In the March 14, 2005, issue of Armageddon Buffet, Stephen Potts presents a heaven that's pretty much what you thought it would be, in The Lord's Work.
     In commentary, Russ Daggatt analyzes John Bolton's Limp-Stick Diplomacy.
     Our editorial, The Day After Tomorrow Never Knows, follows Bush on his road tour to sell social security.
     In this edition's Armageddon Watch, the "Wars, Famines & Pestilences" column reports on Montana's fight to bring National Guard troops home to fight nature's war; "Signs & Portents" looks at "fear and killing at Iraq's checkpoints"; and "Preparing for Armageddon" spotlights the CIA's operations in Europe.

The Cassandra Report:
Noam Chomsky predicts who will win the next election: the public relations industry. "... according to the most recent polls, 80% of the population thinks that the government ought to guarantee health care for everyone, and furthermore regard it as a moral obligation. That tells you something about people's values. But there's 'no political support.' Why? Because the pharmaceutical industry is opposed, the financial institutions are opposed, the insurance industry is opposed, so there's 'no political support.' It doesn't matter if 80% of the population regard it as a moral obligation: That doesn't count as political support."

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Obligatory Mission Statement: "Our purpose is to wield the Word -- to oppose oppression disguised as religion, power disguised as patriotism, injustice disguised as law, and commerce disguised as art."

Our hypertext fiction ("hy-fi") explores the creative possibilities of the hypertext story. It uses color, (maybe) sound, and lots and lots of words. Unlike most hy-fi, it breaks out of the white-page-only, choose-your-own-adventure style which currently straightjackets the genre. Because it does so, dial-up users be warned: each page may take as long as 30 seconds to load. Please have patience.

Stephen W. Potts / In Your Dreams He finds himself amid a loose crowd gathered on an outdoor green. He gazes across the tops of heads at a huge contraption like a Ferris wheel, constructed of bamboo and wood, spinning at a brisk speed for something so ponderous.

Montana call for Iraq troop return sparks debate: "Montana's Democratic governor has touched off a political fight with state Republicans after calling for the return of National Guard troops serving in Iraq to help out during what many fear will be a record-setting wildfire season." From Alertnet.org.

Will it be Iran? Or Syria? Or Iran? Or...: The Bush Administration seems determined to make a case for war (or whatever they choose to call it) against both Syria, for their alleged complicity in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, and Iran, for their alleged interference in the pacification of Iraq. Do they seriously intend to wage war against both at the same time? Of course not! Like the bullies they are, they will push both countries around until one of them pushes back -- and provides them with all the excuse they need to reinstitute the draft, a politically-unpopular necessity if the neo-cons hope to find enough troops to continue their takeover of the Middle East. From Independent.org, TruthOut.org, Time.com, SydneyMorningHerald.com, and AFSC.org.

Maimed, Betrayed, Forgotten: Chris Hedges reviews AFTERWAR -- "Those left behind to carry the wounds of war feel, as my uncle did, a sense of abandonment, made all the more painful by the public manifestations of gratitude to veterans. But these are the veterans deemed palatable, those we can look at, those who are willing to go along with the lie that war is about glory and manhood and patriotism. They are trotted out not so much to be honored but to perpetuate the myth."From LATimes.com.

The Coming Wars: "Rumsfeld will become even more important during the second term. In interviews with past and present intelligence and military officials, I was told that the agenda had been determined before the Presidential election, and much of it would be Rumsfeld's responsibility. The war on terrorism would be expanded, and effectively placed under the Pentagon's control. The President has signed a series of findings and executive orders authorizing secret commando groups and other Special Forces units to conduct covert operations against suspected terrorist targets in as many as ten nations in the Middle East and South Asia."   From NewYorker.com.

More wars, famines & pestilences!

Fear and Killing at Checkpoints: "You're driving along and you see a couple of soldiers standing by the side of the road -- but that's a pretty ubiquitous sight in Baghdad, so you don't think anything of it. Next thing you know, soldiers are screaming at you, pointing their rifles and swiveling tank guns in your direction, and you didn't even know it was a checkpoint. If it's confusing for me -- and I'm an American -- what is it like for Iraqis who don't speak English? From Alternet.org.

In The War Against Truth, the mainstream media are the shock-troops of the lying Right. They're also attacked by the right for microscopic insults. The result? From journalists, a scramble to claim red-state status and unquestioning adoption of Bush-speak. From the right, Republican ringers being smuggled into the White House Briefing Room, to new anchor Brian Williams' shilling for Bush's social security destruction, should we even bother investing time and money in parsing their lies? From TruthOut.org, NewYorker.com, TheNation.com, and Alternet.org.

The War Against Science: Scientists have been sounding off about the Bush Administration's treatment of science for a while now. When he's not actively suppressing scientific conclusions, he's manufacturing junk science with which to replace it. What's scary is that the U.S. Congress has joined him in this: In The Godly Must Be Crazy, Glenn Scherer counts 231 legislators who have jumped on the President's anti-environment, pro-Apocalypse bandwagon. "As committee chair, Inhofe has subtly chosen scripture over science. The origins of his 2003 Senate speech attacking the science behind global climate change, for example, reveal his two masters: the speech is traceable to fossil fuel industry think tanks and petrochemical dollars -- but also to the pseudo-science of Christian right websites." From Skeptic.com, MiamiHerald.com, TheNation.com, and Grist.org.

Apocalypse Later: Arianna Huffington uncovers about Bush's Armageddon plans: "Just last month the Government Accountability Office released a report that found that Bush's economic policies 'will result in massive fiscal pressures that, if not effectively addressed, could cripple the economy, threaten our national security, and adversely affect the quality of life of Americans in the future.' And what was the administration's reaction to this frightening assessment? Vice President Dick Cheney shrugged, took a hearty swig of the end-time Kool-Aid and announced that the administration wants another round of tax cuts. Basically a big 'fuck you.'"   From Salon.com.

More signs & portents!

Europeans Investigate CIA Role in Abductions: " A radical Egyptian cleric known as Abu Omar was walking to a Milan mosque for noon prayers in February 2003 when he was grabbed on the sidewalk by two men, sprayed in the face with chemicals and stuffed into a van. He hasn't been seen since. Milan investigators, however, now appear to be close to identifying his kidnappers. Last month, officials showed up at Aviano Air Base in northern Italy and demanded records of any American planes that had flown into or out of the joint U.S.-Italian military installation around the time of the abduction. They also asked for logs of vehicles that had entered the base." From TruthOut.org.

Howard Zinn, Changing Minds, One at a Time: "What does it take to bring a turnaround in social consciousness--from being a racist to being in favor of racial equality, from being in favor of Bush's tax program to being against it, from being in favor of the war in Iraq to being against it? We desperately want an answer, because we know that the future of the human race depends on a radical change in social consciousness." (See the story of the Iraqi girl at uruknet.info.) From Progressive.org.

Counting the Votes, Part 3: Iraq The secret to a thriving democracy is to encourage the people you want to vote, discourage the people you don't, employ a tried-but-true spin, and make sure the media can't figure it out. Too bad it won't fool the Iraqis as easily as it fools Americans. From TruthOut.org, FinancialTimes.com, Alternet.org, and Independent.org.

Bush Says Election Ratified Iraq Policy: "President Bush said the public's decision to reelect him was a ratification of his approach toward Iraq and that there was no reason to hold any administration officials accountable for mistakes or misjudgments in prewar planning or managing the violent aftermath.... As for perhaps the most notorious terrorist, Osama bin Laden, the administration has so far been unsuccessful in its attempt to locate the mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Asked why, Bush said, 'Because he's hiding.'"   From WashingtonPost.com.

More preparations for Armageddon!

Armageddon Buffet is looking for speculative fiction, social satire, and cyberpunk; future fantasies, alternate histories, and apocalyptic visions; surrealism, naturalism, and literotica; well-researched and considered political, philosophical, and cultural commentary; true tales of successful activism, rebellion, and opposition; positive alternatives and survival strategies. More