And as usual makes it well

Cole: The constant drumbeat of hatred toward Muslims and Arabs on the American Right, on television and radio and in the press, has gradually had its effect. This according to a Washington Post poll. Even in the year after September 11, a majority of Americans respected Islam and Muslims, but powerful forces in US society are determined to change that, and are gradually succeeding. As they win, Bin Laden also wins, since his whole enterprise was to "sharpen the contradictions" and provoke a clash of civilizations.

Some 25% of Americans now say they personally are prejudiced against Muslims. And 33% think that Islam as a religion helps incite violence against non-Muslims, up from 14% after September 11.

The Bush administration policy is to continually insinuate that the Muslim world is the new Soviet Union and full of sinister forces that require the US to go to war against them. But at the same time, America has warm relations with Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, etc., etc. When Saudi Arabia's then crown prince (now king) Abdullah came to the US, Bush brought him to the Crawford ranch, held hands with him and kissed him on each cheek.

This two-faced policy and self-contradictory rhetoric has contributed to growing hatred and bigotry toward Muslims in the US, which is no less worrisome than the hatred Jews faced in Europe in the 1920s. It is dangerous because of what it can become.

The subtext of bigotry and racism is what has blindsided the Bush administration with regard to the port deal for a company based in Dubai. Dubai is like the Fifth Avenue of the Middle East-- the place with the pricey shopping and the tall skyscrapers and the extravagant fashions. Dubai businessmen are no more likely to take over US ports and allow them to come to harm than US businessmen are. They want the deal in order to make money. Bush knows this very well. But since he has spent so much time fulminating against shadowy and sinister forces over there somewhere, he has spooked the American public and members of his own party.

To be fair this doesn't exist exclusively in the right wing, the port outrage confirms this.

All our army men are tagged! Yeppers, all of them! I can't remember the final count, but it was lots. If you've been in a spider hole the past few months and don't know what in the H we're talking about .... http://www.mouthswideopen.org/armymen.shtml.

Drinking Liberally Charleston has teamed up with Charleston Peace in the effort to get people to realize it's time to bring our folks home from Iraq. DLs Charlotte and Louisville have also joined in. This Thursday, we'll have soldiers ready for you, so please plan to take home a little baggie-full from Voodoo. If you'd like to BYOBag, that's cool too.

We've already spotted the little green men in windows along East Bay, Beaufain, and Archdale Streets, Publix, pay phones, gas pumps, ATMs, on film drop boxes, building foyers, ledges inside buildings, on a sink at MUSC, Holy Cow Yoga...That should give you some ideas and we can contribute more at this week's edition of DRINKING LIBERALLY CHARLESTON!

The schedule for the Army Men Blitz (details will be going out to everyone this weekend):

MON MARCH 13 - James Island, Kickin' Chicken
TUES MARCH 14 - N Chuck, KC Mulligans
WED MARCH 15 - Mt P, Village Tavern
THURS MARCH 16 - WA, Voodoo
FRI MARCH 17 - Downtown, Vickery's

While you're drinking liberally, please remember to tip liberally and treat our servers with respect.

NOTE: Bowling Liberally is trying out a new time this week: 9pm. For more info, contact Larry or Bill.

Voodoo Lounge
15 Magnolia Dr
Every Thursday
5:30 pm until the thoughts run dry
FREE PARKING BEHIND THE BAR

Bowling Liberally
Elks Lodge
Sam Rittenberg
Friday night
9:00 until 11 **NOTE CHANGE IN TIME
$1.75 games, free shoes, $1 beer
FOR MORE INFO, CATCH BILL OR LARRY AT VOODOO THURSDAY OR EMAIL LARRY AT larry_carter_center at yahoo dot com

Reading Liberally
Preston, let's get together on this after War Week.

Liberally yours,
marilyn, Leslie & Sadie

Gallup released polling that indicates that a majority of Americans agree with the fallacy that "God created man exactly how Bible describes it."

This is indicative of so much, and provides further fuel to my desire to just run away. But the reality is that this is a characteristic that transcends American boarders. What is wrong with people, or is the question what is wrong with science? Have we failed somewhere that made science questionable to the masses?

I think it is a sense of elitism among scientists that makes them so stuck on themselves they feel obligated to use big words and 30 pages of journal paper to explain simple subject matter. It's hard enough for me to read most scientific journals because they are bland and elongated to a point where no normal person would be willing to read it, much less try to replace the biblical interpretation that is so easy and spoon-fed like Santa Claus to us when we're young.

Anyway, facts are clear but they cannot break through the closed mind of the religious.