Loose cannons

Issue 

Executive action

"Six former Kmart executives charged the company for nannies, luxury cars and private chauffeurs even as the discount retailer fought a losing battle against bankruptcy, creditors said in a lawsuit... [f]ormer chief executive and chairman Chuck Conaway, former president Mark Schwartz and the four others cost Kmart more than $1 billion in personal expenses." — Associated Press report, November 19.

Weapons of ass destruction

"Do we have enough actionable intelligence? No. The lack of actionable intelligence, does that allow donkeys to sneak in and fire rockets? Yes." — Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, November 22, commenting on the previous day's rocket attacks launched from donkey-drawn carts by Iraqi guerrillas on the Iraqi oil ministry and two heavily guarded hotels.

Vietnam syndrome

"We have the stories going on this morning where they're using the FBI to look into demonstrations in order to find out who is demonstrating and getting into their background. That reminds [me] of the old Nixon times and the enemies list." — US Senator Edward Kennedy, commenting November 23, on press reports that the Federal Bureau of Intimidation sent an internal memo on October 21 to 15,000 local police departments calling on them to spy on anti-war protesters.

Balanced coverage

"Research showed that of 840 experts interviewed on US news outlets during the [Iraq invasion] only four opposed the conflict." — From an Associated Press report, November 27.

From Green Left Weekly, December 3, 2003.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.

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