I think the fans are literally the last people the league thinks about. I haven't watched a game since the league made the suspensions in the Phoenix/San Antonio series. It was just the way they botched the decisions around the RObert Horry incident, it was just the capper for the way they'd screwed everything up in the playoffs so far. Bruce Bowen should have been suspended once, arguably twice, Baron Davis should have been suspended.. it's just too much. I don't care anymore. The championship won't mean anything to me, so I'm not gonna watch.

For those thinking that Kobe is now shocked that the Lakers aren't getting a load if talent in right now, I've got a bridge for you. They've clearly been rebuilding for years, and he made comments last year that reflected that. The thing is, now he's really frustrated, so he's got to make the team to be the bad guy. Well, he's got his own share of the blame. One of the reasons they can't go after high-priced free agents is because of Kobe's salary. And whatever he might say, the fact that he didn't re-sign with the Lakers until they'd traded Shaq speaks volumes to me.

Makes me want to cry, every time I think about this. As a society, no, we don't care what happens to a group of foreign dark-skinned people.

I don't care what the politicians say, there is no excuse for allowing this to happen. None.

I wondered when Hastur would be mentioned. Of course, the reason you're not supposed to mention him is that he just might show up if you do...kind of like Ctheney.

I wonder if there's any point where people like this start to feel ashamed of their behaviour. Is it even possible to make them realize how contemptible their actions are?

Denning, thanks for the satire piece, that was really funny. The scary thing is, it's actually believable.

Unfortunately, the scope of Glenn's article really isn't funny. I imagine there are still people who read the news articles and believe them, and they're not being well served by this.

It would be nice to see someone held accountable for such behavior, at least once.

Major, you're fantastic. I tip my hat, sir.

This is a pretty good example of what I've been thinking for a while now, that there is a sizable percentage of the American population that is funtionally insane. Reality makes no impression on these people; nothing matters so long as it suits their particular fantasy. Certainly even most Americans aren't really people, according to them; the kind of cruelty espoused by the people on this cruise is likely part of the reason the gap between the ultra-rich and everybody else has been growing so quickly.

I assume that most people on this forum, and a growing percentage of Americans, realize just how loony some of these poeple are. My question is, what do you want to do about it? What can you do? Speaking as someone from outside the US, we'd really like to know.

Is it a common argument that Americans still living in Fantasyland make, that because more troops were called for before the War in Iraq was started, that the surge during the occupation (the war was over a long time ago, folks) must be supported?

I guess it doesn't matter that the political situation in Iraq has changed greatly? Or that the original number of soldiers called for was WAY above the numbers being proposed now?

That comment, if serious, just reeks of someone who can't see the world in anything but black and white. I doubt it was serious though. Seems trollish to me.

All right, thanks for clarifying that. I don't get to hear anybody make that kind of argument, on a regular basis or otherwise.

I have to admit, all the lying about the war beforehand really took me by surprise. I wasn't surprised that large parts of the media were lying about it, but that people were believing it. Didn't the fact that most of America's allies wanted nothing to do with this give anybody a clue? I know there was a lot of international media debunking the reasons being given for starting a war. I don't believe any American journalist when they say that they were fooled - they don't have that excuse.

And thanks for the greeting.

I'm not so interested in what Petraeus has to say, I'm much more curious about how the Congress is going to react when he says it.

The bill for the war will be over a trillion dollars. Large corporations have to make an acceptable profit, after all.

That Olbermann commentary was awesome. Thanks Jim.

I meant RMP, my pardon, sir.

Why exactly does nazi-whatever post here? Is there an argument he's trying to make, or is it just an exercise in time-wasting? His, ours...

Does anybody really take what Petraeus and the other shills have to say seriously? In a perfect world he'd be standing on a street corner trying to figure out why nobody wants to let him clean their windows.

The damage these people have done is enormous. Given that so many people are finally tired of listening to Bush, why isn't there a stronger movement to impeach him?

I guess that was two questions.

By the way, I found the offer to Glenn really insulting. That guy probably thought he was being really funny.

Occasional Observer, why aren't you screaming impeachment now, if I may ask? Just curious. It seems to me that there's more than enough ammunition out there already.