The reporting on war, and the rumors of war, has become, after much deliberate effort, of a piece with the military fiction (mil-porn?) which passes for entertainment with so many Americans. Besides, what is just about most Americans experience with military affairs? Mostly, seeing movies or TV shows about it or playing games (God help us) which purport simulate some aspect of militarised conflict. Before any factual reporting could be done, a lifetime's worth of military pap would have to be deconstructed.

Honda is okay in my book

The new CBR1000RR is amazing! IIRC a quarter in just over ten seconds! Stock.

I'd just thought I would mention it. But I'

m telling you- one day America will build a motorcycle, and then watch out, world! Anyway, don't let me interrupt.

and cover the NewsHour's own use of retired generals.

As I remember, PBS fell right into line. Accepted what they were given, and never posed questions outside of the parameters tacitly (as far as I know) imposed by the military "experts".

Geez, it was in the run-up to the War On Iraq that I stopped watching the News Hour, of which I was formerly a pretty steady customer.

regular posters who generally fail to take some to task for commentary that is well below the bar intellectually, as well as offensive in its ignorance

Look, they asked me, and they asked nicely, too, but I'm sorry, I just can't stop. It's like dancing a rhetorical Limbo!

But why do you depend on others? We all know who the hell you're talking about! Ask me yourself!

Oh, that's good. Who are we talking about? I can't do much, but damnit, I comprise the lowest bar around here. Just set me where you want, oomex.

Oomex, you know as well as me that the only thing to do now is start a blog about the comments section of Glenn's blog! We can establish a rating system, and so much else! We'll call it "Stolen Territory"? What do you think? Blogger is free, ya'know.

See what I mean? You could do a post about prednisone and it's effect on co-ordination. You could get all kinds of digs in.

So my question is, where's the beef?

"Stolen Territory" You want me to go ahead and get the domain name?

Why don't you call it "Five Geriatric Guys and Their Sockpuppets"

oomex, you ever read anything by Dale Carnegie?

So, we see yet again that those who support a large, powerful central government do in fact support the killers among us. The central government is a street gang of doped-up-tuffs writ large.

Gosh, Bucky! Nothing gets past you!

Apart from the morality or legality of anything the military has done under Bush, the amazing thing is how willing to sacrifice itself as an institution the Army has been under Bush.

One thing I am sure the Army (as an example) is acutely aware of and eager to influence is its fortunes as an institution.

And the US Army's reputation as an institution, a military institution is very important to it. And there must be people in it how know just how, and just how damaging to it, the things that Bush is doing will be.

Apart from any particular tactic or strategy, why was the US military (Army in particular, I guess, cause they will pay the price) so willing to sacrifice its institutional reputation, and possibly even its ability to go on functioning in certain ways, for Bush's political benefit. And gee, it didn't even accomplish that!

that the discourse in the Comments section has reached this nadir of rationality completely without my assistance. Oh, some people might not think that's possible (you know who you are) but the indisputable truth is right here. Sure, maybe that makes no difference to you, but I believe that God knows it, and will put it down to my account.

No little billy, you are a collectivist. That is hardly different from being a socialist/fascist since it leads to the same goose-stepping end.

Bucky1, I confidently recommend to you Jonah Goldbergs latest complaint "Liberal Fascism". Read it, and get some devastating arguments to back up your contention.

If you spend time commuting you might be interested in Jott..

Get all the joy and relaxation of being stuck in traffic into your blog posts. Bush is tailgating you and Cheney just cut you off! Let 'em know how you feel.

150-200 posts on anything and it turns into a pogrom. Stay classy y'all.

I'm telling you, electro, call Abe Foxman at the B'nai Brith. He'll come down on these cossacks like a load of bricks. They won't know what hit 'em.

if that's the word I want. I wonder if the fear that any news of nuclear progress of any type in a country deemed an ideological enemy is expected to generate is not somehow predicated on the big "anti-nuclear" movement of the, when was it, 80's and 90's?

All they gotta do is put together enough radium to get a Timex or two to glow in Syria and we're supposed to plotz!

Gee, maybe being the first to set off an atomic bomb turned out not so good for the old national psychology.

Anyway, I'm curious - what sort of military incursion from a neighbor DOES justify a military response, if any?

Oh, I don't know. Maybe colonial powers grabbing a whole big chunk of the place and then giving it to still another outfit to take over, and they kick you out of your own home?

That can lead to a little friction, if everybody isn't real careful.