Republicans on Congress, Somalia and Iraq
January 30, 2007 at 2:52 pm | Posted in American politics, conservatives, Iraq, Republicans, Somalia | 6 CommentsGlen Greenwald is good, man, he’s really good. He does his research. I’m sure John McCain doesn’t want the following quote to be advertised too frequently these days, but this is what Mr. McCain said in 1993 during Somalia. Read his quote and ask yourself why Republicans advocated a cut and run policy, and not give President Clinton “a chance” as Republicans now ask Democrats to do. Continue Reading Republicans on Congress, Somalia and Iraq…
George W. Bush and the Conservatives
January 30, 2007 at 2:31 pm | Posted in American politics, Bush Administration, conservatives, George W Bush, Republicans | 4 CommentsGlen Greenwald says it best:
So why, after six years of glorifying George Bush and devoting their full-fledged loyalty to him and the GOP-controlled Congress are conservatives like Lowry and Gingrich suddenly insisting that Bush is an anti-conservative and the GOP-led Congress the opposite of conservative virtue? The answer is as obvious as it is revealing. They are desperately trying to disclaim responsibility for the disasters that they wrought in the name of “conservatism,” by repudiating the political figures whom they named as the standard-bearers of their movement but whom America has now so decisively rejected.
George Bush has not changed in the slightest. He is exactly the same as he was when he was converted into the hero and icon of the “conservative movement.” The only thing that has changed is that Bush is no longer the wildly popular President which conservatives sought to embrace, but instead is a deeply disliked figured, increasingly detested by Americans, fromwhom conservatives now wish to shield themselves. And in this regard, these self-proclaimed great devotees of Conservative Political Principles have revealed themselves to have none.
When he was popular, George Bush was the Embodiment of Conservatism. Now that he is rejected on a historic scale, he is the Betrayer of Conservatism. That is because “Conservatism” — while definable on a theoretical plane — has come to have no practical meaning in this country other than a quest for ever-expanding government power for its own sake. When George Bush enabled those ends, he was The Great Conservative. Now that he impedes them, he is the Judas of the Conservative Movement. It is just that simple and transparent.
I couldn’t have said it better. And at times I wish I studied language better so I could express myself as eloquently and clearly as Mr. Greenwald does.
The United States Does Not Always Win
January 28, 2007 at 11:41 pm | Posted in War | 2 CommentsSo history shows us. Can conservatives grasp this before the delusion gets any worse?
And You Wonder Why Iraqis Don’t Like Americans, Part II
January 28, 2007 at 4:17 pm | Posted in Iraq | 4 Commentsthe video speaks volumes about the relations between Iraqis and Americans
Some Good In the World Today
January 26, 2007 at 4:53 pm | Posted in American politics, Bush Administration, Syria | 1 CommentCanada apologized to Mr. Arar for its role in his detention and torture at the hands of Syrians, after the United States send him to Syria instead of Canada for investigation. In Syria, Mr. Arar was tortured. In Canada, he would not have been tortured, but investigated. Canada has now apologized to him and his family, saying they were in the wrong. They are compensating him financially, including paying all his legal bills.
There is some good in the world today, it seems. It is rare, but the Canadians have shown us that it does indeed exist. Would that America follow Canada’s example. Or are we too proud to admit a mistake? Are we too concerned about what flood gate would open if we admitted that we mistakenly held any prisoner? Would not all Gitmo prisoners want out, because they too, for the most part, are imprisoned mistakenly?
There is some good in the world today. Would we see more good coming out of America. The world needs it.
Finally, I am taking a break from talking politics for a little while. I’ve got other things I need to attend to.
The “Decision-Maker” vs. No Decision
January 26, 2007 at 11:53 am | Posted in American politics, Bush Administration, conservatives, Democracy, Democrats, George W Bush, Iraq, Military, Republicans, War | 2 CommentsBush today claims he’s the decision maker on troops in Iraq….huh, then how does he explain the three years of indecision on troops in Iraq?
What has suddenly changed from all these previous times Bush has said there will be no decision on an increase of troops in Iraq? I mean, just in November he said there was no decision. What changed in the past three months to garner the use of 21,000 additional troops? So what changed in the past three months? Nothing really in Iraq. But in America, something very significant. Democrats won. What does this tell you about this president? With his own party in charge in Congress, he makes no decisions about troop increase, but when Democrats are in charge, he’s the “decision-maker”. Hmmm, the change seems to be accountability. He knows he’s going to be held accountable by a Democratic Congress. Just what does this say about Republican leadership these past six years?
November 2006: “President Bush said Monday that he has made no decisions about altering the number of U.S. troops in Iraq, and he refused to discuss the pros and cons that would accompany such a decision.”
August 2005: President Bush said Thursday no decision has been made on increasing or decreasing U.S. troop levels in Iraq, saying that as “Iraqis stand up, we will stand down” and that only conditions on the ground will dictate when it is time for a reduction in U.S. forces.
April 2004: “Gen. John P. Abizaid, the senior commander in the Middle East, has asked for contingency plans for increasing the number of troops in Iraq. No decision has been made to supplement the 134,000 troops now there, and White House officials said it was unclear whether such a move would help the situation.”
November 2003: “The President is going to do what is most effective in Iraq, and he gets recommendations from his commanders on troop levels and what is needed. No decisions have been made about future troops levels,” said National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice
Iraq War Is Not In U.S. Interest
January 26, 2007 at 9:22 am | Posted in Iraq | 6 CommentsThe following is an op-ed written by six BYU professors on January 23, 2003, in the Deseret News. The source is from Lexis Nexis, and I provide it for my wife, who requested the article in question. Continue Reading Iraq War Is Not In U.S. Interest…
Quote of the Day – Theodore Roosevelt
January 25, 2007 at 10:11 am | Posted in American politics | 6 CommentsTheodore Roosevelt – op-ed in “Roosevelt in the Kansas City Star”, 149 May 7, 1918
“The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else.”
Ford: Worst Losses In History
January 25, 2007 at 9:11 am | Posted in American politics | 3 CommentsFord Motor posted the worst annual losses in its history. What brought on this massive loss? It really comes down to their products not matching up to Toyota and Honda. Their car lineup is very weak in comparison to Toyota and Honda, and when gas prices skyrocketed, consumers turned away from trucks and SUVs to smaller vehicles and hybrids. Plus, Ford vehicles continue getting rated poorly in reliability and durability by Consumer Reports, among others. This slow burn was going to come back and hit Ford (and GM) hard. Finally, because of low sales of their vehicles, Ford had to buy out many workers, cutting more from revenue.
What does Ford need to do to revive itself? Well, it must make more reliable vehicles. It must make vehicles with MUCH better gas mileage than Toyota and Honda does. It needs to be on the forefront of the push for alternative fuel consumption. It must be more flexible with its designs, more innovative. It must do these things or suffer more losses.
How To Balance the Budget Again
January 25, 2007 at 6:51 am | Posted in American politics, George W Bush | Leave a commentHow about that, the CBO is projecting that the budget could be balanced by 2012…only if Bush’s tax cuts are repealed in 2010…imagine that!
Quote of the Day – Jim Webb
January 24, 2007 at 3:11 am | Posted in American politics, Bush Administration, George W Bush, Iraq, Middle East, Military | 4 CommentsJim Webb, as the Democratic rebuttal
Like so many other Americans, today and throughout our history, we serve and have served, not for political reasons, but because we love our country. On the political issues – those matters of war and peace, and in some cases of life and death – we trusted the judgment of our national leaders. We hoped that they would be right, that they would measure with accuracy the value of our lives against the enormity of the national interest that might call upon us to go into harm’s way.
We owed them our loyalty, as Americans, and we gave it. But they owed us – sound judgment, clear thinking, concern for our welfare, a guarantee that the threat to our country was equal to the price we might be called upon to pay in defending it.
The President took us into this war recklessly. He disregarded warnings from the national security adviser during the first Gulf War, the chief of staff of the army, two former commanding generals of the Central Command, whose jurisdiction includes Iraq, the director of operations on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and many, many others with great integrity and long experience in national security affairs. We are now, as a nation, held hostage to the predictable – and predicted – disarray that has followed.
The war’s costs to our nation have been staggering.
Financially.
The damage to our reputation around the world.
The lost opportunities to defeat the forces of international terrorism.
And especially the precious blood of our citizens who have stepped forward to serve.
Budget Surpluses and Deficits in Graph
January 23, 2007 at 4:54 pm | Posted in American politics, Bill Clinton, Bush Administration, Democrats, George W Bush, Republicans | 22 Comments
For reference, read Joshua Marshall’s take. Note that the budget seems to go upwards with Democratic presidents, and generally downwards with Republican presidents. Now this is not to say that Republicans can’t manage a budget, necessarily, but it does seem to indicate that they have a harder time managing the national budget than Democrats can.
The Unintended Consequences of the Israeli-Hezbollah War
January 23, 2007 at 1:23 pm | Posted in condoleezza rice, Hezbollah, Israel, Lebanon | 5 CommentsIsrael launched a destructive war on Lebanon, in an attempt to weaken Hezbollah and return the soldiers Hezbollah captured in a brazen attack. However, Israel’s 34 day war went so poorly that while Hezbollah-run cities were demolished, Hezbollah’s standing both in Lebanon and in the Arab world skyrocketed. And now, today, Hezbollah demonstrated strongly against the Lebanese government, further weakening Lebanon’s democratic government.
Is this the “birth pangs” Ms. Rice was talking about last summer would come of supporting Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon?
Found Six Months Ago, Released A Day Before SOTU Speech
January 22, 2007 at 3:37 pm | Posted in American politics, Bush Administration, George W Bush, Iraq, Saddam Trial, War on Terror | Leave a commentABCNews has been given a document by the White House detailing a supposed plot by Iraqi insurgents to send Iraqis to the United States as students to wreak havoc. Of course, these documents were discovered SIX MONTHS AGO in a raid on a supposed al-Qaida safehouse in Iraq.
Why are these documents released today? What political event approaches? The State of the Union address. As with previous examples of politically timed releases or events (such as the conviction of Saddam Hussein two days before the November 2006 election, or all of the terror alerts before the 2004 elections—notice that we haven’t seen any new terror alerts?), this one is designed to stoke the fire, the fears of regular Americans into backing Bush just before his big speech.
The plan was uncovered in its early stages, and sources say there is no indication that the suspects made it into the United States. Officials also emphasize that there is no evidence of an imminent attack.
So why release this now?
This president is going down swinging. The sooner he’s gone the better for our country.
If You Condone Torture, You’re Evil
January 22, 2007 at 9:48 am | Posted in Torture | Leave a commentHear! Hear!
The Ineffectual Condoleezza Rice Continued….
January 22, 2007 at 7:37 am | Posted in American politics, Bush Administration, condoleezza rice, Democracy, George W Bush, Iraq | Leave a commentYet again, another example of the ineffectual Ms. Rice. This time though, she’s reflecting her boss, Mr. Bush, who desperately needs Egypt in his pocket on Iraq. So what is Mr. Bush sacrificing in order to get Egyptian…er Mubarrak approval on Iraq? Bush is sacrificing democracy in Egypt.
The irony would be funny if it weren’t tragic.
Leahy Slams Gonzales
January 21, 2007 at 2:14 pm | Posted in America, Torture | Leave a commentBoy I hope we see more of this!
This administration has no shame, no humanity left in it. That is my view, and I stand by it.
Pakistan Aides and Abets The Taliban
January 21, 2007 at 2:02 pm | Posted in Afghanistan, America, American politics, George W Bush, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan | Leave a commentSo Pakistan, led by a military dictatorship, that kills numerous of its own people, that has nuclear weapons, and has threatened a neighbor with nuclear destruction, now apparently is aiding and abetting our enemy in Afghanistan, the Taliban.
Why are we here in America not more concerned about this? Imagine what Bush would do if the Iranians were doing what the Pakistanis are doing…..
The Ineffectual Condoleezza Rice
January 19, 2007 at 1:21 pm | Posted in American politics, condoleezza rice | Leave a commentThis statement from this article in the New York Times probably sums it up best on describing Condoleezza Rice’s tenure in both the National Security Council position, and the Secretary of State position:
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice flies home on Friday, after a quick trip across the Middle East and Europe, with just enough progress to shield herself from criticism that the trip was a bust.
That about sums up Ms. Rice.
The Red Team
January 19, 2007 at 10:20 am | Posted in American politics, Iraq, Military | Leave a commentPentagon is creating the Red Team, a team designed to play devil’s advocate to military planners’ plans, and to see what the enemy sees in our plans. Sign Me Up! I’ll tell ya exactly what you are doing wrong, General Patraeus.
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