for. And that's before even mentioning the wrecked economy that eight years of their sorry assed rule left in its wake. Who gives a flying f-word what they "think" 0 go stand in the corner and put your dunce hats back on - no not the white one - the red, white and blue one with the tassel and dingle balls on top.

And when they speak of our President they'd be well advised to keep a civil tongue in their mouths. The American People elected a President - not a pinata for them to beat with a stick. If they want someone to critizize - he's in living in a gated community in TX - not in the White House. We kicked their "party" out of the WH because they're such a gang of complete incompetents. And we're not done with them yet. They're trying to seek refuge in their house of "Christian" fornication on C Street and we're not having that either. How nakedly culpable do they have to be before some sense of shame overtakes them? Americans may have a bad memory - but it's not so bad that we can't even remember yesterday. If it takes a water boarding three times a day to shut them up then I'm in favor of that. They think they can just waltz into government wreck the entire nation and then retire to their C street men's club for a sloe gin and a blow-job? These are not American values, or Christian values or anything other than a complete lack of values of any kind. Theirs is the party of screwing over other people for fun and profit. They want more "boots on the ground" in Afghanistan? If they so like to walk all over people, all the while spouting lies and hypocrisy like some kind of water fountain in a casino parking lot, then can get their little Gucci's on over there.

President Obama may be a nice man and a gentleman as well - but that doesn't mean that democrats around the country aren't mad as hell about what transpired in the eight years of republican "leadership". If everyone were to apply themselves solely to making money above all else and at any cost to other people using every clever little trick and scam devisable - like they do - would everyone then be rich and powerful like they are? Hell no - we'd be living in hell. Wherefore then the contempt and disdain for the uninsured, the migrant worker, the union member? There's a penalty to be paid for taking government jets to South America for a fornicating respite from preaching and pretending family values from a lofty office in government. Modern republicans don't even want to acknowledge that such a penalty even exists. A little contrition with some sugar on it, a quick trip to C Street - and presto - it's back to "work" as usual. It takes a puffed up bit of puffery to believe that they're so powerful and important that normal moral, professional even legal rules don't apply to them. The notion that they can just duck down under their senatorial or gubernatorial desks until the din dies down and then pop back up like a popinjay and just carry on criticizing the President - whose feet they're not even worthy to wash - as if it were all something in the distant past that's better off forgiven and forgotten - it's just not going to work. The war in Iraq is not even over yet - neither is the grief of 4,500+ American families who lost loved ones in that rah-rah republican war. There's also the not quite so small matter of 28,000+ badly wounded Americans. We're supposed to forget all this so we can be blessed with more of your blithering BS? If we don't rid ourselves of these pluperfect republican patriots then the roof is going to literally collapse on our heads.

Nobody is perfect in this world, we all know that. That's why the word "resignation" exists. I commend it to the specific attention of Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina and Senator John Ensign of Nevada. Begone already.

Tim Mooring
San Francisco, CA

Subject: GOP Hypocrites

If you want to know what the republicans are doing, just listen to what they're accusing the democrats of doing, and you'll have your answer.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: The Bumper Sticker That Changed The World

"What was on it?"

"Display This Bumper Sticker & Change The World."

"How did the bumper sticker idea catch on?"

"Online, starting on BuzzFlash.com."

"Who displayed it?"

"All the mad as hell people who could no longer accept the one about this just being the way it is."

"Specifically?"

"Perpetual wars, health insurance ripoffs, nothing being done about global warming, not to mention those trillion dollar Wall Street bailouts."

"Ok, they displayed the bumper sticker, then what?"

"After a couple of months one couldn't go anywhere without seeing that bumper sticker being displayed on car after car."

"How did that bring about change?"

"With so many people displaying said bumper sticker, it wasn't long before the realization set in that 'Hey, I'm not alone in wanting thhings to change.' And once that point in time was reached mass uprisings were but a few mouse clicks away."

"And since then what sort of world?"

"Of, for and by the people."

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: mailbag 10/05/09

Thanks to Tom Wieliezka (sorry if i Misp.  the name) for reminding some spoiled people..that when Geo Bush had everything at his feet...he proceeded to try to ruin this nation for any democrat who might be trying to get elected.....for those of you who think Obama has not done anything...he tries and he tries every day....but, when you have to follow two men in office, who got whatever they damn well pleased...and we aided and abetted them, put a lid on it....what Tom is saying is right. Unfortunately....too many of you think like the followers of Bush/Cheney/Rummy, etc...who made it so that only they would never, ever have to worry...so, you shit kickers..pitch in and give him a chance....at least...the man has only been in offie 10 months...by that time. Bush had lied us into at least two wars! How..can anyone justify spending 12 billion dollars a month on a war that is getting us no where...did not then...and stll is not! I am suspicious of even the happenings of 9/11!!!!

Rainlillie...God Bless your 11 yr.old daughter who has more sense than all the right wing nuts out there right now..including the selfish right wing Dems...and especially the racist bigots who hate Obama for their own selfish reasons...i hope God forgives you...but, I doubt if he will. How can silly people who call themselves christian...hate abortion(not aware of why) but, still think they are the only race in this country who matter? It is so beyond me, I cannot hazard a guess.!!!!

And finally to both "Suzyqu" and "Clicky"...if you do not like the format any longer...and threaten to take your reading elsewhere???? Make a huge donation to Buzz...they may not be here for long...because most of their readers are democrats...or at least fair minded folk...so, they are the ones hurting now...many without jobs or health care...paying though the nose just to stay well...soooooo.....everyone is having to cut corners... For instance...my husband just retired last year at the age of 75...try that...and now that the country is in such a mess(and dear God, please, not because of Obama) go back and check out everything Bush did, see just how much money they spent...not one thing for the needy..not a thought of health care reform... We are lucky to have Buzz..just to lean on....if they do not choose to be bought and sold by the criminal element of this country...it is a good thing...hopefully a great donor will come to their rescue....but in the meantime...I will read what I can , because a decent crumb is more important than an entire cake of pure crap!!

Shirlee
St. Louis

The opinions expressed in the Mailbag are not necessarily those of BuzzFlash. You can write to Mailbag at http://www.BuzzFlash.com/contact/mail.html. Guidelines for submissions are at BuzzFlash FAQ #18.

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