If Basra in Iraq is any indication of what Iraqis will do to each other when they are given control over their own territory(read about it here), then we should stop wringing our hands about protecting them with the our military. We are not protecting them from armies of other countries we have been protecting them from themselves.
Clearly they want to fight and will fight each other, at the tribal level, at the religious level, at the territory level, and on any level which they can use as an excuse to fight. It's hatred at its worst, and nothing we can do, or anyone else can do, is going to stop it, now or in the future. It's bound to come. It's a powder keg which was kept safe from blowing up only by the heavy hand of Saddam. We have replaced him as that heavy hand in his demise.
The idea of the surge, we were told, was to give Iraqis the cover they needed from violence to get a so-called unity government up and running.
That not only hasn't happened, but in Basra at least it's blown up into gang warfare of the most violent nature. And today we read that a hail of mortars or rockets has hit the Green Zone again.
Few people still argue against the claim that oil in Iraq was and still is the huge prize for which Cheney/Bush decided to invade the country. Getting Saddam and destroying WMD were the red herrings they used to strike fear in the hearts of their countrymen.
But there is a legitimate need for our military to stay in Iraq for some time to come, and that is the need to protect, not the Iraqis who want to kill each other, but the oil there and the infrastructure to get it out of the ground and ship it to market.
I do not expect that we will withdraw all of our troops anytime soon. Iran is trying to wait us out so they can move into the vacuum that would be Iraq, and control its oil. Iran is second only to Saudi Arabia as having the largest known oil reserves on the planet. Iraq is third in that count.
If Iran were to control both their own reserves and those of Iraq, they would become the new king of the jungle that is the global oil market. Whatever one's politics and disgusts about what's done in our name, there is a real and serious need to keep Iran from becoming that new King. That means military protection for the oil industry in Iraq.
Repeated reports that fourteen hardened military bases are being, or have been, built in that country, plus the existence of the world's largest Embassy, ours in Baghdad, confirm for this writer that these are the makings of the infrastructure essential to protecting Iraq's oil industry.
At least on this score I doubt that we will see much if any difference in policy and behavior toward Iraq after January 9, 2009, regardless of which party wins the White House, and even if the Dems gain a bullet proof Congressional majority.
Since the invasion began Iraq has been a hole in civilization, completely surrounded by bad guys, into which we've poured the blood of untold thousands of human beings, including thousands of Americans, and tried to bury them under billions of dollars.
But it's still the oil people. We need to protect it from those who would loot it and use it against, not just the USA, but against what is the global economy and civilization.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Shame, Shame
Talking Points Memo has a piece today about more corruption at Gitmo. You can read it here.
It's about Colonel Morris Davis, former prosecutor at Gitmo, who is blowing the whistle on the Pentagon's torture and tribunal policies.
Last Sunday the NYTimes ran an article by Colonel Davis who resigned when he was thwarted, overruled, in his attempts to stop water boarding there. He was under a gag order since his resignation in 2005, which apparently has expired since he didn't pull any punches when quoted in the Times piece.
It makes me sick to read stuff like this. The real war criminals are the President and Vice President of our country today. Sadly John McCain would now have to join them in the dock, based on his total betrayal of his earlier position against torture. He voted against the bill banning water boarding and today is advising the president to veto that bill.
Shame, shame!!
Leanderthal, Lighthouse Keeper
It's about Colonel Morris Davis, former prosecutor at Gitmo, who is blowing the whistle on the Pentagon's torture and tribunal policies.
Last Sunday the NYTimes ran an article by Colonel Davis who resigned when he was thwarted, overruled, in his attempts to stop water boarding there. He was under a gag order since his resignation in 2005, which apparently has expired since he didn't pull any punches when quoted in the Times piece.
It makes me sick to read stuff like this. The real war criminals are the President and Vice President of our country today. Sadly John McCain would now have to join them in the dock, based on his total betrayal of his earlier position against torture. He voted against the bill banning water boarding and today is advising the president to veto that bill.
Shame, shame!!
Leanderthal, Lighthouse Keeper
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Obama As He Speaks
As I write this I am watching Obama making a no note, spontaneous speech in Houston, having been projected the winner of the Wisconsin primary. He is taking on all the flack he is getting from Hillary and the GOPhers, and turning that flack back onto them.
Based on the reactions of those in the hall, he could probably tell them that he would suspend the Constitution if elected and would likely be applauded.
However, you would be in error to equate the congregation in that hall in Houston tonight with the larger audience who is or will be paying attention to the specifics he is articulating, in response to those who have tried to deride him as a cockeyed optimist, a spinner of fairy tales, a snake oil salesman of hope, a messiah who will be abandoned and denied by his disciples three times before the cock crows, to take David Brooks' shameless analogy to an even more shameless implied denouement. You can read his column in the NYTimes here.
Tonight Obama is addressing both his supporters and his detractors, and confirms to me that he's got what it takes to lead; enthusiasm, optimism, energy, drive and eloquence essential to conveying his message. He also is the genuinely earned and honest beneficiary of the mostly unspoken appeal to American hearts and sense of justice. It is not only that he should not be beaten because he is black, but that there is an ironic and poetic justice to his being a credible, legal, morally just candidate for our nation's highest office. Comparisons have been made to the humble beginnings and subsequent spirit of Lincoln, a white man president who prosecuted a devastating war to make it possilble for Obama to prosecute a healing peace, right here in what is still the United States of America.
Leanderthal, Lighthouse Keeper
Based on the reactions of those in the hall, he could probably tell them that he would suspend the Constitution if elected and would likely be applauded.
However, you would be in error to equate the congregation in that hall in Houston tonight with the larger audience who is or will be paying attention to the specifics he is articulating, in response to those who have tried to deride him as a cockeyed optimist, a spinner of fairy tales, a snake oil salesman of hope, a messiah who will be abandoned and denied by his disciples three times before the cock crows, to take David Brooks' shameless analogy to an even more shameless implied denouement. You can read his column in the NYTimes here.
Tonight Obama is addressing both his supporters and his detractors, and confirms to me that he's got what it takes to lead; enthusiasm, optimism, energy, drive and eloquence essential to conveying his message. He also is the genuinely earned and honest beneficiary of the mostly unspoken appeal to American hearts and sense of justice. It is not only that he should not be beaten because he is black, but that there is an ironic and poetic justice to his being a credible, legal, morally just candidate for our nation's highest office. Comparisons have been made to the humble beginnings and subsequent spirit of Lincoln, a white man president who prosecuted a devastating war to make it possilble for Obama to prosecute a healing peace, right here in what is still the United States of America.
Leanderthal, Lighthouse Keeper
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Get Out The Blue Light, The Man Wants a Blue Suit
So said the haberdasher to his tailor.
http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/76783/
Above is a link to one pundit's thoughts on an aspect of today's politics.
I found it to be, while clearly opinionated, a pretty good summary of events and quotes regarding the topic she addresses.
I am the founding member of The Lunchmen, a group of guys who meet for lunch weekly at a local pub and restaurant called The Yardarm, in Orleans, MA on the Outer Cape. (A well deserved plug for John and Jane Sully, my friends and proprietors of the joint.)
Our raison d'etre is to discuss subjects generally proscribed for polite company. But since we're not necessarily always polite we forgive ourselves. The topics include, among others, Religion, Philosophy, Science and Politics, plus anything of a personal nature one is willing to share such as our and our mate's current physical pains and complaints, which are ongoing at our age. In addition, we look forward to a good, hearty laugh, without pure as the driven snow female induced guilt, at a good locker room joke if and when any of us can remember one.
The group, to outsiders, would likely be considered center/left politically. That's a bit ironic since most of us used to consider ourselves at least conservative, with a small "c", if not
Republicans.
Crucial issues change over time, and often so gradually as to escape observation and recognition for a time. In my own family I see evidence that labels like Republican, Democrat, Conservative, Liberal have often survived long after they have ceased to reflect what they used to stand for.
We have three retired ministers with advanced degrees, one English professor, at least two English majors, five who attended Ivy League or Potted Ivy League colleges, one industrial/chemist/ scientist, two industrial company CEO's, one public school educator, both as teacher and superintendent, and one marketing manager for a well known manufacturer of farm equipment. All of us have retired.
A couple of weeks ago some of the group said they would have a problem if voting in the General Election required choosing between Hillary and McCain.
The link shown above contains information that should be important to anyone with such a problem. It clearly shows a bias, but for the most part the events and quotes cited seem to be factual, at least according to what I've observed over the past year.
All but one of our group supports Obama. One, not I, supports Hillary.
It's said that people don't really change. I believe that as much as a I believe that right handers don't change into left handers or vice versa, unless they see a need to become other handed to get something they really want. Then they are likely to change behavior and do what they can to appear to be the opposite of their natural preference and nature.
That's a good thing if one needs to develop a skill with one's opposite hand for shooting as the center on a basketball team, or develops the skill of acting as the good guy or the bad guy to get parts as an actor in movies, plays or television.
This never ending campaign season has been characterized by some of the most egregious shape shifting seen in recent years. None of the candidates on either side is wearing a completely clean skirt when it comes to dis-ingenuousness. But some skirts are dirtier than others.
Romney, as a presidential candidate, decided he could only win if he courted the far right, and spoke out against abortion, gun control, gay rights and extolled all things right winged.
As governor of Mass(I live in Mass, and did when he was governor) his posture, not to be confused with standing upright, but in the sense of posturing, was 180 degrees opposite of his recent ended presidential campaign posturing.
Another example is John McCain. Please click on the link at the top of this post to read what Arianna is huffing about when it comes to John McCain.
At today's Lunchmen gathering there seemed to be general agreement that what John McCain has said publicly over the past few weeks, coupled with reminders that over the past year or so, what he has said has had more to do with where he was standing when he said it than with authentic, personally held principles, has resulted in a loss of respect from those of us who had once admired him as a person.
Leanderthal, Lighthouse Keeper
http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/76783/
Above is a link to one pundit's thoughts on an aspect of today's politics.
I found it to be, while clearly opinionated, a pretty good summary of events and quotes regarding the topic she addresses.
I am the founding member of The Lunchmen, a group of guys who meet for lunch weekly at a local pub and restaurant called The Yardarm, in Orleans, MA on the Outer Cape. (A well deserved plug for John and Jane Sully, my friends and proprietors of the joint.)
Our raison d'etre is to discuss subjects generally proscribed for polite company. But since we're not necessarily always polite we forgive ourselves. The topics include, among others, Religion, Philosophy, Science and Politics, plus anything of a personal nature one is willing to share such as our and our mate's current physical pains and complaints, which are ongoing at our age. In addition, we look forward to a good, hearty laugh, without pure as the driven snow female induced guilt, at a good locker room joke if and when any of us can remember one.
The group, to outsiders, would likely be considered center/left politically. That's a bit ironic since most of us used to consider ourselves at least conservative, with a small "c", if not
Republicans.
Crucial issues change over time, and often so gradually as to escape observation and recognition for a time. In my own family I see evidence that labels like Republican, Democrat, Conservative, Liberal have often survived long after they have ceased to reflect what they used to stand for.
We have three retired ministers with advanced degrees, one English professor, at least two English majors, five who attended Ivy League or Potted Ivy League colleges, one industrial/chemist/ scientist, two industrial company CEO's, one public school educator, both as teacher and superintendent, and one marketing manager for a well known manufacturer of farm equipment. All of us have retired.
A couple of weeks ago some of the group said they would have a problem if voting in the General Election required choosing between Hillary and McCain.
The link shown above contains information that should be important to anyone with such a problem. It clearly shows a bias, but for the most part the events and quotes cited seem to be factual, at least according to what I've observed over the past year.
All but one of our group supports Obama. One, not I, supports Hillary.
It's said that people don't really change. I believe that as much as a I believe that right handers don't change into left handers or vice versa, unless they see a need to become other handed to get something they really want. Then they are likely to change behavior and do what they can to appear to be the opposite of their natural preference and nature.
That's a good thing if one needs to develop a skill with one's opposite hand for shooting as the center on a basketball team, or develops the skill of acting as the good guy or the bad guy to get parts as an actor in movies, plays or television.
This never ending campaign season has been characterized by some of the most egregious shape shifting seen in recent years. None of the candidates on either side is wearing a completely clean skirt when it comes to dis-ingenuousness. But some skirts are dirtier than others.
Romney, as a presidential candidate, decided he could only win if he courted the far right, and spoke out against abortion, gun control, gay rights and extolled all things right winged.
As governor of Mass(I live in Mass, and did when he was governor) his posture, not to be confused with standing upright, but in the sense of posturing, was 180 degrees opposite of his recent ended presidential campaign posturing.
Another example is John McCain. Please click on the link at the top of this post to read what Arianna is huffing about when it comes to John McCain.
At today's Lunchmen gathering there seemed to be general agreement that what John McCain has said publicly over the past few weeks, coupled with reminders that over the past year or so, what he has said has had more to do with where he was standing when he said it than with authentic, personally held principles, has resulted in a loss of respect from those of us who had once admired him as a person.
Leanderthal, Lighthouse Keeper
Saturday, February 16, 2008
McCain and Obama
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/16/opinion/16collins.html?hp
The link shown here is to an op-ed piece in the NYTimes by Gail Collins, which includes an observation that McCain doesn't want to run against Obama, as I have written about recently.
The link shown here is to an op-ed piece in the NYTimes by Gail Collins, which includes an observation that McCain doesn't want to run against Obama, as I have written about recently.
Friday, February 15, 2008
McCain wants Hillary
It's becoming clear that McCain is already running a general election campaign.
He's knocking Obama as if Obama has the Dem nomination.
I think there's a hidden agenda behind this tactic.
The GOPhers are licking their chops to take on Hillary because they have such a huge database on her thirty-five years in the public eye, and the only thing they can do against Obama is his lack of experience.
So McCain can't lose by attacking Obama more than Clinton. By doing so he will continue that attack if Obama becomes the Dem nominee, and by doing so he might actually be helping Clinton, whom he would rather go up against.
Leanderthal, Lighthouse Keeper
He's knocking Obama as if Obama has the Dem nomination.
I think there's a hidden agenda behind this tactic.
The GOPhers are licking their chops to take on Hillary because they have such a huge database on her thirty-five years in the public eye, and the only thing they can do against Obama is his lack of experience.
So McCain can't lose by attacking Obama more than Clinton. By doing so he will continue that attack if Obama becomes the Dem nominee, and by doing so he might actually be helping Clinton, whom he would rather go up against.
Leanderthal, Lighthouse Keeper
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