A Blogatorial™

American Taliban soldier John Walker Lindh had the decency to plead guilty to serving in the Taliban army and carrying weapons while in their service.
Good. At least we don't have to foot the bill for a long trial.
While that represents a small victory for the overloaded U.S. judicial system, what alarms me are new plans the Bushfolk have to recruit millions of U.S. citizens as "domestic informants."
The "Terrorism Information and Prevention System" (TIPS) means the U.S. will have more civilian informants than East Germany did through its infamous Stasi secret police.
We are talking one in 24 Americans being recruited as Tipsters.
I think the average American knows to call the FBI if they see or hear something that might threaten national security.
I don't think we need a bunch of deputized Barney Fifes to start looking for shadows and smoke where none exists so they can gain their 15 minutes of fame.
This looks to me like another lightweight public relations dog and pony show designed to make the feds appear to be on top of things.
As it is, I have wondered if this blog is being monitored by the feds because of some opinionated thoughts I've expressed about Dubya and his gang.
I just hope the feds don't intend to fuck up our First Amendment rights to free speech to compensate for their woeful lack of preparation against foreign terrorism.
Make no mistake, I love my country.
I bought an American flag and flew it daily for a month after September 11.
Then I saw the flag being grotesquely commercialized by every Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Sears, Old Navy and Target store, and I refused to use my flag as a trendy accessory.
I stood behind my President during the first few weeks after the terrorist attacks, but that doesn't mean I am now un-American because I think he's failed miserably at locating bin Laden, diffusing further terrorist threats, and now this latest 'I Spy' routine.
Instead of wasting even more time and money chasing leads supplied by Joe Sixpack, I wish someone would get a clue in the Bush administration and give us bin Laden's head on a stick, then do something to scare the shit out of terrorists in waiting and put an end to all this pussyfootin' around.