Letters to the Editor
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Third parties and Copperheads
Third-party voters are only "throwing their vote away" until they're not. America has had one very successful third party, the party founded in 1854 largely on a single issue (slavery). It currently holds many seats in Congress and controls the White House.
Anybody who thinks the current two parties are destined to waltz together forever should ask a Whig about the immortality of political parties.
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Real Reporting
I have no idea why Glenn Greenwald isn't the chief political correspondent of the Times or the Post-- he is so much more thorough and well-researched than who you find at those supposedly august institutions. I love reading his stuff. This article is just one more example of how great a journalist he is. Very impressive.
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Body counts again?
Are we back to talking about body counts? Didn't we do this in the Vietnam era, how'd that work out?
One thing I wanted to point out, which I bet people like O'Hanlon and Pollack will point to at some point in their efforts to absolve themselves of blame for pushing the whole Iraq mess. In the articles and columns Glenn quoted, O'Hanlon appears to be referencing the actual military defeat of Saddam's army when discussing the "success" of the war. If you look at it in that narrow view, Rumsfeld and Franks were exactly correct and DID send in adequate troops to accomplish the mission...of defeating the Iraqi army. That phase of the "war" was over in six weeks, just as Rumsfeld promised, and American casualties were light, and we were initially greeted as liberators.
This is the thing Glenn and others who are fighting to end our participation in this debacle are going to have to make clear: planning for what happens AFTER the successful military defeat of the Iraqi army is even MORE important than the actual defeat of that army, which was never really in doubt. This (in my opinion) is the true reason that the Bush 41 team didn't want to go to Baghdad (remember, Schwartzkopf was BEGGING to be allowed to go all the way); they foresaw that the coalition that was in favor of liberating Kuwait would dissolve when it came to occupying Iraq, and that the United States would have to shoulder most of the burden in blood and treasure for what came after, and that was a price they weren't prepared to pay. These bozos we had in 2003 didn't care about all those niggling little details, they were laser-focused on using our wonderful military power to shock and awe our "enemies" into submission, lest they in their turn be subjected to that power.
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OT--The New Blair
From today's press questions to Bush and Brown, closing their first meeting. Not much new thinking to be found here:
PRIME MINISTER BROWN: Absolutely. And let me just stress that we're in a generation-long battle against terrorism, against al Qaeda-inspired terrorism, and this is a battle for which we can give no quarter; it's a battle that's got to be fought in military, diplomatic, intelligence, security, policing, and ideological terms. And we have to face groups of terrorists operating in Britain. And other countries around the world have seen -- perhaps, in 17 countries -- terrorist attacks over the last few years. And we in Britain have faced 15 of our own since September of 2001. And of course when America itself faced in September 2001 and showed such bravery, resilience, and courage in standing up against terrorism then. We know we are in a common struggle, and we know we have to work together, and we know we've got to use all means to deal with it.
So we are at one in fighting the battle against terrorism, and that struggle is one that we will fight with determination and with resilience, and right across the world.
At the end of Brown's final answer to a press question, Bush closed the questions and said to Brown: "Good Job".
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Bill Owen @ 12:38 describing the NSA facility.
Some time ago the Baltimore Sun had a excellent 'series' about the cost to run the NSA joint.
I remember it takes more electrical 'watts' than the entire town of Annapolis Md.
I may forget bunches of small detail, but Maryland's residences in my county get a 72% jacked-up utility bill to be pro-rated or increased "mercifully" and spread over 3 years.
Well, so much for buying some creamy butter? And so we rurals are not too shocked that we pay for the NSA to snoopy at us while we are Breadmaking in our bed (?) what can a hungry hippo do now?
no eat in bed
crumbs attract
stinging ants.
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Ars longa, vita brevis
Even so, Anonymous, it did take a civil war to midwife the last birth of a viable third party in the U.S>; perhaps it will take one this time as well. And I might as well point out to you, as long as we're talking sea changes, that the current Republican Party has become the opposite of what it was 150 years ago.
In short, I'm not sure what you're proving with your example, but I'm reasonably certain that it's not what you think you're proving.
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"you may feel a slight sting..."
Bush closed the questions and said to Brown: "Good Job".
Oh that poor fucker. What do you think Bush's nickname is for him?
Remember, Gordo, pride only hurts, it never helps...
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re: Paul Rosenberg
And I favor voluptuous redheads with a quick wit and double PhDs in abstract algebra and Renaissance Studies.
When I first saw this I thought you said double Ds and almost choked on my afternoon coffee!
Man, I've got to either get my eyes checked or sit closer to the screen.
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Bank robberies and Gangs
I read only one story of the bank robbery in Baghdad's Karrada district. It was reported by Reuters 7/12/07. $300 million U.S. dollars were stolen and the Iraqi-led investigation so far was blaming the robbery on the 3 missing Iraqi guards.
Then, the next day it was reported, in a shoot-out between U.S. troops and "insurgents", two Reuters reporters were killed in the cross-fire.
Considering the criminal activities going on that are largely hidden from U.S. newpapers and reporters being paid off for "up-beat" news, it looks like "someone" was paid off, but who? And was the pay-off to the "right" people, or just another screw-up ?