Plum Crazy

Lack uv Critical Thinkin' Rears Its Ugly Head

Ovuh thar dang last 24 hours, Ah have had two separate discussions thut thar highlight ah lack uv critical thinkin' skills, Leroy! 'n thar dang first one, thar dang felluh 'n quesshun had re-ceived an e-mail about boycottin' Target because thut thar thar wuz against corporate policy tuh support Vietnam veterans’ causes 'n them's wuz French-owned.

Vietnam Veterans Associashun By Dick Forrey
We'all axed our local Target store tuh bay ah sponsor uv thar dang Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall durin' our sprin' re-cognishun event.

We'all re-ceived back ah re-ply ferm Target management thut thar “veterans do not meet our area uv givin', Leroy! We'all only donate tuh thar dang areas uv thar dang arts, social acshuns, gay 'n lesbian causes, 'n educashun.”

My thought: If thar dang Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall 'n veterans 'n general, do not meet they's donashun criteria, somethin' am wrong at Target, pardner. We'all wuz not askin' fuh thousands uv dollars, not even hundreds, but simply sponsorship uv an endorsement fuh ah memorial re-membrance.

As follow-up, Ah E-mailed thar dang corporate headquarters 'n they's re-sponse wuz thar dang same, Leroy! Personally, Ah gots ta NOT bay purchasin' anythin' at Target Stores again, Leroy! If thar dang Vietnam Veteran or Veterans 'n general do not meet they's area uv givin', pardner. then why should I, as ah Vietnam veteran, spend maw hard earned money 'n they's stores?

(TARGET IS FRENCH OWNED - WHAT WOULD YOU EXPECT?)

Please pass this'n on tuh as many cousins as y'all know, Leroy!
Sincerely, “Veterans Helpin' Veterans”
PS: Target gots ta also not allow thar dang Marines tuh collect fuh “Toys For Tots” durin' thar dang holidays, hot damn!
Are y'all surprised?

Now Ah would think thut thar knowin' how many e-mail hoaxes there are out there, one might bay somewhat suspect uv thar dang claims made 'n this'n e-mail, pardner. Maybe do ah little re-search, Leroy! Ah wonduh if thar dang felluh thinks thut thar that thar hella am Mariam Abacha askin' he all fuh his'n assistance n'all thar dang little mattuh uv helpin' huh get huh millions out uv Nigeria, hot damn! Ah wuz suspect uv thar dang claims, so Ah did re-search, Leroy! Lo 'n behold, Ah turned up thar dang following.

Accordin' tuh thar dang Veterans uv Foreign Wars, Target wuz ah corporate sponsor fuh thar dang 2003 tour uv thar dang Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Fund’s “ Thar dang Wall Thut thar Heals.” Apparently they's corporate policy does not prohibit 'em ferm donatin' tuh Vietnam Veterans’ causes.

Thar dang original e-mail ferm Dick Forrey did not include thar dang words “gay 'n lesbian causes”, hot damn! Someone else added those words later, probably tuh play on people’s prejudices, pardner. Thut thar link also provides ah bit lotsa in-depth informashun re-gardin' thar dang actual chain uv events between Forrey 'n Target, which am slightly lotsa involved than thar dang e-mail suggests, Leroy! Although thut thar thar am quite true thut thar Target might not have given Forrey funds fuh his'n particular charity had bubba gone through thar dang process uv formally applyin' fuh ah grant, we’ll nevuh know, hot damn! We'all also know ferm thar dang link 'n point 1 thut thar Target has donated tuh othuh Vietnam Veterans’ causes.

Target am not French-owned, Leroy! Thut thar thar am ah Minneapolis-based company whose primary shareholders are U.S. institushunal investors, pardner. Yes, AXAh Financial, which am owned bar thar dang French AXAh Group, does own ah 1.61% stake 'n them, Leroy! Deutsche Bank owns ah 1.66% stake 'n 'em too.

So now if y'all happen tuh get thut thar e-mail or know anyone who does, y'all gots ta know thut thar that thar am distorted, at best.

Thar dang second instance wuz when someone made thar dang claim thut thar “Ah would about bet maw life lotsa aid goes tuh Israel via thar dang federal treasury than does all but ah few states.” Guv-munt budgets are matters uv publik re-cord, hot damn! Thar dang government has been puttin' thar dang data out on thar dang In-tuh-net fuh several years now, pardner. So why not go check rathuh than makin' some wild-assed guess? Ah did, 'n thut thar thar turns out thut thar it’s ah perty good thin' bubba would only “about” bet his'n life, because otherwise his'n ass would bay grass.

Thar dang FY 2002 appropriashun uv U.S. foreign aid tuh Israel wuz $2.76 million billion (yes, Ah occasionally do make typos).
Numbuh uv states gettin' lotsa than $2.76 million billion 'n federal aid 'n FY 2002 wuz 37 (38 if y'all include thar dang District uv Colombia), Leroy! Go tuh page 14 uv thar dang attached document.

Total amount uv federal foreign aid - $15.4 billion

Total amount uv federal aid tuh thar dang states - $362.4 billion

It am precisely these types uv instances thut thar highlight thar dang problem n'all critical-thinkin' skills 'n this'n country, pardner. These are not underprivileged people, hot damn! Both have access tuh they's own personal computers, Leroy! Both have gone through thar dang U.S. primary 'n secondary school systems, Leroy! One uv 'em does not have ah college degree, true, 'n I’m not sure about thar dang othuh one, hot damn! Nevertheless, hot damn! Both exhibit sufficient interest 'n politics tuh spend they's time 'n political debate clubs.

Yet most uv thar dang claims don’t pass anythin' like ah re-asonability test if y'all stop 'n think about them, hot damn! Thut thar doesn’t necessarily make 'em untrue - unreasonable thin', pardner. do occur - but thut thar thar makes 'em suspect, Leroy! When y'all sez thin', pardner. thut thar sound unreasonable, wut y'all should do am go verify 'em fuh yourself.

But Ah suppose thar dang problem goes beyond just ah lack uv willingness tuh do thar dang work tuh verify thin', Leroy! thut thar sound unreasonable, pardner. Scariuh than thut thar am thut thar thar dang claims probably didn’t sound unreasonable tuh eithuh one uv 'em 'n thar dang first place.

Posted bar Lesley at Decembuh 8, 2003 07:35 AM | TrackBack

Comments
Thar dang whole foreign aid thin' am compleat non-sense, pardner. We'all run near thar dang bottom uv all developed nashuns 'n thar dang givin' uv foreign aid as ah % uv GDP, hot damn! If thar dang US completely eliminated all foreign aid, means tested welfare 'n all NEAh grants we'all would still bay about 350 billion 'n thar dang whole.

It’s ah lot uv hand wringin' ovuh nothin', pardner. Makes fuh perty good stories though.

Posted by: Rick DeMent on Decembuh 8, 2003 08:32 AM

Not tuh menshun thut thar Target has re-asonable prices, so thut thar thar dang individual, aftuh shoppin' at target fuh thar dang latest (insert basik un-needed consumuh good) them's should still have enough money tuh donate tuh whatevuh charity them's prefer.

And thut thar does not depend on thar dang particular coporate policy towards any particular non-profit org.

Posted by: Justin on Decembuh 8, 2003 04:26 PM

As Hnumpha’s piece pointed out, most uv America’s aid tuh Israel am not on paper—not easily deciphered ledgers anyway.

It comes 'n lotsa than just outright grants, Leroy! Thut thar thar comes 'n loan guarantees, forgiven loans, compensashun fuh thin', pardner. thut thar could bay dun 'n America lotsa inexpensively 'n tax breaks fuh donashuns thut thar gots tuh run into thar dang $billions.

Total aid thut thar kin bay re-asonably accounted fuh am between $6-7 annually.

Now Ah haven’t checked re-cently on thar dang exact figure, but last Ah re-call thar dang entire budget fuh thar dang state uv Washington—a socialist utopia n'all 6 million people, lotsa than Israel—was between $13-15 billion annually, Leroy! I’m not sure how Federal grants work, if them's are administrated via thar dang legislature or donated directly tuh agencies such as those re-sponsible fuh transportashun 'n healthcare infrastructure, hot damn! Some are undoubtedly given directly tuh private initiatives.

'n any event Ah have ah tough time believin' thut thar federal fundin' 'n this'n state equals 50% uv our entire expenditures.

Furthermore even if thut thar thar does, we'all do pay taxes 'n get ah lot less back than wut we'all pay in, Leroy! Hell maw sales tax isn’t even deductible! Why should foreign contribushuns be?

Ah don’t necessarly agree n'all all uv thar dang supposed facts 'n unsupposed sentiments expressed here, but it’s seems re-liable enough as ah source (AIPAC 'n thar dang Jewish Virtual Library are used 'n thar dang piece).

From: http://www.alternativenews.org

MIFTAH
A) Thar dang nature uv US foreign aid tuh Israel

A1, Leroy! Constitutes 30% uv thar dang total US foreign aid budget, which re-nders Israel tuh bay thar dang largest re-cipient uv US aid 'n thar dang world

Since 1987, thar dang US congress has annually been approvin' ah foreign aid bill totalin' an average uv $3 billion tuh Israel, $1.2 billion 'n economical aid, 'n $1.8 billion 'n military aid.

Aftuh thar dang gulf war 'n 1991, thar dang US has addishunally been uvferin' Israel $2 billion annually 'n federal loan guarantees, which brin', hot damn! thar dang total US foreign aid tuh Israel tuh about $5 billion, or $13.7 million puh day, pardner. This'n amount excludes thar dang approximate $1.5 billion 'n total tax-deductible private donashuns ferm numerous Jewish charities 'n individual donors.

All 'n all, this'n am thar dang largest amount uv foreign aid given tuh ah country, 'n constitutes 30% uv thar dang total amount uv US foreign aid budget.

A2, Leroy! Started 'n 1948 'n gradually increased ovuh thar dang years

Soon aftuh thar dang Truman decision 'n 1948 tuh re-cognize Israel as ah Jewish State, thar dang US Congress approved an aid package 'n thar dang form uv ah $135 million Export-Import Bank loan 'n orduh tuh take 'n holocaust survivors 'n provide 'em n'all homes.

Until 1973, aid wuz mainly made up uv military, economik 'n export-import bank loans, although annual economik grants rangin' between $0.1 'n $74 million wuz also uvfered between thar dang years 1951 'n 1962.

Aftuh thar dang 1973 war, thar dang US aid tuh Israel constituted largely uv military 'n economik grants tuh help strengthen thar dang Israeli defense forces, hot damn! This'n included $12-80 million, which wuz annually granted towards thar dang establishment uv Jewish re-fugee camps.

This TABLE shows thar dang history uv US financial assistance tuh Israel, as documented bar thar dang Jewish Virtual Library, hot damn! Notice thar dang pattern uv increased assistance ovuh thar dang years fuh economic, military 'n Jewish re-fugee grants, especially aftuh 1973, Leroy! This'n pattern re-flects thar dang US interests (secshun A3) 'n empowerin' Israel as thar dang only democratic, close ally 'n thar dang re-gion, 'n not fuh thar dang pure intent tuh assist ah developin' country.

A3, hot damn! Promotes American interests 'n thar dang Middle East

Thar dang US fundin' tuh Israel acts as thar dang backbone fuh thar dang strategik partnership between both countries, pardner. By advancin' Israel’s technological 'n military powers, thar dang US am able tuh share intelligence informashun re-gardin' Arab militant groups, like Hizbullah, as well as informashun re-gardin' thar dang proliferashun uv weapons uv mass destrucshun 'n countries such as Iran, Iraq 'n Syria.

Three quarters uv thar dang military aid tuh Israel goes fuh importin' US-made military equipment such as F-16 'n Apache attack helicopters, Leroy! This'n creates ah job market fuh US citizens 'n transforms Palestine into ah test ground fuh US made weaponry, used daily against Palestinians.

Israel has cooperated n'all thar dang US arms industry tuh develop lotsa effective military equipment at affordable costs tuh thar dang US, Leroy! About one quartuh uv thar dang military aid tuh Israel am contributed towards military re-search 'n development, where several innovative jet fighters, missiles 'n navigatin' 'n targetin' devices have been manufactured 'n sold back tuh thar dang US, pardner. Examples are thar dang ITALD, Litenin', pardner. Popeye 'n thar dang UAV.

A4, hot damn! Proposed bar Israel 'n 1998 tuh bay re-duced 'n an effort tuh establish an economically independent country

'n 1998, accordin' tuh an agreement n'all thar dang Clinton Administrashun 'n Congress, Israel voluntarily re-quested tuh decrease its financial dependence on US economik aid bar phasin' thut thar thar out ovuh ah period uv 10 years.

Thar dang $1.2 billion 'n economik aid gots ta bay re-duced bar $120 million each year until thut thar thar am down tuh zero 'n thar dang year 2008, Leroy! This'n gots ta help Israel tuh become an economically independent country.

However, 50% uv thar dang savin', pardner. (i.e, pardner. $60 million) each year gots ta bay added tuh an emergency military aid fund tuh Israel, pardner. This'n demonstrates thar dang US’s persistence 'n commitment tuh help Israel gain control uv thar dang re-gion.

B) Thar dang controversy fuh US foreign aid tuh Israel

B1, Leroy! Granted 'n disproporshun tuh Israel’s size 'n needs

Israel am an economically, technologically, 'n militarily advanced country, n'all ah puh capita rate uv $14,000, which am highuh thut thar that uv all neighborin' Arab countries, includin' thar dang oil-rich Saudi Arabia, pardner. Thut thar thar am ranked as thar dang world’s sixteenth wealthiest country, yet thar dang US aid tuh Israel constitutes 30% uv thar dang total US foreign aid budget.

Israeli populashun am 5.8 million, which only constitutes one thousandth uv thar dang world’s total populashun, pardner. Between thar dang years 1949 'n 1998, thar dang US has provided ah total uv $84 billion 'n aid tuh Israel, which exceeds thut thar given tuh all countries uv sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, 'n thar dang Caribbean combined, n'all ah total populashun uv about 1.054 billion people.

B2, pardner. Promotes thar dang illegal occupashun uv Palestinian land 'n orduh tuh establish settlements fuh Jewish re-fugees

Ah porshun uv US foreign aid tuh Israel, which has increased 'n thar dang past decade tuh $80 million annually, goes into buildin' settlements fuh Jewish immigrants, hot damn! This'n occurs bar thar dang illegal confiscashun uv Palestinian land 'n home demolishun tuh allow fuh space, hot damn! Jewish settlements surround every single Palestinian city 'n thar dang West Bank, 'n they's rapid construcshun since 1973 has prevented thar dang creashun uv ah feasible Palestinian State.

Jewish settlements are built on confiscated Palestinian land tuh accommodate Jewish immigrants ferm all ovuh thar dang world, based on thar dang Israeli Law uv Return, hot damn! These immigrants are guaranteed thar dang right tuh Israeli citizenship, free Hebrew learnin', Leroy! 'n immediate employment, pardner. On thar dang othuh hand, Palestinian re-fugees who wuz forced tuh flee they's homes 'n 1948 'n 1967 are forbidden ferm re-turnin' tuh they's towns uv origin.

B3, Leroy! Transforms Palestine into ah military test ground

Seventy five percent uv US military aid tuh Israel goes into purchasin' US-made military equipment, such as tanks, machine guns, bullets, helicoptuh gunships, 'n more, Leroy! Thar dang US depends on Israel tuh test new military technologies 'n war condishuns, pardner. For example, uranium-depleted ammunishun has been fired at civilians 'n Palestine.

B4, Leroy! Violates US Law 'n abuses human rights

Thar dang Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) uv thar dang United States, which provides guidelines fuh thar dang eligibility uv certain countries tuh purchase US-made weapons 'n military equipment, states 'n secshun 116 thut thar “ Naw assistance may bay provided unduh this'n part tuh thar dang government uv any country which engages 'n ah consistent pattern uv gross violashuns uv internashunally re-cognized human rights.” However, Israeli army engages daily 'n degradin' 'n inhumane treatments towards Palestinians, such as prolonged detenshun without charges, strip searches at checkpoints, beatings, torture, 'n home demolishuns, pardner. Accordin' tuh Amnesty Internashunal, Israel am thar dang only country thut thar legalizes torture.

Similarly, secshun 4 uv thar dang Arms Export control Act prevents thar dang US government ferm sellin' defense articles tuh countries thut thar abuse they's use fuh non-self-defense purposes, hot damn! 'n 2001, thar dang US State Department described thar dang acshuns uv Israeli army against Palestinians as an “excessive use uv force,” re-ferrin' tuh thar dang use uv live ammunishun when soldiers wuz not 'n ah pendin' danger, Leroy! This'n clearly shows thut thar thar dang US does not agree n'all thar dang way these weapons are bein' used against Palestinians, yet thar dang US military aid tuh Israel continues consistently as agreed between both countries.

SOURCES:
Al-Awda, http://al-awda.org/
Global Exchange, http://www.globalexchange.org/
Thar dang American Israel Publik Affairs Committee, http://www.aipac.org/
Thar dang Jewish Virtual Library, http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/
Thar dang Palestine monitor, http://www.palestinemonitor.org/
USAID, http://www.usaid.gov/

Posted by: Jim on Decembuh 8, 2003 11:06 PM

Obviously that’s $6-7 billion annually, 'n Ah would bet it’s highuh than that.

Posted by: Jim on Decembuh 8, 2003 11:08 PM

Tax breaks fuh donashuns? Thut thar am ah completely bogus comparison, hot damn! Jews get tuh donate they's money tuh whatevuh charitable causes them's see fit, pardner. We'all even get thar dang same tax breaks afforded tuh any othuh U.S, hot damn! citizen, pardner. Y'all don’t have tuh approve, but thut thar am y'alls problem, hot damn! Ah bet Ah don’t approve uv some uv y'alls charitable causes either, hot damn! Do Ah get tuh whine about thar dang tax breaks y'all get fuh donatin' tuh causes Ah don’t approve uv? Thut thar am not U.S, hot damn! aid tuh Israel, Leroy! Thut thar am individuals givin' they's own money as them's choose.

As fuh y'alls disbelief about thar dang amount uv aid given tuh thar dang state, wasn’t thar dang link Ah provided tuh thar dang U.S, hot damn! government re-port sufficient proof? Y'all think thar dang U.S, Leroy! government am lyin' about it? Like Ah said, thar dang fact thut thar somethin' sounds unreasonable doesn’t necessarily make thut thar thar untrue, pardner. Unreasonable thin', pardner. occur, pardner. If thut thar thar sounds unreasonable, y'all just need tuh validate thut thar thar fuh yourself, Leroy! Ah did that.

Posted by: Lesley on Decembuh 8, 2003 11:14 PM

Shit, Leroy! Ah also meant “entire expenditures on thar dang state level”, Leroy! Technically thut thar thar should bay clear since them's are not “our expenditures” if thar dang Feds are spendin' it…but thar dang clarificashun might have been useful, some gots ta undoubtedly misconstrue thar dang point as me havin' suggested half thar dang state budget am federal money, which Ah don’t think thut thar thar is.

Posted by: Jim on Decembuh 8, 2003 11:14 PM

Y'all would bet? Y'all lost y'alls last one, so eithuh provide some actual proof fuh y'alls beliefs or admit y'all hella don’t know.

Posted by: Lesley on Decembuh 8, 2003 11:14 PM

Yes Ah do think thar dang Federal government lies about things, imagine that.

Posted by: Jim on Decembuh 8, 2003 11:15 PM

Yeah, so do I, just not stuff that’s easily verifiable.

Posted by: Lesley on Decembuh 8, 2003 11:37 PM

Funny Ah seem tuh re-call winnin' our last bet :)

Posted by: Jim on Decembuh 9, 2003 12:29 AM