A few days ago I actually sent a little email message to BushCo. Talk about pissing into the wind. However, I was wondering why there was no reply. Back when the White House belonged to the people they at least acknowledged email with a polite FAQish reply. One could even fantasize about President Clinton reading a few pieces at random, what with him being such an avid reader. Not likely in Dubya's case, since he hates reading the way his dad hates broccoli. The lack of broccoli in Poppy's White House was mostly harmless, though it upset a few farmers. To the contrary, Dubya's willful ignorance kills people.

The following is a new email message:

Well, well, well. What a surprise. You mean the technical staff of the White House is not capable of handling email? Could be. Let's consider some possibilities. 1. Projected incompetence from the top is certainly one possibility. Selecting the sysops for their political views rather than technical competence. Nothing wrong at my end. I send LOTS of email without bounce messages. 2. Policy of refusing email from foreign SMTP servers. Remarkable hypocrisy given the handling of foreign absentee votes in the selection of 2000--since those votes were expected to favor Dubya. However, it would make sense if foreign email has become very negative and given BushCo's aversion to bad news--especially ugly truths. 3. Propaganda purpose. Most likely. Most probably a cunning and technically sophisticated strategy to discourage negative communications so the White House can claim the email supports Dubya. Incoming email is automatically analyzed. Favorable email receives warm and kind responses intended to encourage additional messages. Negative email receives rude and mysterious bounce messages. Of course fake bounce messages violate the courtesy that makes the Internet work--but given BushCo's track record for violating domestic laws and international treaties, and even abusing the Constitution when it gets it their way, why would they worry about courtesy? By the way, I'm going to circulate this exchange on the Web. Here is what I finally got in response to my original email: Mail Delivery System wrote: > This is the Postfix program at host mail.asahi-net.or.jp. > > I'm sorry to have to inform you that the message returned > below could not be delivered to one or more destinations. > > For further assistance, please send mail to > > If you do so, please include this problem report. You can > delete your own text from the message returned below. > > The Postfix program > > : connect to wh.eop.gov[198.137.241.41]: > server dropped connection > > : connect to > wh.eop.gov[198.137.241.41]: server dropped connection Here is the original email: Shannon Jacobs wrote: > Just read about the British reporter asking you the question you > answered "I don't know that they do." You remember, the one about why > so many free people hate and fear you. Well, pretending you actually > want to know the ugly truth, I can easily give you the answers. I'm a > free person and I hate you for the harm you do, and I fear you for > your chronic and perpetual abuse of power. > > There really is a difference between good and bad people. Good people > do not enjoy using force. They use it when it is necessary, but > unlike you, they use it without pleasure. In addition, good people > are not so incredibly greedy, vindictive, selfish, and hypocritical > as you are. Good people are even sincerely sorry when they cause > other people to die, whereas you can't even be bothered to attend any > of the funerals of the American soldiers you've sent to their deaths. > > By the way, you also disgust me for your inability to recognize the > truths about yourself. You also shame me to be taken as some sort of > representative of my nation. > > P.S. All of this goes double for Cheney, except that I don't think he > is any more conniving and cunning than you are. > > P.P.S. Totally pointless email, but it made me feel a tiny bit better.