Prophetic. Prescient

On this day, September 25

1990 - Saddam Hussein warns that US will repeat Vietnam experience.

Best Way to Celebrate Memorial Day

No Difference Between the Two Political Parties?

Really?

One of the Best Things Democrats Have Going for Them Between Now and November 2016

And all they have to do is let it sit there.

Here's your 9/11 Memorial

 

At the national memorial in New York, I hope they also include a copy of the Presidential Daily Briefing from August, 2001, telling then-President George W. Bush of Osama bin Laden's plans to attack the US.

 

Seriously.

 

It should be there.

 

He completely, totally and utterly ignored it.

 

 

Great satire

As is with all satire, great because there's so much truth to it:

John Le Carre', on George W. Bush, Part II

Because it's just that good.

And true.

And right.

A decade after “shock and awe,” he (le Carre') still rubs his forehead while speaking of it, as if discussing a death in the family.

On a shelf in his bathroom, le Carré keeps a rubber cartoon figurine of Bush, so he can stare at it while urinating.

God, I love that.

Link to original story: John le Carré Has Not Mellowed With Age - The New York Times

The brilliant John Le Carre', on the nightmare that was President George W. Bush

From The New York Times Magazine  article from a week ago, John le Carré Has Not Mellowed With Age

(John) Le Carré has the distinction of being among Bush 43’s earliest antagonists. In January 2003, when many of the world’s prominent journalists and writers were falling in line behind the decision to overthrow Saddam Hussein, le Carré published a jeremiad in The Times of London with the headline “The United States of America Has Gone Mad.”
      

“How Bush and his junta succeeded in deflecting America’s anger from bin Laden to Saddam Hussein,” he wrote, “is one of the great public relations conjuring tricks of history.”

On that Iraq War---and where we are now

From producer, writer, director Michael Moore's Facebook page earlier today:

You might have seen that on Monday President Obama will likely nominate former Sen. Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska Republican, to be Secretary of Defense.

But what you probably haven't seen – because everyone has forgotten – is that back in 2007, Chuck Hagel went totally crazy and told the truth about our invasion of Iraq. Here's what he said:

"People say we're not fighting for oil. Of course we are. They talk about America's national interest. What the hell do you think they're talking about? We're not there for figs." 

 Link:    The Costs of War for Oil | FPIF

 

Incredible story for this Veteran's Day weekend

From NPR:

American military casualties this past week

The Department of Defense released the names of seven service members who died this past week:

--US Army SFC Riley G Stephens, 39, Tolar, TX

--US Army SFC Aaron A Henderson, 33, Houlton, ME

--US Army SGT Thomas J Butler IV, 25, Wilmington, NC

--US Army SGT Jeremy F Hardison, 23, Maysville, NC

--US Army SGT Donna R Johnson, 29, Rasford, NC

--US Army SFC Daniel T Metcalfe, 29, Liverpool, NY

--US Marines Sgt Camella M Steedley, 31, San Diego, CA

According to iCasualties, the total number of allied service members killed in Afghanistan is now 3,199.

Links: http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/week-memoriam-163

http://icasualties.org/

Afghanistan, by the numbers

--Number of American soldiers in Afghanistan: 88,000

--Number of American soldier casualties in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars: 4,454. At least 1,828 killed in Afghanistan alone as of this past Tuesday, according to the Defense Department.

--Suicides among active-duty soldiers in the US Army more than doubled from June, in July.

--26 active-duty Army soldiers killed themselves in July, compared with 12 in June.

--The July total was the highest for any month since the Army began reporting suicides by month in 2009.

--For the first seven months of 2012, the Army recorded 116 suicides among active-duty soldiers. If that pace were maintained through December the year's total would approach 200, compared with 167 for all of 2011.

That's all.

That's enough.

It's disgusting.

Links: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/16/army-suicides_n_1792372.html

A truth about The New York Times, the Iraq War and future wars

With as badly--horribly, really--as The New York Times buckled and let down both its readers and the nation on George W. Bush & Company's unprecedented, unwarranted, unnecessary and nationally and internationally illegal attack on and war with Iraq from 2003 on, doesn't it seem as though now they should be hounding down every fact and detail they can find on the hopefully remote possibility that we would now or are now or in the near future considering attacking Iran?

Don't you think they owe that to us, the American public, all their readers and the world?

I know I do.

I hope I'm not being naive.

And I hope I'm not being naive again.

Link: http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2957

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2011/06/03/bill-keller-speaks-out-on-judy-miller-iraq-war/180289

An important movie for America, made by our military veterans

A movie made by American military soldiers and veterans for the American public. It's an important, vital film, I think. Please watch for it and when you can, see it. We owe to them. We owe it to ourselves. We owe it to the country. We owe it to humanity. Link: www.thisiswherewetakeourstand.com

On the insanity that is Iraq

I've written about this before so I'll make this brief but I just don't understand, can't understand the insanity of bombing and blowing up and maiming and killing people in your own country--your fellow countrymen and women (children, too, at times)--for some "purpose" you imagine. Yesterday, there were reports out of Iraq that, now that the US troops have, for the most part, left that country finally, Iraqis are starting to blow up and kill each other again. A headline this week: Iraq bombings kill 60, revive old fears 16 bombs blown across Baghdad alone and 60 people killed. I always assume that it's because of Sunni vs. Shia differences but that just makes it worse, to me. First, it's worse because it's killing for your religion and second, it's far worse because not only are they fellow countrymen you're killing or trying to kill but there are also such small differences, really, between the two religious sects. It is truly insanity. How does a world deal with this kind of mentality? If you can't make it internally, as a nation and a people, how can anyone on the outside of the country help you? And the answer is, of course, they can't. Links: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq-sectarian-divisions-20111223,0,3829851.story; http://www.thejournal.ie/iraq-vp-blames-prime-minister-for-violence-312904-Dec2011/; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam

The Iraq War

This guy started it (against our own, national laws as well as international ones)

And this guy is finishing it.

Now, let's get ALL American soldiers out of Iraq, stop paying the contractors over there and get out of Afghanistan as soon as possible. Please.

America, I need to give you more credit

Holy cow. This is some great, heartening news out this morning. Check out this story from Yahoo! News today: Voters blame Bush more than Obama for the economy. "Voters are increasingly displeased with President Obama's handling of the economy, but a new poll finds most Americans still think George W. Bush is responsible for the nation's dismal financial state. According to a new Quinnipiac poll, 54 percent of those surveyed say Bush is responsible for the "current condition" of the economy, compared to just 27 percent who blame Obama. Among self-described independent voters, a key 2012 voting bloc, the number shifts slightly: 49 percent point the finger at the former GOP president, while 24 percent blame Obama." But here's where it gets really good: "...the Quinnipiac poll finds more Americans trust the president on the issue than the GOP congress, 45 percent to 38 percent. Meanwhile, 48 percent of those surveyed say they will blame the GOP congress if a debt deal isn't approved, compared to 34 percent who say they will blame the Obama administration." And of course, by gosh, they're right. I just didn't think they "got it". Good on you, America. You've renewed my faith in you and hope for the country, if even just a bit. Link: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/voters-blame-bush-more-obama-economy-143014602.html

Don Rumsfeld: Wrong again

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld told Dianne Sawyer on ABC that he thought his one big mistake, apparently, was that he didn't insist then-President George W. Bush accept his (Rumsfeld's) resignation after the Abu Graib prisoner abuse details came out.

Wow.

Could this guy be any more obtuse?

Biggest mistake, Mr. Rumsfeld??

Does "attack Iraq" mean anything to you?

Link:   http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110208/pl_afp/usmilitaryiraqbookrumsfeld_20110208133019

More brilliance from the Iraq War

I was just given more reasons to bang my head against a wall when I saw this: After destroying Iraq's army, US retrains former foe by Jacques Clement; Ten years ago the military machinations of Saddam Hussein were a security obsession for the United States, but American forces in Iraq now aim to make the army of their former foe stronger than ever. The US army has the right to self-defence and has already used it, despite Washington's declaration that "combat operations" are officially over, but the bulk of America's military might is now focused on a training mission. US money has paid for hundreds of workshops at Iraqi military bases, in the wake of the American-led invasion that ousted Saddam from power in 2003, part of the estimated trillion dollars that has been spent on operations here. Just one example of the stupidity of the George W. Bush's administration, in handling this war they chose and created: US training of local forces started in 2004, just months after the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), the post-invasion governing body headed by American diplomat Paul Bremer and charged with running the country, disbanded the Iraqi army. Although the army was suspected as a refuge for Saddam's allies, its break-up is seen as one of the CPA's biggest mistakes as it made tens of thousands of armed men unemployed and left Iraq's borders unguarded, allowing insurgents to pour in and wreak havoc in subsequent years. Then, Lieutenant General Michael Barbero, the deputy commander for Operation New Dawn said this: "In December 2011, I am convinced the ISF will be fully capable of internal security," Barbero said, noting that the Iraqi navy will protect coastlines and oil platforms. "But they will not have the capability to provide air sovereignty, to fully protect the skies over Iraq, because they will lack a multi-role fighter," he added. Now, it also sounds like we've set ourselves up to be the supplier (read: salesperson) of the Iraqis for the fighter jets our corporations can supply. Hopefully they'll never use them on us, right? Once again, I'd like to take a moment to thank Former President George W. Bush and Former Vice President Dick Cheney and that administration for the ignorance, tragedy and waste that is and was this Iraq War. It can't be said enough. I will never forget. Link to original post: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100909/wl_mideast_afp/iraqusmilitarytraining/print

Quote of the day--on the Iraq War

Those who brought this disaster down on us must be called to account for the fabrications, the embarrassment to our honor, and the waste of so many lives and resources. Until then, the conclusion to this sad chapter in Iraq will not have been written. --James Zogby, From "Lies and the War That Has Not Ended", President of the Arab American Institute, Author of Arab Voices (Palgrave Macmillan 10/10) Link to original post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-zogby/lies-and-the-war-that-has_b_705742.html