CarolinaDem

Group suicide by cop compounded by felonious lethal assault. Requires explanation, perhaps more data. What happened while this was going on, and how pointless can a group action be?
Just dumb? posted 07/09/2008 at 10:05:05

and since all politics is local, how much of this is designed to let the Iranian regime, Cheney-like, claim to have successfully deterred an attack they believe nobody can politically afford after Iraq? We've given these guys all the propaganda levers. Their only big problem is their own economy and public resentment at its failures. Bushco's a big plus to them. posted 07/09/2008 at 08:43:31

concurring addendum: Reuters is reporting the following this morning:
" In the Pakistani capital Islamabad, police allowed up to 70 Kashmiri activists to enter the diplomatic enclave where they chanted anti-India slogans outside the Indian High Commission.

An Indian diplomat said their appearance caused some alarm because the Pakistani authorities would normally forewarn the embassy of any demonstration, but no warning was given this time."

So Pakistan finds it an occasion to attack India's embassy within hours of the bombing, which the Taliban refuses to own. hmm. Looks indeed like the Kashmir problem relocated into Afghanistan. posted 07/07/2008 at 10:36:07

helpful as usual. Thanks. posted 07/07/2008 at 10:26:03

There is something in Afghanistan that is a lot more valuable than a training camp for jihadists. India is interested, despite its colossal rise toward wealth in other avenues. Pakistan clearly cares. Any clue? At present it just looks like the Pakistani secret service ISI harvests money from its Army as the US pays for 'control' of its wild tribal areas, but I don't see how India would be a threat to that. It's Pakistan that seems to me to be the 'failed state' with a government, army and secret service at each other's throats. posted 07/07/2008 at 09:30:04

But that DOES make Pakistan precisely the kind of 'failed state' or 'state harboring terrorists' that Bush and company swore they would attack as the core of their war on terror. Somebody needs to hold them to the fire on this. If Pakistan isn't worth offending to get the guy who DID 9/11 why does it make any sense to threaten Iran, who don't have him? posted 06/16/2008 at 18:08:14

Yeah, but that was pretty clear, wasn't it? Wasn't it the logistical functions of transport, meal prep and housing that Halliburton pioneered? They were reportedly trying to cut the dozen-to-one or worse ratio of logistical to combat personnel. The big changes this administration brought included
a) hiring mercenaries to carry out black ops for the military command
b) outsourcing security to mercenaries
c) sending huge portions of National Guard units into overseas combat zones
(not since Korea, when Guard units served only until ready Reserve could be organized to return to combat.
Am I wrong? Just the facts, ma'am. posted 06/13/2008 at 08:45:45

Republicans brought this upon us because they saw the best interests of the world's economy as a kind of ideal ruling moral as well as political thought. They typically unite the best interest of the economic actor with human freedom to pursue it in a grand Adam Smithy view which puts such liberty at the core of a utopia of human accomplishment, satisfaction and dignity. Then, having moralized a largely theoretical concept of how things are best arranged for business into an ideological orthodoxy, they find it necessary to hire and engage only fellow believers. The result is a personnel in government and associated companies who collectively cannot grasp the fact that other people have other valid interests without seeing such others as morally inferior obstructionists opposing the good. So they embark upon policies like the attempt to guarantee the unmanipulated flow of oil into the world economy by invading Iraq, thinking that others will be grateful for their moral heroism. Linking that at last to the patriotism of military service and national honor, it is a short step into dismissing all critics as unworthy of debate because what is at issue is the very value of the American way. That then amounts to inability to discern the real opposition, its purpose, its character and its strength in the simple fact that nobody asked them to convert the world to their religious vision of it. The result LOOKS like incompetence, arrogance and corruption. It's really just prep school snottiness. posted 04/02/2008 at 09:51:41

Dogs are the only animals routinely expressive of joy. Some of them are so full of love they like their Republican owners. Astounding. posted 04/02/2008 at 11:22:54

God, how the bullshit piles up. Let's read some books, boys. Vietnam was no part of any strategic contest with 'communism' or the Soviet Union except an idiotic attempt to pacify French and domestic political concerns afraid of 'losing' it. The Vietnamese had won their liberation from the Japanese AND the French and were not about to surrender to the American ideological juggernaut.
Second, no military build-up on Reagan's part hurt any country but our own. The Russians were defeated by their own incompetencies, especially as they were left behind by the digital revolution. Plus, the really big event was their inability to deal with Afghanistan, which was less C. Wilson's war than the Afghani warlords', and it completely deprived the hardline Soviet leadership of its respect among its own people. Matter of time after that. We pretend that other people are dunces but we are the most deluded. posted 04/03/2008 at 00:02:44

To prove that our surge was a-workin',
We hit them where they wuz a-lurkin'
"Maliki's no weenie!"
Said Great Big Dick Cheney,
"His nations war HE's not a-shirkin'" posted 03/29/2008 at 22:56:46

No institution which interferes with my daily dose of HumeS deserves to endure. posted 03/29/2008 at 20:17:15

I someone else's post is dated after one I posted does that mean mine is rejected? And can we find out what the criteria are? posted 03/29/2008 at 19:58:18

McNamara testified before Congress in a little-remarked deposition that oil deposits in the Indonesian archipelago were the main strategic interest in our holding a strong military base at the southern tip of the Asian continent (i.e., Vietnam). Once again, it seems the Dean Rusks drink the kool aid while the military-industrial thinkers always focus on oil. Makes sense? Unfortunately for humanity, they usually have a certain intelligent order to their wickedness. posted 03/29/2008 at 19:25:57

To prove that the surge was still working
We struck where the bad guys were lurking
'Maliki's no weenie,'
said great big Dick Cheney,
'His nation's dumb war HE's not shirking!

Unfortunately there was Sadr
Whose attitude could not be badr
He showed off his ire
with mortar rounds fire
and made the Green Zone cannon fodr posted 03/29/2008 at 19:14:12

even though al-Maliki has become the Commander Guy! posted 03/29/2008 at 19:01:14

Any secret intelligence (so to speak) on the impact of Cheney's recent visit to Iraq upon al-Maliki's decision to play Commander Guy in Basra? Would this not serve nicely to connect our hero with the danger of defeat at the hands of the most Iranianesque militia, to justify a) running around their flank to secure the logistics trail into Iran and b) smacking the crap out of Iran's missile and air forces to protect 'our allies' put down terrorists there?

Anybody know? I mean, if we've got Russian intelligence, somebody must have a theory about Cheney's visit...not to mention dumping Fallon last week. posted 03/29/2008 at 18:58:55

HOrrible.
But Huffpo, there's other news, from Basra.
Has anyone connected the dots from this heroic self-assertion by al-Maliki and the recent visit of VP Cheney? Obviously the ultimatum was delivered.
Won't an Iraqi attack on the Mahdi Army provoke the Iranian response that will serve as the pretext Cheney can't find elsewhere? posted 03/29/2008 at 00:50:54

I had written the Great American Comment on the last war thread but it died under Moderation. Coleridge would be proud. posted 03/28/2008 at 01:04:39

Well, call me stupid but I thought the LEAST the surge had accomplished was to secure the Green Zone's immediate mortar-grounds against just this kind of harassment. What? Is this not a failure? What's the real spin, apart from the (much appreciated) smart remarks? posted 03/27/2008 at 23:49:19

Deeply full of shit. The goal and only excuse for the surge was not for the Iraqi's to take over any fight, but for the political leadership to agree on the one thing necessary, which was a workable treatment of the oil wealth. Didn't happen. Surge wasted. No success at anything that mattered. Stay full, conservative, stay full. posted 03/27/2008 at 12:43:54

Okay, the food fight has been lengthy, but does anyone have any insight into what this development means? Is the lull initiated (tho not produced) by the 'surge' coming to an end or is this exaggeration of some local issue? If it is, does it mean that the lid is coming off? Will that endanger our troops? What actually is the damage in the green zone? Where is the meaning of the alleged NEWS? posted 03/27/2008 at 12:00:46

Why would you not hold Congressional hearings on the simple question of priorities in the military budget given the creation by the present administration of an inextricable peacekeeping force in the Middle East? Wouldn't this be an obvious time to force the Pentagon's congressional-industrial forcefeeders to come clean on the kinds of sacrifice that are really necessary to support our troops? Why do we have to wait for smuggled reports from the military itself to find out that they don't have enough of anything to keep this up? posted 03/26/2008 at 21:58:27

We need a stronger word than 'demonize' to describe what the pro-Hillary and pro-Obama rooters are doing to each other's candidates, and the campaigns are allowing to pass unchecked as well. This is worse than destructive to the party; this is making Rove some kind of norm we all are slowly having to accept as the people we admire treat their adversaries as he would have.

You don't have to sacrifice your own candidacy or the fight for it to rise above it for the sake of the principle that the other guy's reputation ought not to be ruined by misinformation. There's no tough guy realism that overrules that ideal, only fratboy shitheadedness. It's just punk, boys and girls, just punk.

Nobody can fix it but Hillary and Obama themselves, each. The first one that does gets my vote and deserves all the rest. posted 03/27/2008 at 07:10:03

I am with you in spirit but they're really just being consistent, aren't they? They say Clinton wavered with the polls, and they talked W into believing that a great leader is one who ignores public opinion. That way they can manipulate him into whatever they tell him is 'right' without competition from any other sector than his own 'executive'. No doubt that's how they run corporations, right? Except that corporations have to be responsive to their customers. Here you only make 'the sale' once in four years and you're free to go in between. It's only odd, like hijacking cockpits, because nobody's done it before. They literally think we have as much to say about what they're doing as the guy on his sofa has to say about how the coach calls the plays in the Superbowl. Even the army are just their employees, right? Their only restraint is the Congress. kyrie eleison. posted 03/26/2008 at 00:01:33

Well, This sucks! posted 03/24/2008 at 23:41:22

Okay, what's up with this guy with an upside-down question mark in the middle of his name?
Heraldo Mu¿oz? For real? Do we have what you call a transliterator on board? posted 03/23/2008 at 00:33:03

Well they could use that thing W had on his back during his 'debates' , powered into John's hearing aid... posted 03/23/2008 at 07:28:25

And from the millions of Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, UCC's, and non-sectarian Baptists for whom it is the same day, Happy Easter to you too. posted 03/23/2008 at 07:18:35

Damn! Right on, sir! posted 03/22/2008 at 16:11:06

Certainly at the least we should burn down the University of Chicago. You are SO right! Even the Divinity school out there is infected with Friedmanisms, talking about the 'charity of high expectations for personal self-improvement'. They NEVER distinguish 'regulation' from 'command economies', as if there were no advantage to a free market with strong, fair laws governing all sellers and buyers!

And another thing: several posters here object to the partisanship which blames the GOP. But this started after Nixon got a job on Wall Street, which is what (who?) put him back on the road to the White House after his debacle running for Gov in the early sixties. It was Reagan's million bucks for a speech in Japan that signalled how the White House was servicing financiers. And Bush with his 'privatization' of Social Security which was nothing of the sort, just a shoveling of $1000 per person into Wall Street showed the same ties controlling our lives. Even 'growth' is incontestably good only for the brokerages. Give me a break!

Is this all wrong? Those of us who have doubted Uncle Milty have been made to feel really stupid. Thanks for your post. posted 03/22/2008 at 16:07:23

Look the only thing that changed on 9/11 was the traumatic realization by the press and leaders in DC and NYC of their own mortality. The terrorist movement didn't show strange new power or zeal or hatred. They were like the first guy to run the statue of liberty play. He fooled everybody....ONCE. It was horrible, more horrible than those who planned it even dreamed. It was evil. But it didn't change the world. The nutcase overreaction of the whole nationalist establishment to the criminal activity of a Saudi subversion campaign DID change the world, for the worse. Democrats who seem to have a '10th of September' attitude are simply sane. It's a problem because our involvement in the violent politics of oil control is a huge factor, if not the cause, in lots of people's hideous misery. It's a price we pay for being Cheneyesque in the Middle East. You haven't stopped it with your 'war' talk, you've spread it all over Iraq and Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen, and you won't stop it as long as human pride resists your boot.
Just let it be one problem, not the main cause of human life. That's sane. posted 03/21/2008 at 09:47:44