"We must fight them over there, so we won't have to fight them here", is the Bush slogan for the Iraq war. It is the justification that he and his staff fall back on when their other justifications fall flat. Now that the support for the war is in freefall, the propaganda machine is gearing up again. As Glenn Greenwald has documented, the administration has begun to use the term al-qaeda when referring to anyone they are fighting in Iraq. Today, General Batiste provided reasons for caution in throwing around the word al qaeda, speaking against the current propaganda. The fact is that al qaeda is a threat and a peice of the puzzle in Iraq, but they are not the main source of the violence and unrest in the country, the prize for most threatening would be given to the Shi'a-Sunni civil war. Al qaeda is a worldwide organization and they are not relegated to the middle east. This makes the Presidents slogan patently false, and like all other reasons for this war, it falls flat as well.
-The Kid
My Merry Band of Incorrigibles
Its time to expand! Inspired by my buddy Greg at My Soapbox, I am currently looking for other contributors to this blog. While you don't have to be as incredibly charming and handsome as me, I am looking for people who love politics and who love to write. I would prefer if you were a Progressive Libertarian like myself, but if not, that's o.k. Send me an e-mail and we'll chat about what you would like to bring to the blog.
A Day of Action to Restore Law and Justice
Here is a good blog post from the Cato Institutes very own weblog. I think it is very important to join with the ACLU in this Day of Action. Habeas Corpus is important, and we need to provide it to everyone, even the scum of the Earth, in order to ensure it for everyone. Please read the petition, and if you are inclined, sign the petition as I have done.
Cheney: The De-Facto President
A little while ago I stated that Bush was simply a puppet, being told what to do and say by his closest advisors. Of course I knew I was right, but this article in the Washington Post is startling. The article contends that Bush worries about the broad strokes of policy, whereas Cheney concentrates on the organizational aspect, but the history that this article brings out argues something different. "Waxing or waning, Cheney holds his purchase on an unrivaled portfolio across the executive branch. Bush works most naturally, close observers said, at the level of broad objectives, broadly declared. Cheney, they said, inhabits an operational world in which means are matched with ends and some of the most important choices are made. When particulars rise to presidential notice, Cheney often steers the preparation of options and sits with Bush, in side-by-side wing chairs, as he is briefed.
Before the president casts the only vote that counts, the final words of counsel nearly always come from Cheney." The final words always come from Cheney.
"His general counsel has asserted that "the vice presidency is a unique office that is neither a part of the executive branch nor a part of the legislative branch," and is therefore exempt from rules governing either. Cheney is refusing to observe an executive order on the handling of national security secrets, and he proposed to abolish a federal office that insisted on auditing his compliance."
And he is serious. The VP is not part of any branch of goverment, at least according to the VP. Gonzales has been asked to review the legality of this statement, but has been sitting on the request since January. Now Waxman is going to investigate the "legality", but anyone with a passing knowlege of the Constitution will know that Article 2 states implicitly that the office of the Vice President is part of the Executive Branch.
Has the de-facto President gone too far in his power grab? Perhaps he forgot that the Dems are now in power and there are actual checks and balances now. Or perhaps he doesn't care. Constitution be damned.
Before the president casts the only vote that counts, the final words of counsel nearly always come from Cheney." The final words always come from Cheney.
"His general counsel has asserted that "the vice presidency is a unique office that is neither a part of the executive branch nor a part of the legislative branch," and is therefore exempt from rules governing either. Cheney is refusing to observe an executive order on the handling of national security secrets, and he proposed to abolish a federal office that insisted on auditing his compliance."
And he is serious. The VP is not part of any branch of goverment, at least according to the VP. Gonzales has been asked to review the legality of this statement, but has been sitting on the request since January. Now Waxman is going to investigate the "legality", but anyone with a passing knowlege of the Constitution will know that Article 2 states implicitly that the office of the Vice President is part of the Executive Branch.
Has the de-facto President gone too far in his power grab? Perhaps he forgot that the Dems are now in power and there are actual checks and balances now. Or perhaps he doesn't care. Constitution be damned.
1 Million Kids Use Personal Trainers!
Oh My God! I can't find fault with the parents putting up the money for the personal trainers, they're just trying to do the best thing for their kid, but this trend definantly says something about our society. When I was six, I was the picture of health, and the only personal trainer I needed was the pirate ship in my back yard (actually a picnic table) and my band of merry pillagers (the other neighborhood kids). When I was ten, I lived on the baseball field. In my teen years I was harldy a jock, but I was always playing tennis, basketball, or swimming. When I hit college I got more and more sedentary, and the picnic table didn't have the same draw that it did when I was six, so a personal trainer may have been useful, but not when I was a kid.
The technology that we all love is the primary reason for our childrens chubby butt cheeks! I hate to say it because I love my Xbox, but kids have more reasons to stay in their rooms, then they do to go out and play.
The technology that we all love is the primary reason for our childrens chubby butt cheeks! I hate to say it because I love my Xbox, but kids have more reasons to stay in their rooms, then they do to go out and play.
The Latest War Propaganda
Take a look at this blog entry by Glen Greenwald. Glen is always illuminating, but he hits it out of the park again on how the admin is trying to re-sell the war.
SiCK 'O Michael Moore
Michael Moore has a new "documentary" coming out, and I'll probably go see it, but only because I want to know what the extreme left is saying. I'm not a big fan of universal health care, so I'll be interested to see how Moore spins this issue. His documentaries are usually persuasive, until you are able to check his sources and how he edits around the pertinent facts.
Are We Losing the Iraq War? (Updated Below)
Over and over again I hear the same question and it's starting to drive me nuts. Are we losing the Iraq War? No! We won the war, past tense. In 2003 the US military had an opponent, the Iraq Army. That opponent no longer exists. We thoroughly and completely dismantled that army and won the war easily. The Baathists were driven from power, the dictator was smoked out of his hole, and the Iraqi people were "liberated". Our military did what it was trained to do, and did so like no other fighting force on Earth. I for one, am very proud of the job they did, and I continue to be proud of the sacrifice they continue to make in the name of duty.
The situation we are in right now is not a "war" in the traditional sense. The Shia vs Sunni conflict existed before we got to Iraq. It existed before Saddam. It existed before the British. It existed before the Ottoman Empire. By toppling Saddam Hussein, we got rid of a ruthless dictator, but we also created a vacuum which even our great military could not fill, because it was a theocratic political vacuum. The hard fact is that the conflict in Iraq cannot be solved militarily. If it could be, our military would have solved it by now.
The Iraq War was won. We were victorious. The Iraq Civil War is still raging, and we are caught in the middle, but it is not our war.
Update:
I feel compelled to also explain why we are "in the middle". Of course, the reason we are still in Iraq is for oil. I know, it seems too simplistic. We would like to think our leaders got us into Iraq for a reason more noble, but they didn't. They sold us a bill of goods and we bought it. Shame on us. But now we're in a tragic connundrum. In order for Cheney to secure his investment, we have to stay in country and ensure that the civil war doesn't hinder our efforts to get our hands on the oil. The Profit Sharing Agreements have yet to get through the Iraqi congress (which is truly the benchmark the White House is paying attention to), and that same Iraqi congress has recently voted that US forces should leave the country. We have to stay in country for as long as it takes to ensure the oil flows unempeded to our shores, which could take a generation. I'm all for sticking it to OPEC, but this was not the way to go about it.
The situation we are in right now is not a "war" in the traditional sense. The Shia vs Sunni conflict existed before we got to Iraq. It existed before Saddam. It existed before the British. It existed before the Ottoman Empire. By toppling Saddam Hussein, we got rid of a ruthless dictator, but we also created a vacuum which even our great military could not fill, because it was a theocratic political vacuum. The hard fact is that the conflict in Iraq cannot be solved militarily. If it could be, our military would have solved it by now.
The Iraq War was won. We were victorious. The Iraq Civil War is still raging, and we are caught in the middle, but it is not our war.
Update:
I feel compelled to also explain why we are "in the middle". Of course, the reason we are still in Iraq is for oil. I know, it seems too simplistic. We would like to think our leaders got us into Iraq for a reason more noble, but they didn't. They sold us a bill of goods and we bought it. Shame on us. But now we're in a tragic connundrum. In order for Cheney to secure his investment, we have to stay in country and ensure that the civil war doesn't hinder our efforts to get our hands on the oil. The Profit Sharing Agreements have yet to get through the Iraqi congress (which is truly the benchmark the White House is paying attention to), and that same Iraqi congress has recently voted that US forces should leave the country. We have to stay in country for as long as it takes to ensure the oil flows unempeded to our shores, which could take a generation. I'm all for sticking it to OPEC, but this was not the way to go about it.
Health Care for Colorado - Let's Be FAIR
I encourage everyone to take a look at the FAIR plan, proposed by Brian Schwartz, Ph.D. to the Colorado Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform. It gets us away from socialized medicine, which has not proven to work for Canada or other countries, and more towards market driven care. I'm still reviewing the proposal, but from what I see so far I certainly hope it gets a fair look from the commission. Time to write my rep!
The Diamond in the rough
Watching the Republican debate last night was aggravating. Almost none of these guys are worthy of the highest office... Almost.
For a couple of years now I've been aware of Ron Paul, but he continues to impress, and when I looked into this guy a little more, I am almost sold... Almost.
I don't really care to call him a paleo-conservative or a Goldwater conservative, but I will say he is not a Bush conservative, or a neo-conservative. I will say he has peaked my interest and will be someone I hope stays in the race. He may not have the funding to complete with Rudy or Romney, but he has the integrity and vision to be a great leader. I will support him for no other reason than to support his message on the issues, and to support his honesty and integrity and hope it transcends to the other candidates, both Republican and Democrat. Who knows, maybe he can gain some traction and be a contender. I almost wish I were a registered Republican so I could vote for him in the primaries... Almost. :)
For a couple of years now I've been aware of Ron Paul, but he continues to impress, and when I looked into this guy a little more, I am almost sold... Almost.
I don't really care to call him a paleo-conservative or a Goldwater conservative, but I will say he is not a Bush conservative, or a neo-conservative. I will say he has peaked my interest and will be someone I hope stays in the race. He may not have the funding to complete with Rudy or Romney, but he has the integrity and vision to be a great leader. I will support him for no other reason than to support his message on the issues, and to support his honesty and integrity and hope it transcends to the other candidates, both Republican and Democrat. Who knows, maybe he can gain some traction and be a contender. I almost wish I were a registered Republican so I could vote for him in the primaries... Almost. :)
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