John McCain's Vietnam-based view of war

Glenn Greenwald on McCain's 'stabbed in the back in Vietnam' mindset:

[...] That narrative, says Carter, "is popular among American military officers of a certain age, who believe if only they'd had gutsy political leadership, support from the homefront, and a willingness to steamroll North Vietnam with overwhelming force, we might have won the war." As Carter documents (emphasis in original): "It's a good story, but it's wrong. No amount of America firepower could have crushed the North Vietnamese people's will."

What almost always goes unmentioned when this myth is discussed is that one its most faithful adherents is John McCain, and he applies this mentality not only to Vietnam but also to every subsequent military conflict, including the current one in Iraq. [,,,]

That's the very embodiment of the "stabbed-in-the-back" Vietnam narrative. We had our greatest success when we could bomb North Vietnam "not constrained by either congressional or presidential mandate." That's when we almost brought them "to their knees." But incessant complaints about civilian casualties and anger over irrelevant matters such as the bombing of hospitals is what prevented us from winning -- "which still angers him," because the number of dead North Vietnamese wasn't really "exorbitant." There was room for plenty more. Ponder what that means for Iraq, Afghanistan and any other new countries on which a President McCain decides to wage war.

"Bombing them into submission" only helps against industrialized countries whose war factories can be destroyed. The last time this worked was in WWII.

The tonnage of bombs dropped in Vietnam just in the Battle of Khe Sanh alone surpassed the entire tonnage dropped in WWII, and that was a use of strategic assets in a tactical application. I have no idea how much got dropped on North Vietnamese civilians, but I'm sure it was considerable.

It was wrong to bomb civilians as a terror tactic then, and it didn't work to shorten that war. It's still wrong, and it isn't going to work now.

It keeps the bomb factories and jet fuel makers happy, though, and isn't that the most important thing to Repugs?

Burnin' The Troops. Literally.

Fallen U.S. troops cremated at Pet Cremation Service.

One of many 'comments':

I think this despicable administration would throw the bodies into a ditch, if they thought they could get away with it…

I don't think this matters much to the crematee, but it should to us.

It also brings up this horrid thought: pet crematoria offer a choice between 'individual' and 'communal' cremation...

Oh, the irony...

Ironic Times

Leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq Arrested
Hunt begins for new leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq.

Russia Close to War With Georgia Over Sovereignty
Florida close to war with Georgia over water.

High Gas, Food Prices Force Tough Choices
Walk to McDonald's or drive to soup kitchen.

Consumer Spending Rises
Mainly in bankruptcy filing fees.

Many more, including my favorite for today:

Study: Breastfeeding Boosts IQ
At any age.

Oh baby, make me smart!

Bonus:

The Beer Factor in Electing a President

Update Bonus:

Classic rock music to stay in presidential campaigns for a long, long time

George W. Bush also falls under the Baby Boomers category; to his base, there was quite a bit of older country music on his iPod. The London Times described his list as having "No black artists, no gay artists, no world music, only one woman, no genre less than 25 years old, and no Beatles."

I am a little nervous to realize that the one thing we have in common is our love for the Knack's "My Sharona."

O'Lielly Flips His Wig

Normally I wouldn't waste space on this asshole, but this video will make you smile! Language, Billy, language! And, oh yeah, nice rug...

Betraying The Troops Is Big Bucks

Go see this video interview. Put something in between your teeth so you don't grind them to dust.

In their recent book "Betraying Our Troops: The Destructive Results of Privatizing War," Dina Rasor and Robert Bauman present firsthand accounts of fraud, deception, negligence and treachery by contractors during the privatized invasion and occupation of Iraq.

This is the first war that was designed to rely on contractors - private companies with profit as their top priority - for transportation, food, water, spare parts and even protection. As a result, according to Rasor and Bauman, the government has been bilked out of billions of dollars, Americans and Iraqis have suffered and died, and the war effort as a whole has been deeply weakened.

Dina Rasor founded the Project On Governmental Oversight and now serves on the board of directors. She sat down with me to discuss the ongoing problems with military contracting and the complete lack of fraud prosecution at the Department of Justice.

For more information on Rasor and Bauman's work, visit Follow the Money Project.

Crossposted at The American Patriot Institute.

Dumbasses ...

This is why I worry about the Dems' chances in November:

Like most people in Mingo County, West Virginia, Leonard Simpson is a lifelong Democrat. But given a choice between Barack Obama and John McCain in November, the 67-year-old retired coalminer would vote Republican.

There are a lot of morons like this running around.

Late for work. I hate Mondays ...

Haven't we been down this road ...

A couple years ago?

There was something interesting missing from Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner's introductory remarks to journalists at his regular news briefing in Baghdad on Wednesday: the word "Iran," or any form of it. It was especially striking as Bergner, the U.S. military spokesman here, announced the extraordinary list of weapons and munitions that have been uncovered in recent weeks since fighting erupted between Iraqi and U.S. security forces and Shiite militiamen.

...

Didn't we 'capture' Iranian weapons in Iraq just before the last election?

...

Not once did Bergner point the finger at Iran for any of these weapons and munitions, which is a striking change from just a couple of weeks ago when U.S. military officials here and at the Pentagon were saying that caches found in Basra in particular had revealed Iranian-made arms manufactured as recently as this year. They say the majority of rockets being fired at U.S. bases, including Baghdad's Green Zone, are launched by militiamen receiving training, arms and other aid from Iran. [my em}

...

Once again, the facts don't support the propaganda. You know, at this point, even if we did get the truth from this administration we wouldn't notice in the sea of horseshit they've shoveled over the past 8 years.

1.20.09

Great thanks to our pal UL for the link.

Distance ...

For the last few months, since the Chimp's ratings have gone totally into the dumper, all the Rethugs are trying to distance themselves from his ass. Even McCain. Thing is, all they're doing is talking a good line. Seems the leadership thinks another four years of Chimpishness is a good thing:

Bless his little heart, let’s have House Minority Whip Roy Blunt on every week to talk up John McCain’s candidacy! Talk about living within a bubble, Blunt thinks nothing of touting the McSame presidency as a Bush third term, despite the record disapproval rating for the man and the vast majority of the country believing that the country is going in the wrong direction under his leadership. Apparently, Blunt didn’t get the memo that McCain is trying to distance himself from Bush and as Rep. Chris Van Hollen points out, on the two most important issues to the American people, McCain absolutely equals Bush. And Roy, that’s not such a good thing.

...

Go read the transcript of Wolfie interviewing Roy Blunt.

A.A.A.D.D.

Got this from my pal Larry:

[Thank goodness there's a name for this disorder. Somehow I feel better, even though I have it!!

Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. - Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. This is how it manifests:

I decide to water my garden.

As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide it needs washing.

As I start toward the garage, I notice mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mail box earlier.

I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.

I lay my car keys on the table, Put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that the can is full.

So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first.

But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my check book off the table, and see that there is only one check left.

My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the cup of coffee I'd been drinking.

I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coffee aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over.

The Coffee is getting cold, and I decide to make another cup.

As I head toward the kitchen with the cold coffee, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye--they need water.

I put the Coffee on the counter and discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning.

I decide I better put them back on my desk, nut first I'm going to water the flowers.

I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table.

I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I'll be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers.

I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor.

So, I set the remote back on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill.

Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:

The car isn't washed

The bills aren't paid

There is a cold cup of coffee sitting on the counter

The flowers don't have enough water,

There is still only 1 check in my check book,

I can't find the remote,

I can't find my glasses,

And I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day, and I'm really tired.

I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail....

Do me a favor. Forward this message to everyone you know, because I don't remember who I've sent it to.]

That, folks, was no shit!

Stimulating the economy ...

24 hours ago, I didn't need a new bedroom set. 3 hours ago, I bought a new one. Details and a little story from my childhood.

Quote of the Day

Dem Underground

HANNITY on Foxnews: "Republicans need a new Contract ON America" (instead of a new Contract with America).

What, the old one didn't transfer wealth and power to the Repugs well enough? Out of the mouths of boobs...

Happy Mother's Day

To all you mothers out there. A couple from one of my favorite bands. First, our wedding song:

Led Zeppelin - Thank You

And second, one of the best blues songs evah:

Led Zeppelin - Since I've Been Loving You

Sunday Crazy Redneck Music Blogging

"How Do You Like Me Now?" was a big hit for Toby Keith. He must be an awful good sport to participate in this!

Republicans Vote Against Moms; No Word Yet on Puppies, Kittens

Dana Milbank

It was already shaping up to be a difficult year for congressional Republicans. Now, on the cusp of Mother's Day, comes this: A majority of the House GOP has voted against motherhood.

They'll consider the puppies and kittens the next time they order Chinese take-out.

Update:

Video of this nonsense here.

While yer down there...

Without getting too technical, I'm going to guess it's a 'thrust' bearing, AKA a 'face' bearing, and likely worn out, loose, and whiny...

Saturday whorage

Another chapter of Thirty Days at Zeta is up at The Practical Press.

I gotta go to the dentist this morning for my check up. Let's hope I don't need too much work. I hate the dentist (the institution, not my dentist in particular).

Let us know what's going on with you in comments.

Sinkhole de Mayo

Click to make it waller up

Man, that's some nasty lookin' mayo...

NYT

A huge and ravenous sinkhole that threatened to swallow this little East Texas oil town gobbled more crumbling earth Thursday but spared, at least for now, homes, the high school and the main road, Farm to Market 770.

“It’s unreal — the earth just wallered up,” said Lynn Wells, the mayor and fire chief, who monitored emergency efforts, speeding back and forth on his red Harley-Davidson.

I've been listening to the TV newspeople tryin' ta figger out what 'wallered up' means. Yeesh. Din't them high dollar talkin' heads learn nuthin' in them fancy colleges? I'll try and clear this up for them city slickers.

A 'wallow' is a mudhole for hogs or other stock to hang out and relax in. By goin' from reg'lar ol' ground to a big hole, it 'wallered up' in the local vernacular. Think of K Street as a 'waller' for Repugs to hang out in and ya got it. Simple.

Note to Mayor Wells: If ya try to ride yer 'sickle from one side of that hole to the other via the most direct route, be sure there's a camera trained on ya. Ya might turn the thing inta a real 'hawg waller' and I'd hate ta miss it!

That this happened in Texas is frosting on the cake. It's a perfect metaphor for what Bush has turned our country into.

It's Over

Will Durst on the Dem primary. Just go...

Adding insult to injury: Bush says starving India eats too much

Links. Comments here.

The global policeman Bush, in the time-honoured traditions of the backyard bully, has long harboured the habit of dictating to nations who their friends and enemies should be. Now, he has taken to telling nations how much they should eat, and of wagging a disapproving finger at poor nations whose middle class has made some improvements in its diet.

What. An. Asshole.

As Bush's poor handling of our country's economy makes food scarcer and more expensive, we won't be eating as much either. Obesity may become less of a health problem. Starvation is much cheaper for Repugs than a functioning non-profit health care system, not to mention they won't have to spend as much on education for poor kids who can't learn anything in school with empty bellies anyway. That's right in line with Repug policy of creating an ignorant minimum-wage third-world-like domestic work force to minimize overhead and increase profit to the global masters.

GOP Hypocrite of the Week

Following up on Fixer's post, BuzzFlash, obviously an avid reader of the Brain, has selected Vito Fossella as its GOP Hypocrite of the Week.

Oh, how rare, a Republican who is caught for drunk driving and also has an extramarital affair -- and a child out of wedlock to boot!

Oh, how forgiving the Republican bosses are if you are a GOP "moral values" adulterer and drunk driver. If you are a Democrat and blink your left eye, you are a moral heathen, though.

So Congressman Fossella, you are the BuzzFlash GOP Hypocrite. But we got news for you. Mr. Molinari may be forgiving, but the word is that your 43-year-old wife may be consulting a divorce lawyer. "She's not going to be standing by her man," the source told the Post yesterday.

Sorry, Vito, gross hypocrisy won't lose you a favored place at the Republican dinner table, but it may lose you a family.

Remember our motto: So many Republican hypocrites, so little time.

They must have a full-time staffer to keep up with Repug hypocrisy!