August 31, 2004
Sumbitch Finally Tells The Truth...
...and this is the thanks he gets?
In an interview on NBC-TV's Today show, Bush vowed to stay the course in the war on terror, saying perseverance in the battle would make the world safer for future generations. But he suggested an all-out victory against terrorism might not be possible.
Asked "Can we win?" Bush said, "I don't think you can win it. But I think you can create conditions so that the -- those who use terror as a tool are less acceptable in parts of the world."
...
"The war on terrorism is absolutely winnable," [John] Edwards said later on ABC's Nightline.
...
"To suggest that the war on terror can't be won is absolutely unacceptable," said Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., the senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Hey John? Hey Joe? Go (to paraphrase the Vice President) fuck yourselves. Not only was the President correct in stating that the "war" cannot be won, but to "suggest" that the "war" should be won, on the terms the Democrats find "acceptable" (bombing, shooting, and torturing innocent civilians; occupying sovereign nations and re-writing their economic laws while serving as de facto guarantor of Israel's 37-year occupation of Palestine; firing off hundreds of tonnes of radiological munitions and developing a new generation of "useable" nuclear weapons for future use against the "bad guys"; destroying homes of "suspected" "insurgents"; holding detainees indefinitely without charge, or simply offing "suspected" "terrorists" on sight; laying siege to whole cities, and razing them to the ground; "allying" with savage dictators, warlords, and fundamentalist regimes -- even those responsible for wanton nuclear proliferation; "spanning the globe" with dozens of military bases; staging coups d'etat against elected leaders; destroying peasants' lives and livelihoods via chemical warfare, in the name of fighting "narco-terrorists") is a fucking travesty.
You want to "win" the "War On Terror", Joe? How about putting on Dubya's fucking flight suit, setting your ass in a bomber, and getting to work using these methods against the world's most dangerous terrorist state -- namely, the USA? You think that would be "acceptable" to the American people, fuckhole?
No? Then why should it be "acceptable" to any other people? Why should we be surprised when they resist?
Posted by Eddie Tews at 04:21 PM
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Guess they're with the terrorists...
August 30, 2004
"You're Either With Us, Or You're With The Terrorists"
Guess they're with the terrorists...
Posted by Eddie Tews at 12:39 PM
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It's the eyes, isn't it? Those just are not human eyes.
August 29, 2004
Cyborg Update
It's the eyes, isn't it? Those just are not human eyes.
Posted by Eddie Tews at 08:44 PM
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It's always fun when the U.S. military contradicts itself within the confines of a single sentence:
U.S. soldiers in Humvees drove through the neighborhood with loudspeakers, telling people to stay inside because coalition forces were "cleaning the area of armed men". [Emphasis added.]
In addition to the self-contradiction, the military didn't get that last bit quite right. Here's the sentence as it should read, with the changes in italics:
"...'cleansing' the area of armed niggers."
But, isn't Arab-"cleansing" supposed to be Israel's job?
Translation
It's always fun when the U.S. military contradicts itself within the confines of a single sentence:
U.S. soldiers in Humvees drove through the neighborhood with loudspeakers, telling people to stay inside because coalition forces were "cleaning the area of armed men". [Emphasis added.]
In addition to the self-contradiction, the military didn't get that last bit quite right. Here's the sentence as it should read, with the changes in italics:
"...'cleansing' the area of armed niggers."
But, isn't Arab-"cleansing" supposed to be Israel's job?
Posted by Eddie Tews at 08:33 PM
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If Scottie's latest "Press Gaggle" is any indication, it may be against "these shadowy groups" running the nefarious "527" campaign ads.
Scottie mouthed the phrase seven times during the 8-minute "gaggle" -- and referred to "these 527 groups" an additional three times -- all in an effort to not explicitly condemn the infamous Swift Boat ads that have been harshing Kerry's buzz of late.
Tonight's assignment: check to see if your neighbours are involved in any shadowy groups, and, if so, turn them in. We can't have shadowy groups sucking our freedoms away.
August 28, 2004
America's New War?
If Scottie's latest "Press Gaggle" is any indication, it may be against "these shadowy groups" running the nefarious "527" campaign ads.
Scottie mouthed the phrase seven times during the 8-minute "gaggle" -- and referred to "these 527 groups" an additional three times -- all in an effort to not explicitly condemn the infamous Swift Boat ads that have been harshing Kerry's buzz of late.
Tonight's assignment: check to see if your neighbours are involved in any shadowy groups, and, if so, turn them in. We can't have shadowy groups sucking our freedoms away.
Posted by Eddie Tews at 06:06 PM
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Alliances have been a major cause of wars throughout modern history, removing inhibitions that might otherwise have caused Germany, France, and countless nations to reflect much more cautiously before embarking on death and destruction. The dissolution of all alliances is a crucial precondition of a world without wars.
The United States' strength, to an important extent, has rested on its ability to convince other nations that it was to their vital interests to see America prevail in its global role. With the loss of that ability there will be a fundamental change in the international system whose implications and consequences may ultimately be as far-reaching as the dissolution of the Soviet bloc. -- Gabriel Kolko
In other words, if we agree with Kolko's analysis, we must vote for the Shrub in November! "Hold your nose" and vote for the Shrub, as the saying goes...
Quote Of The Moment #0069
Alliances have been a major cause of wars throughout modern history, removing inhibitions that might otherwise have caused Germany, France, and countless nations to reflect much more cautiously before embarking on death and destruction. The dissolution of all alliances is a crucial precondition of a world without wars.
The United States' strength, to an important extent, has rested on its ability to convince other nations that it was to their vital interests to see America prevail in its global role. With the loss of that ability there will be a fundamental change in the international system whose implications and consequences may ultimately be as far-reaching as the dissolution of the Soviet bloc. -- Gabriel Kolko
In other words, if we agree with Kolko's analysis, we must vote for the Shrub in November! "Hold your nose" and vote for the Shrub, as the saying goes...
Posted by Eddie Tews at 11:29 AM
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The United States (excuse me, the "Coalition", er, the "Multinational Force") has lost:
"It makes me happy to watch the American tanks burn. My uncles are with the Mahdi Army, and I wish I could be one of them too." -- Imad, Age 14
"I like to watch them kill the Americans." -- Moussa, Age 10
It will never "pacify" Fallujah, or Najaf, or any other Iraqi city. It will never be able to keep the oil flowing. All it can do is bring more death, destruction, and instability.
Anybody else unable to get Husker Du's "Newest Industry" out of their head lately?
Factories left unattended, crumbling to the ground We tried to keep them running, but there's no more oil around We used it all to fight a war that neither side could win Vietnam was Little League compared to where we've been
August 26, 2004
The War Is Over
The United States (excuse me, the "Coalition", er, the "Multinational Force") has lost:
"It makes me happy to watch the American tanks burn. My uncles are with the Mahdi Army, and I wish I could be one of them too." -- Imad, Age 14
"I like to watch them kill the Americans." -- Moussa, Age 10
It will never "pacify" Fallujah, or Najaf, or any other Iraqi city. It will never be able to keep the oil flowing. All it can do is bring more death, destruction, and instability.
Anybody else unable to get Husker Du's "Newest Industry" out of their head lately?
Factories left unattended, crumbling to the ground We tried to keep them running, but there's no more oil around We used it all to fight a war that neither side could win Vietnam was Little League compared to where we've been
Posted by Eddie Tews at 04:48 PM
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The Los Angeles Times may be the nation's best big-market daily. But this was pretty unexpected:
As the [Iraqi soccer] team racked up victories in its first-round matches, Bush began to mention the club in his stump speeches, holding it up as an example of his success in the so-called war on terrorism.
That's got to be the first time the mainstream media has dared to "so-call" the so-called "War On Terrorism". Of course, its still missing the scare-quotes. But, still...
Update, 9/5/04: The Baltimore Sun has one-upped the LA Times, in both so-calling and scare-quoting the so-called "War On Terror" (not to mention taking the piss out of one of its central tenets -- that military force can "win" the "War On Terror"):
Analysts say the incidents show that not only are there no front lines in the "War On Terror" but that there is no single war against it because there are few common causes, no common enemy, and no common strategy for fighting one.
Instead, the events have shown that the so-called war is really a series of mostly unconnected clashes over political, social and religious matters that military might has failed to resolve.
August 25, 2004
Whoa
The Los Angeles Times may be the nation's best big-market daily. But this was pretty unexpected:
As the [Iraqi soccer] team racked up victories in its first-round matches, Bush began to mention the club in his stump speeches, holding it up as an example of his success in the so-called war on terrorism.
That's got to be the first time the mainstream media has dared to "so-call" the so-called "War On Terrorism". Of course, its still missing the scare-quotes. But, still...
Update, 9/5/04: The Baltimore Sun has one-upped the LA Times, in both so-calling and scare-quoting the so-called "War On Terror" (not to mention taking the piss out of one of its central tenets -- that military force can "win" the "War On Terror"):
Analysts say the incidents show that not only are there no front lines in the "War On Terror" but that there is no single war against it because there are few common causes, no common enemy, and no common strategy for fighting one.
Instead, the events have shown that the so-called war is really a series of mostly unconnected clashes over political, social and religious matters that military might has failed to resolve.
Posted by Eddie Tews at 11:11 AM
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Having failed to find banned weapons in Iraq, the CIA is preparing a final report on its search that will speculate on what the deposed regime's capabilities might have looked like years from now if left unchecked, according to congressional and intelligence officials.
The CIA plans for the report, due next month, to project as far as 2008 what Iraq might have achieved in its illegal weapons programs if the United States had not invaded the country last year, the officials said.
That would be the same CIA whose director just recently resigned in disgrace? The same CIA responsible for Colin Powell's ridiculous presentation before the United Nations?
Let's see. The Bush Administration has back-tracked, now, from, "We believe he has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons," and, "Our conservative estimate is that Iraq today has a stockpile of between 100 and 500 tons of chemical-weapons agent;" to, "They're in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south, and north somewhat;" to, "Looking at an area that's the size of California and a terrain that's readily disposed to hiding stuff, I'm not surprised at all that they haven't found anything;" to, "You may find assembly lines, you may find pieces hidden here and there;" to, "[Saddam] is thought to have...made ambiguous statements about his WMD programme as an elaborate bluff that backfired;" to, "But, in regards to Saddam Hussein, if in fact he didn't have them, why on earth didn't he let the U.N. inspectors in and avoid the war? That is a real puzzlement to me;" to, "So what's the difference [whether he had them or not]?" to (presumably) "He would have been able to wipe the floor with our asses come 2008."
Next up, the Bushites plug Saddam's regime into a computer simulation, running over and over and over again on all of the Pentagon's computers; until, finally, on the nine trillionth (or so) iteration, Sim-Saddam develops a fuckin' bottle of Robitussin® Maximum Strength Cough Syrup by Sim-year 2112. The only question then will be whether this Smoking Gun (only a few straggler hippie America/Israel haters will now be able to doubt the overwhelming necessity of having undertaken the war) will have been revealed before or after the U.S. occupation of Iraq has ended.
Note what the CIA report apparently doesn't cover: the number of people not bombed and shot to death in the absence of a U.S. invasion (estimates range up to 37,000 civilians and 40,000 military personnel during the invasion alone). The tonnage of depleted uranium munitions not fired off in the absence of a U.S. invasion. The number of children not killed each month by un-exploded cluster bomb-lets not littering the ground in the absence of a U.S. invasion. The number of homes of "suspected insurgents" not destroyed in the absence of a U.S. occupation. The number of former CIA operatives not placed into power in Iraq in the absence of a U.S. occupation.
Note, too, that the exercise is a folly of a sham of a red herring. The Bush Administration was very much aware, well before the invasion of the status of Saddam's weapons capabilities. And if, four-plus years after the December 1998 demise of UNSCOM, those capabilities consisted of (according to the UNMOVIC inspectors vacating Iraq in advance of last year's invasion) "a few guys with paper and pencil and some computer in a back room,'' what might we reasonably expected them to have been five years later, in the absence of a U.S. invasion?
Meanwhile, don't let's tell anybody that the United States is developing a new generation of so-called "useable" nuclear weapons. Think they'll be ready for use by 2008?
August 20, 2004
Uh, They're Entrusting The CIA With This Job?
Having failed to find banned weapons in Iraq, the CIA is preparing a final report on its search that will speculate on what the deposed regime's capabilities might have looked like years from now if left unchecked, according to congressional and intelligence officials.
The CIA plans for the report, due next month, to project as far as 2008 what Iraq might have achieved in its illegal weapons programs if the United States had not invaded the country last year, the officials said.
That would be the same CIA whose director just recently resigned in disgrace? The same CIA responsible for Colin Powell's ridiculous presentation before the United Nations?
Let's see. The Bush Administration has back-tracked, now, from, "We believe he has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons," and, "Our conservative estimate is that Iraq today has a stockpile of between 100 and 500 tons of chemical-weapons agent;" to, "They're in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south, and north somewhat;" to, "Looking at an area that's the size of California and a terrain that's readily disposed to hiding stuff, I'm not surprised at all that they haven't found anything;" to, "You may find assembly lines, you may find pieces hidden here and there;" to, "[Saddam] is thought to have...made ambiguous statements about his WMD programme as an elaborate bluff that backfired;" to, "But, in regards to Saddam Hussein, if in fact he didn't have them, why on earth didn't he let the U.N. inspectors in and avoid the war? That is a real puzzlement to me;" to, "So what's the difference [whether he had them or not]?" to (presumably) "He would have been able to wipe the floor with our asses come 2008."
Next up, the Bushites plug Saddam's regime into a computer simulation, running over and over and over again on all of the Pentagon's computers; until, finally, on the nine trillionth (or so) iteration, Sim-Saddam develops a fuckin' bottle of Robitussin® Maximum Strength Cough Syrup by Sim-year 2112. The only question then will be whether this Smoking Gun (only a few straggler hippie America/Israel haters will now be able to doubt the overwhelming necessity of having undertaken the war) will have been revealed before or after the U.S. occupation of Iraq has ended.
Note what the CIA report apparently doesn't cover: the number of people not bombed and shot to death in the absence of a U.S. invasion (estimates range up to 37,000 civilians and 40,000 military personnel during the invasion alone). The tonnage of depleted uranium munitions not fired off in the absence of a U.S. invasion. The number of children not killed each month by un-exploded cluster bomb-lets not littering the ground in the absence of a U.S. invasion. The number of homes of "suspected insurgents" not destroyed in the absence of a U.S. occupation. The number of former CIA operatives not placed into power in Iraq in the absence of a U.S. occupation.
Note, too, that the exercise is a folly of a sham of a red herring. The Bush Administration was very much aware, well before the invasion of the status of Saddam's weapons capabilities. And if, four-plus years after the December 1998 demise of UNSCOM, those capabilities consisted of (according to the UNMOVIC inspectors vacating Iraq in advance of last year's invasion) "a few guys with paper and pencil and some computer in a back room,'' what might we reasonably expected them to have been five years later, in the absence of a U.S. invasion?
Meanwhile, don't let's tell anybody that the United States is developing a new generation of so-called "useable" nuclear weapons. Think they'll be ready for use by 2008?
Posted by Eddie Tews at 04:59 PM
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US officials have arrested two men whom they accuse of funnelling money to the Palestinian militant group Hamas for the past 15 years, the Justice Department said.
...
"The individuals named in this indictment are alleged to have played a substantial role in financing and supporting international terrorism. They are alleged to be material supporters of a foreign terrorist organisation," U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft told a news conference.
Very good. While he's at it, how if Ashcroft arrests every member of Congress who has ever voted funds for state terror operations committed in Iraq, Palestine, Colombia, East Timor, Cuba, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Turkey, et al..
After all, Congressional voting histories are a matter of public record, so it's not even as if we're dealing with allegations, but rather known, proven terrorist financiers.
Keep It Rollin', Boys
US officials have arrested two men whom they accuse of funnelling money to the Palestinian militant group Hamas for the past 15 years, the Justice Department said.
...
"The individuals named in this indictment are alleged to have played a substantial role in financing and supporting international terrorism. They are alleged to be material supporters of a foreign terrorist organisation," U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft told a news conference.
Very good. While he's at it, how if Ashcroft arrests every member of Congress who has ever voted funds for state terror operations committed in Iraq, Palestine, Colombia, East Timor, Cuba, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Turkey, et al..
After all, Congressional voting histories are a matter of public record, so it's not even as if we're dealing with allegations, but rather known, proven terrorist financiers.
Posted by Eddie Tews at 01:28 PM
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Since the beginning of the war on terror, the president has recognized that the war on terror is as much a conflict of visions as a conflict of arms. One terrorist put it succinctly. He said, "You love life, we love death." True victory will come not merely when the terrorists are defeated by force, but when the ideology of death and hatred is overcome by the appeal of life and hope, and when lies are replaced by truth.
Did I wake up in a parallel universe this morning, or did Condi just say that she would like to see lies replaced by truth???
Oh, well. It appears that her ephiphany has not yet "trickled down" to the military commanders on the ground in Iraq....
She's Seen The Light
Since the beginning of the war on terror, the president has recognized that the war on terror is as much a conflict of visions as a conflict of arms. One terrorist put it succinctly. He said, "You love life, we love death." True victory will come not merely when the terrorists are defeated by force, but when the ideology of death and hatred is overcome by the appeal of life and hope, and when lies are replaced by truth.
Did I wake up in a parallel universe this morning, or did Condi just say that she would like to see lies replaced by truth???
Oh, well. It appears that her ephiphany has not yet "trickled down" to the military commanders on the ground in Iraq....
Posted by Eddie Tews at 12:36 PM
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Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani warned Wednesday that Iran might launch a preemptive strike against US forces in the region to prevent an attack on its nuclear facilities.
"We will not sit [with arms folded] to wait for what others will do to us. Some military commanders in Iran are convinced that preventive operations which the Americans talk about are not their monopoly," Shamkhani told Al-Jazeera TV when asked if Iran would respond to an American attack on its nuclear facilities.
...
"If Israel fires one missile at Bushehr atomic power plant, it should permanently forget about Dimona nuclear center, where it produces and keeps its nuclear weapons, and Israel would be responsible for the terrifying consequence of this move," General Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr warned.
Feeling like the Bush Doctrine has made you safer yet?
No reaction yet from John "Armageddon it" Bolton, but here's Scottie:
Well, I think the Iranians say a lot of things. But what the Iranian government needs to do is end its pursuit of nuclear weapons. That's what our priority is when it comes to Iran. We've made that very clear. Germany, France and the British are making it very clear to the Iranians, as well. They need to fully comply with their international obligations and abide by what they said they would do. That's where our focus is, when it comes to Iran.
He didn't mention when the United States, Russia, Israel, France, India, Pakistan, et al., are going to give up their pursuit of nuclear weapons. But, setting aside that hypocrisy, if he's willing to brush it off as so much hot air, then why does it matter whether or not the Iranians are pursuing nuclear weapons?
And maybe it is a bluff. But what would be the American response to such an act of "preemption"? Or what would be the Israeli response to an Iranian attack upon its nuclear facilities?
It's easy enough to declare axes of "evil". Not so easy to live with the potential consequences of making war on the world.
August 19, 2004
One-Way Ticket To Midnight
Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani warned Wednesday that Iran might launch a preemptive strike against US forces in the region to prevent an attack on its nuclear facilities.
"We will not sit [with arms folded] to wait for what others will do to us. Some military commanders in Iran are convinced that preventive operations which the Americans talk about are not their monopoly," Shamkhani told Al-Jazeera TV when asked if Iran would respond to an American attack on its nuclear facilities.
...
"If Israel fires one missile at Bushehr atomic power plant, it should permanently forget about Dimona nuclear center, where it produces and keeps its nuclear weapons, and Israel would be responsible for the terrifying consequence of this move," General Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr warned.
Feeling like the Bush Doctrine has made you safer yet?
No reaction yet from John "Armageddon it" Bolton, but here's Scottie:
Well, I think the Iranians say a lot of things. But what the Iranian government needs to do is end its pursuit of nuclear weapons. That's what our priority is when it comes to Iran. We've made that very clear. Germany, France and the British are making it very clear to the Iranians, as well. They need to fully comply with their international obligations and abide by what they said they would do. That's where our focus is, when it comes to Iran.
He didn't mention when the United States, Russia, Israel, France, India, Pakistan, et al., are going to give up their pursuit of nuclear weapons. But, setting aside that hypocrisy, if he's willing to brush it off as so much hot air, then why does it matter whether or not the Iranians are pursuing nuclear weapons?
And maybe it is a bluff. But what would be the American response to such an act of "preemption"? Or what would be the Israeli response to an Iranian attack upon its nuclear facilities?
It's easy enough to declare axes of "evil". Not so easy to live with the potential consequences of making war on the world.
Posted by Eddie Tews at 05:04 PM
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Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) is a group of veterans from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. We are committed to saving lives and ending the violence in Iraq by an immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces. We also believe that the governments that sponsored these wars are indebted to the men and women that were forced to fight them and must give their Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Airmen the benefits that are owed to them upon their return home.
We welcome all active duty, reservist, and recent veterans into our ranks.
August 17, 2004
Quote Of The Moment #0068
Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) is a group of veterans from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. We are committed to saving lives and ending the violence in Iraq by an immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces. We also believe that the governments that sponsored these wars are indebted to the men and women that were forced to fight them and must give their Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Airmen the benefits that are owed to them upon their return home.
We welcome all active duty, reservist, and recent veterans into our ranks.
Posted by Eddie Tews at 04:30 PM
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Here's Scottie, at Monday's "Press Gaggle":
And the President will -- I expect in his remarks will also be thanking all our veterans for their service and sacrifice in the defense of freedom. I expect he'll be talking about our solid record of accomplishment when it comes to fulfilling our commitment to our nation's veterans.
...
So the President has a solid record of accomplishment when it comes to our nation's veterans. He also has a strong record of support for our military.
It's fairly widely known that these assertions are the bunk, as veterans themselves are surely most acutely aware.
But Scottie's timing is especially unfortunate, considering that the following story was still pretty damned warm of the presses when he opened up his mouth to lie out of it:
He’s 57 years old, afflicted with skin cancer, partially deaf, and suffers from high blood pressure. But the U.S. Army still wants Master Sgt. Luis Jaime Treviño.
On July 14, the Vietnam and Desert Storm veteran received his third order to report to active duty -- mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"I was very shocked," Treviño said, a member of the Army’s Individual Ready Reserve. IRRs are not part of a reserve unit, do not get paid and do not attend monthly reserve training. However, because of critical skills they possess, they can be recalled to duty if needed.
In disbelief, he called the Army hotline listed on his orders.
"Am I reading this thing right? At my age you still want me?" he asked.
But there was no mistake. Treviño is to report to a mobilization unit Sept. 15 at Fort Jackson, S.C. "If I do not execute these orders, I go to jail," he said.
His is not, apparently, an isolated case:
Reservists under the age of 60 are being activated, said Public Affairs Specialist Julia Collins of the Human Resources Command in St. Louis.
"I know many guys who are in that position," she said. "It’s not unusual."
This also raises the question: if "many guys" can be sent to Iraq, at that age and in that physical condition, why the fuck isn't Dick Cheney being fitted for his uniform?
Scottie's Continuing Struggle With Reality
Here's Scottie, at Monday's "Press Gaggle":
And the President will -- I expect in his remarks will also be thanking all our veterans for their service and sacrifice in the defense of freedom. I expect he'll be talking about our solid record of accomplishment when it comes to fulfilling our commitment to our nation's veterans.
...
So the President has a solid record of accomplishment when it comes to our nation's veterans. He also has a strong record of support for our military.
It's fairly widely known that these assertions are the bunk, as veterans themselves are surely most acutely aware.
But Scottie's timing is especially unfortunate, considering that the following story was still pretty damned warm of the presses when he opened up his mouth to lie out of it:
He’s 57 years old, afflicted with skin cancer, partially deaf, and suffers from high blood pressure. But the U.S. Army still wants Master Sgt. Luis Jaime Treviño.
On July 14, the Vietnam and Desert Storm veteran received his third order to report to active duty -- mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"I was very shocked," Treviño said, a member of the Army’s Individual Ready Reserve. IRRs are not part of a reserve unit, do not get paid and do not attend monthly reserve training. However, because of critical skills they possess, they can be recalled to duty if needed.
In disbelief, he called the Army hotline listed on his orders.
"Am I reading this thing right? At my age you still want me?" he asked.
But there was no mistake. Treviño is to report to a mobilization unit Sept. 15 at Fort Jackson, S.C. "If I do not execute these orders, I go to jail," he said.
His is not, apparently, an isolated case:
Reservists under the age of 60 are being activated, said Public Affairs Specialist Julia Collins of the Human Resources Command in St. Louis.
"I know many guys who are in that position," she said. "It’s not unusual."
This also raises the question: if "many guys" can be sent to Iraq, at that age and in that physical condition, why the fuck isn't Dick Cheney being fitted for his uniform?
Posted by Eddie Tews at 08:56 AM
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Jon from Illinois is appealing his deployment. His wife is serving in Iraq right now and he doesn't know what to do with the kids. Jon is a Gulf War vet who thought the IRR was a "safe haven" where members were only called up as a last resort. He said, "To me, Iraq is not a last resort situation."
Huh? Doesn't he realise that Iraq is the "central front" in the "War On Terror" -- this generation's ultimate battle between good and evil? Isn't his appealing of his deployment, then, tantamount to treason, applying Bushlogic?
August 15, 2004
Yet Another Soldier Not On-Message
Jon from Illinois is appealing his deployment. His wife is serving in Iraq right now and he doesn't know what to do with the kids. Jon is a Gulf War vet who thought the IRR was a "safe haven" where members were only called up as a last resort. He said, "To me, Iraq is not a last resort situation."
Huh? Doesn't he realise that Iraq is the "central front" in the "War On Terror" -- this generation's ultimate battle between good and evil? Isn't his appealing of his deployment, then, tantamount to treason, applying Bushlogic?
Posted by Eddie Tews at 10:50 AM
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"People are tired of us being here. It's the same as if someone came to the U.S. and started taking over. You'd do what you'd have to do." -- Lance Corporal Anthony Robert
August 12, 2004
Quote Of The Moment #0067
"People are tired of us being here. It's the same as if someone came to the U.S. and started taking over. You'd do what you'd have to do." -- Lance Corporal Anthony Robert
Posted by Eddie Tews at 03:19 PM
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"If the war on Iraq bothers you, a vote for Kerry is a vote thrown away." -- Alexander Cockburn
August 11, 2004
Quote Of The Moment #0066
"If the war on Iraq bothers you, a vote for Kerry is a vote thrown away." -- Alexander Cockburn
Posted by Eddie Tews at 06:56 PM
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The Federal Reserve yesterday pushed its benchmark short-term interest rate up a quarter-point to 1.5 percent, reaffirming its belief that the economy is recovering despite July's dismal job-growth figures.
Citigroup, J.P. Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Wachovia, U.S. Bancorp and other lenders followed by raising their prime lending rates a quarter-point to 4.5 percent from 4.25 percent set in June.
...
The increase was at odds with the Fed's upbeat forecast about inflation, said John Silvia, chief economist at Wachovia in Charlotte, N.C. He said it showed the long-term commitment -- in spite of mixed economic news -- to getting the rate back to the 4 percent "neutral" level that neither stimulates nor constrains the economy.
Meanwhile:
Investors sent stocks sharply higher yesterday after the Federal Reserve reassured Wall Street that economic growth would continue despite a recent slowdown and a surge in oil prices.
Waitasecond. You mean to say that interest rates are determined not by the Free Market, but by an un-elected board of "governors"? And that the "Invisible Hand" won't naturally determine the appropriate rate of inflation? And that the activities of the world's most famous "market", the New York Stock Exchange, are directly correlated with the policy decisions of the aforementioned un-elected board of "governors"?
What the fuck? Can't Newt Gingrich do something about this?
Free Market Miracle #0005
The Federal Reserve yesterday pushed its benchmark short-term interest rate up a quarter-point to 1.5 percent, reaffirming its belief that the economy is recovering despite July's dismal job-growth figures.
Citigroup, J.P. Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Wachovia, U.S. Bancorp and other lenders followed by raising their prime lending rates a quarter-point to 4.5 percent from 4.25 percent set in June.
...
The increase was at odds with the Fed's upbeat forecast about inflation, said John Silvia, chief economist at Wachovia in Charlotte, N.C. He said it showed the long-term commitment -- in spite of mixed economic news -- to getting the rate back to the 4 percent "neutral" level that neither stimulates nor constrains the economy.
Meanwhile:
Investors sent stocks sharply higher yesterday after the Federal Reserve reassured Wall Street that economic growth would continue despite a recent slowdown and a surge in oil prices.
Waitasecond. You mean to say that interest rates are determined not by the Free Market, but by an un-elected board of "governors"? And that the "Invisible Hand" won't naturally determine the appropriate rate of inflation? And that the activities of the world's most famous "market", the New York Stock Exchange, are directly correlated with the policy decisions of the aforementioned un-elected board of "governors"?
What the fuck? Can't Newt Gingrich do something about this?
Posted by Eddie Tews at 05:50 PM
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The Democrats' National Convention is but a memory now. But yours truly is still having difficulties coming to terms with their event's "Free Speech Zone". Not that the herding of protesters into caged-off enclaves far removed from the objects of their protests is anything new, even for the "Democratic" Party. But rather than rubbing our faces in our impotence, couldn't they at least have given it a nice, Orwellian name? Something like the "Enhanced Access and Maximum Exposure Centre", or some shit?
One can't help wonder how long 'til the "Free Speech Zone" is located in the middle of the ocean? Or on the fucking moon?
And how long until one or two ZIP codes in each state are declared "Affordable Health Care Zones", or "No-Police-Shooting-At-Unarmed-Citizens Zones", or "Clean Water Zones", or "School Buildings Still Standing Zones", or the like -- while the rest of the country's ZIP codes are "set aside" as "Maquiladora Zones"?
The Mind Still Boggles
The Democrats' National Convention is but a memory now. But yours truly is still having difficulties coming to terms with their event's "Free Speech Zone". Not that the herding of protesters into caged-off enclaves far removed from the objects of their protests is anything new, even for the "Democratic" Party. But rather than rubbing our faces in our impotence, couldn't they at least have given it a nice, Orwellian name? Something like the "Enhanced Access and Maximum Exposure Centre", or some shit?
One can't help wonder how long 'til the "Free Speech Zone" is located in the middle of the ocean? Or on the fucking moon?
And how long until one or two ZIP codes in each state are declared "Affordable Health Care Zones", or "No-Police-Shooting-At-Unarmed-Citizens Zones", or "Clean Water Zones", or "School Buildings Still Standing Zones", or the like -- while the rest of the country's ZIP codes are "set aside" as "Maquiladora Zones"?
Posted by Eddie Tews at 05:30 PM
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"You see any terrorists today?" "No, not yet. They're coming, though." "Yep. Orange Alert."
August 10, 2004
"You see any terrorists today?" "No, not yet. They're coming, though." "Yep. Orange Alert."
Posted by Eddie Tews at 06:55 PM
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Halliburton Co. and other U.S. contractors are being paid at least $1.9 billion from Iraqi funds under an arrangement set by the U.S.-led occupation authority, according to a review of documents and interviews with government agencies, companies and auditors.
Not content with funneling billions of U.S. taxpayers' dollars to Halliburton (from whom Dick Cheney still draws "compensation", don't forget), the Bush Administration is also funneling Iraqis' money to Halliburton.
Remember, kids: the open market is for chumps. If you wanna ensure your company's profitability, just run your CEO for Vice President of the US of A.
Note: This Free Market Miracle brought to you by the party of Small Government, the GOP.
Free Market Miracle #0004
Halliburton Co. and other U.S. contractors are being paid at least $1.9 billion from Iraqi funds under an arrangement set by the U.S.-led occupation authority, according to a review of documents and interviews with government agencies, companies and auditors.
Not content with funneling billions of U.S. taxpayers' dollars to Halliburton (from whom Dick Cheney still draws "compensation", don't forget), the Bush Administration is also funneling Iraqis' money to Halliburton.
Remember, kids: the open market is for chumps. If you wanna ensure your company's profitability, just run your CEO for Vice President of the US of A.
Note: This Free Market Miracle brought to you by the party of Small Government, the GOP.
Posted by Eddie Tews at 10:57 AM
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Responding to President Bush's challenge to clarify his position, Sen. John F. Kerry said Monday that he still would have voted to authorize the war in Iraq even if he had known then that U.S. and allied forces would not find weapons of mass destruction.
The "Lesser" Evil
Responding to President Bush's challenge to clarify his position, Sen. John F. Kerry said Monday that he still would have voted to authorize the war in Iraq even if he had known then that U.S. and allied forces would not find weapons of mass destruction.
Posted by Eddie Tews at 08:56 AM
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We had previously witnessed Scottie Mac contradicting the Superbrain.
In today's "Press Gaggle", he contradicts Colonel Anthony Haslam, with regards to the resurgence of violence in Shia Iraq:
Haslam: The poor Iraqi police force do not have a chance. They are attacked and they are outgunned. Without eliminating that threat, this city will never be stable.
McClellan: The Iraqi people are assuming more and more responsibility for their future. But there are those who are opposed to a free and peaceful and democratic future for Iraq. And they will be defeated. The Iraqi leadership has made it clear that they will defeat those who seek to spread violence and fear and stop the transition to democracy. And we're there partnering with them to address these ongoing security threats.
But that's not all. Scottie also contradicts himself, within the space of a few minutes:
Q Will there be any pulling of attack ads on Senator Kerry?
MR. McCLELLAN: What are you referring to?
Q Will there be any initiative to get the attack ads on Senator Kerry, as we were discussing yesterday --
MR. McCLELLAN: Are you talking about yesterday?
Q Yes. The military service attack ads.
MR. McCLELLAN: Again, we continue to urge Senator Kerry to join us and call for an end to all the ads and activity by these shadowy groups that are funded by unregulated soft money. These ads are examples of the kinds of problems with this unregulated soft money. The President signed the campaign finance reforms into law in part to get rid of this kind of activity.
Followed shortly by:
We need an energy plan -- and there's two reasons we don't have an energy plan right now, called John Kerry and John Edwards, who voted against an energy plan in the first place.
It might be kind of fun were McClellan to, along with his predecessor, Ari Fleischer, mount a joint tour to counter the newly announced Vote For Change tour. That would be an entertaining double-bill!
August 06, 2004
McClellan vs. McClellan
We had previously witnessed Scottie Mac contradicting the Superbrain.
In today's "Press Gaggle", he contradicts Colonel Anthony Haslam, with regards to the resurgence of violence in Shia Iraq:
Haslam: The poor Iraqi police force do not have a chance. They are attacked and they are outgunned. Without eliminating that threat, this city will never be stable.
McClellan: The Iraqi people are assuming more and more responsibility for their future. But there are those who are opposed to a free and peaceful and democratic future for Iraq. And they will be defeated. The Iraqi leadership has made it clear that they will defeat those who seek to spread violence and fear and stop the transition to democracy. And we're there partnering with them to address these ongoing security threats.
But that's not all. Scottie also contradicts himself, within the space of a few minutes:
Q Will there be any pulling of attack ads on Senator Kerry?
MR. McCLELLAN: What are you referring to?
Q Will there be any initiative to get the attack ads on Senator Kerry, as we were discussing yesterday --
MR. McCLELLAN: Are you talking about yesterday?
Q Yes. The military service attack ads.
MR. McCLELLAN: Again, we continue to urge Senator Kerry to join us and call for an end to all the ads and activity by these shadowy groups that are funded by unregulated soft money. These ads are examples of the kinds of problems with this unregulated soft money. The President signed the campaign finance reforms into law in part to get rid of this kind of activity.
Followed shortly by:
We need an energy plan -- and there's two reasons we don't have an energy plan right now, called John Kerry and John Edwards, who voted against an energy plan in the first place.
It might be kind of fun were McClellan to, along with his predecessor, Ari Fleischer, mount a joint tour to counter the newly announced Vote For Change tour. That would be an entertaining double-bill!
Posted by Eddie Tews at 04:50 PM
| Comments (1)
On Thursday, August 5th, in signing the "Defense" Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2005, President Dubya remarked that the funds would be used to "spread the peace".
As if on cue, a day later the "Multinational Force" in Iraq, in killing an estimated "300 anti-Iraqi forces" (AKA, members of the Sadr militia) in a "heavy bombardment from the air", has demonstrated the manner in which the funds are to be utilised.
As Interim Prime Minister Allawi prepares to impose martial law, one might wonder just what sort of "peace" is being "spread" in Iraq?
Perhaps a futher look at Bush's remarks will help clear up the muddle: "We seek to preserve freedom and peace for ourselves and for our friends." [Emphasis added.]
So the "brave people of Iraq" are not our friends after all. Neither, it would seem, are the "men and women of our armed forces", who are, along with the brave people of Iraq, being compelled to "endure" Iraq's "freedom".
A Man Of His Word
On Thursday, August 5th, in signing the "Defense" Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2005, President Dubya remarked that the funds would be used to "spread the peace".
As if on cue, a day later the "Multinational Force" in Iraq, in killing an estimated "300 anti-Iraqi forces" (AKA, members of the Sadr militia) in a "heavy bombardment from the air", has demonstrated the manner in which the funds are to be utilised.
As Interim Prime Minister Allawi prepares to impose martial law, one might wonder just what sort of "peace" is being "spread" in Iraq?
Perhaps a futher look at Bush's remarks will help clear up the muddle: "We seek to preserve freedom and peace for ourselves and for our friends." [Emphasis added.]
So the "brave people of Iraq" are not our friends after all. Neither, it would seem, are the "men and women of our armed forces", who are, along with the brave people of Iraq, being compelled to "endure" Iraq's "freedom".
Posted by Eddie Tews at 04:01 PM
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The Census Bureau has provided specially tabulated population statistics on Arab-Americans to the Department of Homeland Security, including detailed information on how many people of Arab backgrounds live in certain ZIP codes.
Not to worry, though: "The information is not in any way being used for law enforcement purposes. It's being used to educate the traveler [by posting Arabic-language signs in some airports]."
Yeah, just like all those Japanese- and Chinese-language signs in our Pacific Rim airports?
Anyhow, since all Arab Americans will soon be residing in Guantanamo, why go to the trouble?
August 04, 2004
Total Nigger-Information Awareness
The Census Bureau has provided specially tabulated population statistics on Arab-Americans to the Department of Homeland Security, including detailed information on how many people of Arab backgrounds live in certain ZIP codes.
Not to worry, though: "The information is not in any way being used for law enforcement purposes. It's being used to educate the traveler [by posting Arabic-language signs in some airports]."
Yeah, just like all those Japanese- and Chinese-language signs in our Pacific Rim airports?
Anyhow, since all Arab Americans will soon be residing in Guantanamo, why go to the trouble?
Posted by Eddie Tews at 03:01 PM
| Comments (2)
...shoot a fucking aeroplane out of the sky before it can crash into the building?
Yeah, sure, maybe the next attack won't come via a highjacked airliner. But it probably also won't come via a bum-rush.
Well, now, thanks to some four-year-old "intelligence" regarding potential al Qaeda targets, we've got machine-gun-wielding storm troopers on our streets as a routine matter of course. And since "Homeland Security" doesn't, by its own admission, know when the attacks shall occur, it must be presumed that the sites will remain at "Orange alert" status permanently.
Hey, at least if they can't find any "terrorists" to shoot at, they're ready to put a cap in somebody's ass.
What Does He Think He's Going To Do...
...shoot a fucking aeroplane out of the sky before it can crash into the building?Yeah, sure, maybe the next attack won't come via a highjacked airliner. But it probably also won't come via a bum-rush.
Well, now, thanks to some four-year-old "intelligence" regarding potential al Qaeda targets, we've got machine-gun-wielding storm troopers on our streets as a routine matter of course. And since "Homeland Security" doesn't, by its own admission, know when the attacks shall occur, it must be presumed that the sites will remain at "Orange alert" status permanently.
Hey, at least if they can't find any "terrorists" to shoot at, they're ready to put a cap in somebody's ass.
Posted by Eddie Tews at 02:42 PM
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Art: INTERVIEWER Do you think that the government is winning the battle against terrorists?
HELPMANN Oh yes. Our morale is much higher than theirs, we're fielding all their strokes, running a lot of them out, and pretty consistently knocking them for six. I'd say they're nearly out of the game.
INTERVIEWER But the bombing campaign is now in its thirteenth year ...
HELPMANN Beginner's luck.
Life: A car bomb planted by suspected Colombian rebels ripped apart three passing police vehicles Tuesday, killing nine officers and casting doubt on President Alvaro Uribe's ability to crush a 40-year-old leftist insurgency.
Life Imitates Art
Art: INTERVIEWER Do you think that the government is winning the battle against terrorists?
HELPMANN Oh yes. Our morale is much higher than theirs, we're fielding all their strokes, running a lot of them out, and pretty consistently knocking them for six. I'd say they're nearly out of the game.
INTERVIEWER But the bombing campaign is now in its thirteenth year ...
HELPMANN Beginner's luck.
Life: A car bomb planted by suspected Colombian rebels ripped apart three passing police vehicles Tuesday, killing nine officers and casting doubt on President Alvaro Uribe's ability to crush a 40-year-old leftist insurgency.
Posted by Eddie Tews at 02:30 PM
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Economically, same sex marriage will lead to the downfall of our country. Especially considering the number of baby boomers retiring in the upcoming years. Without a new generation to fill the shoes of persons retiring our society will struggle economically.
Can't Argue With This Logic
Economically, same sex marriage will lead to the downfall of our country. Especially considering the number of baby boomers retiring in the upcoming years. Without a new generation to fill the shoes of persons retiring our society will struggle economically.
Posted by Eddie Tews at 02:19 PM
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Yours truly has been planning, for some time, to write up a medium-length post describing how and why bin Laden is kicking the United States' arse in the so-called "War On Terror".
Such a post may now be redundant, as Jon Basil Utley has written a pretty thorough accounting, entitled "36 Ways the U.S. Is Losing the War on Terror".
Beaten To The Punch
Yours truly has been planning, for some time, to write up a medium-length post describing how and why bin Laden is kicking the United States' arse in the so-called "War On Terror".
Such a post may now be redundant, as Jon Basil Utley has written a pretty thorough accounting, entitled "36 Ways the U.S. Is Losing the War on Terror".
Posted by Eddie Tews at 02:00 PM
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Here's Dubya's latest analysis of his terror-fighting skillz: "We are a nation in danger."
Oooookay. You say you're running for President on your record of "protecting the lives and the liberty of the American people"? Got it. Now, fuck off.
August 02, 2004
Wherein Bush Endorses Kerry
Here's Dubya's latest analysis of his terror-fighting skillz: "We are a nation in danger."
Oooookay. You say you're running for President on your record of "protecting the lives and the liberty of the American people"? Got it. Now, fuck off.
Posted by Eddie Tews at 08:30 PM
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Microsoft said on Thursday that it planned to increase its storehouse of intellectual property by filing 50 percent more patent applications over the next year than in the previous 12 months.
Microsoft, the world's largest software company, increasingly regards the legal protection of its programming ideas as essential to safeguarding its growth opportunities.
May be. But it's also a grade-A market distortion. Indeed, one could argue that there is no greater interference in the operation of Free Markets than the holding of "Intellectual Property". Remember, the "invisible hand" doesn't want to know how a commodity gets to market, it wants to know how inexpensively. If Joe Blow can produce, package, and bring to market Microsoft Office's code more efficiently than can Microsoft itself, then, clearly, the buyer will gravitate to Joe's product.
So then how is Microsoft supposed to safeguard its growth opportunities? In a true market-based economy, that's beside the point! The Market isn't supposed to guarantee Microsoft's profitability any more than it's supposed to guarantee a subsistence wage. Market enthusiasts argue that both will magically result. But nobody's bothered to try it out to see if they're right.
Anyway, given that it attained its position by stealing others' ideas and squashing competitors like bugs, Chairman Bill has some nerve in terming "patents a 'very important part' of what he termed the 'cycle of innovation' that has been responsible for Microsoft's past prosperity and continued corporate health."
The question we should now be asking ourselves is why anybody would pay several hundreds of dollars for Microsoft Office, when a superior office suite is available for free?
Free Market Miracle #0003
Microsoft said on Thursday that it planned to increase its storehouse of intellectual property by filing 50 percent more patent applications over the next year than in the previous 12 months.
Microsoft, the world's largest software company, increasingly regards the legal protection of its programming ideas as essential to safeguarding its growth opportunities.
May be. But it's also a grade-A market distortion. Indeed, one could argue that there is no greater interference in the operation of Free Markets than the holding of "Intellectual Property". Remember, the "invisible hand" doesn't want to know how a commodity gets to market, it wants to know how inexpensively. If Joe Blow can produce, package, and bring to market Microsoft Office's code more efficiently than can Microsoft itself, then, clearly, the buyer will gravitate to Joe's product.
So then how is Microsoft supposed to safeguard its growth opportunities? In a true market-based economy, that's beside the point! The Market isn't supposed to guarantee Microsoft's profitability any more than it's supposed to guarantee a subsistence wage. Market enthusiasts argue that both will magically result. But nobody's bothered to try it out to see if they're right.
Anyway, given that it attained its position by stealing others' ideas and squashing competitors like bugs, Chairman Bill has some nerve in terming "patents a 'very important part' of what he termed the 'cycle of innovation' that has been responsible for Microsoft's past prosperity and continued corporate health."
The question we should now be asking ourselves is why anybody would pay several hundreds of dollars for Microsoft Office, when a superior office suite is available for free?
Posted by Eddie Tews at 07:52 PM
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Sympathy has its limits in the Iraqi summer heat. Dozens of Iraqis are dying on a daily basis in places like Falloojeh and Najaf and everyone is mysteriously silent -- one Brit, American or Pakistani dies and the world is in an uproar -- it is getting tiresome. -- Riverbend, returning to blogging after a six week absence
Quote Of The Moment #0065
Sympathy has its limits in the Iraqi summer heat. Dozens of Iraqis are dying on a daily basis in places like Falloojeh and Najaf and everyone is mysteriously silent -- one Brit, American or Pakistani dies and the world is in an uproar -- it is getting tiresome. -- Riverbend, returning to blogging after a six week absence