This is the story by D. Grant Haynes on Online Journal that says it all - everything -

A mammary gland is a mammary gland, but 10,000 dead Iraqi civilians is a war crime

By D. Grant Haynes
Online Journal Contributing Writer

February 5, 2004—The inanity, the puritanical hypocrisy, the blindness to significant realities, the mass stupidity that characterize—indeed, that are—America are all encapsulated in the brouhaha now raging over the partial exposure of one of performer Janet Jackson's breasts during Super Bowl 2004's halftime extravaganza February 1.

After refusing to lend Super Bowl airing to a MoveOn.org-produced 30-second spot critical of George W. Bush's performance as president, CBS News crawled, groveled and apologized for more than 24 hours because viewers of the Super Bowl halftime show may have caught a glimpse of one of Jackson's breasts when co-singer Justin Timberlake intentionally pulled her scant outfit down a bit in a planned finale as he sang, "I'm gonna have you naked by the end of this song."

"CBS deeply regrets the incident that occurred during the Super Bowl halftime show. We attended all rehearsals throughout the week and there was no indication that any such thing would happen. The moment did not conform to CBS broadcast standards, and we would like to apologize to anyone who was offended," CBS offered by way of a quick apology.

And there is more insanity.

Secretary of Defense Colin Powell's rotund son, Michael Powell, head of the Federal Communications Commission, promised a federal investigation of the nipple incident, according to AP.

"Federal Communications Commission chief Michael Powell said in a statement, 'Like millions of Americans, my family and I gathered around the television for a celebration. Instead, that celebration was tainted by a classless, crass and deplorable stunt.' He promised an investigation . . ."

A federal investigation, folks.

And even the National Football League—prime purveyors of violence and animality at all times—had to apologize to America's Christian families, saying the NFL was "extremely disappointed" in Jackson's performance.

All of this feigned outrage from these unlikely hypocrites over a harmless attention-seeking stunt of a few second's duration executed by a mass media icon notorious for such actions.

By way of inexplicable contrast, I read of no outrage being expressed by any of these individuals or groups about CBS's cowardice in pulling the MoveOn.org ad.

Nor did I read of an apology from CBS that they lacked the courage and fairness to run the ad criticizing Bush for his role in destroying the economic viability of one nation and the very infrastructure of two other nations in his three years of miscreant misrule in an office he never won.

Nor did I read or hear of any outrage from these self-righteous Americans so shocked and indignant at the sight of a woman's breast that their tax dollars have been used to murder up to 10,000 Iraqi civilians in an immoral war of conquest—a war whose WMD justification has been universally exposed as a bald-faced lie that was peddled repeatedly by Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Indeed, there has been no moral outrage from staid and uptight sorts of John Ashcroft's stripe who blanch white and faint away at the sight of a human female's breast, (even a sexagenarian bronze one), but who were happy to see their nation launch an unprovoked shock and awe blitzkrieg on Baghdad last March that killed thousands in a few hours.

Where is the moral outrage at this nation's morally reprehensible record among these so-called morally upright individuals?

Sadly and deplorably, there is none.

Baring a woman's breast or viewing a woman's breast is not a sin and is hardly a newsworthy event. Ms. Jackson's publicity stunt deserved minimal attention at best, but has received non-stop major coverage.

On the other hand, murdering up to 10,000 innocent Iraqi civilians in a brutal military campaign of imperialistic aggression that continues to lack any justification whatsoever was and is a crime against humanity that should receive wide and continuing exposure, until the perpetrators are brought before an international war crimes tribunal at The Hague.

But there is only silence among the media in these matters, as they remain transfixed by what they see as a truly important news story: Janet Jackson's nipple.

The skewed value system of this sick nation of puritanical hypocrites causes me nausea on a daily basis.