Unfortunately, senator Byrd represents a dying breed of the quality of character that used to represent the people. Those of us old enough to remember, know that the divisiveness that exists today did not always dominate. I heard former senator Baker talk yesterday about his father-in-law Ev Dirksen and his colleagues who knew how to respect each other's views and then compromise for the good of the nation. Nothing is sadder than seeing the grand ole Byrd continuing to honor this political ideal and see him one by one end up standing alone.

Re Update II: Business is serious. Money is serious. Power is serious. Peace, on the other hand, will not lead to business, money, or power, for the current group "in charge." Actually getting those to blame for 9/11 may suddenly end the madness, and the cash-flow.

In fact, but there were lots of scholars of world politics from across the political spectrum who opposed the war from the outset:

http://www.realisticforeignpolicy.org/static/000025.php

I'm glad you're still here and free to enrichen us all.

So, as many commenters/bloggers have written before, it's really just high school-- or maybe middle school-- all over again. Everyone wants to be part of the "in" crowd, and hang with cool kidz.

A bunch of highly trained individuals with experience and access to the largest wealth of foreign policy data ever assembled took the country into a maelstrom of a war so they could hang with the cool kidz?

(stunned silence with tears welling and that funny closing feeling in the throat)

Re your column on the foreign policy establishment, I've been curious about the actual structure of the right's policy institutions such as the American Enterprise Institute or the Heritage Foundation, who clothe their 'members' in the trappings of the university, such as 'Resident Scholar' or 'Visiting Scholar.' It sounds like a university, but I've never heard about a campus or students or degrees. My suspicions are that these institutions are nothing more that funding operations for (especially) neocon flaks who spread the word via articles or books, or in the media. I think some light needs be thrown on these institutions so that we can refer to them as they are.

We're all glad you're back today...

I admit the original attribution was to the M$M, and I just got carried away and applied it to the rest of the Versailles...

I had no idea it would inspire such a response-- so, I had to think about it again. Okay, maybe not middle school for those highly trained and educated experts, but something equivalent... an exclusive club? Or fraternity... etc.

How much scholarship is required to understand that:

a) People don't like it -- and tend to resent it to the point armed resistance -- when their country is invaded by foreigners.

b) People don't like it -- and tend to resent it to the point armed resistance -- when a foreign power influences the internal affairs of their country against their own interests.

c) Even third parties in countries not directly affected tend to get outraged at instances of (a) and (b).

It's those pesky notions of nationalism and justice that no amount of "scholarship" (or day I say it, "seriousness") can overcome.

I don’t believe anyone has cited this article that describes and compares The American Enterprise Institute with The Council of Foreign Relations - both charter members in Serious Thinkers R Us. Lots of interesting tidbits in it. Especially the conclusion:

One general characteristic of ruling class thinking, both within the AEI and CFR, is a frequent underestimation of the rebellion capabilities of the larger population, at home and, more especially, in other countries. This rebellion has been the main reason for the defeat, so far at least, of U.S. plans for exploiting Iraq and its oil wealth. The CFR, at least, appears to have learned from this defeat, and perhaps is willing to pursue a new and somewhat more enlightened course in regard to both Iraq and Iran. But the CFR still wants to control Iraq using different tactics. It has a long history of support for imperialistic actions and an overlapping membership with the even more aggressively imperialistic AEI.Therefore, in the end, there is no substitute for the varied activities of people’s movements to prevent the worst outcomes from occurring. The AEI and CFR and the larger ruling class will sometimes battle each other and sometimes agree on what joint policies to follow. It is ultimately up to working class people to help decide, through their direct actions, or lack of them, what the outcome will be.

In the book/movie Fight Club mentioned by Glenn, one of my favorite lines is “Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need.”

Well, our Serious Thinkers seem to give us flawed ideas that find us pursuing policies we shouldn’t have so we have to fight wars we don’t need or want.

And the line from the movie that best describes what should be done with this “ruling class thinking” is this one:

“Fuck Martha Stewart. Martha's polishing the brass on the Titanic; it's all going down, man.”

Serious thinkers take note.

http://zmagsite.zmag.org/JulAug2007/shoup.html

Citing Four-Day Old Surveillance Law, Bush Seeks Dismissal of Lawsuit Challenging NSA Spying

The lawsuit was brought by lawyers defending Guantanamo Bay prisoners. The lawyers and others alleged the threat of surveillance is chilling their First Amendment rights of speech, and their clients' right to legal representation.

Justice Department lawyers are asking (.pdf) U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker to toss the case, citing the new law -- which says warrantless surveillance can continue for up to a year so long as one person in the intercepted communications is reasonably believed to be located outside of the United States. http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/08/citing-four-day.html

Background on CCR v. Bush: http://tinyurl.com/h22n5

It was announced today that President Bush was treated last August for Lyme disease. Here's a link to the ABC story on it:http://tinyurl.com/39swp5

As the article states, Lyme disease is typically characterized by a "characteristic bullseye rash". Maybe seeing the target on himself could explain some of the especially paranoid behavior from the last year. Who knows, maybe he had an undiagnosed case earlier?

This gets better, though. Being a diehard Gator fan, Bush's case of Lyme disease reminded me of a previous case in the news. Here's a quote from the Independent Florida Alligator from July 12, 2005:

Florida State quarterback Wyatt Sexton will miss the 2005 season, but the reason comes as a surprise to many.

Sexton, the Seminoles player found wandering on a suburban Tallahassee street in June calling himself "the son of God" before being pepper sprayed by police and sent to a hospital, was diagnosed with Lyme disease.

http://www.alligator.org/pt2/050712foot3.php

Could we have avoided all of this Manichean madness with a simple dose of antibiotics in late 2001? At this point the outbreak is pretty large, but I prescribe a stiff round of antibiotics for all in the White House, DOJ, pundit class and M$M.