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First Quarter of 2005 January 2005 ... February 2005 ... March 2005
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1/02/05 You know we just can't ignore a story from Florida,
reported on earlier and, incidentally, broken by a blogger,
concerning
Representative Tom Feeney (R FL) allegedly hiring a company
to corrupt the voting process.(010105c) We
have a moderately long listing of the Battle of Ohio. It
hangs on a thread, its path is razor thin,
(010105a) When one centerpiece of the "free Ohio" movement
is the discrepancy between exit polling and results
it
seems that it is impossible to have an objective group or
anyone for that matter, look at the raw, unprocessed
data. (010105b) Ukraine does it, even tiny Albania's politicos
threaten it, (see
this article in Albanian Daily News, 12/31/04) in
the US we just think our elections are fair, how reassuring
that illusion is (123104g) Well we can't ignore the changes in Bush's cabinet,
most of his advisors from the first term have quite or been
booted, who knows which. Now we have group that Bush can
"work with". What
does that mean? Read this for a bit of fright.
(123104b) Potempkin, remember him? What does the Medal of
Freedom mean to you, take a look at who Bush has given it to
and why they deserve it, then tell me it makes sense,
will
something this jackanapes of a president do make some sense,
sometime? (123104c) The mandate's flip side, if Georgie Porgie thinks that
his 2004 election win of 51% to 49% is a mandate,
then
we also have a mandate on Iraq, and it is that we should
"get out!" (122804b) Hey, whachacallit, dat dere presydink shudda know
beddah, yassum, Jes lak in dem good 'ol dayz wif Waddygate,
what
did de presydink no and wen did dat fat assed sombich no it,
and dat's allawanna no, nuf sayed. I be talkin'
bout de torture in Iraq, yall. Peace out. (010105e) In
Mosul the election workers have allegedly all quit. This is
not good news (123104f) This two page story says the lull in insurgent
activities after the Fallujah operation is over, fighting
continues in Fallujah, and Kurds want to deny Arabs the vote
in Kikurk, saying that to allow it is to legitimized Saddam
Hussein's "Arabization" of the city during his reign.
Page
one, (123104d) Page
two: (123104e) An overview: why civil war in Iraq is possible and how
our planning and execution of this "blunder" has
increased
the likelihood of that outcome, (122804a) We have the biggest Sunni party withdrawing from the
election, citing security concerns, just after the leader of
another party is attacked and a purported tape from Bin
Laden exhorts Iraqi's to boycott the election.
Sounds like progress to me. (122704d) These stories are those which indicated effects or
situations that will effect the medium or long term, 4 years
or longer. Bill
Moyers gives them hell, presents a 10 point agenda for a
political platform that was created in 1883, and you know,
it is still good today. The article gives a
historical perspective on the power and responsibility of
the press as well as a clear overview of the danger we are
in and the grave risks we face, we are not yet done in but
we are very god damned close to it. (010105f) Staunch
Allies, Saudi Arabia and Australia "go their own way" with
Kyoto, (010105d) the article mentions how
we, on a world stage, broke our own promises. How wonderful
is this? An overview of the spreading of secrecy in our
government. It
is pervasive and seems like whistle blowing is "not
done" (123104a) What effect will our abandonment of the Kyoto Accord
have? It could be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
It
certainly could encourage our fellow nations to take some of
the actions described here. (122704a) Well, well, take a look at this overview of the anti
nuclear proliferation mess, it seems the worst proliferator
Pakistan's A.Q. Kahn, goes scott free and we don't talk to
any of the other organizations that deal with tracking
nuclear supplies, sales, technology and so forth,
sounds
like a plan to me, how about you? (122704b)
Here
is the NYT article the extract was extracted from
(122704c) And here are Pakistan's requirements
for continuing such "assistance" to the US,
a long list but we're not used to be talked to in this
manner. (122704e) So here is some good news. This
is from Ethiopia where a cure for malaria grows like a
weed. Farmers in on locality have made it a cash
crop even though the government is still unable to afford
the usual medicines imported for the same purpose.
(122804c)
How about some bible quotes for Mr. Bush from my
friend John: "Arrogant lips are unsuited to a fool- how much worse
lying lips to a ruler!"- Proverbs 17:7 "The righteous care about justice for the poor, but
the wicked have no such concern." Proverbs 29:07 "So now the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths
of all these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed
disaster for you." I Kings 22:23 "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue
oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and
withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making
widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. What will you do on the day of reckoning, when
disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help?
Where will you leave your riches? Nothing will remain but to
cringe among the captives or fall among the slain. " Isaiah
10:1-4 "The Righteous hate what is false, but the wicked
bring shame and disgrace "Proverbs 13:5 Take a walk down memory lane with this video montage,
it has nice music, asks hard core questions, and poses what
I consider to be the real question of the day, what happened
to the plane? There are lots of pictures, but the earliest
shots of the Pentagon, ones taken after the explosion and
before the collapse, show a hole at the base of the
building. A hole. Since that is what was there, one wonders
where the wings, engines, and tail section of the plane
went. Oh
well. Enjoy the video. An article about the Ohio fraud describes a select
number of instances which show how the fraud was done;
they
had a raft of methods and means.
(010705a) Because of the irregularities in the Ohio and New
Mexico recount efforts the popular discontent with the
result has been increased. The story is complex and there
many parts, but
the theme seems to be that there are too many unanswered
questions, unexplained improbable results, and suspicious
activities for the problem to go away.
(010405b) There will have been some repeat of election 2000 in
2004, at least one state will have its set of electors
questioned. Ohio's
electors will be questioned by representatives, just as
those of Florida in 2000 were objected to, however this
time, as then, will any one senator raise a hand to support
a debate on the legitimacy of the electors? By
the time you read this we will know. (010405a) You know we just can't ignore a story from Florida,
reported on earlier and, incidentally, broken by a blogger,
concerning
Representative Tom Feeney (R FL) allegedly hiring a company
to corrupt the voting process.(010105c) We
have a moderately long listing of the Battle of Ohio. It
hangs on a thread, its path is razor thin,
(010105a) When one centerpiece of the "free Ohio" movement
is the discrepancy between exit polling and results
it
seems that it is impossible to have an objective group or
anyone for that matter, look at the raw, unprocessed
data. (010105b) Ukraine does it, even tiny Albania's politicos
threaten it, (see
this article in Albanian Daily News, 12/31/04) in
the US we just think our elections are fair, how reassuring
that illusion is (123104g) Well we can't ignore the changes in Bush's cabinet,
most of his advisors from the first term have quite or been
booted, who knows which. Now we have group that Bush can
"work with". What
does that mean? Read this for a bit of fright.
(123104b) Potempkin, remember him? What does the Medal of
Freedom mean to you, take a look at who Bush has given it to
and why they deserve it, then tell me it makes sense,
will
something this jackanapes of a president do make some sense,
sometime? (123104c) The mandate's flip side, if Georgie Porgie thinks that
his 2004 election win of 51% to 49% is a mandate,
then
we also have a mandate on Iraq, and it is that we should
"get out!" (122804b) What would happen if there was a mass refusal by
troops to obey orders to evacuate Jewish settlers from Gaza
and the West Bank? Just
how tricky is the situation? (010405d) Iraq, news is not good, lots of people think so. The
insurgency is growing, the stability has never caught hold
and some blame, our going in with poor plans, ill prepared
troops, inadequate troop levels, and because of those
factors we've
managed to depose a horrible dictator yet face a population
that hates us pervasively. (010605a) 200,000
rebels/resistance fighters/dead enders/ in fight against US
forces? That is what this article claims. It ends
saying, in part, "...they aren't loosing." (010405c) It does seem that Sunni's in several cities are not
registering to vote, parties are pulling out of the process,
and Fallujah is quite far from being ready to participate.
Lots
of problems but the "show mus go on." (010305a)
Voting
preparations are underway but this article spells out the
large scale problems that area faced
(01`0305b) Hey, whachacallit, dat dere presydink shudda know
beddah, yassum, Jes lak in dem good 'ol dayz wif Waddygate,
what
did de presydink no and wen did dat fat assed sombich no it,
and dat's allawanna no, nuf sayed. I be talkin'
bout de torture in Iraq, yall. Peace out. (010105e) In
Mosul the election workers have allegedly all quit. This is
not good news (123104f) This two page story says the lull in insurgent
activities after the Fallujah operation is over, fighting
continues in Fallujah, and Kurds want to deny Arabs the vote
in Kikurk, saying that to allow it is to legitimized Saddam
Hussein's "Arabization" of the city during his reign.
Page
one, (123104d) Page
two: (123104e) An overview: why civil war in Iraq is possible and how
our planning and execution of this "blunder" has
increased
the likelihood of that outcome, (122804a) We have the biggest Sunni party withdrawing from the
election, citing security concerns, just after the leader of
another party is attacked and a purported tape from Bin
Laden exhorts Iraqi's to boycott the election.
Sounds like progress to me. (122704d) A Los Angeles Times: 'An Afghan Quandary for the U.S.'
The Bush administration now finds that its three main policy
objectives in [Afghanistan] --
counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics and political stability
-- appear ... contradictory. (010405e) These stories are those which indicated effects or
situations that will effect the medium or long term, 4 years
or longer. What
did "rummy" know and when? This is the question that will
not be pursued at all cost. The evidence mounts,
of course, and there have been prosecutions, of the
soldiers, but following the chain of command? HA! not bloody
likely. (010805a) It seems the Bush win at home has not helped him
abroad and with the Mr. Alberto Gonzales nomination
destined
for a pass will only further alienate the world.
(016005d) Social Security is not so secure. It is being
purposely targeted because, well, now it can be. The leaked
memo described in this article says it all. It's not about
the functionality of the system; its
about taking the system down once and for all.
(010605b) Here
is another article that gives some analysis of the memo,
with some memorable quotes thrown in. (s) Economics, some one, I think, called this the "dismal
science" But
this article is actually interesting. It is clear that our
government and a good portion of our private economy depends
on various kinds of bonds. When more money can be made in
other areas the money moves out of bonds, makes sense. If
the government or private industry cannot sell bonds, then,
well, they have to raise money in other ways.
Hmmmm, let's see, raise taxes? No, they won't be doing that.
Cutting spending, no, WON'T be doing that. Well, we may have
a chance to see what happens if a there is a bond market
collapse, interesting article. (010505a) Bill
Moyers gives them hell, presents a 10 point agenda for a
political platform that was created in 1883, and you know,
it is still good today. The article gives a
historical perspective on the power and responsibility of
the press as well as a clear overview of the danger we are
in and the grave risks we face, we are not yet done in but
we are very god damned close to it. (010105f) Staunch
Allies, Saudi Arabia and Australia "go their own way" with
Kyoto, (010105d) the article mentions how
we, on a world stage, broke our own promises. How wonderful
is this? An overview of the spreading of secrecy in our
government. It
is pervasive and seems like whistle blowing is "not
done" (123104a) What effect will our abandonment of the Kyoto Accord
have? It could be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
It
certainly could encourage our fellow nations to take some of
the actions described here. (122704a) Well, well, take a look at this overview of the anti
nuclear proliferation mess, it seems the worst proliferator
Pakistan's A.Q. Kahn, goes scott free and we don't talk to
any of the other organizations that deal with tracking
nuclear supplies, sales, technology and so forth,
sounds
like a plan to me, how about you? (122704b)
Here
is the NYT article the extract was extracted from
(122704c) And here are Pakistan's requirements
for continuing such "assistance" to the US,
a long list but we're not used to be talked to in this
manner. (122704e) So here is some good news. This
is from Ethiopia where a cure for malaria grows like a
weed.(122804c) Farmers in on locality have made
it a cash crop even though the government is still unable to
afford the usual medicines imported for the same
purpose.
OK, Georgie boy did not do his military service, he
skated by, had his dad get him jumped over the long, long
list of better qualified persons, and then, he takes the
position, can't seem to manage it, take a blood test to
prove he's been clean and or sober and then goes
AWOL.
So who gets shit canned for telling this story? Dan Rather
et al. (011005c) So whose Vietnam story is
questioned? Kerry's The story was true; the fact that one
small piece of evidence was false shouldn't dampen that
salient fact. But no, the media caves, the Swift boat gang
is given six or more weeks to run around in the news before
their discreditation is given nary a whisper. And just like
the junkie on the corner keeps telling me: "I be tryin' ta
tell ya butcha jes don' lissen'. We be habbin' a jackanapes
muthafukka up in dat dere white house of ouwern." Here we have a story concerning the
CIA and Riggs Bank, located in Washington, D.C.
(010905a) Word has it that it is and has been a convenient
money laundering operation helping the likes of Chile's
Pinochet and Prince Bandar bin Sultan, Saudi ambassador to
Washington, AKA, "Bandar Bush". Sadr City, nominally a part of Baghdad, is evolving
into a self governing sort of city state and it supports the
resistance.
But there doesn't seem to be any indication that the US
military is ramping up to challenge this development as we
did in Fallujah and Najaf, why would that be?
(011504e) This is an interesting and very brief article
comparing
and contrasting Bush administration statements made before
and after the invasion of Iraq. (011504c) Powell
is alleged to have said, to Mr. Bush, "We're losing."
The two magic words that supposedly led to his
departure. Bush likes hearing what he likes to hear it
seems. (011504b) How
comfortable are US officials that an Iranian born cleric is
the "poster boy" of the Iraqi election?
(011504a) Sistani, officially, supports no
one, but isn't anyone in the current administration
concerned that someone from the "axis of evil" has such
influence? So far no word on that. Gee,
what a surprise, no weapons of mass destruction in
Iraq, (011205a) so they give up looking, its
official now. Look at this article, it discusses handling Iraq the
way El Salvador was "handled" meaning death squads. a great
quote in the article: "The
Sunni population is paying no price for the support it is
giving to the terrorists. From their point of view, it is
cost-free. We have to change that equation." I guess we do
want to change that equation, don't we; we could also expand
the war, just a bit, into Syria.
(011005b) A
simple one syllable word, "fear" and that scent is in the
air. About half Iraq's population lives in areas
unsafe for voting, the military wants to scrap limits on how
often reserves and national guard units can be called and
recalled, the insurgency ups the ante, and there is no
solution in sight, amateur hour at the White House? It is
not funny, not at all, never was. (011005a) It seems that Pakistan's leader, smarting from a
diplomatic rebuff from India over Kashmir has to save face.
He needs to keep his constituency, the military, happy.
Now
a quick look at the map shows that he has Iran, India,
Afghanistan, and, oh yes, Kashmir to consider as options.
Guess which one he may be willing to "let loose
on"? (010905e) The US is expected to "look the
other way" in exchange for Pakistan's continued support
along its borders with Afghanistan. Related to the future of the US is the present of
Pakistan. When
10,000 armed tribal men attack it is newsworthy,
(011505f) that they have camps, connections to Russia, are
training for an insurgency and that the Baluchistan province
is rich in natural gas and other resources makes for a
volatile mix. A follow up story, it
seems Pakistani forces are moving in to the Baluchistan
province and another war is brewing there.
(010605a) One need only recall that Pakistan is a nuclear
armed nation, it may now be involved in three conflicts,
Kashmir, Afghanistan, and now Baluchistan. Oh, don't forget
Al Qaida, they too want to topple the government. These stories are those which indicated effects or
situations that will effect the medium or long term, 4 years
or longer. The
expansion of US military activities into Iran? A set of 10
nations that are on "a list." The war
expands,(010605b and c )
and all we need now is the next, and more
dramatic, 9/11 so that a draft can be acceptable and we can
truly go onto a war footing. That last sentence is mine, my
speculation, but I've been saying it for some time, one way
or another. "Elect Bush and get four more wars." The continued development of an intra-asian
community of China, India, Russia, and Iran is
interesting,(011504d) possibility a strategic
concern for the US, but what it all means is for the future
to say. The
"Other Tsunami" western policies which have millions so
impoverished, so burdened by impossible debt that
its' death toll makes that of the wave, however horrific, a
mere drop in the proverbial bucket. There is no hope for
chance in this, it seems, and, eventually, we'll have to
come to terms with it.(010905d) Lucky us, congress
has passed a "doomsday act" one that allows a end run around
that pesky constitutional definition of a quorum.
(010905b) Under the right circumstances as few as 12 could
run the country. I'm so glad we are being taken care of. In
fact, I feel special. And speaking of pesky things, the
Repubs are shufflin' th' deck so's they kin get what they
want done, get
rid of compromisers and anyone who thinks differently, and
how. (See the second story at this link)
(010905c) Just in case we don't get it: once in a century
hurricane season for Florida, huge storms in the far west of
the US, frog die offs, crab populations die off, snow fall
in New Orleans; thinning of the arctic ice cap and so forth,
now, it may be that someone else might: Europe
has a lot less snow, could it be global warming?
Could it be that we might be blamed later on if this
persists? (011205b)
Here are the facts Liberal media gets less than 10% of
the airtime that conservative media gets. This
is not counting newspapers, magazines or television. That is
the "fair and balanced" system that we have here.
(012105c) Let's take a specific example, coverage of
the inauguration, or as one wag put it the "Oaf of Office"
has
about 25% of the commentators being in the "liberal" camp.
(012105d) Just why in hell is the media stupid? Well take a look
at several examples of what happens to reporters or
investigators that dig up dirt, some
wind up killing them selves. (011805a) So how
close does anyone come to "correcting a Bush" well
the times does in a minor way as this article
shows but the kicker is that the lies have been
repeated even after being debunked (011805b) Tuesday 11 January 2005, the story WAS about Bush's
sorry assed war record, then it became how one document was
phony, not the whole, well detailed and documented saga,
just the one document, who looses? Journalists...
and
the CBS action is undertaken on the advise of a pair of one
time Bush the first insiders. Now, that's fair and balanced
for you. (011705g) Oh,,
when the exit polls and the results don't match in the
Ukraine they know what to do, we, however, don't.
Three elections down and there is nothing on the street,
Dems and pundits alike wring their hands and second guess
"what went wrong" well, the election was stolen, that's what
went wrong. (011705f) Kikurk,
Kurds, Oil, Turkey, Israel, Russia, Syria, Iraq, Iran and
the U.S. All of these are players in a complex and dynamic
situation. (012105a) Kikurk is the hub of it all,
a nexus with unsettling trends and possibilities. This
article provides a review of the current situation and
updates us, at least enough to know how to prioritize the
worries that are arraying themselves, just for us. Who is "our man" in Iraq, this Iyad Allawi?
Read
on here, lots of "data points" including his murderous ways
of impressing people. (011920b) Demur Defer and Deter: Coni Girl (aka Rice - a -
crony) is confirmed, did anyone think it wouldn't
happen? She
goes on to bigger and better mistakes after not learning a
wit from those that she's already made. Here is some
coverage of the hearing. (011905a) What
do the "realists" Scowcroft and Brzezinski have to say about
getting what we want to happen in Iraq? One says
it "The Iraqi elections, rather than turning out to be a
promising turning point, have the great potential for
deepening the conflict." and the other says it would take
500,000 troops and a draft. How reassuring is that, but if
we don't ramp up the manpower and go with what we've got The
most optimistic outcome to expect, Brzezinski said, is that
Iraq will become a Shiite-dominated theocracy, "not what we
would normally call a democracy." 5,500
soldiers have deserted to Canada. Shades of the
60's. It's a bit different this time around, but this
emigration is a problem for a volunteer military that is
having trouble finding enough volunteers. (011705h) Expanding
our efforts into Syria? That may well be on some Neo Con
agenda. (011705d) Well, we go through all this trouble to establish
democracy in Iraq, to set an example for other nations to
follow. What
if the newly elected government wants a rigidly structured
withdrawal plan for the US and allied forces? What will
happen when we tell them "no can do"?
(011705c) Privately,
anonymously intelligence, military and other's who might be
considered "in the know" assess Iraq as a bad and or
worsening situation. But no one wants to gain say
the prez publicly. So you can read this and take heart that
people are at least still talking, even if very off the
record. (011885c) These stories are those which indicated effects or
situations that will effect the medium or long term, 4 years
or longer. Here we have an interesting article, some scientists
want to make GM versions of small pox, to make the testing
of cures easier, the article states that this was done with
mouse pox and unfortunately an even more deadly variant was
accidentally produced and it resisted treatment.
Small
pox is a threat, but an accident? Is it worth it? And how
would creating new strains help us cure the old strains?
Wouldn't they be different? (012205b) Send in the drones? Well we have them flying about,
now the robots used to clear roads of IED's have upped the
ante. We
can arm these robots and send them after the enemy where
ever he be. More video "game boy" style war, less
interpersonal, more remote and so easier to send int he
clowns, uh, troops. Or will we? (012305a) It used to be that in international polls that the
negative opinions directed to the US separated the
government policies from its citizens, that
seems to be changing as the standing of the US in the world
becomes embarrassingly poor. (012105e) A brief evaluation of what is happening to our army.
Apparently the third rotation of troops is underway, that
means some units will be heading back for the third time,
and soon, within a year, the 4th rotation will begin.
Recruiters are having a hard time making their pitch, fewer
veterans are transitioning to reserve or guard slots, and
well, the stress on the system is showing. It
is not all bleak but the goof balls running these
shenanigans keep the pedal to metal and don't seem to care
about the squeaky wheels. (012105b) What about Social Security? The Repubs wanna trash it
all to hell, the Dems fumble about wondering what
to do while a hundred million dollar "media" and "grass
root's' movement is unleashed by the Repbubs.
(010705e) Mr. Alberto Gonzales, President Bush's nominee
for Attorney General, happens to be associated with the
"legality" of the obscene prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib,
what
message are we sending to the world, to the Iraqi
resistance? Then too there is the American
tradition of rendering assistance. (011705a) Does
it matter that there might be truth to the accusation that a
paper trail exists which connects the torture to the
uppermost levels of our government? (010705b) No!
Will we have an investigation? No! Will the media pursue
this? No! Independent prosecutor? No! A chance for a change
in policy? No!
George Washington spoke these words to the American
army during one of the worst times they faced: "THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer
soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis,
shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands
it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.
Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have
this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the
more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we
esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every
thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon
its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an
article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated." Tom Paine,
The American Crisis. And now for something completely different, A savior
to the poor, popular with elites, whose goal is to free up
"dead capital" for the worlds poor and give them a key to
"ownership and prosperity" well,
much like Bush, whose illusions are policy assumptions, no
one seems to check the data on the ground, not that it would
matter much, it seems. (012905d) 50,000
gas wells in northeastern Wyoming and southeastern Montana
with a planned increase in coal mining and oil drilling in
the northern Great Plains, BLM says it will cause pollution,
damage Mt. Rushmore, violate clean air laws and threaten
wildlife, the DC response is (012905d) "And your
point is?" Ya gotta read this story: "It is wrong to seek to pay
for the reconstruction of Iraq on the backs of American POWs
brutally tortured by Iraq. It is wrong to place our nation
in violation of the important POW convention, and it is
wrong to interpret away the intent of Congress in adding a
crucial new tool in the war on terror: that of threats of
substantial judgments against terror states. Most
of all, however, it is an abomination to treat real American
heroes, who have given so much for their nation, with the
disdain the government has shown in this case
"(012305a) Here we have an outline of the 34 Bush scandals which,
amazingly enough, were passed over by our "liberal media"
Why weren't these issues during the campaign? Why didn't the
headlines scream? Why
didn't the commentators, or editorials rant on? Gee, I don't
know, could it be that, well, uh, um, well, uh um......
etc... (012305b) Not content with fixing the government, business, and
banking spheres we
now embark on changing the gene pool of the agriculture that
Iraqi's have. never mind 8,000 years of
agricultural inheritance, some good portion of which was
"lost" during the recent invasion. (013005a) Not that our government, news media, punditocracy,
corporate community cares, but this bit from a Russian
source makes unsettling comparisons between the US activity
in Iraq et al, and, you guessed it, Der
Dritte Reich, Nazi Germany. The parallels are, at this
point, interesting, soon, however, with the upcoming wars,
they'll be rather more than that.
(012905e) In the United States, where it is safe to vote, easy
too, the percentage of Iraqi's participating is 10%.
Does
that portend anything for Iraq itself, where hmmm, it's not
safe to vote? (012905b) Who celebrates the election and why: Celebrators:
Iraqi Shiites, the Pentagon, the Sunni Iraqi resistance, the
rest of the world, even Henry Kissinger, and
here is why they do so. (012905) How do Iraqi's get ready for the
election:
leave the country, avoid the streets, close shops, stay
home, reinforce windows, lay in supplies of water, fuel and
food, avoid any place that might be a polling location and
on and on and on (012705k) Here is a study, an overview of the strategic problems
facing the US, the EU, Iraq, Iran and, of course, the Kurds.
The
world is less safe because of what we've done and some of
the reasons Bush gave for going into Iraq are NOW a reality
thanks to the invasion. (012705i) After a round of killings in Ramadi, the capital of Al
Anbar province in the Sunni heartland, word came
Tuesday
that the 1,000-member police force had abandoned its posts,
the latest flop of the U.S.-sponsored security
services. (012705h) Three days before the election here is what it is like
in Baghdad, security is challenged, people are insecure
and
the promises given are farther and farther from being kept.
(012705g) Do the Neocon nitwits in DC follow the news? Syria and
Russia cozy up big time, billions for forgiveness?
To
each his own I would guess, but strategic planners in DC
have to second guess the purpose and nature of this renewed
relationship. (012705f) Kurds
go for the elections in a big way. (012705e)
Their region will be peaceful, prosperous and have more and
more say the affairs of their nation. That's right, nation.
I believe the chaos in Iraq will allow them to take
increasingly bold steps toward complete independence. At
first it will be defacto but that, I believe, will change.
Only their errors will limit their ambitions, unless of
course the nature of the mess in Iraq changes. The latest weapon in Iraq, I
thought were the combat robots, but read this update: we are
using electromagnetic mini stations which broadcast ULF, VLF
and UHF frequencies, (012705c) Originally many Iraqi would be leaders were calling
for a schedule of withdrawal of American troops, if elected,
now
there is backtracking, probably for a number of reasons, but
how do you think that such a "sea change" is viewed by the
"street?" (012705a) How does anyone get a story about Iraq these day?
Well, mostly one doesn't, this
story illuminates why "hotel journalism" is the way it is.
(012504c) Iraqi's fear to vote. Threats are common. Gunmen are
common. And,
ironically, the fact that indelible ink will be used to mark
persons hands, to indicate they voted, will also easily
identify such people to the resistance.
(012505b) New torture reports? Who hears? Who cares?
What
difference does it make? Not a lot apparently.
(012505a) So what, it's only 300 million dollars that was
shipped out of the country to who knows where for God knows
what purpose, so? The
problem with this is, what? (012305b) These stories are those which indicated effects or
situations that will effect the medium or long term, 4 years
or longer. The history of Muslim nations in the world, once great
powers, now devolved into a disparate collection of
disagreeable independent states, is unstable, and
the
events in Iraq portend either a westernization of the
region, or, perhaps, a unifying cause, a rallying issue
which could transform the region into something quite
different, and yet something quite old, a Muslim super
state. Both possibilities are equally unlikely, but things
cannot remain as they are. (012705j) Our
economic fortune in in China's hands to some good extent.
They could play the spoiler if they really wanted to take
Taiwan back. Would they do such a thing? How firm
is our economy? How secure are we? Good questions for a poor
night's sleep. (012705d) If you know what the word "pariah" means then you'll
understand this article which outlines how the US has gone
from a leader in the world to just being the most
powerful,
other nations are regrouping and reorganizing in ways that
exclude us, it is a slow process, one that 10 years ago
would have been impossible to imagine and one which is
taking on a life of its own and has long term consequences
for the US. Like my brother says, get a passport
AND a gun. (012705b) The alarm bell is either ringing, about to ring, or
what have you. This
article details specifics and the turning point may be a
scant handful of years away, but the "ripple effect" may
last for some long time to come.
(102305e) What is the matter with the US? Could it be this: that
we have "a system of government that exercises a
dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the
merging of state and business leadership together with
belligerent nationalism." That we have "an aggressive
foreign policy." That we have "couched all of this with the
blessing of conservative religious fanaticism which supports
these actions as 'blessed by God.'" This
sounds so much like Fascism that one hardly knows what to
say. (012305c) Not convinced? Take a look at this article, it gives a
nice overview of human rights from the
Magna Carta onwards to these troubled days of ours. A great
story about Nikita Kruschev, and quotes by Jefferson,
Scalia, Hamilton and others. (012305d)
01/09/05
01/16/05
01/23/05
01/30/05
02/05/05 An interesting article that is not about the media
exactly, but speaks about it a great deal, the
"black hole" of coverage, is just the most choice gem of the
lot. (020405h) Our "coverage" of Iraq's election, well, uh,
everything was wonderful, it
was great, no problems here, all warm and fuzzy.... about
sums it up, right. (020405b) Here is what Ward Churchill was talking about, "when
you push people, they push back" essentially
covers his view of 9/11 explained in this article
(020305i) However, now it seems that you cannot
talk about "why they attacked us" unless
you are in agreement with the mainstream, conservative,
media and so the author is "punished" with more to come.
(020305j) I have been saying, "it's the media stupid" for some
time, however with this survey of high school students
showing that
about a third think that it is a good idea if newspapers
secure prior governmental approval for publishing stories,
is, to say the least, foreboding, is it not?
(020105a) Iraqi's want us out. The election we just set up and
managed, well,
what if democracy works and the people want us out, petition
for us to leave, and we don't? (020405e) Pat Buchannan of all people calls it as he sees it.
Iran VS. the US, Israel setting the pace, and ignition not
to far off? What a mess, what a mess. (020405d) Can you say Sistani Tsunami? That is what may well
show up, right now the venerable cleric has about 70% of the
10% counted, though
this figure may change it should not be viewed as a success,
for us that is. (020405a) I light of what is said below about the Kurds it is
interesting to note that Skinny Girl Rice is going to
Turkey, on tour, and
this article talks about the issues she faces on behalf of
representing the chaos we call foreign policy in the
region. (020305l) What was "shock and awe" like? What is it like to be
on the receiving end of the air war we heavily rely on in
Iraq? Here
are the answers to those questions.
(020305k) Post election, the insurgents are amping up the
energy, if
a death count means anything to anyone. (020305f)
Then too the Kurds did their own election day polling to
find that
they favor independence by 11 to one. That can't be good
news for Turkey, Iraq, Iran, the US or its "coalition of the
willing" (020305g) Then again the Sunni's have
the capacity to "crash any constitution that they don't like
because all it takes is three provinces to reject a proposed
constitution and it's a dead duck. The
Sunnis happen to control three provinces, they are the ones
with the very low turn out and the highest rate of
resistance (020305h) The "scandal" about the violations to the so called
"oil for food" program run by the UN has been in the news,
but
now that it seems that US new of the operations and condoned
some to help out our allies in the area I would bet this
story will go away, mustn't embarrass monkey boy
president. (020305e) Iraqi forces have desertion rates of up to 40%, this
is a problem, but not in Kurdistan or in the British zone,
yes,
that's right, so its worst only where it counts most in the
dreaded Sunni Triangle (020305d) The Kurds are "feeling their oats" to say the least,
it seems that they can decide which of the two larger
parties can form a government with them, and, gee,
I
wonder what kind of quid pro quo they might want, hmmm,
let's see, autonomy, Kikurk, those would do for
starters.... (020305c) How to torture a devout Moslem? Here
are the steps (020305b) What they don't tell you about the Iraqi election is
that m sot all of the voters believed that by voting they'd
see a fairly quick departure of American influence in their
country, of course they also believed they were voting for a
president and a few other things that weren't exactly true.
It
was also true that many candidates did state that if elected
they'd send Americans packing, but they did also backtrack,
very much near the end and not all that loudly
either. (020305a) Turkey and the Kurds and Kikurk, what WILL happen,
what does the present portend? Certainly there is suspicion
and some acrimony, enough
to go around, current discussions are revealing however
vague they might be. (020105i) Well one thing
that did happen, in the recent election, is that 68% of the
vote in Kikurk went to Kurdish candidates, seems like they
have quite a grip on the place and the Kurds will have
considerable leverage in the governing assembly also
elected. Turkey may not be happy with this result. and we're
saying, "let the Iraqi's sort it out" Turkey
even less happy with that. (020105j) If, if the insurgents are getting "fresh" funding and
have access to the small portable missile systems we'll have
a problem. Right
now the evidence for them having this kind of weaponry is
not certain, but were they to get and use such a supply,
well the military calculus will have to be
revised. (020105h) Six part story pieced together from captured
insurgents, intelligence and other evidence illuminates the
insurgents of Iraq: One
(020105b) Two
(020105c) Three
(020105d) Four
(020105e) Five
(020105f) and Six.
(020105g) This has got to be a high point for the US forces in
Iraq, the turnout surprised most observers, the fact that
the vote was not "ruined" was also a surprise. News
like this is good, credit belongs equally to the US and the
bravery of the Iraqi citizenry. (013105a) And now
for a bit of counterbalance, the way that these elections
came about has a lot
to do with Grand Ayatollah Sistani, see this time lined
article for details (013105b) Then, too, there
are the details, this election differs significantly, and
the details contain the devil, as it were. Here are the
highlights of the "limits" on
who can run, be elected, and what this new government can
and cannot do. (013105c) It may have been spent, and spent well, even properly,
but not being able to account for
9 billion, yes billion, dollars is a bit much even for the
Iraqi occupation situation. (013005b) Lots of Iraqi's voted, the results will come in, and
soon here are descriptions both good and bad, however,
I
maintain that a popular government, elected by at least a
plurality of the population is their best chance at getting
on their feet, letting us get out, and dealing with the
trash that Saddam et al left as an inheritance.
(013005a) Below is a reference to the "Big Tobacco Story" and
here is the first hint of the Big Vinyl Chloride Story"
apparently it is ubiquitous being in many common products
and has a track record as a carcinogen, which the industry
knew about, ignored, and continued on to profits galore. A
nice Five Part Article here: Part
One (020405i) Part
Two (020405j) Part
Three (020405k) Part
Four (020405l) Part
Five (020405m) "We believe today's ruling substantially reduces the
risk associated with the DOJ lawsuit, and should alleviate
investor concerns about that case," Rob Campagnino, an
analyst at Prudential Equity Group, said in a research note.
I like that, "investor concerns" which means now the
"investor" can feel more secure that investments in tobacco
products, addictive, proven deadly and continually marketed
long after their deadly nature was known, will be
profitable. It's OK to invest now that the law suit against
"big tobacco" has had the wind taken out of its sails.
This
was truly an "American moment" (020405g) How did the Environmental Protection Agency decide to
change the policy toward mercury? Answer: "It
was a political decision" (020405f) Here is a good overview of what is called "Peak Oil."
This is the notion that oil production is peaking or has
already, overall, peaked. This in turn means the price of
crude will rise and cause a host of effects in the world,
the
least of which would be a $7.00 to $10.00 price for a gallon
of gas.
(013005d) Curious about "Peak Oil?" Here
is a site dedicated to the issue.
(013005e)
The election, remember that? In Ohio they do, and
ironically an attack on the lawyers pursuing voting fraud
allows the evidence to be entered for the record.
Will
this make a difference, it is doubtful. Have they given up?
No. The story is here. (020905f) North
Korea says it has atomic weapons, publicly, for the record
etc... not that such things seem to create a ripple in the
Bush admin. (021005a) Here is a wonderful, if a
bit long, talking about why Bush is quiet on North Korea,
why the people look forward to war, why the current policy,
whatever it is, isn't working and what might see
what several recent books about North Korea, give as the
current take on "how things are
going?"(021005b) How many Iraqis are in uniform and on our side? Some
say this some say that, but
the number may well be a very small fraction of the
"official" figure. And the trend is downward.
(021305a) Recent elections have the Kurds solidify their hold on
Iraq and some are bragging about it and what they'd like to
do. For
Turkey the time is running out for some kind of resolution
that would prevent any national sentiment, currently running
over 90% according to other articles, from being expressed
in reality. (021105b) Sistani is to be thanked for making the election
happen? It would seem so. So he does not get press,
we
don't know what he wants, really, wouldn't that be on your
mind? (021005c) Would
we want an "Iran Lite" for Iraq?
(021005d) Horror stories from Fallujah? No surprise.
If
anything like this is true it is no wonder that we''ve lost
the "battle for Iraqi hearts and minds."
(020905d) Kikurk, just a bit of an update. It is getting warmer
there as ethnic, religious, political, and international
influences converge and conflict. The
Kurds will be the ones holding the short end of the stick if
only because it is the "easiest" scenario for the US, Turkey
and Iraq. (020905c) Interesting that the US military estimates the number
of resistance fighters and their supporters at 17,000 and at
the same time a poll reports that
52 percent of Sunni Arabs say that attacking US personnel
and facilities is justified. I'd say that comes to over 2.5
million supporters, and those are the ones who will openly
admit it to a pollster. And now that the election
is done and those elected have to be known by name and
appearance the resistance will be targeting all 275 of them.
(020905b) Now that they have "democracy" and now that Shia's
rule the roost, the
leading Shi'ite clerics in Iraq are reportedly "pushing for
Islam to be recognized as the guiding principle of the new
constitution" Now then, we didn't go over there to set up
one of those, did we? Shades of Iran!
(020905a) Shia's in Iraq take the lead, though they, through
Sistani, have made it clear to the US and Iran that they
will call their own shots there
is a chance of a ripple effect for Saudi Arabia's oppressed
and disenfranchised Shia's, is there room for one more
problem? (020605c) We have no designs on Iran. That is the official word.
But the problems Iran provides for the neo-cons, Bush, and
Condi girl may well be immediate. This
article shows what we're saying, officially, to the world,
at the moment. (020605b) The war drums against the Islamic Republic appear to
be beating more loudly now a days; it seems that the Bush
admin may be making the same kind of mistake it made in
Iraq, with the UN, with environmental issues, the Social
Security program, education and so forth. They
are think tank driven, theory based, policy makers whose
pattern of ignoring reality in favor of policy.
(021105a) Building a wall to keep "them" out. To do this, it is
proposed, that the secretary of Homeland Security
waive
all laws in order to expedite the construction of barriers
and fences along the border between the United States and
Mexico. (021005e) West Point and other military officer training centers
are seeing declines
in applications and increases in those who opt to not "join
up" once their education is complete.
(020905e) The alarm bells are ringing, there is an increase in
the awareness and the evidence for global climate change in
one form; the number of scientific papers recording changes
in ecosystems due to global warming has escalated from
14
to more than a thousand in five years time, is but one
salient point being studiously ignored by the US government
and the media here. (020605e) Here is a wrinkle in the old political spectrum,
evangelical Christians becoming concerned with environmental
issues. This
has the potential to be a large shift in the political
landscape, given the Bush record on the environment, the
immediacy of global warming, and the existence of the
environmental movement, still surviving after all these
years (020605d) This has to do with the past. Something that, when I
spoke of it to others, I was dismissed as something of a
paranoid,
well, here is the tip of the proverbial iceberg, Nazi and
CIA collaboration (020605a)
How does the media cover elections? Oddly to say the
least with local
stories and theme music getting more air time than issues
and candidates in some cases. (021505e)
And
here is another story that breaks it down, easy like, and
smooth. Yes, Iraq, the 25 second war.
(021505f) The Kurds have a dream, and a set of "expectations" as
the article makes it clear it
is hard to see the difference between what they want and
independence. (0218 05b) Hey, we have a ticking time bomb in Iraq. The
resolution that "allowed" the invasion has it that the US
has to be out by 2005. Most
Iraqi's want us gone as well. I guess what I mean is what if
a duly elected government wants us out, the people want us
out, the resolution says we have to go, but we don't? Then
what? Just curious I guess, that 's all.
(021805a) Hard to believe that American pilots who were tortured
in the infamous Iraqi prison, Abu Ghraib, in Gulf War One
now
have to fight the US government to get the compensation they
have been awarded. The rationale: Today's Iraqis are good
guys, and THEY need the money (021505d) Medical science is wonderful, but there are always
detractors. In this case a medication given to troops in
Iraq has certain fatal side effects. Evidence
in the article shows that the use of the drug, overall, was
an error and though there were advisories given indicating a
danger the army insists it is safe.
(021305b) Rattle it here, rattle it there, rattle that "saber of
war" everywhere. It's
now Syria's turn, again, after a car bomb killed a prominent
Lebanese politician. All the fallout falls on Syria, which
has me thinking, that if "someone" did not like Syria all
that much they could, by taking this beloved man out, cause
that country grief. (021505c) List of suspects:
Iran, US. Israel, Al Qaida and of course Syria. A who's who,
each with their own motive, IMHOP. What can be done with/to Iran and what is being done,
so this article proposes, here
is the current thinking from overseas, anyway.
(021905a) Step by step, inch by inch we approach the decisions
that will alter the future greatly. Russia
helps Iran out with its nuclear power program, the US
doesn't like this one bit. (021705a) In previous
issues we've seen large economic blocks form and military
cooperation, now we see more of the same Iran
and Syria finding some kind of nascent common
cause. (021705b) and so don't miss this article
either: Russia
to Sell Advanced Missiles to Syria
(021705c) Global Warming is here, according to the scientists
looking into ocean warming. Previous hoopla has surrounded
atmospheric warming, this is a different kettle of fish and
it indicates that the world is warming and the greenhouse
effects are the driver while the oceans "bank" the change.
We
are on track for changes, how rapid, how extensive and what
effects might be coming down the pike are matters for
further research. (021905c) At first I thought the headline "Terminate the
Terminator" was about our Grope 'n Fuhrer, but
it's not, its about the fight against Genetically Engineered
crops that die off on schedule so that no one can reliably
gather seed from such crops. Its a money thing.
(021505a) Flirting with Armageddon? It seems to be that the
threat of nuclear attack is now greater than during the cold
war. More nuclear armed states exist now and Iran has
learned that we "don't attack nuclear states" prompting
them, many think, to emulate North Korea. Then
too, terrorists are after weapons and they will not be
swayed by the "MAD" theory, (mutually assured destruction)
which worked so well during the "classic" cold war, in fact,
such an eventuality would only encourage them.
(021905b) How
the Bush Budget "screws the kids" a bit of an overview here
is depressing enough as it is. (021805d) John Negroponte, now our Director of National
Intelligence,
has quite a history and is famous in Honduras and even now
his "memory"/"legacy" lingers on.
(021805c) Keep Planting. This is a great hopeful story send to
me by a new and dear friend. A
wasteland made by an open pit mine is recovered in a single
handed one pointed manner, a hero is born.
(021505b) There is always hope. Increasingly it may not seem
that way. However, I believe, despite appearances, that the
truth will out, justice will prevail, and that we are on the
way to a better world. I have faith that this will be a good
year. I choose to harbor hope.
You know its not just the media, there are others
keeping mum. Torture
is an interesting aspect of this "war on terror" we ship off
detainees to foreign nations, infamous for torture, so that
what might still be "over the edge" treatment here, can be
administered there. (022505c) And
here is one particularly egregious case of a Mr.
Arar. (022505d) The American people believe the craziest things: the
9/11 hijackers were actually Iraqi's, 44%, Saddam had strong
links to Al Qaida, 64% and
76% believe that the Iraqis are better off now than they
were under Saddam. Read the rest here.
(022305g) How our election of John Kerry had him win by 5
million votes but the tally, once "counted" had Bush win by
3 million. An 8 million discrepancy between exit polls and
voting results? There was less than that in the Ukraine and
the US was one of those clamoring for a recount in Ukraine.
I
guess what's good enough for them isn't good enough for
us. (022305a) Specifically
we need to revisit Ohio, at least for starters.
(022305b) While it may not be a "true" civil war the
violence between the Sunni and Shia in Iraq is heating up
without a lot of coverage, mind
you.(022605b) The only surprise in what the Kurds are now saying
that they want is that it doesn't mention the "I" word.
(shhhh ... independence) Everything
else is as expected, they get to run their area as they see
fit, keep Kikurk, allow their people to return and
repopulate, and, according to other stories keep
their own military, flag, maintain borders and have the
right to determine who comes or goes into their zone.
(022505a) President Bush, who hopes to coax more Iraq support
from European allies next week, used to boast that some 50
nations had joined the United States in Operation Iraqi
Freedom. Today,
a public listing is nowhere to be
found.(022105a) More recently we hear of a "U turn" in policy
regarding Iran, that we're more interested in the carrot
than the stick. But
the evidence for that assertion comes from the European
"feel good" tour recently completed by Bush, time will
tell. (022605a) We hear that Iran is targeted and for this coming
June. Air strikes meant to take out its nuclear facilities
and meant to precipitate regime change. This according to
some reporters who say they know. Maybe
this is a kind of "trial balloon" a leak meant to be leaked
so that reaction could be gauged, who knows, here is the
story. (022205a) A very brief article comparing and contrasting what an
effective government would have done before 9/11 with what
was done, and the results. Truly
sad, sad, sad. for us, that is and millions of
others. (022605f) With Bush et al saying, over and over, we are a nation
founded by Christians, it is interesting to note that this
is not at all the case. The founders were influenced by a
social movement or upheaval called "the enlightenment" and
they sought with certainty to put a barrier between religion
and government. This article, in three parts, goes into some
historical detail backing that assertion, part
one: (022605c) part
two: (022505d) and
part three; (022605e) The "Bird Flu" cannot truly be called that anymore.
Experts
believe it is a threat since the virus has proven to be
"very versatile" and has even been found in animals such as
tigers, cats and humans. (022505g) The "Clear Skies" initiative, controversial when it
was first proposed is being
contested by an array of opponents, governors, State
Attorney Generals, environmental groups, activists and so
on. (022505f) Our government asserts that Canada has given up a
measure of its sovereignty. Canada
begs to differ with that
assertion.(022505e) Not so long ago Canada and the US were quite close.
now
it seems disagreement exists with what could arguably be
called our "closest friend" in the world.
(022505b) Apropos of the stories below is this one, concerning
68
tones of plutonium that is currently being stored in Russia.
Security is a concern, US and Russian relations
are a concern and having the US and Russia figure out how to
resolve their differences is a concern. Loose nukes anyone?
(022305h) An
overview of how the US is being incrementally sidelined,
ignored, and, even dismissed. The strategic error of the
whole Iraq affair is coming a cropper. And though
I have an idea of what the neo-cons might, in their wildest
dreams, consider, I have no proof or desire to spread
visions of nightmarish scenarios in which A bombs play a
disproportionate role. (022305f) Here is some insight into the neo-con's view of an
emerging Euro-Union, generally it is not favorable,
even
though it could be argued that the US' recent policies have
exacerbated differences, to say the least.
(022305e) US and Euro interests clash over Iran, Iraq, global
warming, GE foods, and now this: The House this month passed
a resolution declaring
that an end to the (European) arms embargo (to China) would
be "in direct conflict with U.S. security interests" and
that such action would "necessitate limitations and
constraints … that would be unwelcome on both sides of
the Atlantic." (022305d) The Christian Science Monitor asks: "Will
there be a draft?" The answer is a very qualified no. But
even in that statement there is 'wiggle room."
(022305c) A peek inside the Conservative Political Action
Conference where we learn that Iraq did have weapons of mass
destruction that were found and Bush, well he is pretty
damned near to being worshiped. Proto-facists? You bet,
troubling thoughts, certainly, especially when our
VP
and other high ranking government types such as Mr. Rove
back the wildest of statements. (022105b)
02/13/05
02/20//05
02/27/05
03/06/05 03/06/05 Recent operations in Iraq have shown the opposition
taking the better part of valour, and eluding large scale
operations. The
lessons of Fallujah have been learned, it is better to "live
to fight another day" rather than stand and be
killed. (030505c) It is interesting to look at what we've said about the
opposition forces in Iraq, so here are a nice set of quotes
from
the beginning of the occupation to the current date, from
"dead enders" to "hundreds of thousands"
(030505b) Stories are hard to come by here we see the word that
Shiites are killing Sunnis suggesting
that a civil war may be brewing between the Shia and Sunni
in Iraq. (022805d) Here
is a sample of an attack on the Shiites, over 100 dead and
twice that injured. (022805e) It isn't a civil
war in the sense that the two sides are fighting over a
single set of issue, rather, the shites are after revenge
and the Sunni's after disrupting the governments operations.
The fighting has not evolved into a true Us versus Them it
seems. Air Force Gen. Richard Myers said that in the past
century, insurgencies around the world have lasted
anywhere from seven to 12 years, making a quick fix to the
problem in Iraq unlikely. (022805a) What is going on with the US and its foreign policy?
That's what many want to know. The answer is increasingly
clear and simple: Political Religion. This article describes
it; giving it shape and color. It is what can call up the
masses who believe that "the world cannot be saved" and thus
Kyoto is useless, Iraq was inevitable and is/will be helpful
in bringing on the battle of armegedddon. It is the
faithful's hope that by speeding up the fullfillment of
certain prophecies that Jesus will return and, after seven
years of tribulation, the
world will be made over into a paradise for those whom God
chose to take up in the rapture. Sounds like a sold basis
for policy to them, however not to anyone else, but then,
those who disagree with that idea are damned souls
anyway. (030605a) US policy fuels the fires of the Middle East, with no
end in sight. It
may only be a matter of time before something REALLY goes
wrong. (030505d) Back in the 60's it was popular to "rage against the
machine" calling the US a "facist tool" and so forth, now a
days we hardly hear such inflamatory comments, however, they
may be more deserved. The question is asked, "What will
happen if Bin Laden makes good his threat to bring the war
to the US?" Indeed, what would happen then? If 9/11 brought
about the PATRIOT act and other losses of civil liberties
and got media and military "on line" with our dear leaders
religious manifest destiny, then
what further losses would a serious attack bring?
(030505d) Here's a good overview of the case for a draft. It
provides the reasons why the volunteer force that we have
now, laudable though it is, is having troubles meeting its
commitments, however, rather than simply create a draft as
we did for Vietman or WW2, we'd
have a 21st century version, it's a thought provoking
concept that intends to provide fairness and
options. (030505a) I guess the wild applause for nuking Syria is enought
to make a Texan proud: Sam
Johnson (R-Texas) speaking at a veterans' celebration at
Suncreek United Methodist Church in Allen, Texas, on Feb.
19, thinks the weapons of mass destruction are buried: in
Syria, which he said he'd like to nuke to
smithereens. (022805f) Georgie Bush and his Magic Bubble, that should have
been what we called the procession as it went abroad. He
carries his Potemkin like "reality bubble" with him and
no
unwanted idea, unvetted person or consideration gains entry
to his presence. (022805c) Terry Jamison, Public Affairs Specialist, Office of
the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs,
Department of Veterans Affairs, at the VA Central Office,
recently reported that 'Gulf Era Veterans' now on medical
disability, since 1991, number 518,739 Veterans."
Bernklau
added: "The long-term effects have revealed that DU (uranium
oxide) is a virtual death sentence,"
(022805b)
An Israeli view of the democratic "movement" in their
region is certainly quite qualified, the
thinking is that the US is blindly pursuing a course that,
if successful, will only empower those who hate
them. (031805b) Democracy in the Middle East? The history is not as
bleak as it seems, Lebanon has a history of representative
government as does Iran, and these are our opponents in the
area, while many of our allies are quite "autocratic" Times
are a changin' but there is a quid pro quo of US policy,
money matters, and do we want to have democracy there?
What
is going on? Did you know we overthrew the Syrian government
in 49? An overview of the issue.
(031805a) The good news is that democracy appears to have a
foothold in the middle east, Bush can say he brought part of
it about, situations
and circumstances have been both coincidental and friendly
to the process, however the jury, quite understandably, is
still out. (031605a) The good news is that it appears that democracy has a
foothold in what had been Terra Incognito to it until now.
Bush has brought some of it about, events have Lots of opium growing here,
about 87% of the world's source so they say.
(031805d) Afghanistan: Elections postponed for the third
time. Condi
breaks the story while Karzai looks on,
surprised. (031805c) And
the word from/on the street is enough to make some nostalgic
for the Taliban, odd that... (031805e) It
seems that Hizbollah's ability to move the masses in Lebanon
in favor of Syria's interests is remarkable, but
not in the US, we're safe behind our electronic barrier
wall. (031305g) In the news Ukraine's has or may have,
smuggled/supplied
Iran with a set of cruise missiles capable of reaching
Israel (031905a) Meanwhile
Pakistan tests their own long range, nuclear capable,
missiles (031905b) No doubt both have various
reasons for pursuing this area of military weapons
development. n the news Ukraine has, may have, supplied Iran with
missiles capable of reaching Israel, meanwhile Pakistan
tests long range nuclear capable missiles. No doubt their
interest is academic If the US is not in Iraq for the near long term, 10
years say, then why are the bases we build so "permanent"
looking? Could this be another rip off on the billion dollar
scale? Written off as the "cost of doing business?
Or
is the US really planning to hunker down for the time being,
reality allowing? (031505) Montana wants to pull its National Guard units out of
Iraq? The
article implies that they can do this, one wonders, if it
happens, will it be a trend? (031505i) Kurdish Kikurk, say it five times really fast, it is
the newest tongue twister, and a real problem for the yet to
be government. Need I say that Bush bungling in such a rich
and varied way should take responsibility? No,
who would listen anyway? Read on McDuff, read on:
(031505h) The coalition of the willing just gets smaller:
Italy
will begin withdrawing troops in September.
(031505g) A sad story, a whistle blower blows the whistle, no
one listens he winds up dead and 24.7 million is still
missing. The person he alleged to be siphoning off money
still runs the show, however, and
the project, well, the article gives no hint that it has
even started. (031505e) Just how does Halliburton et al, make sooooo much
money? First you buy low and sell high. Like
with charging $27,514,833 to deliver $82,100 in LPG
fuel," (031505d) Reform in the news "industry" so called because some
of its "producers" are hard at work using government
money to
change our minds regarding government policies, programs
and, shock and awe, candidates who are cast in a rosy
light. (031605c) From The Daily Howler, of 3/15/2005 we have the small
stories that exemplify the major ones, which
are not reported, the conservative bias in the media, the
fear of reporters to challenge, if you'll pardon the phrase,
the "wisdom of the president", the ignorance of some of the
reporters and so forth. (031505f) What is God's name is "top down
journalism"?
Well lookey here, this here article tells it like it is at
the end of the third paragraph. (031505c) Unknown to most all, and certainly not reported, is
the extent to which news is served up prepackaged and ready
to use. No
thinking required, no reporters for that matter either, so
its cost efficient and you don't have to worry about the
facts, that's the best of all! (031505a) "Mercury, its what's for dinner" EPA allows "better
living through chemistry" or at least better profits?
Already
pregnant women are advised against too much fish in their
diet, what's next? (031605b) The US and Taiwan, an partnership that has been in
existence a long time. But as we've noted here there have
been global shifts in the alignment of nations and
alliances. This
most recent rumbling from China is revealing for the
reactions of those nominally allied to the US and those in
the other camp. (031505a) Himalayan glaciers on the retreat and this is only
the
most recent evidence for global warming, coming soon ... no
wait, its here already ... (031305f) Some Bushboys has hinted that what worked in/on Libya
would work on Iran, well, it won't. Here
is what happened in Libya (031305e) How is our image is doing overseas? Not well is seems
seems, even
though the "torture and kidnap business" is doing well. The
errors would be funny, well no they wouldn't be, would
they? (031305d) I'm not sure this has to do with climate change, as in
global warming, but water wars, predicted
by Pakistan's current leader, years ago, seem to be shaping
up on the horizon, unless reason, rationale, and logic are
applied to the problem. In other words it looks
bad.(031505j) In East Africa mount Kilimanjaro has long had it
signature snow cap is now mostly gone, 15
years ahead of schedule. An indication of global warming,
yes, and ahead of schedule too. (031505b) Perhaps the Palestinian people are willing to "give
Abbas a chance" and perhaps consider holding off violence.
If
the polls be true... (031505k)
A plan for Iraqi oil, sounds good doesn't it? It
certainly did in the years BEFORE the invasion of Iraq and
it is just now coming to light, the
recepie for success? Have some Iraqi government take over
the "ownership" of the fields, then farm out the operation
to some one, Big Oil, for exploitation.
(032605g) A report that the Iraqi resistance is
"cracking".
It cites a fall in the overall number of attacks and Iraqi's
taking on some "insurgents" here and there.
(032605c) Meanwhile another report, in part, dovetails with
that one, only showing signs that
sectarian embers are glowing and if a stiff wind comes
along... (032605d) One wonders when it will collapse. Iraq, I mean.
Corruption, occupation, disaffection, disillusionment, power
plays, violence sectarianism, infiltration, Kurdish demands
on Kikurk and the one point that seems to say it all,
Fallujah,
folks it still a battle ground with car bombs going off,
fighting, roadside IED's and so forth despite the fact that
nothing much at all is left of the place to fight
over. (032305a) Bombings
begin in Lebanon, with a bit of a sectarian
twist, (032205b) Even
as Syria says they're pulling out for real
(032205c) Ukraine
decides to pull out its troops by year's end, of course, "in
consult with our allies" the withering "coalition of the
willing" continues (032205a) even as the attacks
on US forces continues. Blame enough to go around for the latest car bombs in
Lebanon. Time
will tell if we have a new conflagration or not.
(032605a) Well it looks as if we are seeing a pattern, corrupt
or incompetent central Asian nations are overthrowing
governments that are unpopular or, as I said, incompetent.
The influence of the US is rising as Russia's is in decline.
I
don't know how this fits into the grander puzzle of things
but it is a pattern worthy of note and record.
(032605b) The reports of opium production exceed highest
predictions. Progress? But
we plan to "do something." Will farmers earn what they
want? (032505c) When all else is said and done we have a weapon to use
against Iran that worked against Russia and China. Our
current set of "arguments" vis a via Iran's nuclearization
have many problems, not
the least of which is that they contradict what we've done
and said, not that that matters to us, but it does
strengthen the Iranian government's hand.
(032605e) Who is our government listening to when it speaks of
"Iranian plots" against the US? Well it looks nearly
like a nut basket talking to an airhead, you decide which is
which, to me its a toss up. (032205g) Is this how
we'll make up our mind on Iran? Geez. The whole issue is that the US does not trust Iran and
visa versa. Now that the US has put enough carrots in the
pot to make a recipe aromatic enough for the EU troika,
England, France and Germany, to invite us to the table we
seem to have negotiation "oomph" but Iran is not moved, time
seems to be short and instead of "heading them off at the
past" and avoiding another North Korea, we
have the appetizing possibility of a showdown at the not so
OK corral. Can Mr. Bush afford another North Korea? Stay
tuned for exciting adventures for next week's
discussions. (032005a) It is amazing that no criticism comes after comments
to this effect, "Although
we were all wrong, we'd still do the same thing today that
we did back then, Greenspan says it, the acting president
says it, and others take their cue from such.
(032505b) Crazy thing is, people seem to swallow such bilge
and with gusto. The media coverage of the recent protests was "lite"
hardly
a mention of them, how widespread they were.
(032205f) Let us play the China card. It is in the news these
days and seemingly all over the map. What is going on? Could
it be that it too is waking up and taking a lead?
China
and Nepal (032005g) China's
economic might and resurgence in the regions around
it (032005h) China
want a "string of pearls" around India and works deals with
its neighbors, oil deals not the least among
them. (032005i) We
see China as a rising power what does that bring?
(032005j) The price of oil ticks up, maybe for some time to come
we'll see rises. The
International Energy Agency has plans though, read about
that here. Read onwards and you can see a bit about the
draft and other items related to "imperial over
reach" (032605f) New military weapons, what is the latest? Instant
response from space. The
"One way" planet view is that we are blind to what we are
doing, have our own "good self image" to keep us unaware of
how others see us. Great, if long, article.
(032605a) The military's recruitment woes are given shape here,
but they have plans, they
plan to approach the parents of young adults to see, if
through the magic of advertising, they can boost
recruitment (032505a) A set of stories about the "oil crunch" which contains
some quotes from Cheney and some year old passages which
still look good since they talk about
the reason oil prices are bound to be going on the upswing
for the near, midrange and long term altogether.
(032305c) The case of Ms. Schiavo, hopelessly helpless for more
than a decade, became the reason that federal
government shoved aside states rights so they could
intervene. Strange that the party of "states
rights" (032205d) Here is another take on the
significance of the case,
the federal government is intervening in the private affairs
of an individual, acting in part, on behalf of the Roman
Catholic church, separation of church and state
anyone? (022305b) The future of the US armed forces, in the near term,
is problematical, what is worrying some is the picture two
or five years down the road a four part article,
Part
One: (032005b) Part
Two: (032005c) Part
Three: (032005d) and
Part Four: (032005e) More data on recruitment woes, some specific figures,
February
was 27% "off target" (032205e) Some time ago there was a story from Pakistan's
Baluchistan province/area. It
seems their restive attitude continues and these tribesmen
can muster thousands at a time. They want more of their
regions wealth spend on them, possibly
reasonable, (032005f) but instability seems to be
Pakistan's problem: they've a problem with India, along the
Afghan border, with Al Qaida, with their Madrassas, with
proliferation and with a leader who is not at all liked by
the most of the contries people. Another country in Asia gets its "Democracy on'
Kyrgyzstan overthrows its "old time' leader, husszh!
But
the nations around it are staying mum. Need you ask
why? (032405b)
03/20/05
03/27/05