ThinkFast: December 19, 2006
ThinkFast: December 19, 2006
The White House is “aggressively promoting” a plan to send “15,000 to 30,000 more troops” to Iraq “over the unanimous disagreement of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” the Washington Post reports.
$100 million. Amount the Pentagon wants to spend to build a new courthouse at Guantanamo Bay. About 60 cases would be tried in this courthouse, totaling “$1.6 million per defendant just for the building. The trials will cost many millions more.”
According to a new Pentagon report to Congress, “attacks against American and Iraqi targets had surged this summer and autumn to their highest level.” There was “an increase of 22 percent from the level for early May to early August.”
“Over the past six months, Baghdad has been all but isolated electrically, Iraqi officials say, as insurgents have effectively won their battle to bring down critical high-voltage lines and cut off the capital from the major power plants to the north, south and west.”
The Washington Post examines the apparent White House censorship of former Bush National Security Council Middle East Director Flynt Leverett, a story ThinkProgress first reported on Friday.
“In 2005, 53 members of the House and Senate did not publicly report trips paid for by outside groups within 30 days of the travel,” as is mandated by congressional rules.
Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) has been “conscious at times since his emergency brain surgery last week.” More good news: Johnson “has made it through the crucial first 72 hours since the brain surgery…a benchmark that doctors consider a good sign for recovery.”
CBS News reports, “The Pentagon is planning a major buildup of U.S. naval forces in and around the Gulf as a warning to Iran.”
“Under a court order, the Bush administration will restart a housing program for Hurricane Katrina victims early this week and begin explaining to thousands of evacuees why their aid was cut off this summer.”
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS), “who blocked the confirmation of a woman to the federal bench because she attended a same-sex commitment ceremony for the daughter of her long-time neighbors, says he will now allow a vote on the nomination” after legal scholars said his demands may have been unconstitutional.
And finally: Tom Brokaw thinks the web is making you “flabby.” Tom Brokaw told the Philadelphia Inquirer, “Americans have gotten flabby ‘by spending all our time riffing through Google and other Web sites.’”
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
CBS News reports, “The Pentagon is planning a major buildup of U.S. naval forces in and around the Gulf as a warning to Iran.â€
Ahmadinejad suffers in Iran poll
POSTED: 7:18 a.m. EST, December 19, 2006
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suffered an embarrassing blow in local council races, according to partial election results Monday, in voting viewed as a sign of public discontent with his hard-line stance.
The balloting represented a partial comeback for opponents of Ahmadinejad, whose Islamic government’s policies have fueled fights with the West and brought Iran closer to U.N. sanctions.
Former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, a relative moderate, polled the most votes of any Tehran candidate to win re-election to a key assembly post.
The biggest victory was for “moderate conservatives,” supporters of Iran’s cleric-led power structure who are angry at Ahmadinejad, saying he has needlessly provoked the West with harsh rhetoric and has failed to fix the country’s faltering economy.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/12/19/iran.elections.ap/index.html
December 19th, 2006 at 9:35 amWho you gonna believe?
The entire Joint Chiefs of Staff?
Or the insane president.
Impeach the idiot before he starts WWIII!!!
December 19th, 2006 at 9:36 ambring down critical high-voltage lines and cut off the capital from the major power plants to the north, south and west.â€
Hmmm. Isn’t that mostly where the WMDs were, heh Rummy????
December 19th, 2006 at 9:37 amSo the Joint Chiefs finally get some backbone. About fricking time.
I have complained for years about how poorly generaled the war in Iraq has been and it stems back to the Generals putting their career ahead of the good of the country. That was the impact of the sacking of Gen. Shinsecki when he gave an honest battle plan for Iraq. Gen. Tommy Franks saw what happened and quickly fell in line with Rumsfeld.
Finally, it seems, the Generals are seeing how foolish they have been, and with the departure of Rumsfeld, starting to behave as you would expect Generals to behave. As I said, about fricking time.
December 19th, 2006 at 9:38 amAccording to a new Pentagon report to Congress, “attacks against American and Iraqi targets had surged this summer and autumn to their highest level.†There was “an increase of 22 percent from the level for early May to early August.â€
Does the 21% who still support Bush know this information? That his stupid “war” has made us far LESS safe, and not safer as they believe? If so, they themselves are just as criminal as this Regime itself.
December 19th, 2006 at 9:38 amThis new plan to up our troops in Iraq will bring riots back to the streets of this country. This administration is overtly disregarding the voice of the people during the midterms and the constinued voice of dissent as evidenced by EVERY poll taken. He’s flaunting and abusing his power and only the people can stop him now. If he is not impeached, it will mean the loss of thousands of our troops, maiming of thousands, and the identical situation to that occurring there right now – besides, this act of further aggression will be construed by other countries in the Middle East as a reason to agress this country – a message we clearly do not want to send.
Stop this maniac now before he kills more of our kids!
December 19th, 2006 at 9:39 amWhy would a draft dodging, egomaniacal deluded individual who is drunk on his own power ever listen to a General on the ground??? Clearly, Dumbya believes himself to be godlike – omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient!! He actually believes that HE KNOWS BETTER than anyone else on the planet. If that is a hallmark of serious psychiatric disorder (bipolar disorder with hallucinations) I don’t know what is! I suspect that he’s had this disease for a VERY long time.
December 19th, 2006 at 9:41 amSen. Sam Brownback (R-KS), “who blocked the confirmation of a woman to the federal bench because she attended a same-sex commitment ceremony for the daughter of her long-time neighbors, says he will now allow a vote on the nomination†after legal scholars said his demands may have been unconstitutional.
Yes, this is just horrible! But – it is totally okay to have perverts in positions of government… (sarcasm)
Sheesh, these Christianist hypocrites never cease to lower the bar…
December 19th, 2006 at 9:43 amun – Bar? That was a bar?
December 19th, 2006 at 9:47 amCrap, they thought it was a utility feeder and buried it 12 feet underground!
The White House is “aggressively promoting†a plan to send “15,000 to 30,000 more troops†to Iraq “over the unanimous disagreement of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,â€
December 19th, 2006 at 9:49 amNow that Gates has been ‘trained’ by the White House, they can go full speed ahead with a plan no one supports.
Hey, Conrad Burns, is this the ’secret plan’ you were talking about?
If so, let’s hope Bush meets the same fate as Burns.
Great plan…’Let’s make a really terrible situation worse’.
Clearly, Dumbya believes himself to be godlike – omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient!!
Comment by veritas — December 19, 2006 @ 9:41 am
I know we’ve joked about this for a while, but it’s becoming increasingly harder to dismiss that Bush actually ‘believes’ that he is some sort of modern Saviour.
He denied Pat Robertson saying that Bush believes god wanted him to invade Iraq. But I find it hard to doubt that anymore. His actions are verifying that he is capable.
December 19th, 2006 at 9:49 amAs well, I believe that the new commentary from the Joint Chiefs would be prima facie evidence of mismanagement of this country. It’s one thing to be fired for mismanaging an account and being fired for it; it’s a crime to mismanage a war killing thousands of innocents and taking an entire country down the tubes. The people are not going to buy (literally with more national war debt) the concept of now, after 3-1/2 years of mismanagement, designing a last-minute plan for success. By removing Hussein, we’ve effectively opened the floodgates to terrorists who have now infiltrated Iraq – something which was almost negligible under Hussein.
December 19th, 2006 at 9:50 amWe’ve now infuriated Iran who is just waiting for us to flex our emaciated musculature in their direction…..it certainly is not the appropriate time to be even considering upping the troop levels (hey, what troops?) and amplifying our efforts in a situation which is clearly not only NOT our business (they’ve been warring factions internally there for centuries) and which we can never win (other than killing everyone there??). So what’s the issue other than planning to “cut our losses” now? What has changed in 3-1/2 years?? The only thing that has changed is that this illegal war has bankrupted this country and cost us the lives of innocent young people who THOUGHT (operative word) they were doing the patriotic thing. Just like Vietnam, they will one day realize that they were duped and used – that everyone was lied to, that the reasons for going to war were not the reasons they thought.
The banner photo of GDumbya giving a “Seig Heil” salute in front of the “Plan for Victory” sign is priceless!
Does this goofball realize how ridiculous he looks?
This is just today’s version of “Mission Accomplished” on a carrier flight deck. More smoke and mirrors; zero results.
December 19th, 2006 at 9:52 amun – Bar? That was a bar?
Crap, they thought it was a utility feeder and buried it 12 feet underground!
Comment by RUCerious — December 19, 2006 @ 9:47 am
LOL
December 19th, 2006 at 9:55 amCBS News reports, “The Pentagon is planning a major buildup of U.S. naval forces in and around the Gulf as a warning to Iran.â€
Anybody remember BNFs scenario of the strike on a US Carrier in the Gulf being the chymps big play…???
December 19th, 2006 at 9:58 amThe banner photo of GDumbya giving a “Seig Heil†salute in front of the “Plan for Victory†sign is priceless!
Comment by Tom — December 19, 2006 @ 9:52 am
Excellent catch!
Does anyone know where there is a similar photo of Hitler? Because I would be very surprised if there wasn’t one.
December 19th, 2006 at 9:58 amWhat do they need a courthouse in Gitmo for? They never wanted one before. Did they suddenly grow a conscience?
December 19th, 2006 at 10:00 amComments # 5 and 6
Well said. The link to the article reports that there are almost an astonishing 1000 attacks against U.S. and coalition forces a week. I had to read it twice to make sure I had not read erroneously that it is a week and not a month. A near 1000 attacks in one WEEK and someone like Bill O’Reilly can report how swimmingly things are going in the comfort of the Green Zone.
I would like to agree with veritas that one would think that if the Bush administration sends in more troops, perhaps anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000, that people would finally take to the streets but unfortunately I have my doubts. People seem to be so self centered and they realize that the war is fought in a place that is many thousands of miles away that it probably becomes a situation for them of out of sight, out of mind. Hundreds of thousands of people voiced their frustration and anger during the Vietnam war. Will the American people finally arise from their lethargy and tell this corrupt administration [as the title of an anti-war book that I have states] Not One More Death and that it is time to bring the troops home- safely- now?
December 19th, 2006 at 10:02 am$100 million. Amount the Pentagon wants to spend to build a new courthouse at Guantanamo Bay.
Unreal. $100,000,000. For a freakin’ courthouse to try 60 people.
December 19th, 2006 at 10:04 amI thought I was going batshit crazy early this week when I saw an approval rating poll from the LA Times/Bloomberg showing the chymp at 42%. It was just an aberration. Here’s the last five polls
Poll / dates / approve / dis / wha?
December 19th, 2006 at 10:08 amCNN / 12/15-17/06 / 36 / 62 / 2
L.A. Times/Bloomberg / 12/8-11/06 / 42 / 56 / 2
NBC/Wall Street Journal / 12/8-11/06 / 34 / 61 / 5
ABC/Washington Post / 12/7-11/06 / 36 / 62 / 2
CBS / 12/8-10/06 / 31 / 63 / 6
These Incompetent fools…. marking this garbage as SECRET! No wonder were in this dam mess!
For ACLU, A Victory In Standoff With U.S.
In fighting the grand jury subpoena, the ACLU called the designation of the document as “Secret” a striking example of the Bush administration’s rampant use of claims of “state secrecy” and overclassification of documents and information to hide its actions.
document here
December 19th, 2006 at 10:08 amhttp://www.aclu.org/safefree/general/27727prs20061218.html
Here is a link to the original Century Foundation report by Mann and Leverett. I have not seen it posted before.
December 19th, 2006 at 10:09 amThe White House is “aggressively promoting†a plan to send “15,000 to 30,000 more troops†to Iraq “over the unanimous disagreement of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,†the Washington Post reports.
I knew smirky was lying when he said, “I listen to the generals” regarding Iraq.
December 19th, 2006 at 10:10 amUnreal. $100,000,000. For a freakin’ courthouse to try 60 people.
Comment by dlet
As if they have any intention of trying anyone.
December 19th, 2006 at 10:10 amAs if they have any intention of trying anyone.
Comment by Zooey
So true. It’ll probably be a “courthouse” with a suprisingly high number of holding cells for defendants awaiting trial. Just more space for people to disappear into.
December 19th, 2006 at 10:13 amA near 1000 attacks in one WEEK and someone like Bill O’Reilly can report how swimmingly things are going in the comfort of the Green Zone.
That man has repeatedly proven that he has no conscious. He will defend his initial support of the war even if they draft him.
It was during the 2004 election that Michael Moore swept the floor with O’Reilly asking him, repeatedly, if he would sacrifice his own child for this war. Of course Loofah Bill wouldn’t answer the question until he had painted himself in a corner. And from his tone, I’m prety sure his half-hearted acquiesence was a full-hearted lie.
People seem to be so self centered and they realize that the war is fought in a place that is many thousands of miles away that it probably becomes a situation for them of out of sight, out of mind.
I couldn’t agree with you more. I read this amazing book a few summers ago about how people are naturally raised to be self-absorbed and that it rquires a lot of effort to look outside of your own culture/society.
Hundreds of thousands of people voiced their frustration and anger during the Vietnam war. Will the American people finally arise from their lethargy and tell this corrupt administration [as the title of an anti-war book that I have states] Not One More Death and that it is time to bring the troops home- safely- now?
Comment by Erroll — December 19, 2006 @ 10:02 am
I maintain that until this war impacts enough people personally (therefore shifting their perspectives for them), the administration will continue to fuel this, and other, war machines. We are a commodity to them like any other inanimate object they believe themselves to possess. And right now, We The People just seem to be willing to think about having enough.
December 19th, 2006 at 10:13 amZooey – I’ll be surprised if they don’t name it the J. LaPetamain Institute for the criminally insane.
December 19th, 2006 at 10:15 amJust more space for people to disappear into.
Comment by dlet — December 19, 2006 @ 10:13 am
No doubt. Isn’t it “interesting” how 7,000 to 35,000 POWs have been put into a facility (Gitmo) that only holds 500?
December 19th, 2006 at 10:16 am#18 – thanks for your comments. I would think that it’s “cryin’ time” for americans as we find ourselves on the threshold of increasing our involvement in this losing battle, they would react accordingly. The problem, as I view it, is not the voice of the people; conversely, it’s the voice of the “people representing the people”. I’m an independent by choice (democrat intellectually and emotionally) because I do believe that the congress has been complicit in permitting this dictator the unchallenged abuse of power and the trampling of our constitution in the process. This complicit congress has helped everyone to lose – we have lost this democracy (that is, ever we ever truly had one?) and we have lost all of our rights (now the right to vote, the last vestiges and the first hallmark of Iran’s so-called “new democracy” has been intentionally corrupted). It’s over and people are finally beginning to awaken from the toxic cocktail they’ve been fed….lies, deceit, coverups, half truths, and a totally Orwellian concept of government where semantics trumps truth. In that sense, we’ve sold ourselves down the proverbial river, haven’t we? And it occurred within the blink of an eye. Amazing, truly amazing.
In this sense, I do believe that the people have become overwhelmed and apathy is the only reaction one can have as this deluge of corruption, day after day (lies, mismanagement, illegal activities) bombards their psyches. I often wish I’d kept a daily log as daily there has been an ongoing litany of investigations, whistleblowing on illegal activities, and lies by this administration which have been proven since prior to the election of ‘04.
Of course, anyone can say anything if they have no integrity and the election is “rigged” for their success, can’t they?
Right now the people’s attention should be piqued about sending more troops to their death and knowing that this war can never be won militarily….that obvious contradiction in logical thought processes is the “giveaway”….what?? Can’t win but sending in more troops nevertheless….this is obviously hypocritical thought process. Will the people be attuned and smart enough to realize that they may be “aiding and abetting” the death of innocent americans and iraqis when this guy is deemed “psychiatrically diseased” and, as his last coup, transfers the onus of responsibility to those who have allowed him to reign in this demented fashion? I suspect that it will, in fact, be Bush’s Last Coup on the American people! I’d even put money on it.
As they say, when one is psychiatrically compromised and asking for “more of the same” – giving him what he says he wants is always NOT in his best interest. In this case, the consequences are gigantic and the american people will be the losers….and then be blamed (as they’ve so conveniently blamed the democrats who voted to give a tyrant unchecked power) for the self-destruction. How convenient! He can have it both ways then.
And count on him trying to do just that! He’s inflexible, uneducated, lacks diplomacy and has an ego the size of the continent. Bipolar disorder anyone?
December 19th, 2006 at 10:23 amTime to remind America that only Congress can declare war.
December 19th, 2006 at 10:24 amveritas – It really does make me wonder if the next presidential debate should include mandatory questions like, How big is Russia? Where is Brazil.
December 19th, 2006 at 10:26 amPerhaps we could have avoided all this with some rudimentary vetting.
The White House is “aggressively promoting†a plan to send “15,000 to 30,000 more troops†to Iraq “over the unanimous disagreement of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,†the Washington Post reports.
Uh huh, the “unanimous disagreement of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.” Right. I have a political cartoon on my bulletin board which speaks directly to this. It’s GWB sitting at a table with the Joint Chiefs, GWB has his hand up saying “All in favor of nuking Iran!” All of the Joint Chiefs have their hands in the air too, but their thought bubbles say: “This Guy’s Nuts.” “God Help Us.” “He can’t be serious.” “Stop him.” “What a Wacko.”
But they all have their hands in the air, don’t they…?
Uh huh.
December 19th, 2006 at 10:26 amZooey – I’ll be surprised if they don’t name it the J. LaPetamain Institute for the criminally insane.
Comment by RUCerious
Brilliant!
That movie is one of my guilty pleasures. :)
December 19th, 2006 at 10:28 amHow about Bush just makes the GITMO kangaroo courthouse his library?!
December 19th, 2006 at 10:28 amThe Washington Post examines the apparent White House censorship of former Bush National Security Council Middle East Director Flynt Leverett, a story ThinkProgress first reported on Friday.
Now the big boys are getting their ideas from the Vanity Blogs?
December 19th, 2006 at 10:29 am“Under a court order, the Bush administration will restart a housing program for Hurricane Katrina victims early this week and begin explaining to thousands of evacuees why their aid was cut off this summer.â€
Under a court order…
That says it all, doesn’t it?
December 19th, 2006 at 10:30 amUnless the re-institute the draft, or start rationing food and gasoline (you know, acting like we’re actually in a “war”), the American people will NOT march in the street.
It simply doesn’t affect their lives enough to make it worth the effort. I’m not saying that it’s right … just sayin’.
December 19th, 2006 at 10:30 amJust follow the “money trail” and you’ll see the Cheney & Bush families doing well with “war profiteering”! Any wonder they want to accelerate the war? It’s a no brainer!
The people need to be flooding the phones and emails of their elected officials to apply pressure to this next action which is sure to tank this country even further into the bowels of history. If they refuse to react and bring about impeachment proceedings, then it’s clearly up to the people.
Obviously, the people have been effectively “shut out” of the process of free speech, peaceful demonstration, and having their voice via polls and elections heard. Our rights have been trampled – illegal wiretapping, demise of habeas corpus, lying to involve us in an illegal war….and still this tyrant is allowed forward movement. Gates is a puppet – training by Bush 41 and almost ended up in the clinker for fixing intel (along with his bud, Rummy) under Bush 41. The propaganda surrounding the supposed counter-opinion of Gates is bogus – and “red meat” to throw to the people so they take their collective eye off the war ball. DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THIS SHUFFLING OF CHARACTERS…..IT’S SIMPLY THAT: SHUFFLING ONE NEOCONARTIST FOR ANOTHER! BESIDES, LOOK INTO BOB GATES AND HIS INVOLVEMENT WITH THE CORRUPTION OF OUR VOTING RIGHTS – HE SITS ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF ‘VoteHere’ – the huge voting rights lobbyist who rammed through the use of electronic voting machines which effectively won the election of 04 for Bush 43 (along with Diebold who was waiting in the wings for their part and Ken Blackwell, Sup. of Elections, Ohio and (conflict of interest) Director of Bush/Cheney 04, Ohio…(ahem!). http://www.blackboxvoting.org and www. bradblog.com
This administration is an administration of smoke and mirrors – aka the work of the devil (reeking of sulphur? someone was “right on” with his perception of that on the podium, eh?). Do not trust anything coming from them. ONCE A LIAR/ALWAYS A LIAR.
As they say: First time = shame on you…..Second Time = Shame on Me.
Let’s do something about this renegade government who has no accountability to the people it represents. Flood your representatives offices today with demands of “what the people want” for a change!
December 19th, 2006 at 10:34 am#1
That’s good news but it’s too bad it doesn’t really mean much to Iranian so-called democratic politics. The clerics still have final say on everything.
December 19th, 2006 at 10:37 amHow big is Russia? Where is Brazil.
Perhaps we could have avoided all this with some rudimentary vetting.
Comment by RUCerious — December 19, 2006 @ 10:26 am
Does this qualify as an answer :):
“Wow! Brazil is big.”
—George W. Bush, after being shown a map of Brazil by Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brasilia, Brazil, Nov. 6, 2005 …
December 19th, 2006 at 10:39 amThat’s good news but it’s too bad it doesn’t really mean much to Iranian so-called democratic politics. The clerics still have final say on everything.
Comment by Tracy — December 19, 2006 @ 10:37 am
I didn’t see it as “good news”, though it certainly isn’t bad news unless someone “worse” takes over.
I saw it as verification that people like Bush and Ahmadinejad are not the kind of leaders people want. Pseudo-tyrants who seek violence as interational policies rather than consensus.
I also saw it as what I hoped might be a realization for people like you that things are subjective and changing. Iran is not Mamoud. He is temporary. US is not Clinton or Bush or JFK. Instead, it is the people who live in these arbitrary boundaries, and these people do not want conflict between our nations.
But, I already know your answer. We’ve had this discussion enough times already for me to know how it will turn out…
December 19th, 2006 at 10:46 amDoes this qualify as an answer :):
“Wow! Brazil is big.â€
—George W. Bush, after being shown a map of Brazil by Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brasilia, Brazil, Nov. 6, 2005 …
Comment by unbelievable — December 19, 2006 @ 10:39 am
UB, it’s only an answer to those who still question whether or not this man is an idiot.
December 19th, 2006 at 10:49 amBush’s emotional development is severely stunted. He suffers from narcissism and anti-social personality disorders that cause him to frequently act out. Petty and mean, Bush is a both coward and bully. No doubt being raised by indulgent, amoral parents played a role.
Opposition by the joint chiefs will merely firm up Bush’s resolve to do the wrong thing. Bush will escalate the war in January, but it won’t stop there. A barrage of withering criticism from all quarters will egg him on to escalate even further, maybe even attacking Iran.
Bush hasn’t quite ruined his armies yet, and he can still manage to cause plenty of harm with them. Bush grows more dangerous, not less, as his power slowly diminishes.
December 19th, 2006 at 10:50 amUB, it’s only an answer to those who still question whether or not this man is an idiot.
Comment by Quadrajet — December 19, 2006 @ 10:49 am
Hey – how are you? Haven’t seen you lately.
December 19th, 2006 at 10:52 am#43….(Ironically the same number as the man you are describing!): What you describe is “textbook sociopathy”. The people need to demand intense psychiatric testing and impeachment because the individual we believe to be running this country is flawed and diseased. It’s become quite apparent to most americans now. We saw Alzheimer’s taking it’s toll on Reagan and kept our fingers crossed. What we are witnessing here is a very serious psychiatric disorder run amok. The problem with all of these types of disorders is that the classic problem is that the “diseased individual lacks the necessary insight to see that they are causing their own problems” and the necessary insight to realize that they are fallible, make mistakes every day, and are not always “right”. This is textbook psychiatry 101.
Another hallmark of this disorder is the lack of fiscal responsibility – running businesses to the ground, running up insurmountable, unfathomable debts and having not one iota of concern about how it is to be paid off (sleeping well at night….?? Of course they sleep like babies because they have no conscience in operation, no concern about harming others by their cavalier actions, and can’t imagine why anyone should be concerned about anything at all.)
We’re looking in the face of a serious mental disorder and the diagnosis is becoming painfully obvious. Nothing makes logical sense in his words and actions and it’s clear that he functions in a deluded, altered state of reality.
December 19th, 2006 at 10:56 am#44 – Fine UB, and you my friend? On vacation this week? Don’t get around here in the evening very much (when you seem to be here), never see you in the a.m. anymore. Re: #1 – doesn’t sound like the Iranians like their extremist freak anymore than we like ours huh?
December 19th, 2006 at 10:57 amMr. JJ – 21:
Thanks for the link. For more on how America is the bastion of Human Rights, see:
http://www.aclu.org/safefree/torture/torturefoia.html
Hopefully, this will all come to light in War Crimes tribunals for the Bush Administration.
December 19th, 2006 at 11:01 amI do disrespectfully disagree with Bush not listening to the JCS. Tehy do, after all, know the capabilities of the military better than he does. However, this will continue to go on until Congress decides to stop funding the efforts in Iraq and Pelosi has already said that will not happen.
In short, She may not like the dog, but she will continue to feed it.
December 19th, 2006 at 11:16 amAnd finally: Tom Brokaw thinks the web is making you “flabby.†Tom Brokaw told the Philadelphia Inquirer, “Americans have gotten flabby ‘by spending all our time riffing through Google and other Web sites.’â€
Really, Tom? Do you think they’re flabbier than the ones who sat around listening to the pap you used to feed them every night as you provided cover for the fascist takeover of our government? At least people using the web give their fingers a workout and their brains aren’t quite as flabby as the ones who watch the MSM news.
December 19th, 2006 at 11:17 amTom Brokaw told the Philadelphia Inquirer,“Americans have gotten flabby ‘by spending all our time riffing through Google and other Web sites.’â€
Is that how Americans got flabby? I guess that before the google came along Americans were only getting flabby watching Tom Brokaw. Oh, how times are a’changing.
December 19th, 2006 at 11:18 amBrokaw may be on to something! As opposed to flabby and flexible I, for damn sure, get tense and tight when forced to watch the MSM “News” instead of turning to TP.
December 19th, 2006 at 11:19 amHEADLINE:
Tara get’s to stay.
Donald has a heart.
And I guess there is nothing else going on in the world.
December 19th, 2006 at 11:21 amFine UB, and you my friend?
Couldn’t be better. : )
On vacation this week?
Starts Thursday. I have finals tomorrow, and then I’m done. I cannot believe this semester is about to end. Seems like it just started.
Any vacations for you?
Don’t get around here in the evening very much (when you seem to be here), never see you in the a.m. anymore.
This year is so much different than last year. I have a lot more work and at this school expectations are high for staff and students – so we are always doing something. Several students complained that we have no exemption policies – have not watched a single video in my class – but what Tundra said last year made sense – so I have them working until the end. But – unlike last year – I have older students, am teaching an elective, and have a supportive administration – so it’s been less like babysitting and more like teaching. I enjoy it. :)
You work at night or just a vertiable social butterfly? :)
Re: #1 – doesn’t sound like the Iranians like their extremist freak anymore than we like ours huh?
Comment by Quadrajet — December 19, 2006 @ 10:57 am
You’re right. Aside from our cultural differences, people are people. They can’t like their raving lunatic anymore than we like ours. Let’s hope 2008 will see a positive change in this regard.
Good seeing you, as always. I’ll be around this week.
December 19th, 2006 at 11:42 amTom Brokaw told the Philadelphia Inquirer,“Americans have gotten flabby ‘by spending all our time riffing through Google and other Web sites.’â€
In February 2005, it was possible to order pizza while playing Everquest II. Players could enter a special command in the game to have pizza delivered to their door. This feature generated a lot of publicity, but the service has since ended.
I think this might have something to do with the flabby epidemic.
December 19th, 2006 at 11:43 amHowever, this will continue to go on until Congress decides to stop funding the efforts in Iraq and Pelosi has already said that will not happen.
That’s gotta be a hard choice to make. I would be for cutting the funding except that what happens to the troops? Because it sure won’t be Halliburton who suffers for it… So I do understand her dilemma here. But I think she is clever enoughto plan a way around it.
In short, She may not like the dog, but she will continue to feed it.
Comment by robert — December 19, 2006 @ 11:16 am
I’m hoping that she will change her mind. She is a politician after all :)
December 19th, 2006 at 11:45 amVeritas,
December 19th, 2006 at 11:50 amSolid, thoughtful comments. Thank you.
Bush Bipolar?
If asked, here’s what he might respond with…
‘Bipolar? Yes, we have both the Arctic & Antarctic Poles, so I
guess we’re all bi-polar.’
My take on Bush’s mental health: pathological narcissism. And he will become more dangerous as he comes under increased pressure and criticism from those he received support from previously.
Diagnostic criteria
At least five of the following are necessary for a diagnosis:
1. has a grandiose sense of self-importance
2. is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
3. believes that he or she is “special” and unique and can only be understood by other special people
4. requires excessive admiration
5. strong sense of entitlement
6. takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
7. lacks empathy
8. is often envious or believes others are envious of him or her
9. arrogant affect.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_Personality_Disorder
December 19th, 2006 at 11:50 ambegin explaining to thousands of evacuees why their aid was cut off this summer.
December 19th, 2006 at 11:55 amBecause it’s time for their jobs to provide them with ‘aid’?
“Americans have gotten flabby ‘by spending all our time riffing through Google and other Web sites.’â€
So buy a Wii, just remeber to use the wrist straps.
That’s gotta be a hard choice to make. I would be for cutting the funding except that what happens to the troops? Because it sure won’t be Halliburton who suffers for it… So I do understand her dilemma here. But I think she is clever enoughto plan a way around it.
Since funding for the Iraq war has consistently been done via “emergency supplementals,” the funding could be rejected without hurting the troops. It would force the U.S. to bring them home because there would be no funds to keep them in theatre.
December 19th, 2006 at 11:55 am# 53.
Could you please remember that this is a blog about political commentary; not your so called personal life or career.
December 19th, 2006 at 12:04 pmI’m sure there are others,like myself,who couldn’t care less.
#60 just sayin’
I find very little in your comment that has any “political commentary.” Some personal exchange is both good and necessary to add credence and creditability to the individual comments. Unbelievable’s comments are much more appropriate than the blog-bashing namecalling trolls. Speaking of same you seem to have the same approach as George Will did in a post a few days ago. You could always follow your fearless leader and just don’t read the comments.
December 19th, 2006 at 12:29 pmAs they plan on having a steady stream of both foriegn and domestic enemy combatants to railroad the $60 millions dollars will be a sound investment.
December 19th, 2006 at 12:30 pm#41
“I didn’t see it as “good newsâ€,”
Why wouldn’t news with getting people in Iran to vote in more “moderate” people be considered “good” in your opinion?
“I also saw it as what I hoped might be a realization for people like you that things are subjective and changing.”
I know that they are changing and should have months ago, i.e. Bush’s policy toward Iraq.
“Iran is not Mamoud”
Mamoud is nothing more than a spokesman for the clerics in Iran and the current politics in Iran makes the clerics the only real voice that country has….at the moment. This is why I was suprised by your comment that your post stating that getting moderates into the political process in Iran wasn’t “good” news.
“Pseudo-tyrants who seek violence as interational policies rather than consensus.”
Since the clerics let radical Islam dictate their policies I totally agree with your assessment of Iran’s policies especially when it comes to their support for international terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas.
“Instead, it is the people who live in these arbitrary boundaries, and these people do not want conflict between our nations.”
Which is why it will be a great day when Iran actually embraces real democracy as well as those in Iraq who are opposed to it.
December 19th, 2006 at 12:31 pmWhere’s the thread on Hill’reh’s inevitable ascendency to the top of the Democratic ticket?
Barack can’t get funding, and all other candidates are too far behind – are you ceding your party to the Hill-reh / Lieberman wing?
Not pushing Gore anymore? I knew it was inevitable, but thought you would have put up more of a fight ….
December 19th, 2006 at 12:33 pm#64 JMH
If you started your own blog, you could pick the topics yourself and never be disappointed. It could be all Hillary, all the time. Whaddaya think?
December 19th, 2006 at 12:39 pm# 61. Clyde…..
Are you crazy,or just bored.
That woman has been repeating the same propaganda about herself for atleast the last year.Over and over and over and over again.
How much more ‘credence’ or ‘credibility’ do we need from just one very angry and frustrated person?
December 19th, 2006 at 12:57 pmThe former U.S. Senator John N. Ford, who was already charged of bribery, has been accused of obtaining more than $800,000 in consulting fees from contractors working for a state Medicare program.
Don’t know if you guys covered this yet.
December 19th, 2006 at 12:59 pmAhh, #64 reldneH.
December 19th, 2006 at 1:00 pmCreamed in 06, your only focus is on 08?
Events will manage themselves, the Democratic candidate will be running on a platform of picking up the pieces of this country left after the Bush administration’s eight years of disaster.
You might be more concerned over McCain’s and Giuliani’s inability to articulate anything other than the lapping up of Bush’s bile.
Morning All, note I didn’t say Good….Great post’s from most, also note our favorite short straw troll’s are still here..The struggle between good and evil does appear never ending….
In all the postings I still see very little on what’s going on in Gaza, Palestine and Lebanon, lest I forget our government in charge Israel…..The killing’s are on going folk’s…Small clips of new’s on the killing’s in my local reich winged new’s paper….I may be deleted for this as before but this and the Iraq war must be stoped….We the people need to stop supporting, funding and supplieing all these war’s….It is not our oil under their sand and we must not force the bush madness on the world…Impeach, send email’s to Palosi and Reid starting now….Blessings
December 19th, 2006 at 1:08 pmSharon – Spot on gal!
December 19th, 2006 at 1:16 pmP.S. Got power?
Yes, the situation in Iraq is responsible for Fatah and Hamas fighting each other.
December 19th, 2006 at 1:18 pmSo much for listening to the military commanders.
If you ask the most ardent supporters of the Vietnam War, they say that we lost the war because we let politicians run the war (let?) and didn’t let the military win.
Bush is doing that right now with Iraq. For the same rea$ons.
December 19th, 2006 at 1:33 pm#71, Tracy,
Now such irony is too subtle for these liberals, don’t waste brilliant discorse on them. They believe Democracy is forced on nations, when it is free people who are enable to determine their own sovereignty …
#68, bi-curious,
Good, get your excuses ready for the liberal nutrooters failing yet again to advance their candidates on a national stage – I know you can’t wait to vote for the Hill’reh / Lieberman ticket ….
December 19th, 2006 at 1:37 pm#73″They believe Democracy is forced on nations, when it is free people who are enable to determine their own sovereignty …”
Gregor Samsa has repeatedly suggested that democracy has been forced on the Iraqis at gun point eventhough he forgets that those millions of Iraqis were forced by no one to vote….twice.
December 19th, 2006 at 1:47 pm#66 – Just sayin’ – would this be your second post on this thread without any political commentary? Just so you won’t accuse me of the same thing that you’re apparently doing let me say this: Bush is an idiot, there was never any doubt that he’d see escalation as the ’solution’, and all he’s doing now is shopping around for boneheads (like the AEI) who will backup his lunacy, just as he did in the run up to the war with intelligence (it never feels right to use that word when talking about bush)
Now that that’s out of the way……
#53 Good seeing you, as always. I’ll be around this week.
Comment by unbelievable — December 19, 2006 @ 11:42 am
Glad to hear you’re enjoying your new position, had read you were going to Europe with your class, will you be disguising yourselves as Canadians?:) No vacations around here I’m afraid. We work with the retarded and it’s a full time job, but I’m not complaining, it’s very rewarding work. (before any one asks, there’s a vast difference between the mentally retarded and the criminally insane, so I have no special insights into bush’s behavior)
Always good to see you, will look for you this week. Perhaps we can piss just sayin’ off again……QJ
December 19th, 2006 at 1:55 pmIt’s about damn time Bush listened to the Democrats and not the Generals. The generals have said the entire time they didn’t need more troops while people such as Harry Reid and even Crackpot McCain said it would help.
Quoting the 15-30,000 number is the icing on the cake. That’s the number that (D) Rep. Silvestre Reyes asked for… the Texas Democrat who will be taking over the house intelligence Committee.
The generals have screwed this up since the start. We should have had twice as many boots on the ground when we went into Iraq… there wasn’t enough troops to start with, and we never did get control of the situation. There’s a chance that boosting troops now will help, but really it’s just a long shot.
I’m glad the Democrats are at least pushing the administration to try one last ’surge’ to stabilize the place before we leave. Better than a vietnam style cut-and-run and we can at least claim that we did our best.
It should shut up a lot of the neo-con hacks that are going to bitch about a ‘retreat’…. at least if it doesn’t work the blame can lie on the military and their cronies in the whitehouse.
December 19th, 2006 at 1:58 pm#59- impeachcheneythenbush
Good point. Cut off the funding for the war/occupation and the war machine comes to a halt. It happened in the Vietnam war and if enough politicians in Congress are able to find their courage and integrity, it can also happen in Iraq. Bring the troops home- safely- now.
December 19th, 2006 at 1:59 pmRUCerious, back at ya, yep, we can do this and I am busy writing email’s and typing out letters to send..Gonna bury them in short demand’s like do you’re job or we will boot you’re butt’s out to….No more bush war’s is my aim along with not allowing Israel, Dubi and other countries to take us over..I have had enough and getting to old to wait around for the polaticians to diddle and fiddle while people are dieing……Impeachment is the #1 priority…The only way to fix this huge mess is to start at the top, bush, cheney, rummy. rice, wolfawit’s and all need to be held accountable….Indict and seize their asset’s, period….If our effort’s do not work quickly with Palosi and Reid then we have to boot them out as well….Blessings
December 19th, 2006 at 2:06 pm#
Which is why it will be a great day when Iran actually embraces real democracy as well as those in Iraq who are opposed to it.
Comment by Tracy — December 19, 2006 @ 12:31 pm
#
Tracy, perhaps you should review some history before you say this kind of thing. Iran actually WAS a democracy until the U.S. helped overthrow its democratically-elected prime minister and put the Shah on the throne. We are now dealing with the fruits of our own misplaced seeds.
“During World War II, Britain and the USSR invaded Iran from August 25 to September 17, 1941, to stop an Axis-supported coup and secure Iran’s petroleum infrastructure. The Allies forced the Shah to abdicate in favor of his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, whom they hoped would be more supportive. In 1951, an eccentric pro-democratic nationalist, Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh rose to prominence in Iran and was elected its first Prime Minister. As Prime Minister, Mossadegh alarmed the West by his nationalization of Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (later British Petroleum, BP) that had controlled the country’s oil reserves. In response, Britain immediately embargoed Iran. Soon after, members of the British Intelligence Service invited the United States to join them in covertly overthrowing the democratically-elected Mossadegh. Initally, United States President Harry S. Truman refused, but after Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected the British prposed the plan again. After convincing Eisenhower that Mossadegh was sympatheic to communism (even though he was an avowed anti-communist), the United States agreed to assist Britain in Operation Ajax. President Eisenhower authorized the CIA to take the lead in the operation of overthrowing Mossadegh and reinstalling a US-friendly monarch.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Shi.27a_Islam.2C_Safavid_Empire.2C_Qajar.2FPahlavi_dynasties.2C_and_modern_Iran_.281501_.E2.80.93_1979.29
December 19th, 2006 at 2:07 pmIn other news: the prosecutor at Saddam’s latest trial showed a video tape of children gassed by Saddam back in 1987 – 88.
Will the countries, including the United States, that provided Hussein with these WMD’s ever be held accountable?
December 19th, 2006 at 2:09 pmGreat post’s BnF…I can only hope….Blessings
December 19th, 2006 at 2:17 pm79 – good point. It never has been about supporting a democracy, just supporting a “democracy” that supports American interests as per the Statement of Principles of the Project for a New American Century.
December 19th, 2006 at 2:20 pmThe 60’s all over again. The cowards now are mostly the son’s and daughter’s of the cowards then. In reference to the sons all I can say is that most of these “men” wouild crawl back into their mothers womb rather than fight for this country. Of course they would bring their laptops, cell phones, hair gel and and toothbrush.
December 19th, 2006 at 3:10 pmI know you can’t wait to vote for the Hill’reh / Lieberman ticket ….
Comment by Jason M. Hendler
Anything is better than the McCain/Kissenger ticket.
December 19th, 2006 at 3:29 pm#74 then using what you just wrote Iraq is a sucess, they have democracy, time to leave. BTW we came in and forcefully removed the government and pretty much the presennce of our armed forces ennsured the elections, hence democracy from the barrel of a gun. My plan, though at this point it is too late, would have been for our president to use his argument abotu democracy spreading through out the middle east and take it to Saudi and Kuwait. He could have conviinced those freindly monarchies to give up their hereditary rule annd let the people have true democracy. Since the Saudis are such close buddies of Bush I am sure they would have seen the good that would have arisenn from this plan and adopted it whole heartedly. I wonder why he has not proposed it even nnow? Also Bush and co seem to have not nnoticed that Turky is a mid-east democracy and democracy has not flowed over their borders tothe rest of the region.
#73 I assume you mean failure on the national stage like they just did 6 weeks ago? We are ready for more failure like that. Also Bush has been both a bane and a godsend for the democrats. For that period after 911, he used our national tragedy to attack the enemy almost as often as he attacked the democrats. It tooka couple of yearts for the people to figure out that he is all politics all the time. Now that the people have figured it out the tide has changed. Of course Bush has not yet figured out that the majority of Americans want what is best for America, not what is best for Republican ideology. So I hope he keeps on toeing the republican party line and getting all of his governing tips from their think tanks. People will see more and more republican ideological failure and say enough is enough. Bush alone could cripple the republican party for twenty years or more, so I say , keep on issuing those signing statements, keep on reacting ideologically in the face of reality George, it only hurts your cause.
December 19th, 2006 at 3:33 pmThere, there Attilla, go back and stack up some more skulls. Good Boy.
December 19th, 2006 at 3:50 pmSo buy a Wii, just remeber to use the wrist straps.
Comment by squegeeboo
Please tell me you don’t have a Wii.
December 19th, 2006 at 3:53 pmI find very little in your comment that has any “political commentary.†Some personal exchange is both good and necessary to add credence and creditability to the individual comments. Unbelievable’s comments are much more appropriate than the blog-bashing namecalling trolls. Speaking of same you seem to have the same approach as George Will did in a post a few days ago. You could always follow your fearless leader and just don’t read the comments.
Comment by Clyde the Ripper — December 19, 2006 @ 12:29 pm
I’m sure ‘just sayin’ is the ultimate hypocrite (I think I know who it is).
So where have you been? Feel free to tell me anything personal to make a point :D
December 19th, 2006 at 4:03 pmWhy wouldn’t news with getting people in Iran to vote in more “moderate†people be considered “good†in your opinion?
Until it happens, it’s just optimism really. I’ve learned not to count my chickens before they hatch. It’ll be news if and when it happens.
I know that they are changing and should have months ago, i.e. Bush’s policy toward Iraq.
Wait a minute. As of our last conversation days ago – you were still supporting Bush’s policy as you’ve always done. Are you telling me you’ve had a change of heart?
Mamoud is nothing more than a spokesman for the clerics in Iran and the current politics in Iran makes the clerics the only real voice that country has….at the moment. This is why I was suprised by your comment that your post stating that getting moderates into the political process in Iran wasn’t “good†news.
I’m not about defining things as good or bad. I’m more about the big picture and how this action or choice will create this consequence. The judgment part is irrelevent really… It being good news is subjective and opinion. The consequence is that – hopefully – war with Iran is a moot point.
Since the clerics let radical Islam dictate their policies I totally agree with your assessment of Iran’s policies especially when it comes to their support for international terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas.
Then we agree. It’s been a while since that happened. Might as well enjoy it…
Which is why it will be a great day when Iran actually embraces real democracy as well as those in Iraq who are opposed to it.
Comment by Tracy — December 19, 2006 @ 12:31
pm
Well that agreeing stuff was short-lived… Surprise…
I think it’s less about what a government calls itself and more about how it treats its citizens and global neighbors…
I’m not sure a real Democracy (whatever that means to you) is viable for a Federal government. There is a reason we aren’t ourselves after all… Which might get us back to the agreement thing actually. :)
December 19th, 2006 at 4:11 pmHow much more ‘credence’ or ‘credibility’ do we need from just one very angry and frustrated person?
Comment by just sayin’ — December 19, 2006 @ 12:57 pm
katy… you’re not good at the pseudonym thing… you say ‘just sayin” in far too many of your posts. It totally gave you away.
Now, really, it is this simple. Ignore me and I’ll ignore you. Leave me alone and I’ll leave you alone. Act like a two year old and you’ll be treated like one. It’s up to you how you get treated.
December 19th, 2006 at 4:15 pmAlways good to see you, will look for you this week. Perhaps we can piss just sayin’ off again……QJ
Comment by Quadrajet — December 19, 2006 @ 1:55 pm
Well, you deserve a vacation. Maybe to Canada to pick up the accent? ; )
We actually met Americans in Europe in 1998 who pretended to be Canadian. Guess I just wasn’t paranoid enough. No one bothered us when we admitted being from the USA. But that was in a pre-Bush mentality world : )
Don’t work too hard. I’ll be back on Thursday…
December 19th, 2006 at 4:20 pmunbelievable,
Rather than gloat “Clyde” retired to consider the error of his ways. He has been resurrected into a more kinder, gentler soul. Just as caustic and sarcastic but nicer about it as Bush has had all the bashing necessary until next month when he is impeached. Thanks for the note. I have been watching out for you and offering a defense now and then as necessary.
December 19th, 2006 at 5:18 pmRe. Comment # 34: How about Bush just makes the GITMO kangaroo courthouse his library?! Comment by Jay Randal — December 19, 2006 @ 10:28 am…
December 19th, 2006 at 5:45 pmDo you really need a $100 million building to hold a couple of coloring books?
#79
“Tracy, perhaps you should review some history before you say this kind of thing. Iran actually WAS a democracy until the U.S. helped overthrow its democratically-elected prime minister and put the Shah on the throne. We are now dealing with the fruits of our own misplaced seeds.”
I agree we are reaping what Eisnehower pushed for but what does that have to do with the situation in Iran today?
December 19th, 2006 at 5:59 pm#85
“then using what you just wrote Iraq is a sucess, they have democracy, time to leave.”
Come on you know it takes years to establish democratice institutions especially in a country that has no grasp of the concept to begin with.
“BTW we came in and forcefully removed the government and pretty much the presennce of our armed forces ennsured the elections, hence democracy from the barrel of a gun.”
Again no one forced the elections on the Iraqis. There we many Iraqis that didn’t vote in protest to the entire process, so don’t try tell us that they were forced at gun point.
December 19th, 2006 at 6:06 pmBush has had all the bashing necessary until next month when he is impeached. Thanks for the note.
LOL. Are you just Klyde then? I was that name and wasn’t sure.
I have been watching out for you and offering a defense now and then as necessary.
Comment by Clyde the Ripper — December 19, 2006 @ 5:18 pm
You’re a sweetheart. It’s just a group of people who can’t handle those who disagree with them so because they have no argument, they insult and accuse. It would be funny if it weren’t so sad.
Well, good to see you here. You’ve always been one of my favorites.
December 19th, 2006 at 6:23 pm#89
“Until it happens, it’s just optimism really.”
I glad to see that you are being optimistic.
“Wait a minute. As of our last conversation days ago – you were still supporting Bush’s policy as you’ve always done. Are you telling me you’ve had a change of heart?”
I have said repeatedly that I am still for the premise Bush’s policy, i.e. pushing for democratic change in Iraq and the Middle East. What I am against and have said repeatedly is that the way the policy has been prosecuted. I have been looking for a execution of the policy change since about early 2005, i.e. when the first signs of sectarian violence started to surface.
“The consequence is that – hopefully – war with Iran is a moot point.”
I agree, but, should we let their, i.e. Iran’s politics run their course, or should we be supporting the moderates inside Iran that are in favor of true democratic reform and becoming less of a Islamic cleric run state? It is in our interest to see Iran’s current political establishment to dissolve.
“Well that agreeing stuff was short-lived… Surprise…
“I think it’s less about what a government calls itself and more about how it treats its citizens and global neighbors…”
What it calls itself is irrelevant, especially in Iran’s case. They call themselves the Islamic Republic of Iran which is actually a theocratic republic meaning that the religion controls the government even though the structure is similar to ours except when you get to the true rulers, i.e. the religious clerics. As for how they treat their neighbors and citizens…Iran’s government does a poor job of both.
“I’m not sure a real Democracy (whatever that means to you) is viable for a Federal government.”
Yes a real democracy wouldn’t represent the minorities which is why the U.S. has a constitution-based federal republic.
December 19th, 2006 at 6:35 pmI glad to see that you are being optimistic.
That’s just my nature. You should try it yourself :)
I have said repeatedly that I am still for the premise Bush’s policy, i.e. pushing for democratic change in Iraq and the Middle East.
Pushing… why pushing?
What I am against and have said repeatedly is that the way the policy has been prosecuted.
Such as?
I have been looking for a execution of the policy change since about early 2005, i.e. when the first signs of sectarian violence started to surface.
Don’t you think they should have had a plan in place in oh, say, 2003?
I agree, but, should we let their, i.e. Iran’s politics run their course, or should we be supporting the moderates inside Iran that are in favor of true democratic reform and becoming less of a Islamic cleric run state?
I’m much more of a live and let live person – until you butt into my business or harm me. I’m not big on the pre-emptive stuff. Not only does it violate international law, but it violates American law.
Until someone commits the crime, it’s speculative to say that they will. It’s also why I think we should have a relationship with the whole planet – not just Great Britian.
It is in our interest to see Iran’s current political establishment to dissolve.
Again, I’ll say, IF it isn’t replaced with something worse…
What it calls itself is irrelevant, especially in Iran’s case. They call themselves the Islamic Republic of Iran which is actually a theocratic republic meaning that the religion controls the government even though the structure is similar to ours except when you get to the true rulers, i.e. the religious clerics. As for how they treat their neighbors and citizens…Iran’s government does a poor job of both.
Doesn’t sound that much different from what ours has become. Bush is a religious cleric himself… and lately, we only seem to value our citizens who have money.
Yes a real democracy wouldn’t represent the minorities which is why the U.S. has a constitution-based federal republic.
Comment by Tracy — December 19, 2006 @ 6:35 pm
Exactly. Which you support or not?
December 19th, 2006 at 7:45 pmThis is off of this thread – House Armed Services Chairman ‘Extremely Concerned’ With Iraq Escalation Plans -Dec. 18 ,2006
Available in older posts section for free and at absolutely no charge. You have to read the whole thread to appreciate it.It`s a real gem.
Not so fast;I have one thing I’d like to add to this discussion.
Atleast twice in the last 50 posts,unbelievable said that she ‘doesn’t lie’.
Yet she told me,thus everyone else on this blog,last spring,that her Mother was dead.This turned out NOT to be TRUE.
Now answer your own question: What kind of person would say that about their own Mother just for the sake of winning an argument?
Now you all are beginning to see why I’ve had such acrimony with her in the past.
Just for the record,BnF, I never,ever,insulted her Mother,that’s if you were referring to something I might have said.
She told me her Mom was dead after I said she probably lives at home with her Mom.
All this can be found in the archives.
This is who you are dealing with,and she has no respect.
Comment by Si Byl — December 20, 2006 @ 2:22 am
Trueblue,
Of course, Unbelievable is offended by any remark about sexuality:
Men’s peak is 17, and women’s is 40. I’m guessing I’m closer to 40 than you are to 17? :)
Comment by unbelievable — April 17, 2006 @ 4:03 pm
and:
I think it’s a plot by women in their 40’s so they can get 17 year old men :)
Comment by Tundra — April 17, 2006 @ 4:19 pm
I assure you, that’s mostly a guy fanatasy. As men age they get better in other ways. :)
Comment by unbelievable — April 17, 2006 @ 4:29 pm
and this:
If a course is called “Shaving your legs†there is no reason to discuss how to braid leghair (That’s for unbelievable)
Comment by Tundra — April 17, 2006 @ 8:34 pm
Flirting with me again, I see ; )
Comment by unbelievable — April 17, 2006 @ 8:49 pm
finally capped of by this:
If I were asked for a one line answer to the question “What makes a woman good in bed?†I would say, “A man who is good in bed.â€
- – Bob Guccione (1978)
Comment by unbelievable — April 18, 2006 @ 4:51 pm
and the email Unbelievable misquotes?
“If I were asked for a one line answer to the question “What makes a woman good in bed?†I would say, “A man who is good in bed.â€
- – Bob Guccione (1978)
Comment by unbelievable â€
amen to that!!! (care to put the hypothesis to a test? —just kidding…)
Perhaps it is Unbelievable who is envious of my spirituality. She has derided the thought of breathing a cloud away, yet I’ve taught others to do so as well.
Perhaps she was offended because I was just kidding. After all, I have mentioned on these boards that I wear a kilt. And you know what they say about a woman scorned. I mean, to take what I wrote and somehow twist that into insinuating that I, a married man, was interested in having an adulterous affair with someone who lives a couple of thousand miles away takes either dimentia, a great imagination, or wishful thinking.
And Trueblue, as you can see, a shaman would say “Amen.â€
There’s another word, a greeting, I say to you:
Namaste.
Comment by Briseadh na Faire — December 19, 2006 @ 7:53 pm
December 20th, 2006 at 4:04 am#99
“That’s just my nature. You should try it yourself”
How do figure that I am not optimistic? BTW what are you optimistic about in regards to Iran, Syria, or Lebanon changing politically?
“Pushing… why pushing?”
Because we can’t wait for those in the Middle East to change on their own time frame politically and because of the spreading of Islamic fundamentalism is moving far faster than democratic institutions are being formed. Again democratic reform, in my opinion, is the only thing that is going to be able to stem the spead of Islamic fundamentalism. Islamic terrorists wouldn’t stop trying to kill Westerners even if we were to leave the entire region militarily and/or diplomatically.
“Such as?”
Not enough troops in the beginning, not securing the weapon depots that were raided by insurgents, dismantling the Iraqi army and it’s officer corps which has led to having to train Iraqi military personell from scratch, not securing the borders with Iran and Syria.
“Don’t you think they should have had a plan in place in oh, say, 2003?”
They had a plan…it didn’t work obviously. I gave it a couple of years to see what would happen.
“I’m much more of a live and let live person – until you butt into my business or harm me.”
Oh, so you are a reactive person rather than a proactive one? BTW you definately aren’t a pacifist….by definition. Considering what goes on in the Middle East politically WILL and HAS had a profound effect on your fellow citizens at least, you would be advised to squash this idea of “If we just leave them alone they won’t hurt us”. 9/11 proved that they won’t leave us alone if we do the same.
“Not only does it violate international law, but it violates American law.”
What American law does pre-emptive action violate, because we seem to have violated it for the last 230 years.
“Until someone commits the crime, it’s speculative to say that they will.”
Never mind you just answered my question about being reactive rather than proactive. We obviously have two different viewpoint about this.
“Again, I’ll say, IF it isn’t replaced with something worse…”
It can’t get any worse. Iran a state sponsor of terrorism and are looking to be the dominate country in the Middle East and to boot would like nothing better that Israel and the Jews in general to not exist. Sounds alot like the Nazis.
“Doesn’t sound that much different from what ours has become. Bush is a religious cleric himself…”
Yeah right! Exactly what Christian religious laws did Bush use to formulate policy? And all of those Democratic and Republican senators and congressman who could have pulled the plug at ANY time went right along with him.
“Exactly. Which you support or not?”
I do support it. Exactly what has Bush done to diminish minority rights? Remember they have to be rights that individual state have already established.
December 20th, 2006 at 7:30 pm#102
On the Laura Bush vs. the media thread, you replied to my question about how you can claim that none of the posters here want Iraq to become democratic the following at 7:47 pm, December 20:
“I have never hear of anyone here even mention that political change in the Middle East, let alone Iraq, is something worth pursuing. It’s kinda like when certain posters here claim the U.S. to be the worst country on the planet no one here even challenges them or criticizes them for saying it. It’s pathetic.
Comment by Tracy — December 20, 2006 @ 7:47 pm
Yet from december 19 through to 7:30 pm on Dec. 20, you were discussing democracy in the Middle East with unbelievable and others. Either you have the worst memory or worst reading comprehension around, or else you are what you have called me on occasion, a “liar” and a “hypocrite.”
December 21st, 2006 at 8:03 amCockadoodle doo, boy.
#103
“Yet from december 19 through to 7:30 pm on Dec. 20, you were discussing democracy in the Middle East with unbelievable and others.”
Just be quite please. You are getting to be really annoying with your petty comments. Yes I said and still stand by the following because it’s YOU that has poor reading comprehension skills:
“I have never hear of anyone here even mention that political change in the Middle East, let alone Iraq, is something worth pursuing”
Please tell me wher Unbelievable or anyone else mentioned in any of their posts that political change in the Middle East or Iraq is something worth pursuing.
December 21st, 2006 at 11:29 am#105
Just be quite please. You are getting to be really annoying with your petty comments.
Comment by Tracy
What is being “quite”? Quite is an adverb that usually modifies an adjective, such as “quite fast,” “quite nice,” etc.
December 21st, 2006 at 5:03 pmI can read implications into some of the posts here that the election of the opposition in Iran, that Iran used to be a democracy, etc. imply that the posters support democracy in the Middle East. Your reading level apparently is such that everything has to be spelled out for you. Also, you apparently don’t see the irony in telling Democrats that they don’t believe in democracy. Besides, you are in no position to tell people you don’t know what they think. Maybe it’s time for you to be quiet, boy. Cockadoodle doo.
#105
“What is being “quiteâ€?”
You just can’t let alone can you? It’s called a typo.
“I can read implications into some of the posts here that the election of the opposition in Iran, that Iran used to be a democracy, etc. imply that the posters support democracy in the Middle East.”
Yeah sure you do, however the poster was just pointing out something in the history books and stating nothing that he favored it.
“Also, you apparently don’t see the irony in telling Democrats that they don’t believe in democracy”
It all depends on who it’s intended for.
December 21st, 2006 at 5:45 pm#106
December 21st, 2006 at 9:03 pmYou have spent considerable space here making false assumptions about what people you don’t know think and LOLing over it. You also called me a “hypocrite” and LOLed over my use of “as” to start a sentence, claiming it was bad “grammer.” After I showed you various examples of grammatically correct sentences starting with “as,” instead of having the basic decency to apologize, you simply dismissed grammar and spelling as “irrelevant.” However, you don’t like it when people laugh at some of your real mistakes, do you? (Okay, “quite” might be a typo, but certainly “fowl” for “foul,” “purgury” and “grammer” weren’t.) Well, too bad, boy. If you can dish it out (usually, in fact, on the basis of false assumptions), you’re going to have to learn to take it. May your ignorance not always be bliss.
Merry Christmas!
#21
“After I showed you various examples of grammatically correct sentences starting with “as,†instead of having the basic decency to apologize, you simply dismissed grammar and spelling as “irrelevant.—
Why do I need to apologize? You won’t apologize for dragging this “grammar” BS for over a week now.
“(Okay, “quite†might be a typo, but certainly “fowl†for “foul,†“purgury†and “grammer†weren’t.)”
How do you know they wern’t just plain misspellings on my part? I think it’s absolutely hilarious that you are making false assumptions about my recognition that I don’t know the definition differences of “fowl” and “foul”, ect…so yes you are very much a hypocrite for making such assumptions.
“However, you don’t like it when people laugh at some of your real mistakes, do you?”
And I have apologized for them, i.e. my WW1 mistake, although you weren’t responsive to my calling Clinton’s illegal starting of a war against the Serbs as being just as unjustified under international law as the Iraq invasion was.
“May your ignorance not always be bliss.”
I don’t think that your wishful thinking or what you call recognition about posters supporting democracy in the Middle East is going to help your ignorance not always being bliss.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
December 25th, 2006 at 10:35 pm#107
December 26th, 2006 at 2:53 amYou are come on here as a somewhat “belligerent ” (I’m using a stronger word here than I actually mean) poster, trying to sway liberals or progressives to your neo-con or rightwing views. So far I doubt that you have persuaded anyone to the left of you on anything. I only meant it as a somewhat friendly suggestion that your arguments might be a bit more persuasive if they were at least spelled better. (Yes, there are some liberal posters here who are bad spellers, too, but they aren’t trying to sway the majority of the other posters to a radically different stance.) You took that badly and lashed out on my supposedly bad “grammer,” which, of course, you could not prove was bad in actuality, and “missing commas,” of which you could provide not even one example.
As for the bombing of Serbia, we both already agreed it wasn’t such a bad thing to stop the ethnic cleansing.; so I see nothing to apologize for and I don’t see why you feel the need to keep on bringing it up. I don’t know if you agreed with me that bombing Serbia also was never done as an ill-planned longterm invasion, like what is going on in Iraq, because I don’t recall seeing a comment from you about that. (You may have made one; I can’t keep up with all posts here.) As far as bad planning goes, the recently issued Baker, et al report also verified the claim I was making many months ago (which you expressed tiredness at hearing about) concerning the lack of intelligence agents fluent in Arabic: only 6 in an Embassy (Baghdad) of 1000 employees and only 1% of FBI agents. There can be no excuse for this, if you consider how FDR’s administration set up special schools for intensive Japanese lessons within military facilities almost immediately after the Pearl Harbor attack. Japanese, like Arabic, is a difficult language using a different writing system; but within a few years the best of the students were good enough even to break military codes.
Let’s forget this. If you think you are being persuasive, fine. I have nothing more to say on this.
Happy New Year!
#108
“You are come on here as a somewhat “belligerent  ”
And you for being annoying for bringing up that grammar and spelling issue.
“I only meant it as a somewhat friendly suggestion that your arguments might be a bit more persuasive if they were at least spelled better.”
You are the only one I have encountered that thinks it to be an issue!….the only one.
“As for the bombing of Serbia, we both already agreed it wasn’t such a bad thing to stop the ethnic cleansing.; so I see nothing to apologize for”
I don’t seem you recalling history and the ethnic cleansing that happened under Saddam for thirty years. Or do you think that it wasn’t happening during his reign? You need to apologize for excusing one illegal war over another….that would be a start or at least acknowledging that Clinton’s action against the Serbs was illegal under international law.
“I don’t know if you agreed with me that bombing Serbia also was never done as an ill-planned longterm invasion…”
That is irrelevant. Invading another country “short term” is against international law and doesn’t justify it. U.S. forces bombing and invading Serbia was no more legal according to international law than the Iraq invasion. I find it amusing that many here, including yourself, condemn the Iraq invasion as illegal but when Clinton invaded Serbia to dispose of a tyrant it’s OK but when Bush did the same thing it’s not. BTW I wasn’t against Clinton’s actions against the Serbs.
“Japanese, like Arabic, is a difficult language using a different writing system; but within a few years the best of the students were good enough even to break military codes.”
And you tell me that I keep bringing things up? Between this information that you have brought up multiple times and the grammar issue it’s getting beyond hilarious on your part.
“Let’s forget this.”
As soon as you stop bringing up the grammar/spelling issue.
BTW when are you going to apologize for assuming what I posted was or wasn’t a typo?
December 26th, 2006 at 11:12 pmI find it amusing that many here, including yourself, condemn the Iraq invasion as illegal
BTW when are you going to apologize for assuming what I posted was or wasn’t a typo?
Comment by Tracy
I admit that many other posters have condemmed the Iraq invasion as “illegal;” I have condemmed it as poorly planned and wrote that it would have been better to get the job completely done in Afghanistan first. (Like it or not, there have been numerous reports that the Taliban have been making a comeback in some parts of Afghanistan, and this doesn’t mean, as you assumed on one post, that I don’t know that Afghanistan has a central government. And bin Laden remains at large.) I doubt if you can find a post from me calling the invasion “illegal.”
December 27th, 2006 at 3:05 amI have worked as an editor, so I can usually distinguish a typo from a misspelling. I also try to give a person the benefit of the doubt when something is misspelled just once, but you repeatedly misspell “grammar” as “grammer(SIC),” dealt” as “delt(SIC),” etc.” Quite” and “quiet,” I admit, are similar enough to be a typo. “Purgury(SIC)” is too far from “perjury;” and I noticed in the past you kept on misspelling “plagiarism” as “plagerism(SIC)” until someone else–a man, in fact, cited you on that one. In any case, if you think you have the right to assume that a person who has never written here something like “I want to see the Middle East democratized” is against the democratization of the Middle East or that opposing Bush means supporting Al Qaeda/Taliban (a very laughable assumption to make about an educated woman), then I have every right to assume that your many misspellings are not mere typos. BTW, if you think spelling is so irrelevant, why are you getting so defensive about it? If it’s so irrelevant, shouldn’t you be ignoring such criticism in the first place?
Now really, goodbye. And happy new year, though we don’t agree on most things.
#110
“I admit that many other posters have condemmed the Iraq invasion as “illegal;†I have condemmed it as poorly planned and wrote that it would have been better to get the job completely done in Afghanistan first.”
Well this is a first and points directly to the fact that if you don’t mention something or show your support, then people are going to assume that you are against it. After all your bashing of Bush and his policies, everyone here, including myslef, had probably assumed that you thought that the Iraq invasion was illegal. I am suprised to say the least to hear you say that it was just poorly planned. I agree it was poorly planned, but I don’t agree that getting the job done in Afghanistan first really means anything other then we aren’t able to handle multiple operations simultaneously…at least in your mind, which is totally false. BTW I will remember this in future posts and other threads that you don’t agree that the Iraq invasion was illegal. I hope you stick to your words when someone here questions why you don’t think the Iraq invasion wasn’t illegal, because yes I am sure it will be brought up again.
“I have worked as an editor, so I can usually distinguish a typo from a misspelling.”
OK, then it’s a misspelling. So what.
“BTW, if you think spelling is so irrelevant, why are you getting so defensive about it?”
Because you keep bringing it up for no reason.
“….or that opposing Bush means supporting Al Qaeda/Taliban (a very laughable assumption to make about an educated woman”
When did I say that if you oppose Bush you are in support of the terrorists? That is also a laughable assumption to make about a man who is just as educated.
“In any case, if you think you have the right to assume… then I have every right to assume that your many misspellings are not mere typos.”
May I remind you that you are the one who started this entire irrelevant conversation about grammar and misspelling.
“Now really, goodbye.”
Yeah right!
December 27th, 2006 at 10:17 am#111
December 27th, 2006 at 5:10 pmFor the record, it wasn’t the first time I wrote that the Iraq War was poorly planned,; it’s right there in #108–not to mention on other threads. Sorry you didn’t notice and/or don’t remember. Again, I never specifically wrote that it was “illegal.” You spent considerable space in trying to argue over something I never wrote, and I can’t really take responsibility for things written by other liberals/progressives–especially people I don’t know personally.
You have written things like directed at me “you wouldn’t mind if the Taliban/Al Qaeda won, would you?” Sorry that you don’t recall it.
May I remind you again that I only tried to give youf friendly advice, since you are a belligerent poster (a troll) trying to sway people to your beliefs, that they might be more effective if they were spelled at a better than elementary school level? (This is a question and requires a question mark.) May I remind you that you are the one who has been bellowing about it ever since?
Now, goodbye. I will be ignoring your further arguments.
Happy New Year.
No, I was pointing out that this is a first in which you mentioned that you think that the Iraq invasion was not illegal and that the only thing you are against is the poor planning and not the premise of the invasion. But before I go any further….were you against the U.S. going into Iraq in the first place or just letting it be known that you think that the planning was poor?
“it’s right there in #108–not to mention on other threads.”
I wrote #108
“You have written things like directed at me “you wouldn’t mind if the Taliban/Al Qaeda won, would you?†Sorry that you don’t recall it.”
“May I remind you again that I only tried to give youf friendly advice, since you are a belligerent poster (a troll) trying to sway people to your beliefs…”
If you think that I am a troll and you aren’t, then you are the most conceded poster in the blog.
“May I remind you that you are the one who has been bellowing about it ever since?”
May I remind you again that you are the one who brought up the grammar and spelling issue and has been harping about it ever since.
“Now, goodbye. I will be ignoring your further arguments.”
Told you you wouldn’t! This is very entertaining. Since you can’t stick to your own statements by following thru on you own advise I won’t hold you to (or be able to for that matter) any of your other statements from now on regarding ANYTHING that we have discussed. The only way for you to have one ounce of creditability any more, as far as I am concerned, is for you to do what you said you were going to do. We will see.
January 1st, 2007 at 12:52 pmKds Bbs Pics Childporn Underage Nudist
I can not agree with you in 100% regarding some thoughts, but you got good point of view
March 17th, 2008 at 7:22 pmCorporate Christmas Party Planning
Your blog makes very interesting reading. I’m sure others will think so too I look forward to reading their comments.
March 17th, 2008 at 8:33 pmBody Cleansing Plan
Please keep these excellent posts coming.
March 18th, 2008 at 9:18 ambb king bass tabs
Man i love reading your blog, interesting posts !
March 19th, 2008 at 1:42 amDistance Learning Teachers Having Sex With Students Very Hot School Girls
I can not agree with you in 100% regarding some thoughts, but you got good point of view
March 26th, 2008 at 10:54 amflexible joint
All fiberscopes introduce a certain amount of image distortion; much of this is similar to the distortion of modern night vision
March 31st, 2008 at 7:58 amProm Dresses Hat Hollister Clothing
I can not agree with you in 100% regarding some thoughts, but you got good point of view
March 31st, 2008 at 10:41 pmKds Bbs Pics Underage Porn Kid Sex
I can not agree with you in 100% regarding some thoughts, but you got good point of view
April 2nd, 2008 at 4:27 pmFree Granny Porn Milf Camps Friend’s Hot Mom
I can not agree with you in 100% regarding some thoughts, but you got good point of view
April 2nd, 2008 at 6:28 pmMilf Milf Ass Lesbian Milf
I can not agree with you in 100% regarding some thoughts, but you got good point of view
April 3rd, 2008 at 10:20 pmEric
To all the uninitiated out there – read this and take heed. This is good stuff. Thanks.
April 7th, 2008 at 1:29 am