Saturday, March 15, 2008
Loose Shoes
Here's a philosophical number about the important things in life! Two can play at this big band shit...
Reasons ...
When you see your family killed, some people withdraw, others vow revenge:
I might not use the same methods, but if you kill a member of my family, I would take my revenge as well:
As we sit back in our relatively comfortable world, do we even consider the consequences of our actions? Does anyone here understand what it takes to drive someone to willingly strap explosives to their body to exact their pound of flesh? 20 years from now, people here will wonder what we ever did to make these people hate us so, just like most Americans do today; sitting around, scratching their heads saying "these people hate us for our freedoms".
Horseshit. They hate us because we treated them like nameless, faceless people in the past, ever since we realized they have more of the precious liquid we so desperately need than anyone else. We still do, as we kill them indiscriminately in the name of "freedom and democracy". We have destroyed any chance of "winning these people's hearts and minds" and it's time to leave before we do even more damage. The blowback from Iraq will haunt us for the next 50 years.
Um Saad, a middle-aged woman living in the Sunni district of Khadra in west Baghdad, blames the Americans for the death of her husband and two of her sons and threatens revenge.
"They are monsters and devils wearing human clothes," she exclaims vehemently. "One day I will put on an explosive belt under my clothes and then blow myself up among the Americans. I will get revenge against them for my husband and sons and I will go to paradise."
...
I might not use the same methods, but if you kill a member of my family, I would take my revenge as well:
...
Her eldest son, Saad, wanted to enter the military academy just like his father. Um Saad said she did not want to lose him and instead he went to the police academy and had graduated as a police lieutenant when Saddam Hussein was overthrown in April 2003. She wanted him to resign. "After the fall of Iraq the police were the second target [of Sunni guerrillas] after the Americans."
Saad equivocated over resigning since he held the Americans responsible for killing his father, but the family needed his salary. He finally decided to leave the police, but before he could do so, on 25 October 2003, his police station at Khadra was hit by a large car bomb. He was uninjured by the blast but, as he ran with his pistol drawn to help a friend, American soldiers at the scene thought he was attacking them. "They shot him dead with six bullets in the head and many more in the body," says his mother.
...
As we sit back in our relatively comfortable world, do we even consider the consequences of our actions? Does anyone here understand what it takes to drive someone to willingly strap explosives to their body to exact their pound of flesh? 20 years from now, people here will wonder what we ever did to make these people hate us so, just like most Americans do today; sitting around, scratching their heads saying "these people hate us for our freedoms".
Horseshit. They hate us because we treated them like nameless, faceless people in the past, ever since we realized they have more of the precious liquid we so desperately need than anyone else. We still do, as we kill them indiscriminately in the name of "freedom and democracy". We have destroyed any chance of "winning these people's hearts and minds" and it's time to leave before we do even more damage. The blowback from Iraq will haunt us for the next 50 years.
Blast from the past ...
I got an appreciation of Big Band music aboard a Holland America cruise a few years back, courtesy of our friend Loretta and the Nick Ross Orchestra. 16 days aboard Noordam on a Big Band-themed cruise with a bunch of 'Greatest Generation' folks and the bug bit me.
Speaking of cruising, we'll be leaving a week from Monday on vacation. Light blogging this weekend because I got a buncha shit to do to prepare.
The Glenn Miller Orchestra - American Patrol
Speaking of cruising, we'll be leaving a week from Monday on vacation. Light blogging this weekend because I got a buncha shit to do to prepare.
Saturday whorage
The next chapter of Thirty Days at Zeta is up at The Practical Press.
Let us know what's going on at your place. Leave your links in comments.
Let us know what's going on at your place. Leave your links in comments.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Exactly!
Mr. Leonard Pierce on chickenshits. Namely, the Chickenshit-in-Chief:
...
This is the chickenhawk worldview at its absolute purest: a guy who ducked out on his chance to actually go and fight in the war sprouting a boner at the concept of other people fighting one, and rattling on about what an exciting, picaresque fantasy adventure it all must be.
Every living male in my family other than me has fought in a war - Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf or Iraq. None of them exactly regrets his service, and there’s a wide range of opinions among them about politics and the necessity of the various wars in which they fought. It’s not a homogeneous group by any means, with plenty of die-hard liberals and plenty of stone-ribbed conservatives. But not a fucking one of them in a million years would describe their wartime experiences as "romantic."
...
Let's Have A Party!
Think I'm the only one who posts crazy redneck music? Think again! Rightly so, too. Heh.
Thoughts of an Ex-Marine
Camillo "Mac" Bica
Go read.
This is one of the few times I've agreed with a Marine officer.
Often as I've marched and demonstrated for peace, I've been verbally assaulted, accused of being un-American, unpatriotic, even treasonous by those who carried American flags, sang inspiring hymns, and boisterously and stridently asserted their patriotism, love of country and support for the troops through bullhorns.
Most of this criticism I dismissed as a failure to understand the nature and the reality of war and the moral and political obligations of citizens in a democracy. I was confident in my patriotism, my love of America and my concern and support for the troops. I had, after all, served honorably as a motivated United States Marine Corps officer in Vietnam. But when this disparagement and denunciation began coming from fellow veterans, I became disquieted and felt the need to seriously ponder the possibility that perhaps I had gone astray, violating some sacred trust or bond. So, what I offer in this essay is a thought experiment in self-examination, an introspective journey into the mind and motivation of a former Marine turned peace activist.
Go read.
As a result of this exercise in self-examination, I have realized that I am anti aggression. I am anti unjust, immoral, and unnecessary war, but not anti war. I am anti the Iraq war, however; anti the Bush Administration, anti rogue nation and anti recruitment. In addition, I am pro military, pro veteran and pro America. I have realized as well that the outrage I feel regarding the corrupting and disgracing of America by those political leaders and their coconspirators who cherish not our values and way of life but only wealth and power requires - no demands - the true patriot to embrace truth and to cry out in condemnation and protest. Finally, despite the criticisms and disparaging comments and accusations by credulous veterans, I have realized that my activism and dissent are an expression and fulfillment of my moral and patriotic duty. I am confident, therefore, that I am more the patriot today as I demonstrate for peace than when I wore the uniform of a United States Marine.
This is one of the few times I've agreed with a Marine officer.
Report Shows No Link Between Saddam and al Qaeda
We knew that, but now it's official: Bush and Cheney and their henchmen flat fuckin' lied us into their criminal war and occupation for oil. They should be in jail. Now.
ABC News
Yesterday they cancelled plans to send it out and today it's on the internets. Heh.
Someone at the Pentagon is on the ball. Probly PFC Snuffy down in the basement. Fuck the White House.
ABC News
ABC News has requested and obtained a copy of the Pentagon study which shows Saddam Hussein had no links to Al Qaeda.
(READ THE FULL REPORT HERE.)
It's (a) government report the White House didn't want you to read: yesterday the Pentagon canceled plans to send out a press release announcing the report's availability and didn't make the report available via email or online.
Yesterday they cancelled plans to send it out and today it's on the internets. Heh.
Someone at the Pentagon is on the ball. Probly PFC Snuffy down in the basement. Fuck the White House.
Bush Library Pledge Drive: Pickles On The Stump
"Now you can be just like the President and wipe your ass with Bill of Rights of this here country, and all you got to do is pledge a million dollars for the George W. Bush Presidential Library," said Mrs. Bush like a carnival barker.
Just for fun, go read some of these comments on his
Karma ...
Since the Rethugs have been ripping us off for the last 8 years, it's sort of nice to see them get a taste of their own medicine:
Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
I'll be smiling all the way to work. Later. TGIF!
The former treasurer for the National Republican Congressional Committee transferred as much as $1 million in committee funds into his personal and business accounts, officials announced today, describing a scheme that could prove to be one of the largest campaign frauds in recent history.
...
Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
I'll be smiling all the way to work. Later. TGIF!
'Kristen'
Well, since this is NY, all we've been hearing for the past few days are the sordid details about Gov. Spitzer's tryst with an expensive call girl. Since the girl's identity has become public, we've heard more about her than we really want to know. That said, I have a little advice for rich middle-aged men going through their 'crisis'.
If you just have to spend that much on a call girl, get your money's worth. Listen to me. A 'high-class' hooker isn't a 22 year old high school dropout with a prison tattoo. The real 'high-class' ladies are generally college-educated, if not more, can mingle with executives and CEOs, generals and diplomats, and none would be the wiser. They are not looking to promote their pop album or whatever their aspirations are. The real high class escort services are professional operations who seldom get caught.
I don't get paying for sex (for me, it wasn't so much 'the kill', but the thrill of the chase; paying for it takes all the fun out of it) to begin with (though I can see why a lot of Republicans can't get laid; it's tough when you're socially inept), but if you're the governor of New York, I'd expect you'd know enough to do it right. Spitzer was/is an idiot for throwing away his entire career for a bit of gratification at an exorbitant price and he's a fool for getting it in such an amateurish manner (arranging for sex on a website, please; you're the fucking governor). He should have known better.
When you have a beautiful wife and family, when you're the leader of one of the most powerful and influential states in the union, you don't do dumbass shit like this (you don't do it even if you're not the governor). He's hurt his family irreparably, he's hurt the state of New York, and he's hurt the Democratic Party in a crucial election year, all for a 22 year old piece of ass he could have had the equivalent of for the price of dinner and a movie. Maybe not even so much as there are girls (and guys) out there who've made a career out of sleeping with rich, powerful men discreetly.
With the judgment Spitzer showed in getting his jollies, the State of New York is better off without him. Thank god we had David Paterson on the bench.
If you just have to spend that much on a call girl, get your money's worth. Listen to me. A 'high-class' hooker isn't a 22 year old high school dropout with a prison tattoo. The real 'high-class' ladies are generally college-educated, if not more, can mingle with executives and CEOs, generals and diplomats, and none would be the wiser. They are not looking to promote their pop album or whatever their aspirations are. The real high class escort services are professional operations who seldom get caught.
I don't get paying for sex (for me, it wasn't so much 'the kill', but the thrill of the chase; paying for it takes all the fun out of it) to begin with (though I can see why a lot of Republicans can't get laid; it's tough when you're socially inept), but if you're the governor of New York, I'd expect you'd know enough to do it right. Spitzer was/is an idiot for throwing away his entire career for a bit of gratification at an exorbitant price and he's a fool for getting it in such an amateurish manner (arranging for sex on a website, please; you're the fucking governor). He should have known better.
When you have a beautiful wife and family, when you're the leader of one of the most powerful and influential states in the union, you don't do dumbass shit like this (you don't do it even if you're not the governor). He's hurt his family irreparably, he's hurt the state of New York, and he's hurt the Democratic Party in a crucial election year, all for a 22 year old piece of ass he could have had the equivalent of for the price of dinner and a movie. Maybe not even so much as there are girls (and guys) out there who've made a career out of sleeping with rich, powerful men discreetly.
With the judgment Spitzer showed in getting his jollies, the State of New York is better off without him. Thank god we had David Paterson on the bench.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Our new governor ...
I love this guy:
... "Just so we don't have to go through this whole resignation thing again," one ballsy reporter asked, "have you ever patronized a prostitute?" Patterson thought for a minute. "Only the lobbyists," he said.
Pizza and beer now cost an arm and a leg
MSNBC
On top of everything else, Bush has finally gone too far. Now he's fuckin' with my pizza! Asshole.
If you’re looking for a sure sign the U.S. economy is headed in the wrong direction, all you need to do is look at the skyrocketing price of “recession-proof” foods: pizza, hot dogs, bagels and beer.
Pizza makers have seen their cheese costs soar this year from $1.30 a pound to $1.76 a pound. Even worse, the flour used to make the dough has gone from $3-$7 dollars a bushel to $25 a bushel in less than a year.
Beer makers have been forced to raise their prices because of the skyrocketing price of hops – one of the principle ingredients. The price of hops has gone from about $4 a pound in September to $40 a pound. The price of barley, beer’s other main ingredient, has nearly doubled.
On top of everything else, Bush has finally gone too far. Now he's fuckin' with my pizza! Asshole.
Are we closer to war with Iran? Oh, yah, you betcha!
Froomkin with many links and quotes about the coming war with Iran in the wake of Admiral Fallon's 'retirement'. Other stuff too. Runs to 5 pages.
Like, DUH...
I think 'strategically unsound' is the understatement of the year!
To Bush, the 'unmanageable risk' is that a Democrat will probably be elected President.
Links at site. To quote Fixer, "We're screwed". On a lighter note:
The abrupt resignation yesterday of the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, Admiral William J. "Fox" Fallon, has sparked a new round of speculation that President Bush and Vice President Cheney have some sort of plan in the works to attack Iran before their time is up.
Like, DUH...
"And so Fallon, the good cop, may soon be unemployed because he's doing what a generation of young officers in the U. S. military are now openly complaining that their leaders didn't do on their behalf in the run-up to the war in Iraq: He's standing up to the commander in chief, whom he thinks is contemplating a strategically unsound war."
I think 'strategically unsound' is the understatement of the year!
"Across the officer corps, a large number of senior military leaders share Admiral Fallon's broad assessment that a war with Iran would bring unexpected and, perhaps, unmanageable, risks elsewhere in the Muslim world and around the globe.
To Bush, the 'unmanageable risk' is that a Democrat will probably be elected President.
Terry Atlas blogs for U.S. News and World Report with "6 Signs the U.S. May Be Headed for War in Iran." They are: Fallon's resignation, Cheney's trip to the Middle East, the Israeli airstrike on Syria, U.S. warships off Lebanon, Israeli comments and Israel's war with Hezbollah.
Atlas explains each one. Why the Israeli airstrike on Syria, for instance? Atlas writes: "Israel's airstrike deep in Syria last October was reported to have targeted a nuclear-related facility, but details have remained sketchy and some experts have been skeptical that Syria had a covert nuclear program. An alternative scenario floating in Israel and Lebanon is that the real purpose of the strike was to force Syria to switch on the targeting electronics for newly received Russian anti-aircraft defenses. The location of the strike is seen as on a likely flight path to Iran (also crossing the friendly Kurdish-controlled Northern Iraq), and knowing the electronic signatures of the defensive systems is necessary to reduce the risks for warplanes heading to targets in Iran."
It's still not really beyond Bush and Cheney to order a full-scale preemptive attack on Iran. But the more likely scenario is that there will be an asymmetrical U.S. response to a (possibly trumped up) Iranian provocation. And the most likely scenario is that the U.S. will encourage (or certainly not oppose) an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities -- which in turn would lead the U.S. to come to Israel's defense should Iran strike back.
That's been a favorite Cheney scenario for more than a year. See, for instance, this Steve Clemons blog post from last May, later corroborated by the New York Times. And see my June 4 column, Cheney, By Proxy.
Links at site. To quote Fixer, "We're screwed". On a lighter note:
Jay Leno, via U.S. News: "Well, here's a very scary story. Prescription medications have been discovered in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans." President Bush "calls that the Republican healthcare plan."
Letter from an old white lady
I just love this kinda shit! Pinko Magazine
Dear Hil,
What the fuck did I say?
I should have guessed something like this would happen. You know how those people are. You can’t say anything bad about them. They can say what ever they damn well please in their hippity-hop songs, but I say anything bad about one of them and 30 minutes later Al Sharpton has a fucking news conference. I’ll tell you one thing. Those people stick together. They’re worse than the fucking Jews!
And another thing, I’m pretty sure it was Obama that stole my car stereo last year. I didn’t get a good look at him, but I’d bet you if it wasn’t him, he knows the ones that did it! You should get on CNN and talk about that! Let see him talk his way out of that one! Bet you he can’t!
So yeah, what was I saying? Oh right. I am stepping down from your finance committee so I can speak for myself and you can continue to speak for yourself about what is at stake in this campaign. When that red phone rings we don’t need Jay Z answering it, or whatever. Fuck — was THAT racist? I only said it because Jay Z cut a radio ad for Barack. Not because I think he’s gay and would be banging Barack on the down-low. You didn’t hear that from me, though I assume Ed Rendell will bring it up. And that’s the kind of thing they would use against me. The Obama campaign is attacking me to hurt you. I won’t let that happen. Not in my back yard.
Sincerely yours,
Geraldine Anne Ferraro
50 Suggestions for John McCain's VP Shortlist
Will Durst
6. JEB BUSH. Ups the Bush streak to seven of last eight GOP tickets.
19. FRED THOMPSON. Throws a bone to the conservative wing and makes candidate appear vibrant.
23. HILLARY CLINTON. Wants it so bad, she'd cross the aisle for death- watch slot.
28. TOM CRUISE. Scientologists are to Republicans what vegans are to hippies.
38. KEIFER SUTHERLAND. What right winger doesn't love Jack Bauer? Torture question becomes moot.
41. WILLIE NELSON. You have any idea of what percentage of this country smokes pot?
45. KARL ROVE. Assassination insurance.
47. DONALD RUMSFELD. See Karl Rove.
48. NEWT GINGRICH. See Karl Rove.
Protesters Arrested At Diego Garcia
Guardian UK
Two British human rights campaigners have been arrested at sea off Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean after protesting against the island's use in British and US military operations. The two men were demonstrating against the island's admitted use by the US for rendition flights and the historic removal of the Chagos islanders from their homes nearly 40 years ago.
Two things spring to mind:
1) You have to really, really! want to protest something to go to that godforsaken speck of shit!
2) You have to get arrested before anybody would even know you were there.
I agree with their protest, but it's really pretty useless, like shovelin' shit against the tide. I think these guys are lucky that the arrestors didn't just sink 'em with gunfire and then shrug, "What protesters?".
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