Mike from the waterbed place called. My new mattress is in. Yay! I'm heading out to pick it up. I guess I should throw 'em a plug for the service:
Atlantis
514 Rte. 25
Coram, NY 11727
631-736-2944
If you live in NYC Metro and have a waterbed, take down the info.
Thursday, December 1, 2005
Screw Baghdad! Drill it, Sven...
From the LATimes:
I don't think the Kurds give a rat's ass about "all the Iraqi partners". There are Kurds in every nation that borders Northern Iraq, and in every nation they are looked down upon and suppressed as a minority. They really, really want to consolidate all their people into one nation, which is not in the best interests of neighboring countries, Turkey in particular.
Here's how I think it might go down as soon as the U.S. pulls out:
Iraq will split into three nations. Southern Iraq will become the West Iranian Theocratic Mullah's Republic (they'll figure out a name for it later). Central Iraq will become a more secular Shiite democracy of sorts, largely Sunni-free due to revenge genocide. It won't amount to much, and may go with Iran eventually. This split will come about as soon as the current civil war is allowed to blossom by our departure. Have at it boys, it's yours to do. It'll be a bloody three-way motherfucker but I think in the end it'll come out the way it comes out. OK by me, whatever.
The Kurdish Peshmerga are tough, nationalistic, highly motivated soldiers. They will give their all for their own nation of Kurdistan after centuries of suppression by a string of dominant powers. They have like-minded political leadership. I think they are perfectly capable of sealing their own border from incursions from their southern flank. They may have some internal dissent from Arabs who don't want to go along with the program, but the Arabs will lose. They'll move south or die, or live with it.
I think the Kurds are smart enough not to fuck with Turkey's borders, but Syria will lose territory after a short war. I'm not sure about Iran, but there may be a war there as well. The end result will be a larger, clearly defined Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. I'm on the Kurds' side (that oughta do it for 'em!) and I wish them well. They're the one group we've helped out over there in fifty years that deserves it.
Kurdistan, not Iraq, may become the force for Democracy in the Middle East. I hope so.
This process will take years and a lot of nasty business, but it may be the only good thing to inadvertently come out of Bush's War. Like diggin' through six feet of shit under an outhouse to find a ham sandwich.
Update:
Read Robert Parry on "Bush in Iraq, Slouching Toward Genocide". Damn, I'm good!
A controversial oil exploration deal between Iraq's autonomy-minded Kurds and a Norwegian company got underway this week without the approval of the central government here, raising a potentially explosive issue at a time of heightened ethnic and sectarian tensions.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party, which controls a portion of the semiautonomous Kurdish enclave in northern Iraq, last year quietly signed a deal with Norway's DNO to drill for oil near the border city of Zakho. Iraqi and company officials describe the agreement as the first involving new exploration in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.
Drilling began after a ceremony Tuesday, during which Nechirvan Barzani, prime minister of the Kurdish northern region, vowed "there is no way Kurdistan would accept that the central government will control our resources," (my em) according to news agency reports.
"This is unprecedented," said Alaa Makki, a leader of the Iraqi Islamic Party, a Sunni Arab group. "It's like they are an independent country. This is Iraqi oil and should be shared with all the Iraqi partners."
I don't think the Kurds give a rat's ass about "all the Iraqi partners". There are Kurds in every nation that borders Northern Iraq, and in every nation they are looked down upon and suppressed as a minority. They really, really want to consolidate all their people into one nation, which is not in the best interests of neighboring countries, Turkey in particular.
Here's how I think it might go down as soon as the U.S. pulls out:
Iraq will split into three nations. Southern Iraq will become the West Iranian Theocratic Mullah's Republic (they'll figure out a name for it later). Central Iraq will become a more secular Shiite democracy of sorts, largely Sunni-free due to revenge genocide. It won't amount to much, and may go with Iran eventually. This split will come about as soon as the current civil war is allowed to blossom by our departure. Have at it boys, it's yours to do. It'll be a bloody three-way motherfucker but I think in the end it'll come out the way it comes out. OK by me, whatever.
The Kurdish Peshmerga are tough, nationalistic, highly motivated soldiers. They will give their all for their own nation of Kurdistan after centuries of suppression by a string of dominant powers. They have like-minded political leadership. I think they are perfectly capable of sealing their own border from incursions from their southern flank. They may have some internal dissent from Arabs who don't want to go along with the program, but the Arabs will lose. They'll move south or die, or live with it.
I think the Kurds are smart enough not to fuck with Turkey's borders, but Syria will lose territory after a short war. I'm not sure about Iran, but there may be a war there as well. The end result will be a larger, clearly defined Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. I'm on the Kurds' side (that oughta do it for 'em!) and I wish them well. They're the one group we've helped out over there in fifty years that deserves it.
Kurdistan, not Iraq, may become the force for Democracy in the Middle East. I hope so.
This process will take years and a lot of nasty business, but it may be the only good thing to inadvertently come out of Bush's War. Like diggin' through six feet of shit under an outhouse to find a ham sandwich.
Update:
Read Robert Parry on "Bush in Iraq, Slouching Toward Genocide". Damn, I'm good!
Told ya so
See, Gord, it's only a matter of time before they come for me. Sooner rather than later I believe. They'll be lookin' for yer old ass soon too.
Details at the Flyin' Squid's place.
...
The Army this month began contacting 78,000 people who previously served in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps to pitch them on the idea of leaving behind their civilian lives and returning for another stint in uniform, said Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty, an Army spokesman at the Pentagon.
...
Details at the Flyin' Squid's place.
Lardass
Matthews annoys me. I think it's because I feel he should know better. If he's that obtuse, he should retire.
They like the President the way the King's Court liked the Jester, Chris, you bleedin' asshole. To quote one of my favorite pompous asses of all time, Charles Emerson Winchester III:
Update:
The beautiful Jane is of the same mind.
...MSNBC's Chris Matthews fakes wonderment then spins, "Everybody sort of likes the president, except for the real whack-jobs, maybe on the left"...
They like the President the way the King's Court liked the Jester, Chris, you bleedin' asshole. To quote one of my favorite pompous asses of all time, Charles Emerson Winchester III:
He has a certain pet-like, demeanor.
Update:
The beautiful Jane is of the same mind.
Liberalism does equal family vaules
From the great Bob Geiger:
Conservative 'Family Values' = Fuck everybody but me.
...
Gee, let's see, just off the top of my head, these are some of my values:Number One: Treating others the way you yourself would want to be treated Equality for all Protection of privacy Security for the country A healthy environment Telling the truth Caring for others, especially those less fortunate than you - giving to charities like Habitat for Humanity Health care for all A fair and balanced government Separation of Church and State Freedom of Religion The right to dissent Freedom of Speech I'd like to know which of these are not family values, and why.
...
Conservative 'Family Values' = Fuck everybody but me.
And just a note: Didja ever see somebody and swear you know 'em from somewhere? I know I recognize Bob from somewhere and it's making me nuts. I'm praying it wasn't that gay bar in ... never mind.
Tribute to Rosa
NEW YORK -- Bus systems in the city and suburbs will be among dozens nationwide to pay tribute to civil rights icon Rosa Parks on Thursday, the 50th anniversary of the day she refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Ala., bus to a white man.
On Metropolitan Transportation Authority buses in New York City and Long Island, the seat behind the driver will be symbolically reserved for the late Parks, whose act of disobedience and subsequent arrest prompted a bus boycott and proved a major turning point in the country's civil rights movement. [my em]
...
We've come a long way but there's a LOT more to do.
Ve haff qvestions
From my friend Philippe:
The Euros who went along with the Bush 'War on Terra' are realizing they've been played for fools. To wit: Spain and Poland. Even the new conservative government of Angela Merkel in Germany refuses to back the Iraq initiative by sending troops although she certainly wants to.
...
The Guardian reported on Thursday (1 December) on the basis of flight logs that more than 300 stopovers were made in European airports by planes used by the American intelligence agency.
...
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the administration would respond "to the best of our ability" to a letter sent to Washington by UK foreign minister Jack Straw on behalf of the EU, expressing concern about possible "violations of international law".
...
The Euros who went along with the Bush 'War on Terra' are realizing they've been played for fools. To wit: Spain and Poland. Even the new conservative government of Angela Merkel in Germany refuses to back the Iraq initiative by sending troops although she certainly wants to.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
I ain't dancin' either
Arnold at Demagogue:
Much as I was against the war, I didn't want it to be a complete failure.
Yes, we were right about Iraq. And while a there's a solid minority of the public that still thinks the war was a good idea and has very strong views on the subject, it is a minority. And, similarly, most folks have now figured out what we have been saying for years, namely that Bush and his administration lie regularly and have hardly "restored honor" to the Oval Office. The insane fiscal policy isn't so popular anymore, either. So now that Lincoln's adage about fooling all of the people all of the time is being borne out, we should be gloating, right?
Except I don't feel like it Bush has been an utter disaster, and he's been so in ways that continually demonstrate that I and others like me were right when most Americans were wrong. Much as I'd like to say, "I told you so," I'm too devastated by what he's done to my country...this is supposed to make me feel good?
...
Much as I was against the war, I didn't want it to be a complete failure.
Aaaaarrrggghh!
Waterbed springs a seam. Can't be fixed. New mattress coming in 3 days. Must sleep on piece of shit pullout couch in den. Aaaaaarrrggghh!!!!!!
For Whom the Bell Tolls
American Prospect has an epitaph for the Repubs in the wake of Scanlon's plea bargain.
In a related vein, U.S. News & World Report has this:
Yeah, better if you leave now rather than gittin' rode outta town on a rail. Besides, there's that pesky EIS on the tar an' feathers.
The Scanlon deal has sounded a death knell for the Republican Revolution of 1994.
We could be on the verge of one of the most rancid tales to course through our political veins in a long time. And it happened because these masters of the universe regard themselves as immune, because of all the political capital in their pockets.
But the revolution seems over, and the revolutionaries were right about at least one thing: Their power was momentary and their opportunity was limited. The questions now are, how much did they use that opportunity to help themselves? And how much did they hurt the country in the process? The witness may answer.
In a related vein, U.S. News & World Report has this:
As the Abramoff-Scanlon lobbying scandal unfolds with greater speed, congressional Republican advisers are urging leadership officials to call on those linked to it to consider resigning long before the 2006 midterm elections.
Yeah, better if you leave now rather than gittin' rode outta town on a rail. Besides, there's that pesky EIS on the tar an' feathers.
No, shit-fer-brains, here's the scoop...
It's rare to see a military man contradict Rumsfeld in public, so this dialogue between him and Gen. Peter Pace USMC, the first ever Marine Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is notable. From DoD News:
What is it about Marines? First Colonel Murtha, now General Pace, disagreeing publicly with the High Command! Those guys make me proud.
GEN. PACE: It is absolutely the responsibility of every U.S. service member, if they see inhumane treatment being conducted, to intervene to stop it. As an example of how to do it if you don't see it happening but you're told about it is exactly what happened a couple weeks ago. There's a report from an Iraqi to a U.S. commander that there was possibility of inhumane treatment in a particular facility. That U.S. commander got together with his Iraqi counterparts. They went together to the facility, found what they found, reported it to the Iraqi government, and the Iraqi government has taken ownership of that problem and is investigating it. So they did exactly what they should have done.
SEC. RUMSFELD: But I don't think you mean they have an obligation to physically stop it; it's to report it.
GEN. PACE: If they are physically present when inhumane treatment is taking place, sir, they have an obligation to try to stop it.
What is it about Marines? First Colonel Murtha, now General Pace, disagreeing publicly with the High Command! Those guys make me proud.
U.S. Military Covertly Pays to Run Stories in Iraqi Press
From the LATimes:
It's an old tactic, but the administration didn't even have to pay the New York Times. Them Iraqis are catchin' on.
WASHINGTON - As part of an information offensive in Iraq, the U.S. military is secretly paying Iraqi newspapers to publish stories written by American troops in an effort to burnish the image of the U.S. mission in Iraq.
The articles, written by U.S. military "information operations" troops, are translated into Arabic and placed in Baghdad newspapers with the help of a defense contractor, according to U.S. military officials and documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times.
It's an old tactic, but the administration didn't even have to pay the New York Times. Them Iraqis are catchin' on.
MoDo tears the Dick a new one...
Do not miss Maureen Dowd.
Old man Bush would kill the Dick with one punch, which is probably why no one has done it.
I love ol' MoDo, and yes, I do have fantasies...
Update:
D-Day has the scoop on the Dick's "undisclosed new bunker" mentioned by MoDo. Heh.
Vice is fed up with all the whining and carping - and that's just inside the White House. The only negativity in Washington is supposed to be his own. He's the only one allowed to scowl and grumble and conspire.
The impertinent Tom DeFrank reported in New York's Daily News that embattled White House aides felt "President Bush must take the reins personally" to save his presidency.
Let him try, Cheney said with a sneer. Things are nowhere near dire enough for that.
Why do Harry Reid and his Democratic turncoats think they can call the White House on the carpet? Do they think Vice would fear to lie about lying about the rationale for going to war? A real liar never stops lying.
And now John Warner wants Junior to use fireside chats to explain his plan for Iraq. When did everybody get the un-American idea that the president is answerable to America?
Vice is fed up with the whining of squirrelly surrogates like Brent Scowcroft and Lawrence Wilkerson on behalf of peaceniks like George Senior and Colin Powell. If Poppy's upset about his kid's mentor, he should be man enough to come slug it out.
Old man Bush would kill the Dick with one punch, which is probably why no one has done it.
I love ol' MoDo, and yes, I do have fantasies...
Update:
D-Day has the scoop on the Dick's "undisclosed new bunker" mentioned by MoDo. Heh.
Plan for (cough) 'victory'
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush will confront doubts about his war policy Wednesday, asserting more Iraqi security forces are taking the lead in battle but saying it's still uncertain when U.S. forces can be withdrawn.
...
Facing criticism and impatience about the conflict, Bush is expected to go on the offensive with the release of a 35-page plan titled "Our National Strategy for Victory in Iraq."
...
So it's 'campaign season' again, trying to convince us the Chimp administration actually knows what it's doing. Seems to me, you should have had a plan for victory before you said 'Mission Accomplished'; before the balloon went up.
Bite me!
That's what Spain and Venezuela said to the Chimp this week.
So sorry, U.S. influence in South America is going by the wayside. I guess they're tired of being played for fools.
CARACAS, Venezuela, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- Spain and Venezuela signed Monday a $2 billion arms deal in which Madrid agreed to supply Caracas with 12 transport planes and eight navy patrol boats.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said the United States had attempted to block the deal saying it was another effort by Washington to meddle in regional affairs.
...
So sorry, U.S. influence in South America is going by the wayside. I guess they're tired of being played for fools.
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