One anyway. Steve Sailer (via John Derbyshire) --
Will McCain, who finished 894th out of 899 at the Naval Academy and who lost five jets, return competence to the White House?
This is also good.
When will the media stop with the "Maverick" shite?
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Batallón de San Patricio
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RTE -- US Border Patrol officials say they have arrested a man who escaped from the Maze prison in 1983. He was arrested at a border checkpoint in southern Texas on Monday night. The US Border Patrol have refused to name him but said he is awaiting deportation.
Border Patrol official Oscar Soldana said the man produced an out-of-date immigration document at the Sarita checkpoint near Brownsville. He said the man was identified through fingerprinting.
Question for straight-talking maverick John McCain: since this shows that the US Border Patrol is doing a good job of catching terrorist suspects at the Mexican border, doesn't that mean that the rest of the McCain-Kennedy immigration bill can now go ahead, in which he case he should answer Anderson Cooper's question* last night about whether he would vote for his own bill if it came up again?
UPDATE: Here's Wikipedia's listing of the 1983 Jailbreak participants. While only two remain unaccounted for, the Border Control might conceivably have stopped any of them given their records.
*It began as Janet Hook's question
FINAL UPDATE: The detained escapee is Paul Brennan, who while technically on-the-run was not one of the never-accounted-for persons, and the British government had stopped pursuing his extradition in 2003.
Legal referral
The Mahon Tribunal has already conclusively established that there were mysterious dollar donations sloshing around the upper reaches of the Fianna Fail party in 1994 and in close proximity to then Minister of Finance Bertie Ahern at the same time that the American firm Ogden was backing a proposal by businessman Norman Turner to build a large casino in the Phoenix Park.
Isn't that enough for the US Department of Justice to start looking at whether there was a breach of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act?
Isn't that enough for the US Department of Justice to start looking at whether there was a breach of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act?
Let the men sort it out
Karl Rove, who for some reason is being given space on the Wall Street Journal opinion page --
Both Democrats and Republicans are in spirited and, at times, heated contests. The difference is Democrats are running a nasty race that has as its subtext race and gender. The Republican race, on the other hand, is a serious debate about serious ideas. Over the last several months, we have been seeing men who represent different strands within the GOP battle each other.
The logic appears to be that since the Democrat race features a white woman and a black man, there's a "subtext" of race and gender, while since the Republican race is all white guys in suits, those issues by definition can't arise.
Both Democrats and Republicans are in spirited and, at times, heated contests. The difference is Democrats are running a nasty race that has as its subtext race and gender. The Republican race, on the other hand, is a serious debate about serious ideas. Over the last several months, we have been seeing men who represent different strands within the GOP battle each other.
The logic appears to be that since the Democrat race features a white woman and a black man, there's a "subtext" of race and gender, while since the Republican race is all white guys in suits, those issues by definition can't arise.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
All war all the time
The event just now where Rudy Giuliani endorsed John McCain for President of the USA was a good illustration of why either of them would be a dreadful President. Rudy --
John McCain is the most qualified candidate to be the next commander in chief of the United States
thus putting above all else the military functions of the position -- functions which in any case George Bush has delegated to his field general in Iraq. Perhaps Rudy should get some credit for his little dig at Bush, "we could use a hero in the White House".
McCain in turn referred to the "transcendent challenge" of the country as being that from Islamic extremism. A threat from a group whose size is measured in thousands and who have no access to weapons of mass destruction. That this group might have millions of "sneaking regarders" (as they used to say in Ireland) is more to do with the use of military bludgeon of state war against them, as George Bush has done.
So Rudy is on to his 3rd wife and McCain is a staight talking maverick. But where it actually matters, they are Bush continued.
John McCain is the most qualified candidate to be the next commander in chief of the United States
thus putting above all else the military functions of the position -- functions which in any case George Bush has delegated to his field general in Iraq. Perhaps Rudy should get some credit for his little dig at Bush, "we could use a hero in the White House".
McCain in turn referred to the "transcendent challenge" of the country as being that from Islamic extremism. A threat from a group whose size is measured in thousands and who have no access to weapons of mass destruction. That this group might have millions of "sneaking regarders" (as they used to say in Ireland) is more to do with the use of military bludgeon of state war against them, as George Bush has done.
So Rudy is on to his 3rd wife and McCain is a staight talking maverick. But where it actually matters, they are Bush continued.
How close an escape?
It's emerged that what looked like a standard unscheduled stop at Shannon airport yesterday for a medical emergency on board an Air Canada flight from Toronto to Heathrow was a little more complicated than that. Passengers say that the co-pilot had a mental breakdown and was "asking for God". Echoes of Air Egypt 990. Thankfully only echoes.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Is George Bush an alcoholic?
Which is a different question from whether he currently drinks. The question arises, again, because the impression that Bush "was" an alcoholic is one of the things that he leaves out there, like the impression that he is a born-again Christian (he's not) because it's politically effective. Who doesn't like a story of redemption? Better still if it involves the Lord.
So Bush today was in Baltimore visiting a scheme that helps former prisoners reintegrate in society, and in addition to his public remarks there was a private meeting with group members --
"Addiction is hard to overcome," ... "As you might remember, I drank too much at one time in my life," Bush said. "I understand faith-based programs. I understand that sometimes you can find the inspiration from a higher power to solve an addiction problem."
Increasingly, Bush has reflected in candid terms about his days of drinking. Last month, he told some young recovering addicts to stick with their fight against drugs and cited his own experiences with alcohol years ago. He said then that "addiction competes for your affection ... you fall in love with alcohol."
Unfortunately we've learned from other contexts that Bush's statements have to be parsed indefinitely to see their true meaning. And note that in these meetings, he never says "I was addicted to alcohol" let alone "I am an alcoholic". Those listening are left to draw their own pleasing assumptions about what he meant, reporters included.
That being said, Bush certainly has the personality of someone who could use a drink. But that's got nothing to do with whether God helped him in a struggle with alcoholism.
UPDATE: Later versions of the AP story are more careful about characterising his relationship to the demon drink.
FINAL UPDATE 30 NOVEMBER: He checked the list of ingredients in a pisco sour, right?
So Bush today was in Baltimore visiting a scheme that helps former prisoners reintegrate in society, and in addition to his public remarks there was a private meeting with group members --
"Addiction is hard to overcome," ... "As you might remember, I drank too much at one time in my life," Bush said. "I understand faith-based programs. I understand that sometimes you can find the inspiration from a higher power to solve an addiction problem."
Increasingly, Bush has reflected in candid terms about his days of drinking. Last month, he told some young recovering addicts to stick with their fight against drugs and cited his own experiences with alcohol years ago. He said then that "addiction competes for your affection ... you fall in love with alcohol."
Unfortunately we've learned from other contexts that Bush's statements have to be parsed indefinitely to see their true meaning. And note that in these meetings, he never says "I was addicted to alcohol" let alone "I am an alcoholic". Those listening are left to draw their own pleasing assumptions about what he meant, reporters included.
That being said, Bush certainly has the personality of someone who could use a drink. But that's got nothing to do with whether God helped him in a struggle with alcoholism.
UPDATE: Later versions of the AP story are more careful about characterising his relationship to the demon drink.
FINAL UPDATE 30 NOVEMBER: He checked the list of ingredients in a pisco sour, right?
Off-message
There's not much to say about George Bush's final state of the union address. The cognitive dissonance of his Congressional Republican peanut gallery was impressive: a standing ovation for permanent tax cuts, followed quickly by a standing ovation for balanced budgets. But the primary incoherence of Bush policy continues to be the Middle East.
Just one example: Lebanon yet again listed as a country where "the people" and their western-backed government are struggling against terrorists seeking to block their progress towards democracy. You would not know from the speech that 2 days ago, it was the Lebanese government shooting protestors in the streets -- protestors wondering why it is that power cuts always seem to be in Shia areas of Beirut. And then they wonder why Iran has a following in these countries.
Just one example: Lebanon yet again listed as a country where "the people" and their western-backed government are struggling against terrorists seeking to block their progress towards democracy. You would not know from the speech that 2 days ago, it was the Lebanese government shooting protestors in the streets -- protestors wondering why it is that power cuts always seem to be in Shia areas of Beirut. And then they wonder why Iran has a following in these countries.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Sources close to George Bush
White House photo by Eric Draper
Tim Russert (immediately to Bush's right), man of the people (since he's Irish-American and from Buffalo, at least that's how he thinks of it) eagerly scribbles down the presidential utterances. Russert never asks any follow-up questions on his Sunday show (such as letting John McCain away with a ridiculous attack on Mitt Romney yesterday) so no doubt Bush finds him a polite guest.
Gone native
Andrew Sullivan* --
Nitch blogging at its best
It's a link to the photo art/gag site sleeveface.
But wait a minute. Nitch? A word not in the dictionary. So he must mean the American pronunciation of the word niche. But he grew up with the word with its Euro-spelling as well as pronunication, so how could he not know? It's almost as if someone else wrote that post.
UPDATE: At some point, he corrected the spelling and now uses the correct spelling on a later post.
*or at least as appearing under his name.
Nitch blogging at its best
It's a link to the photo art/gag site sleeveface.
But wait a minute. Nitch? A word not in the dictionary. So he must mean the American pronunciation of the word niche. But he grew up with the word with its Euro-spelling as well as pronunication, so how could he not know? It's almost as if someone else wrote that post.
UPDATE: At some point, he corrected the spelling and now uses the correct spelling on a later post.
*or at least as appearing under his name.
Infiltrated
Press release from Multi-National Force Iraq --
A Concerned Local Citizen leader was killed Jan. 26 in northern Baghdad when his car exploded from explosives planted inside the vehicle.
“This was a cowardly and desperate act executed by terrorists bent on derailing reconciliation efforts and progress in an area that has seen remarkable progress as a result of cooperation and resolve on the part of local Iraqi leaders and citizens,” said Col. Todd B. McCaffrey, commander 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.
"Concerned Local Citizens" are the militias that the US has created to provide a parallel security force outside that of the Iraqi government. But the key point is that this "cowardly and desperate" act involved getting a bomb inside this dude's car. Who's in those militias, George?
A Concerned Local Citizen leader was killed Jan. 26 in northern Baghdad when his car exploded from explosives planted inside the vehicle.
“This was a cowardly and desperate act executed by terrorists bent on derailing reconciliation efforts and progress in an area that has seen remarkable progress as a result of cooperation and resolve on the part of local Iraqi leaders and citizens,” said Col. Todd B. McCaffrey, commander 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.
"Concerned Local Citizens" are the militias that the US has created to provide a parallel security force outside that of the Iraqi government. But the key point is that this "cowardly and desperate" act involved getting a bomb inside this dude's car. Who's in those militias, George?
When Osama was Christian
Terrorist atrocities. A war against all Arab governments. A particular preference for attacks and stunts involving airliners. Extracting money from Saudi Arabia. And actual support for Saddam Hussein, not just the imagined type.
Not Osama bin Laden. George Habash, probably the last remnant of the days when Palestinian extremism had little to do with holy war as it's now thought of.
But Habash died an old man, witnessing the defeat of just about every cause he cared about. Perhaps because there wasn't a George Bush to validate the worst assumptions of his followers and make him an iconic figure.
It seems that he was Marxist-Leninist to the end. It'll be interesting to see if Christopher Hitchens marks his death.
Not Osama bin Laden. George Habash, probably the last remnant of the days when Palestinian extremism had little to do with holy war as it's now thought of.
But Habash died an old man, witnessing the defeat of just about every cause he cared about. Perhaps because there wasn't a George Bush to validate the worst assumptions of his followers and make him an iconic figure.
It seems that he was Marxist-Leninist to the end. It'll be interesting to see if Christopher Hitchens marks his death.
Dynasty a la carte
So Andrew Sullivan goes from ceaselessly attacking Hillary Clinton on the ground that it continues dynastic politics -- and then without batting an eyelid recalls feeling the power of JFK's charisma and approvingly noting JFK's daughter's (Caroline) and brother's (Ted) endorsement of his current hero Barack Obama.
In another post he manages to get in an approving reference to the Clinton-hating Mickey Kaus (despite their past feuds) and a catty Clinton-hating quote from the mysterious Weekly Standard blogger Richelieu. The quote from Richelieu cries out for a South Park-style "That's gay!" which is maybe what Sully is getting at in his response.
In another post he manages to get in an approving reference to the Clinton-hating Mickey Kaus (despite their past feuds) and a catty Clinton-hating quote from the mysterious Weekly Standard blogger Richelieu. The quote from Richelieu cries out for a South Park-style "That's gay!" which is maybe what Sully is getting at in his response.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Not enough troops
The Wall Street Journal continues its occasional practice of giving op-ed space to Kimberly Kagan to assess the progress of the surge in Iraq. Her husband Fred designed it. Her main point is that the additional troop deployment has relatively high "overhead" because each brigade needs a substantial headquarters to handle all the extra functions -- escorting kids to kindergarten and the like -- that the brigades have been assigned in addition to their traditional fighting duties. Thus withdrawing any given number of total troops is difficult because you have to decide how to unwind these overhead components as well.
But the deeper message, not said in so many words, is that only suckers should have believed that the deployment was temporary, despite the fact that it sounded like that at time. Indeed, one gets the sense that she has been briefed by the generals in Iraq to lower expectations that even the planned reduction in troop levels can be achieved. What's the problem? Basically, all the surge is doing is shifting around troops from one trouble spot to another, leaving the previously pacified areas in a fragile state --
Coalition and Iraqi forces have not finished clearing Ninevah province, Salah ad-Din and parts of Babil. Major operations continue against al Qaeda remnants in Ninevah, Salah-ad-Din, Diyala, Kirkuk and Wasit provinces. Fighting between Iraqi Security Forces (aided by coalition special forces and our Georgian, Polish and British allies) and Mahdi Army militias continues in the south.
The withdrawal to 15 brigades already assumes that these operations will be successful. It provides no cushion for unexpected developments or unforeseen enemy responses. There is thus no military basis at all at the present time to recommend additional reductions in 2008.
In other words, the only way to ensure that troops can be withdrawn is to send even more troops -- a Surge Squared, if you will. John McCain's estimate of a century-long deployment is looking about right.
UPDATE 29 JANUARY: It's now a little clearer that Kagan's article was indeed a signal of no additional troop reductions beyond the 15 brigades. Did she know because she's involved in the decision or because she's being briefed more than Congress (or indeed some of Petreaus's superiors) are?
But the deeper message, not said in so many words, is that only suckers should have believed that the deployment was temporary, despite the fact that it sounded like that at time. Indeed, one gets the sense that she has been briefed by the generals in Iraq to lower expectations that even the planned reduction in troop levels can be achieved. What's the problem? Basically, all the surge is doing is shifting around troops from one trouble spot to another, leaving the previously pacified areas in a fragile state --
Coalition and Iraqi forces have not finished clearing Ninevah province, Salah ad-Din and parts of Babil. Major operations continue against al Qaeda remnants in Ninevah, Salah-ad-Din, Diyala, Kirkuk and Wasit provinces. Fighting between Iraqi Security Forces (aided by coalition special forces and our Georgian, Polish and British allies) and Mahdi Army militias continues in the south.
The withdrawal to 15 brigades already assumes that these operations will be successful. It provides no cushion for unexpected developments or unforeseen enemy responses. There is thus no military basis at all at the present time to recommend additional reductions in 2008.
In other words, the only way to ensure that troops can be withdrawn is to send even more troops -- a Surge Squared, if you will. John McCain's estimate of a century-long deployment is looking about right.
UPDATE 29 JANUARY: It's now a little clearer that Kagan's article was indeed a signal of no additional troop reductions beyond the 15 brigades. Did she know because she's involved in the decision or because she's being briefed more than Congress (or indeed some of Petreaus's superiors) are?
Friday, January 25, 2008
Foot. Gun.
Jonah Goldberg --
First I love that even White Nationalist trash recognize that Hitler was a socialist.
Heh Indeed.
UPDATE: Spelling from the intellectual: Keynians, Keynsian.
First I love that even White Nationalist trash recognize that Hitler was a socialist.
Heh Indeed.
UPDATE: Spelling from the intellectual: Keynians, Keynsian.
Loophole
Guidance to officers in the Police Service of Northern Ireland --
Catholics should not be called fenians, taigs, chucks or spongers, while Protestants should not be referred to as huns, black, prods or jaffas, the booklet says.
There is one exception to the use of fenian, but it is probably rarely used. "It may be perfectly acceptable to use it in an appropriate historical context, for example, if referring to the Fenian Brotherhood," it says.
For example, indeed: "He's one of those people whose ancestors might have been in the Fenian Brotherhood".
Catholics should not be called fenians, taigs, chucks or spongers, while Protestants should not be referred to as huns, black, prods or jaffas, the booklet says.
There is one exception to the use of fenian, but it is probably rarely used. "It may be perfectly acceptable to use it in an appropriate historical context, for example, if referring to the Fenian Brotherhood," it says.
For example, indeed: "He's one of those people whose ancestors might have been in the Fenian Brotherhood".
Tyranny of the tie
AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
Only Ron Paul shows any willingness to work outside the simple pattern and all red or all blue tie being worn by candidates and panelists this evening.
Presidential primary debates
At some point it might be in the interest of each candidate on the Democratic and Republican side to ask for the French presidential debate rule that there be no cut-away shots of one candidate while another candidate is speaking. Rudy is looking particularly bad in such shots in the Florida debate tonight. The pundits love it because it gives them something to write about, such as with the infamous (in pundit eyes) Al Gore expressions of exasperation while George W. Bush was speaking in 2000. For some reason, the pundits thought that it was Gore making a fool of himself. But anyway. The French rule is a good one. Let the debates be decided on what the person speaking says and does (McCain: "We lost the election because of the bridge to nowhere"), and not the inevitable sighs, grimaces and random twitches of the other candidates.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Someone's not talking
French bank Société générale says that they told Bank of France president Christian Noyer on Sunday that they had huge losses due to a rogue trader and were dumping the assets before publicly announcing it. The US Federal Reserve says that it did not know on Monday night that this was going on when it decided to cut interest rates after overseas markets crashed that day. American markets were closed for MLK. News accounts seem to be ignoring this timeline.
Crash test dummies
Dick Cheney, perhaps feeling that he has some catching up to do having accounted for only 48 of the administration's 935 lies about Saddam Hussein's Iraq, was at the right-wing Heritage Foundation yesterday to argue in favour of the War on Terror in general and George Bush's right to engage in warrantless electronic snooping on Americans in particular. Using his standard "serious" monotone for which the pundits are suckers, this was among his arguments --
In addition, a small number of terrorists, high-value targets held overseas, have gone through a tougher interrogation program run by the CIA. These include Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of 9/11. The procedures of the CIA program are designed to be safe.
Think about the actual meaning of that last sentence. One only has to design something to be safe if there's a possibility that otherwise it could be fatal. So what are they doing that has to be designed to be safe?
In addition, a small number of terrorists, high-value targets held overseas, have gone through a tougher interrogation program run by the CIA. These include Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of 9/11. The procedures of the CIA program are designed to be safe.
Think about the actual meaning of that last sentence. One only has to design something to be safe if there's a possibility that otherwise it could be fatal. So what are they doing that has to be designed to be safe?
He should try out for the team
Comedian Will Ferrell going to receive the "Joyce Award" for outstanding achievement in the field of excellence from the Lit & Hist at University College Dublin. In a rugby outfit complete with pulled up socks and slip-on shoes.
Among his quips --
"As I perused my leatherbound volumes of Ulysses, Finnegans Wake, Dubliners, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, standing in my mahogany library, a lot of feelings ran across my head, like, 'damn, I should have read these books'."
Photograph: Niall Carson/PA
Freedom to review
The Irish News is appealing the finding of libel against them over their review of the restaurant Goodfellas. The essence of their appeal --
Lord Lester QC insisted the review had been written in good faith and without malice. As he opened a hearing, the barrister claimed issues of great public importance dealing with the right to freedom of expression were at stake. "Although it was about a review by a food critic, it could as well have been a review written by a theatre or film critic." ... He told the court: "It [ the review] did not purport to be a factual report by a food scientist. It was a personal description by a food critic explaining why she formed a poor opinion of the restaurant based on her experience as a customer on the evening in question."
One little bit of information in the reporting of the appeal is that the original verdict had an element of a self-inflicted wound for the Irish News, as they were the ones that pushed for a trial.
Lord Lester QC insisted the review had been written in good faith and without malice. As he opened a hearing, the barrister claimed issues of great public importance dealing with the right to freedom of expression were at stake. "Although it was about a review by a food critic, it could as well have been a review written by a theatre or film critic." ... He told the court: "It [ the review] did not purport to be a factual report by a food scientist. It was a personal description by a food critic explaining why she formed a poor opinion of the restaurant based on her experience as a customer on the evening in question."
One little bit of information in the reporting of the appeal is that the original verdict had an element of a self-inflicted wound for the Irish News, as they were the ones that pushed for a trial.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Seemingly unrelated events
News item #1 --
European Commission proposals to radically cut greenhouse gas emissions and boost the use of renewable energy among member states raise "very serious economic and social issues for Ireland", the Government has said. The Cabinet Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security said today the climate change strategy, which seeks to cut emissions across the union by one fifth by 2020, must take into account the "national circumstances and competitiveness impacts".
News item #2 --
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern is expected to pay an official visit to the world's youngest nation, Timor Leste, next month.
The country, which was previously known as East Timor, won independence in 2002 after more than 400 years of occupation by Portugal and Indonesia. Timor Leste will receive five million euro in Irish Aid funding this year.
Leaving aside the environmental cost of getting Dermot Ahern and his hangers-on to East Timor, the actual cost will be pretty significant set against what is a small overall aid budget for that country. And this comes on the heels of junior Minister Michael Ahern (no relation to Dermot or Bertie) junketing for a week in New Zealand on the basis of Edmund Hillary's one-day funeral. Since he's already in the neighhourhood, by Southern Hemisphere standards, why doesn't he go and check on the East Timor program and report back to the foreign minister?
UPDATE 11 FEB: Given recent events in East Timor, one assumes that Dermot Ahern's visit will have to be postponed. It'll be interesting to see whether another bit of southern hemisphere/East Asian business magically appears on his itinerary.
FINAL UPDATE: Ahern's visit, scheduled for Feb 20-22, is "under review".
European Commission proposals to radically cut greenhouse gas emissions and boost the use of renewable energy among member states raise "very serious economic and social issues for Ireland", the Government has said. The Cabinet Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security said today the climate change strategy, which seeks to cut emissions across the union by one fifth by 2020, must take into account the "national circumstances and competitiveness impacts".
News item #2 --
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern is expected to pay an official visit to the world's youngest nation, Timor Leste, next month.
The country, which was previously known as East Timor, won independence in 2002 after more than 400 years of occupation by Portugal and Indonesia. Timor Leste will receive five million euro in Irish Aid funding this year.
Leaving aside the environmental cost of getting Dermot Ahern and his hangers-on to East Timor, the actual cost will be pretty significant set against what is a small overall aid budget for that country. And this comes on the heels of junior Minister Michael Ahern (no relation to Dermot or Bertie) junketing for a week in New Zealand on the basis of Edmund Hillary's one-day funeral. Since he's already in the neighhourhood, by Southern Hemisphere standards, why doesn't he go and check on the East Timor program and report back to the foreign minister?
UPDATE 11 FEB: Given recent events in East Timor, one assumes that Dermot Ahern's visit will have to be postponed. It'll be interesting to see whether another bit of southern hemisphere/East Asian business magically appears on his itinerary.
FINAL UPDATE: Ahern's visit, scheduled for Feb 20-22, is "under review".
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Truer than he knew
In the above Bloggingheads clip, Crooked Timber's Henry Farrell (paired with Daniel Drezner) explains why it's not necessary to have read Jonah Goldberg's Liberal Fascism to criticise it, with the high point being the line that since Jonah pretended to research the book, at most one is obligated to pretend to read it.
As he says, there's a similar tendency of the Lyndon LaRouche supporters to claim that the truth is revealed if only people would read his books, yet one knows that it's only paranoid rantings in there.
Such as
The anti-democratic bureaucratic managerial overclass that liberals seek to install at home and abroad is grotesquely elitist. The divinization of a Supreme Court that is allowed to sift through foreign laws to discover new meanings in our own constitution; the arrogance of the transnational elites at Davos and the Clinton Global initiative, the constant desire to outsource our sovereignty to the UN
Except that's not LaRouche. It's Goldberg defending his book from David Neiwert, in one of the most ADHD-afflicted screeds you'll ever see. But he's a serious intellectual whose editor is Saul Bellow's son. These collapsing financial markets don't know the half of what has happened to the USA.
Not Pro-live
Perhaps it's the pressure of business that made George Bush's usual wheeze of being mysteriously out of town when his pro-life base is in town infeasible. So no phone call to the Roe v Wade marchers from Camp David this year. Instead, a White House press release titled "President Bush Speaks to March for Life Rally Participants" -- which requires a moment's thought to realise that it's not him speaking to the March itself, but to a selected few from those who will march later in the day. The rest of them receive their pro-life message by tape. Maybe Bush uses the freed up time to think of new ways to bomb Iraq into democracy.
Into the void
White House photo by Shealah Craighead
One of US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke's breaks over the last few days was to lead a tour of a modern Turkish art exhibit at the Fed's HQ. Laura Bush was there too. Ben (with his back turned) seems inordinantly focused on the nothingness surrounded by purple/violet to the left. Maybe it provides a mental respite from the stock market gyrations.
They all do it
Andrew Sullivan's Clinton-hating is getting ever more preposterous. The Atlantic pays for this stuff? Here he is building on an item from the thinking man's Drudge Report i.e. the Politico --
The second is that Clinton now automatically uses the second person plural. It's not the Royal "we". It's an empirical "we":
"The facts are that he has said in the last week that he really liked the ideas of the Republicans over the last 10 to 15 years, and we can give you the exact quote etc etc [more 'we' usages]"
Yes, this "we" implies a team behind a candidacy.
A few things. "We" is the first person plural. Second, it's easy to search the transcript (which Sully never bothered doing, since he had his point) --
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN: I'd like to follow-up with Senator Obama. It was just a few days ago that Senator Clinton asserted that she was the strongest candidate when it comes to fiscal responsibility.
She says that the new programs that she proposes she essentially can pay for. She says that you have failed in that regard in the tune of some $50 billion worth of new programs that you cannot account for.
How do you respond to that charge?
OBAMA: What she said wasn't true. We account for every single dollar that we propose.
The fact is that Obama, Clinton, and Edwards all mix Is and Wes, presumably depending on part on whether they wanted to indicate their campaign team, not just spouses, or themselves personally. Clinton derangement is also leading him to get his English history metaphors all mixed up, as he variously refers to a Clinton "Restoration" and Obama as the "Pretender". You'd think a self-styled Irish Tory could keep his Stuarts together.
The second is that Clinton now automatically uses the second person plural. It's not the Royal "we". It's an empirical "we":
"The facts are that he has said in the last week that he really liked the ideas of the Republicans over the last 10 to 15 years, and we can give you the exact quote etc etc [more 'we' usages]"
Yes, this "we" implies a team behind a candidacy.
A few things. "We" is the first person plural. Second, it's easy to search the transcript (which Sully never bothered doing, since he had his point) --
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN: I'd like to follow-up with Senator Obama. It was just a few days ago that Senator Clinton asserted that she was the strongest candidate when it comes to fiscal responsibility.
She says that the new programs that she proposes she essentially can pay for. She says that you have failed in that regard in the tune of some $50 billion worth of new programs that you cannot account for.
How do you respond to that charge?
OBAMA: What she said wasn't true. We account for every single dollar that we propose.
The fact is that Obama, Clinton, and Edwards all mix Is and Wes, presumably depending on part on whether they wanted to indicate their campaign team, not just spouses, or themselves personally. Clinton derangement is also leading him to get his English history metaphors all mixed up, as he variously refers to a Clinton "Restoration" and Obama as the "Pretender". You'd think a self-styled Irish Tory could keep his Stuarts together.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Operation Monte Cassino
Here's the latest manifestation of the US military strategy in Iraq to keep politically-sensitive American casualties down while trying to make progress against an entrenched insurgency. It comes as a part of Operation Phantom Phoenix (which should be called Operation Together Forward VI: The Undiscovered Country). One component of the operation is taking place in Arab Jabour, which already has had 80,000 lbs of bombs dropped on it since been declared safe a few months ago. More air raids last night:
“The strikes that we conducted (Jan. 20) were focused on IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and caches that we have targeted, that will allow us to get our ground troops further into the zone,” said Col. Terry Ferrell, 2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. commander. “These targets, the IEDs specifically, are designed as part of the defensive belt to prevent our Forces from entering into areas that we have not been before.”
So they're using F-18s and B-1s to bomb anything that looks like a makeshift bomb -- which could include piles of dirt. How this fits with the hearts and minds strategy of building support among the Iraqi population is not explained. Or, how, if IEDs have so multiplied that they have to be bombed out from the air, the US will ever be able to get out of Iraq.
“The strikes that we conducted (Jan. 20) were focused on IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and caches that we have targeted, that will allow us to get our ground troops further into the zone,” said Col. Terry Ferrell, 2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. commander. “These targets, the IEDs specifically, are designed as part of the defensive belt to prevent our Forces from entering into areas that we have not been before.”
So they're using F-18s and B-1s to bomb anything that looks like a makeshift bomb -- which could include piles of dirt. How this fits with the hearts and minds strategy of building support among the Iraqi population is not explained. Or, how, if IEDs have so multiplied that they have to be bombed out from the air, the US will ever be able to get out of Iraq.
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