''Orwell wrote Bush's script''

When a member of the Blethen family, the rather Republican-(not-rovian)leaning family that owns 51% of the Seattle Times writes something like this, if you live in Seattle ya gotta sit up and take notice.

Summary statement:

"The Republicans have made no secret about what they will run on this year. A recent Pew poll showed that Americans believe the Democrats could lead the nation better on every issue except national security. Bush aide Karl Rove has given speeches about national security and the president skips across the nation talking about the importance of spying on Americans to keep us safe.

This strategy works only if the electorate is fearful that a hostile world is ready to overrun America. Bush's fear-mongering resembles a version of INGSOC's Two Minutes (of) Hate, in which party members watch a video of legions of the enemy army marching behind a bleating political enemy.

American democracy has buckled under the weight of Americans voting scared, a weak press diluted because of consolidation by mega-public companies, and no real political alternative.

It does not matter that the administration and, by extension, the Republican Party are only doing what is needed to hold on in November and again in the 2008 presidential election. Their actions are beginning to eclipse our civil rights, potentially reducing freedom to a dim flicker."

Could somebody please talk to Uncle Frank and tell him we're in a bit of "hurry up" here. We need him to turn the paper over to young Ryan before our fucking country is down the drain. Maybe RYAN Blethen will be motivated to do something about the information he is sharing with us here. Some minimizing and discrediting comments here on The Smirking Chimp.